Need help choosing a bicycle
 

I'm wanting to buy myself a bicycle.

My commute to work is 6.5 miles one way, only has sidewalk about 3 of those miles. Speed limit is 50mph the other 3.5 miles but there is a large shoulder area w/ gravel.

I really enjoy hiking and the outdoors. A mountain bike sounds like a lot of fun! (though I'd then need to buy a bike rack, which just seems like a lot of money wasted)

I'd like to bike back and forth to work also though...

Which bike do I choose? A road/touring bike, or a mountain bike??

How many gears should I have?

I'm 6'1" and 200lbs, is there a certain size bike I should look for, or get whatever is comfortable?


Thank you!

For a 6.5 mile ride, it doesn't really matter. Any bike will do.

Humans have a very narrow powerband. More gears = closer spacing. As with cars, when you get more gears you generally get something that's intended for someone sporty rather than utilitarian/efficiency use. Unlike cars, that means taller gears instead of shorter. Road bikes tend to come with cassettes that look like corncobs, with a one tooth difference from one gear to the next. Luckily, it's easy and inexpensive to change.

Forget the road/touring vs. mountain issue. Instead, go for these priorities:
- Comfort
- Proper fit
- Budget

You don't need a rack for a mountain bike, they're tough and you can just throw it in your trunk with half of it hanging out over the road if you want. A road bike won't get broken doing that but it'd be a damn shame (and you could risk throwing a wheel out of true if you're rough loading it).

To be honest, I'd look for a beater at a yard sale or even roadside on trash day. An old Schwinn road bike (aka "Ten Speed") may do well. You don't have to worry about leaving a beater outside, securing it and protecting it from weather.

If you're going to buy a new bike or an expensive used one, fit is the #1 most important consideration. Read bicycling sites and forums to learn about proper fit. Don't go for an aggressive sport fit, and don't get an aggressively bike made for downhilling or time trials/triathalon. Buy from a local bike shop with good service.

What does your budget look like? Have you looked at any bikes yet?

Great advice thc, I agree.
A few other thoughts from a lifelong cyclist: Gravel? 200lbs? Forget skinny tires. By far the two most popular wheel/tire sizes are 26" (fairly self explanatory, it's the wheel diameter) and 700c (you probably have neither the time nor interest) about 28" diameter. Among 26" choices you'll want at least a 1.5" tire width. 700c? 32c tire width minimum, preferably 38 or 40c.
I can't say enough about the exercise, social, environmental and economic benefits of riding a bike, not to mention the sheer joy. The fun is free, ensuring your safety takes just a bit of doing. Don't forget to budget for a helmet, consider it mandatory. If you can't afford a bike and a helmet buy the helmet first. Lights are an absolute necessity if you'll be commuting during low light hours. No, they won't provide much benefit in seeing road hazards but they'll make you more easily seen. Consider a day glow/reflective vest as well. Studies show motorists react much more effectively to a human form than to random reflective shapes. Safety is paramount on two wheels, make it your first consideration. Get very, very comfortable with your bike before venturing anywhere near traffic. Practice braking and swerving; try not to enjoy it so much, you look like a ten year old! Repeat the following, as I do, each and every time you mount your bike:
"Half of them don't see me and the other half are trying to kill me."
Thank heavens it's not true but some days it will feel like it is. It'll go a long way to keeping you safe.

Good points. I didn't notice the bit about gravel.

For that kind of mixed riding, you'll want an inverted tread tire. They have tread cut in (like an automotive tire) instead of sticking out.
https://www.rei.com/pix/expertAdvice/..._inverted2.jpg

You'll want a bike with 26 inch tires. I don't know if they make that kind of tire for 700c wheels anyway. It will be a mountain bike or a cruiser. Try to find tires that accept a decent amount of pressure. I have 26 inch inverted tread tires good for 90psi. Rolling resistance and aerodynamic drag are a lot more important when you've got so little torque.

It's not impossible to use a skinny slick tire and a road bike on gravel. If the gravel is pretty smooth it's not even as bad as most people say. I still wouldn't recommend planning on it.

Try to find a rigid bike - no suspension. Or, at least, a hardtail.

Also, do not ride on the sidewalk. It's rude, dangerous, and in most places illegal. It's dangerous because nobody expects or looks for a 10-20mph sidewalk user, and because of the visibility angle for driveways/crossroads. Sidewalk users are expected to be able to stop immediately.

Not planning any sidewalk riding.

The commute is 13 miles round trip, I said 6.5 one way.


