A good starter bike?

[Mrs. Funk]

I've come to the reailzation that I don't love working out at the gym nor do I love running.

I biked like crazy as a kid and well into my teens, but my old rusty bike has withered away into so much detritus littering the floor of my parents' storage unit.

Any advice for a good "starter" bike, versatile enough to be ridden on most terrains (nothing with pink ribbons or training wheels, s.v.p)? I'd like to not sink more than a few hundred into a bike to start out.

Thanks!

[mtnbiker]

Check the thread about mountain bike advice, started by Goatnapper 2 or 3 weeks ago. If you want to be able to ride most any terrain, you'd probably want to go with a hardtail. The price point for a decent entry-level hardtail is around $350-$450. You can usually get a bit of a discount from msrp, up to maybe 10% off.

You could look at Trek (4300), Specialized (Rockhopper or Myka), etc. It kind of depends on what bikes your local bike shop carries.

[Eddie]

As a biking novice myself, I just have to ask.

What exactly is a hard tail? What does that refer to?

And maybe a similar question would be what other bike types are there?

I'd assumed there were road bikes and mtn. bikes. Obviously some have a single gear and others have multiples. But what is the terminology for all that stuff?

[BigPiney]

As a biking novice myself, I just have to ask.

What exactly is a hard tail? What does that refer to?

And maybe a similar question would be what other bike types are there?

I'd assumed there were road bikes and mtn. bikes. Obviously some have a single gear and others have multiples. But what is the terminology for all that stuff?

Hard tail is for mountain bikes, meaning that it doesn't have rear suspension or shocks.

Front suspension is the shocks on the front fork.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Check the thread about mountain bike advice, started by Goatnapper 2 or 3 weeks ago. If you want to be able to ride most any terrain, you'd probably want to go with a hardtail. The price point for a decent entry-level hardtail is around $350-$450. You can usually get a bit of a discount from msrp, up to maybe 10% off.

You could look at Trek (4300), Specialized (Rockhopper or Myka), etc. It kind of depends on what bikes your local bike shop carries.

I bought a Specialized Rockhopper last year. I started out with the basic model but decided to upgrade to the model with the disc brakes after a couple rides. My bike shop was cool with changing the bike out for me. The derailers on it totally suck, but I can change those out eventually. One thing you can't do cheaply is just switch to disc brakes- it requires new wheels and a lot different items. That's why I upgraded to the disc brake model.

I was really getting into it and rode some pretty sweet trails before I biffed it big time and it took about a month for my ankle to heal. I also moved farther away from the particular trail I would ride all the time.

[Mrs. Funk]

What about this weird little number? I didn't know folding bikes exist.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...theoutblush-20

[mtnbiker]

What about this weird little number? I didn't know folding bikes exist.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...theoutblush-20

Ha ha! I've never seen anything like that before. That's hilarious. 14" wheels are really little - you'd have a hard time rolling over cracks in the pavement with that.

As for Eddie's question about bike styles:

A rigid bike is one without any kind of suspension. Good for any kind of riding on the road or moderate off-road. Road bikes are rigid, but the term is not usually used for them. A rigid bike generally refers to bikes with 26" tires, as opposed to road bikes with 700c (about 27") tires.

A hardtail has a suspension fork but rigid frame otherwise. Good for on-road and most serious off-road riding. They're often lighter and simpler than a comparable full-suspension bike, but don't absorb road chatter as well.

A full-suspension bike has both a suspension fork and rear suspension. Suspension travel can run from about 3.5" to 8" or so, depending on the type of riding and big jumps you might expect to take.

[creekster]

What about this weird little number? I didn't know folding bikes exist.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...theoutblush-20

These are used by inter-modal commuters. Typically they ride to a train station, fold up th ebike andput it under their seat to take the train to the city and then ride to the office. These bikes work for that, but they are not much good for anytying else. You dont want it if your goal is to exercise.


You have some good suggestiions ghere. IMO, I would get a hard tial Mtn bike, but I would consider spending a little more than 350-400. Odds are you are not going to want to upgrade very soon. Get the moist bike you can afford (reasonably) and then take care of ti and let it work for you for a long time. I still ride my first mountain bike htat is about 20 years old now (it is now my rainy day commuter, not my mountian bike, but the point is that I have taken care of it and it has lasted aong time).

[Mrs. Funk]

These are used by inter-modal commuters. Typically they ride to a train station, fold up th ebike andput it under their seat to take the train to the city and then ride to the office. These bikes work for that, but they are not much good for anytying else. You dont want it if your goal is to exercise.


You have some good suggestiions ghere. IMO, I would get a hard tial Mtn bike, but I would consider spending a little more than 350-400. Odds are you are not going to want to upgrade very soon. Get the moist bike you can afford (reasonably) and then take care of ti and let it work for you for a long time. I still ride my first mountain bike htat is about 20 years old now (it is now my rainy day commuter, not my mountian bike, but the point is that I have taken care of it and it has lasted aong time).

