What is a good starter bike for cycling?

Question

I want to start cycling. Nothing too intense I had a bike that got stolen a couple years ago and since then I have not bought anything. Any recommendations? I am a female (Don't know if that makes a differance.)

Answer 1

for road cycling, check out KHS, Trek, and Specialized

for mountain biking, check out Specialized and Giant

go to your local bike shop and "get fitted" to make sure you are getting the right size bike for you

plan on spending at least 500 bucks for quality and durability

please don't go to Walmart, Kmart, Target, Sears, etc. they don't know what they are doing and the service will not be anywhere near as good as your local bike shop(s)

Answer 2

You didn't mention your age, size or location [urban vs. rural], which might all be relevant. The frequency of your expected rides and your storage capability might be significant. If you have the resources to buy a decent bike, I agree that you shouldn't buy a cheap one from the discount stores. I think a casual rider might want to buy either a "hybrid" or "touring bike". These differ in riding position but are similar in available gearing [ability to climb hills... again, depending on the terrain you intend to ride][also comfort]. I also think you should decide [or guess] whether you think this will be a long-term hobby. You might buy a "first bike" and then buy a "serious machine" when you learn more about what you prefer, or go for your "first and last" right away. I agree that Specialized and Trek are good choices for touring. Do you have an REI near you? Sometimes [not always] a local bike shop can be very helpful.

Answer 3

Anything will do! If you are very small a women specific frame is not a bad idea but if you are over 5 foot 7 it probably won't be necessary.
Go to your nearest bike store and test ride a few bikes then get whatever's in your price range. It sounds like you are after a road bike or a hybrid with a nice light frame. When you buy ask how easy it is for the bike to be repaired if the gears and brakes stop working perfectly, and try to get them to do a free or discount service within the first three months.
Don't forget - lights, helmet, chain and a spare tube and pump!
Happy cycling!

P.S The user above me is right - you will be wasting money if you spend 200 bucks at K-mart - it will break and nobody will be willing to repair it for you.

Answer 4

The 'fine' motorcycle is the one who suits you. Racing and commuting are 2 very special roles for a motorbike to play. I could advocate a motorbike aimed extra at street driving/racing. You can without difficulty adapt it for commuting. If you are available in the market for anything new, appear at Specialized, or Giant in case your finances enables. You too can scour eBay even though that may be dicy. Your fine wager is your nearby motorcycle keep. Tell them what your ambitions are however do not allow them to promote you a top finish race motorcycle immediately. As you are simply beginning out you are not looking for that. When it comes to border fabric carbon is the fine but additionally probably the most costly. There are inexpensive carbon frames however you get what you pay for. There are very best titanium frames and aluminum as good that rate much less. The extra you'll be able to spend, the larger the body. Components don't seem to be a significant problem. Shimano makes a couple of special cost phases and the inexpensive one remains to be very well nice. Converting any motorcycle to a commuter is handy. You can purchase clip-on fenders and lighting. Add a backpack on your paintings garments and also you must be set. Good success!

Answer 5

Fuji Finest 4.0 for around $400+. There's also the Tomssao Imola for a little more, but it's sold mainly only online. These are both entry level road bikes. Gender does'nt matter, but your height will be a factor. If you're really short, male or female, there's less available. A decent quality mountain bike can be had for around $300 on sale. I prefer a road bike myself as I only ride on city streets. As has been said above, aviod bikes from Walmart, K-Mart, Target, ect. As far as quality goes, they're JUNK. In the world of bikes, you get what you pay for.