Also, find a bike w/ no suspension?? Why does that matter one way or the other? The reason I stopped riding a bike as a kid and switched to skateboards was because the seat hurt my butt! Wouldn't a nice seat on a bike w/ a shock/spring help?

Also, if I had to guess, lets just say I'll be riding 5% trails, 95% streets.

Look on Craigs List. I needed to find a bike this past summer. I found a Trek road bike I really liked, but it was $469 with no kick stand or water bottle holder. It was $509 with those accessories. I looked for one week on Craigslist and found one just like it that was 6 months old. The owner bought it to commute back and forth to work on since he was living downtown. He finally broke down and bought a $500 car. He sold me the bike, which looked as though it has never been ridden, for $250. It had a water bottle holder, kick stand, new helmet, and a bell (which I put on our new tandem).

The tandem is a story in itself. I found it on Craigslist, too. An older couple bought it new for $500+ 2 years ago. Just after buying it, the wife fell ill and died. The bike was ridden one time before it was parked. Their son sold it for the dad last summer. I bought it for $200. It is a Kent cruiser-style Tandem with all Schimano running gear. Huge whitewalls and springer seats. It looks like a 1960s-era bike, only without the fenders. My wife and I rode it in the Indy Nite Ride, and the only tandem that could keep up with us was a speed bike tandem (I did not even know they made them) with two cycling enthusiasts.

If I bought these bikes new, I would've spent over $1,000. I compromised on the color of the road bike (I got red, I wanted blue) and saved over $550.

If you ride on a regular basis and use a correct position, your butt won't hurt for long. If necessary, a suspension seatpost for comfort would be more optimal than a full suspension bike.

Suspension is heavy and expensive. Low-end suspension eats up your pedaling energy with pedal bob and such (in addition to being even heavier than the expensive stuff).

For a downhill bike, or for gnarly trail riding, rear suspension makes sense. For less gnarly trail riding, hardtail makes sense. For road and smooth trail riding, the efficiency of a rigid bike can't be beat, which is why you never see suspension on road bikes. Bicyclists have to hypermile all the time.

Yeah, most people stop riding bicycles because that seat is not comfortable.
Having suspension may increase comfort, but also increase weight and possible maintenance intervaul and cost.
Having fatter (wider) tires would increase comfort level, so does wearing padded bicycle shorts, wider seat..
200 lb. may be your main deterant to stay on a bike, but keep riding, that weight should get reduced pretty quickly.
If you want ultimate comfort, go for a recumbent bike, may not be cheap, but may allow you to commute for more comfort, less back/arm/neck stain.
Don't know how much you have in mind to spend for our bike, but a decent bike that is reliable and capable for your purpose should be around $400-600 at your local bicycle store. Ask them since they are the experts at selling bikes.

I strongly agree, for the riding you've described a suspension bike would not be a good choice. In addition to the increased weight and decreased efficiency you'll find serious reliability issues with an inexpensive suspension bike. Entry level prices for a worthwhile one will be over $700. The popularity of these bikes is more reflective of marketing and lack of choice than it is of their desirability. In any big-box store, where the grand majority of bicycles are purchased, they'll be your only choice outside of a "beach cruiser" which is likely to be a single speed with a single coaster brake. Certainly not what you'd want for riding on roads designed for automobiles.
Reagarding seat comfort, one could write volumes. Some longtime cyclists own several seats, swithing to and fro and not particularly liking any. Some own several bikes but only one seat which the bikes "share". Some are on lifelong searches for the perfect seat. Sorry, suspension is not likely to offer any benefit in this area. One instinctively raises one's weight from the seat and shifts it onto the pedals when striking any sizable road imperfections. Riding surface is simply not a major factor in seat comfort. Those who ride indoors on "rollers" (think of a treadmill), a perfectly smooth surface, still have saddle soreness on or after long "rides". Regardless of where or what you ride, you can bet your rear won't be happy at first. Sitting on a bike is not a natural position for the human body. Work with a reputable bike shop, start with short distances away from traffic and on smooth surfaces and you'll be a dedicated, happy rider before long. Your biggest issue is likely to be finding the time to ride as much as you'd like.

When I was hugely into cycling, I had one saddle that I liked and I bought more of the same model for my other bikes.

It does take a lot of trial-and-error to find the perfect saddle, and what's right changes as you ride more, your riding conditions change, etc...requiring you to start over again.

I'm one of those swapping saddles to the bike I'm riding. It's a late 60s leather model from Italy with no padding at all. No springs either. Sounds less then plush but once that leather is molded, by heat and sweat and the pressure of one's body weight, it follows one's anatomy with remarkable precision.

