I want to get a bike but dont know where to start.?

Question

I want to invest in a good, sturdy bike but price is important to me. I imagine that I would be riding a few days a week for pleasure, and nothing too intense. The bike will need to be okay for light mountain trails, again nothing too intense. Any advice?

I'm looking for a close-to-professional brand NOT something from a store like Sears, Costco, etc. Definitely not Wal Mart, lol...

I have stores around me (Im from Seattle) so again, its not the stores that Im looking for...its the brands and types of bikes that I am inquiring about.

Answer 1

From your description, it sounds like you are a good candidate for a hybrid bike. You really don't need the weight, cost, and complexity of even a front suspension. Let the qualified people at a bike shop confirm that for you. Tell them where and how you want to ride.

The bicycle business is very competitive these days. Any two bikes at the same price point are very often comparable values. It's hard, but try to ignore all the marketing hype and fancy brochures.

If pressed for a brand name, Giant has the reputation for providing good value for the price point, especially at the entry level. I'd start there, but make plenty of apples-to-apples comparisons with other brands.

Answer 2

I think that the shops are more important than just the brands. They can help you find a bike that fits you, they will also do some maintenance on it, and will know what type of trails there are close to you.

While a hybrid sounds nice, I would go to a mountain bike. You don't have to buy an expensive one, just one that has solid components and is from a company that will stand by their products.

Several brands that I think are good are Specialized, Cannondale, Trek, Giant, GT.

Answer 3

if you are in seattle then go to gregs greenlake cyclery. they will steer you in the right direction. you dont necesarily have to purchase there but you can test ride som bikes and get a feel for what you like. i strongly recomend purchasing a bike from a reputable bike specific shop as opposed to sears or costco. when you purchase at a local bike shop (lbs) you create a relationship with the shop such that its easier to get tech support after the purchase. most shops offer some sort of after care program with tune ups and such for free after the purchase of a bike. on a low end bike $200-500 this can some times be worth more than the bike itself.
good luck, seattle is a very bike friendly town, enjoy it

Answer 4

Definitely a hybrid. Two styles are out there. Suspension fork models and Comfort road models. Shop the internet first, here is a place to start www.performancebike.com/

Giant www.giant-bicycles.com/
Specialized www.specialized.com/
Schwinn www.schwinn.com/
Trek www.trekbikes.com/
Look over all those. You can find a dealer in or near your local.
Talk it over with a sales person you are comfortable with.
Ask to ride a perspective bike. It is commonplace to test ride a bike.

Good Luck, happy shopping, have fun.

Answer 5

I would suggest going to a bike shop near you, maybe even a couple of them and checking out what they have. If you are going to be riding on the street and some light mountain bike trails, I would recommend something like a entry level mountain bike. and depending on how radical the trails are that you plan on riding, (if they are not to bad) you could get away with something like a hybrid

Answer 6

A lot of bike nowadays in the markets for every occasion. Just go to the bike shops. The different of prices only depend on the quality of the bike.

Answer 7

Try Costco or Sears. They have good bikes for a cheap price.

Answer 8

get it on ebay. you can get an awesome bike for half the price. get anything specialized, trek or giant.
carlos
www.bikingthings.com
get fast, get fit, be happy

Answer 9

Walmart babayyy.