Biking 101

[chixieinthecity]

Hello all,

I am very glad I have found this site.

I am new (once again after a 10 year hiatus) to biking and am thoroughly confused. I have been looking at different bikes FS, HT , Giant versus specialized etc. But I am more confused than ever.

But I also feel that some of the places I have gone to have ignored my requests or have sort of put me to the side, because of my stature (5'0) and my gender. I am interested in mountain biking, slowly building of course and I'm at a loss of what to get. I asked for a bike about two weeks ago and the guy still hasn't called me back.... so I have gone elsewhere since.

Any suggestions? I am looking for something with a standing room of less than 28 inches, also I will be using this for mountain biking and light road work (less than 4 miles each way). In addition, I'm ok spending money for the FS but wouldn't mind growing into it either.:D



Thanks so much everyone.

[Penny4]

Welcome to TE!

Sorry you are having trouble finding the right bike. I don't ride a MTB so I don't have much advice for you there. BUt I was just curious what you meant when you said you asked about a bike 2 weeks ago and the LBS hasn't called you back?

Did you go in the shop? Or did you call them?

Have you test ridden anything yet?

[chixieinthecity]

Welcome to TE!

Sorry you are having trouble finding the right bike. I don't ride a MTB so I don't have much advice for you there. BUt I was just curious what you meant when you said you asked about a bike 2 weeks ago and the LBS hasn't called you back?

Did you go in the shop? Or did you call them?

Have you test ridden anything yet?

Thank you!

I went in and he physically ordered it into the store, told me he would call me and I've called and nothing, no avail to my questions. I was shocked since he seemed really knowledgeable and concerned over my standing height (as I hadn't even thought of it). That was over two weeks ago, and nothing. I'm shocked!

I went into a few shops actually, and have seen different ones. I was waiting for the two to come in from the shop I described above and taking those two, plus a HT out on a run before making a decision. It's so odd! It's to FS versus a HT for me. I'm a graduate student, and as this will be a large investment for me I have taken my time.

Thanks for asking :) any suggestions on things I should look for in a store, or ask?

[ride4fun]

Don't give up. I am 4"11 and I Mt Biking.
It has been somewhat hard to find a bike that really fits ,make sure you find a shop that has a good fitter and is willing to help. You might have to go back in a few times till they know you really (are looking at buying a bike.)
I have had two Specialized that fit pretty good both (Specialized Myka's in a womens small ) first in HT ,then up graded to the FS. I liked both bikes and as I was just getting Mt Biking they worked real good. (I did notice the differance between HT and FS)
I road a Giant in the womens small but it just didn't feel right ,They couldn not get it dialed in for me.
I now have a Womens (Trek Lush SL) FS size 14 1/2 and I love love love this bike .
Do not give up and keep going back till you find a person that is willing to help you and make you feel like they want your business. Ride as many bikes in your price range as you can before buying one and do not buy one if you cant try it out first.
Being as short as I am trying out a bike first is key because on some they just do not have enough room to tweek things.
Best of luck to you.

[indysteel]

Thank you!

I went in and he physically ordered it into the store, told me he would call me and I've called and nothing, no avail to my questions. I was shocked since he seemed really knowledgeable and concerned over my standing height (as I hadn't even thought of it). That was over two weeks ago, and nothing. I'm shocked!

I went into a few shops actually, and have seen different ones. I was waiting for the two to come in from the shop I described above and taking those two, plus a HT out on a run before making a decision. It's so odd! It's to FS versus a HT for me. I'm a graduate student, and as this will be a large investment for me I have taken my time.

Thanks for asking :) any suggestions on things I should look for in a store, or ask?

Did you put down a deposit on the bike that he ordered or did he just indicate that they would order a bike so that you could test ride it? If it's the former, I wouldn't buy another bike unless and until you're off the hook for the one already on order.

What bike did you order? I'm not going to excuse the LBS's lack of responsiveness, because it's inexcusable, but I will say that mountain bikes can be, and often are, in high demand. Many of us have had to wait weekes and sometimes months to finally get a bike we've ordered. So, if nothing else, I'd go into the store and find out the status of the bike you've already ordered. Nail down a time frame for when it will be delivered.

Beyond that, take a look at Specialized (especially the Myka) and Giant. If memory serves, they have lower standovers than some. Trek's Lush might also work for you.

[chixieinthecity]

Thank you for your replies.

I hadn't put down a deposit as of yet. I didn't know it could take so long to get a bike in, thank you for letting me know. When he told me a week, I took it to face value, but I should have known.

Thank you for letting me know I'm not the only one who had trouble with the height issue. I didn't realize it would have been an issue.

I"ll keep everyone posted on the decision of which one I go with. I might start with a HT and then upgrade to a FS like ride4fun. Just because I'm not sure how much time I"ll have for it, and if I invest about 2k, I'd like to make sure I use it a lot.

[Catrin]

Also remember the time of the year, there are going to be models that are sold out until next year - and they don't make so many of the smaller sizes to begin with as they don't sell as many of them. If you happen to have back problems you might want to seriously consider it if possible. A HT would be a very painful choice for me, but l love my FS, it allows me to ride pain-free.

This might not be a concern for you but I wanted to mention it.