You leather saddle guys are really something else! ;)

I weigh 225 at the start of the cycling season and my bike has Michelin Axial Carbon 23 x 700C tires....no problem, the tires last over 10,000 km on the front barring major road hazards and the rears wear out at over 5000 km.

For me the fun of cycling is speed. If I don't hit 80 km/h each day it seems like a bad one! So I would go for a drop bar bike any day.

I have ~128,000 miles on my legs at this point and build my own bikes from discards. I like drop bars also, but that's me; personally, I'd recommend flat bars for somebody new or returning to the sport.

My advice would be similar to the others'...get a basic, unsuspended $250-400 mountain bike from a bike shop (not Wallyworld) and have the shop swap out the knobbies for some wide slicks. That'll give you a bulletproof ride that's reasonably enjoyable. If you decide later you want to improve on it somehow with a better ride, you can spend more money then; if you decide it isn't for you, you're not out big money.

Don't bother with department store bikes...The average mileage put on one of these between unboxing and the landfill is about 75 miles, and the manufacturers design to this constraint.

I'd also recommend avoiding older 10-speeds from yard sales; most of the older ones have rear wheels that wouldn't be reliable under heavier riders. Rear axle failures and broken left spokes were common in rear wheels from the last "bike boom".

How much have you spent on tires/tubes over the years?

re tire in post #4: Inverted tread tires have a lot of rubber, a lot of heavy rubber. A lighter weight tire will make a world of difference (an ounce off the wheel is worth a pound off the frame). The later advice for a semi-slick 26 inch is sound. The tread pattern affects traction almost the opposite of expectation: knobbier tread is less grip on all but deep sand or mud, "bald" tread grips pavement much better even in wet (no chance of hydroplaning with bicycle tires).

For a bunch of gas saving nerds, the bicycle advice posted has been exemplary (in other words: I concur).:thumbup:

Justy FYI, I haven't bailed, I'm just reading everything and taking it in. I searched craigslist and there are TONS of options. :)

I think therefore I'm a vegetarian? I think therefore I use soy diesel?
Hmmm.... I like 'em both.

Yes, bargains can be had but I don't think this route will reward you. Unless you've got friends familiar with all aspects of cycling you're going to need the services of a good bike shop. Florence is sizable enough to have a few bike shops, I suspect. Ask around, then stop in just to introduce yourself, you'll quickly find a shop you're comfortable with. Purchasing a bike is just the start of your relationship. You'll need these guys for adjustments and maintenance and advice, you're purchasing a service more than a good. If your experience is typical they'll become good friends. Now don't drag your feet for long, the sooner you're on your shiny new bike the sooner it'll be repaying yourself in saved gas dollars, maintained or improved health and lots of smiles. The best age eraser on this planet is getting on a bike and the longer it's been the greater the reward. You won't regret it.
Go ahead, shut the computer, go get a bike. Tell us all about your new ride on your next post.

The bike shop services are important. Most important of all, though, is getting the right fit. You won't get properly fit buying a used bike unless you're very good at bike fitting.

Of I go to a bike shop and get perfectly fit then find the same bike for a fraction of the price on craigslist. I'm not opposed to that. Saving money is saving money. If I'm not removing a salesman from potential buyers to bother him w/ fitment, I see no harm...

Its the equivilent of calling multiple shops to get repair quotes, they spend time/effort to create these quotes, but if one is cheaper, you don't go pay the other shop for their efforts anyway.

Most shops won't do a thorough fit until you're committed. If they just sit you on the bike, eyeball you, and say "yup, you fit" then they haven't done anything.

You can pay to get fit at a shop where you don't plan to buy.

No, not gonna work. It's most unlikely you'd find the same bike in a shop and on Craigslist, sorry. If you did, you'd hand back a large percentage of your savings in shipping and/or hassles. At best you'd be getting a used bike. A used bike you know nothing about setting up. The only fixed parameter in choosing a bike is frame size, in what I imagine to be your price range that's likely to be a generic small, medium or large. Trasnsferring that to an internet purchase, new or used, is child's play.
Here's the rest: your seat travels in three directions. Up/down. Forward/back. Tilted nose up/nose down.
Ditto for your handlebars.
Brake levers will need to be adjusted for your preference and hand size.
Tire pressure should be adjusted to your weight and riding conditions.
It's likely none of these adjustments will fit you on the first try. Bike fit is both a science and an art. If you want to ride and not drop it in short order you'll need an educated eye to observe you on the bike. Your bike. The one you're riding today and tomorrow. You'll adjust one thing one day and need to adjust a second, in turn, tomorrow. Yeah, that'll lead back to the first or perhaps to a third.
Those "bargains" on craigslist represent, more often than not, especially in your price range (again using my imagination), someone else's failure to adopt riding a bike long term. Want a "bargain"? Drop Craigslist, those people are in the know and want real money for their bikes. Wait for spring and hit the yard sale circuit. You will be astounded by the number of perfectly serviceable bikes available for five dollars. Simply ask yourself why they're not being used, the rest you can learn in school, The School of Hard Knocks. Nothing wrong with that, that's my alma mater. Need help? Don't hesitate.