When you say "take care of," I'm assuming you mean basic maintenance stuff, etc.? I am still a poorly starving peon law student, so going too crazy with my bike spendings might be impossible at this point. Might have to wait until next summer to get anything crazy nice, which may mean foregoing a bike purchase until then.

[creekster]

When you say "take care of," I'm assuming you mean basic maintenance stuff, etc.? I am still a poorly starving peon law student, so going too crazy with my bike spendings might be impossible at this point. Might have to wait until next summer to get anything crazy nice, which may mean foregoing a bike purchase until then.

take care of means keeping the chain oiled and clean (this is very easy and makes all the difference in the wolrd as to how a bike sounds and feels when it is being ridden). It also means occasionalt tuneups. If you buy a new bike from a shop they will likely do free tuneups for some period of time.

It is better to buy one than to wait, but I think 350-400 is the minimum range to get decent rims and components. Buy whjat you can and start riding. THen drag MPFunk's sorry butt with you down to tahoe in July and ride around the lake with us.

[mtnbiker]

take care of means keeping the chain oiled and clean (this is very easy and makes all the difference in the wolrd as to how a bike sounds and feels when it is being ridden). It also means occasionalt tuneups. If you buy a new bike from a shop they will likely do free tuneups for some period of time.

It is better to buy one than to wait, but I think 350-400 is the minimum range to get decent rims and components. Buy whjat you can and start riding. THen drag MPFunk's sorry butt with you down to tahoe in July and ride around the lake with us.

Just to be clear, don't 'oil' the chain. 10W-30 or WD-40 are horrible for chains. Motor oil is way too heavy, and WD-40 is actually more of a de-greaser, if I understand correctly. Keep the chain lubed with a good cycling-specific lubricant like Tri-Flow, Pro Link, or Finish Line.

I wholeheartedly agree with Creekster. A $350-400 entry-level bike ('[no] more than a few hundred' in the original post) is adequate and will get you going. If you really get into it, you can upgrade to better components as finances allow. A bike with better-quality components (which will last longer, give you smoother shifting, and roll easier with better rims & hubs) will start around the $800 price range.

One thing about starting with a less-expensive bike is that it gets you out there, and you can get some experience in deciding what you like and don't like. I started on a Specialized Hard Rock (something like $280-$320 at the time) that was about 2 sizes too big (bike shop salesman was no help). I enjoyed it, though, and upgraded after a year or two to a better bike (that also fit me better). Which is why I'm always happy to help someone shop for a bike and try to help them get the right type of bike for the type of riding they want to do, and help them get the right size frame.

[creekster]

Just to be clear, don't 'oil' the chain. 10W-30 or WD-40 are horrible for chains. Motor oil is way too heavy, and WD-40 is actually more of a de-greaser, if I understand correctly. Keep the chain lubed with a good cycling-specific lubricant like Tri-Flow, Pro Link, or Finish Line.

I wholeheartedly agree with Creekster. A $350-400 entry-level bike ('[no] more than a few hundred' in the original post) is adequate and will get you going. If you really get into it, you can upgrade to better components as finances allow. A bike with better-quality components (which will last longer, give you smoother shifting, and roll easier with better rims & hubs) will start around the $800 price range.

One thing about starting with a less-expensive bike is that it gets you out there, and you can get some experience in deciding what you like and don't like. I started on a Specialized Hard Rock (something like $280-$320 at the time) that was about 2 sizes too big (bike shop salesman was no help). I enjoyed it, though, and upgraded after a year or two to a better bike (that also fit me better). Which is why I'm always happy to help someone shop for a bike and try to help them get the right type of bike for the type of riding they want to do, and help them get the right size frame.

I am creekster, who sometimes forgets the importance of saying lube instead of oil when he means lube, and I endorse Tri-Flow, Finish Line and this post.

[pellegrino]

Just to be clear, don't 'oil' the chain. 10W-30 or WD-40 are horrible for chains. Motor oil is way too heavy, and WD-40 is actually more of a de-greaser, if I understand correctly.

For the record, WD40 is not a degreaser, it displaces water and is a mix of petroleum based lubricants (oil) and solvents, which give it its cleaning properties. It will get sludge off of a chain (thanks to the solvents), but then when the solvents evaporate you'll have oil on the chain as well. Oil attracts dirt and when they combine they form sludge and so instead of cleaning the chain, you've just created a cyclical scenario that is tough to reverse. Getting WD40 off of a chain or sprockets is a pain, I learned that the hard way.

[landpoke]

Get the moist

I am creekster, who sometimes forgets the importance of saying lube instead of oil when he means lube

Good God man, is there a thread out there that you WON'T sully with your unspeakably filthy thoughts.?

[creekster]

Good God man, is there a thread out there that you WON'T sully with your unspeakably filthy thoughts.?

I guess I need to use more acronyms.