Be safe and keep in touch.

"What you'd imagine to be my price range" is really REALLY dull. For all you know I could be a poor man, or a wealthy man.

I'm not "rich" by any means but I do have one advantage if you will... I'm a maintenance man. Setting up a brake handle or adjusting a seat is childs play. I don't need to pay a shop to do that... or anything else. Where's the money saved if I go and pay someone to get everything just how I like it?

It must be disagreement week on gassavers.org.

I appreciate all the responses none the less.

Yeah, I think it is disagreement week. :p

The difficult part of setting up a brake handle or adjusting a seat is not the bolting and moving, it's identifying that the brake handle or seat angle was the problem and knowing which direction to move it.

For example, if your hands hurt, you might think it's something wrong with the handlebar. In actuality, it's most likely to be that the saddle is tilted down in front too much. It could also be stem length (how far the handlebar sticks out in front of the bike), saddle fore/aft position, saddle or bar height, or wrong size frame.

If you read up quite thoroughly on sites like Sheldon Brown's site (which I linked to "fit" in my first post in this thread) you'll get some of it. However, a professional fit, if you can find* someone who can really do it right, will save a lot of time and pain.

*: Finding someone who can really do it right, is a pretty tough job itself.

I rode a bike for years, and getting around in the city or any suburb is best done on a mountain bike, cause you can ride it on the sidewalk, and dont always need to endanger yourself in traffic with this silly roadbikes especially when they're hard to get used to lol(meant only for the vegan elite)

I can beat those kids in a race around the city anyday especially with raised handle bars, front suspension, and a seat that has springs built into it(these are hard to find i think)

The middle suspension stuff on alot of Benny's or Wal-Mart bikes are junk usually and weigh alot, the cheap light spring seat works wonders

for the most fun to be had on a mountain bike you will want to get wide tires and remove those stupid foot holders

brands to avoid:
columbia
raleigh(depends)
anything besides shwinn found at these two stores:(buy a better shwinnn at the local bike shop)
wal mart
bennys


things to avoid:
stupid twist gear changers, those things drive me nuts and are crappy quality
heavy bikes, you'll want to throw the thing away, these are not fun to ride
bikes that look like motorcycles(duh)


go for:
400-500$ bike in a bike shop, or something that feels similar

I bought a bike for 450$ 12 years ago, it was a Schwinn Mesa, aluminum frame, I still use the bike today, and it romps!
It has 24 gears, and I clearly remember it keeping up with my friends' $1000 bikes they had specially built

go for 24, you will be surprised that you can keep up with, if not beat traffic with a light 24 speed bike and certainly keep up with those elite roadbikers

you can get a perfectly working schwinn mesa on ebay

https://cgi.ebay.com/New-Mesa-LTD-Sch...item4147f4a1d6

this one is cheaper and way sweeter than mine 27 gears too gahhh

I might buy that

ok i found your 700$ bike for 400$ on ebay

suspension bikes like the one above are super fast, great for everywhere

i would ride mine for 10 miles a day you dont loose speed with a bike like the mesa

suspension in the front allows you to jump off of curbs without bending your rims while stiffy non suspension guy sits in your non-existant mirror waiting to cross the street.

I weigh 220 and can jump off curbs and much taller rocks on a rigid bike without bending a rim, even with rims that get a lot of reviews claiming that they're weak. It's all about learning to ride properly.

its easier with suspension

but so is keeping your balance when you hit a bump

especially down trails, I love off roading and that's why that bike makes a good fit for me cause it's a seemless transition from roads to woods

But if you want to limit yourself to pavement mostly a good non suspension bike is fine, but not nearly as cool

Oh well. I somewhat suspected that it wouldn't last. :(

ok so everyone is going to be rude on this forum, bummer


im just talking in terms of one riders experience

I grew up in the woods and I love riding trails

And im using some sarcasm to talk about it hehe not trying to actually make bad vegan jokes

I rode a bike everyday, and I know what's comfortable, is alll GAWD