As new as you can get

I would like to get into cycling. I've never really been into it before. The most I've done is ride a bike when I was younger. The problem is, I have no idea what kind of bike to get.

I think I would mostly be using it for exercise, and I'd usually be pulling a trailer with my two year old. But I'd also like to be able to do centuries (not right away, of course) and other distance rides. And maybe an occasional sprint length triathlon--but honestly more just for fun, and not competitive.

The other problem is that my husband has no idea how much bikes cost. He thinks we can go over to Walmart and get one for around $100. So you can see, I'm going to have to start out with something relatively cheap (I do know $100 is NOT going to cut it), and maybe once he sees I'm serious about it, someday I'll be able to get something nicer.

You don't say how old you are, are you very out of shape, what kind of weather you live in , what's the terrain like, hilly/flat? All this effects what kind of bike is right for your situation. You are planning to use your bike for a lot of very different type activities- that might make choosing/finding a bike a bit hard if you want one bike to 'do it all'.
A used bike might work for you to start with- if it doesn't need lots of repair it might be a better quality bike than any $100 Walmart bike. A used bike will need to be looked over by a bike shop to make sure it is safe to ride (brakes, tires, cables etc).
I would also suggest that you get at least a little comfortable with riding again and read up about bike traffic safety before you try to pull your 2 year old child behind you on the road.
Good for you wanting to ride a bike again! :)

welcome to TE!

i'd check Craigslist for used bikes. And go to a bike shop and ask to ride some of their bikes, this way you'll find out what size you are, and you'll see a lot of bikes.

PLEASE don't buy a bike from walmart. they are made poorly and you will end up needing repairs and bike shops hate to work on them because they are so poorly constructed.

Welcome to the fun side!
I think you have great ideas and will have a wonderful time, once you are up and riding.

When I needed a bike with limited funds, I went to my local bike shop, introduced myself and made friends with the crew. I explained what my actual budget was, and they helped me find a used bike, then rehab it. They don't happen to sell used bikes, but they know who wants to upgrade, and were able to point me in good directions.

The local bike shop ( LBS ) was comfortable with me getting a bike that did not make them money right off the bat, because they knew I would need parts, service, a helmet, and all of those other things. They also like my cookie bribes! Their advice was indispensable, from what size to look for to how to pass cars safely.

Remember, you don't need to do *everything* right off the bat. Have fun, and I hope to see you on the road!

I am not an experienced cyclist, but I know what you are saying about the people around you not realizing what bikes cost. My parents and even my husband (a golfer- do you know what those clubs cost??!!! imagine me suggesting he buy his clubs at walmart) think a bike should cost $75- 100.00. They just shook their head at my "real expensive" trek 7200 when I bought it, around $400.00.
But I had owned a couple of walmart bikes before, and just never got into it. They didn't fit right, didn't change gears right, etc. I didn't know anything about bikes, but visited every bike shop in the area and rode bikes. I knew I wanted a hybrid, but I also tried some real low end mountain bikes. I wanted to be able to bring it in when something got out of adjustment, at least at first. So I found a shop that treated me right, and I felt comfortable with, and bought my bike there.
I ride for exercise, and the longest ride I've been on is 30 miles. I still love my hybrid, but have discovered mountain biking, so had to have a mountain bike. My entry level mountain bike once again horrified my family at the wasteful expense. My husband doesn't mind so much because he knows I use my bikes, unlike the walmart bikes before them. Also, I drew the comparison between bikes and golf clubs, and now he completely understands upgrades.
vickie

Hi, thank you for the welcomes. I'm sorry I didn't give more info before. I'm 29, and while I'm definitely not in the best shape of my life, I'm in fairly good shape, since I do other forms of exercising. I live in Utah, and our winters are not good for riding, so I'm looking for a nice weather bike, probably. I would say the terrain is definitely not flat, there are hills. Also, at this point, I'm not planning to do any mountain biking.

I hear you about getting comfortable before I pull my son in a trailer. That does make sense. :) We've got a nice, long walking/biking trail near my house that I'll be taking him on with a trailer before I ever go on the road with him.

I'll not be buying a bike at Walmart, if I can help it. Fastdogs, my husband likes guns, and he has no problem paying lots of money for them, even though he actually only uses them a few times a year. I plan to use that as my bike buying angle. :D

I've been thinking about getting a hybrid. How would that do on longer rides? I know it wouldn't be as fast as a road bike, but I'm not too worried about speed. I know I'm all over the place with what I want, which does make it hard to give me advice.

I was looking at the website for a bike shop near me, at their hybrids, and they had some bikes starting at $269 and then up into the low $300's. Specifically, a Diamondback Kalamar, a Giant Cypress ST, and a Raleigh Detour 3.5. Are those bikes complete crap?

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Originally Posted by pistol

Hi, thank you for the welcomes. I'm sorry I didn't give more info before. I'm 29, and while I'm definitely not in the best shape of my life, I'm in fairly good shape, since I do other forms of exercising.

I hear you about getting comfortable before I pull my son in a trailer. That does make sense. :) We've got a nice, long walking/biking trail near my house that I'll be taking him on with a trailer before I ever go on the road with him.

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Most excellent! :)

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I'll not be buying a bike at Walmart, if I can help it. Fastdogs, my husband likes guns, and he has no problem paying lots of money for them, even though he actually only uses them a few times a year. I plan to use that as my bike buying angle. :D

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Good plan. Plus, you can add the health angle for extra leverage!

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I've been thinking about getting a hybrid. How would that do on longer rides? I know it wouldn't be as fast as a road bike, but I'm not too worried about speed. I know I'm all over the place with what I want, which does make it hard to give me advice.
I was looking at the website for a bike shop near me, at their hybrids, and they had some bikes starting at $269 and then up into the low $300's. Specifically, a Diamondback Kalamar, a Giant Cypress ST, and a Raleigh Detour 3.5. Are those bikes complete crap?

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Hybrids are great all around bikes- they can do a lot- except maybe racing and triathlons, etc. Many people have happily ridden 100 mile rides on hybrids. Hybrids are (usually) less expensive than road bikes and are often more comfortable for new riders because you are sitting a little more upright. Also beginners really like the numbered gears on the hand grips, and they like the straight handlebars. An aluminum hybrid would be a good price and would be ideal for hauling a kid behind as well, and for putting racks on for shopping, etc. They can take very wide tires too, which gives a new rider added confidence. You can do a lot of long distance fun road riding on a hybrid. There is a lot of variety within the hybrid group- and I'd say you'd want to make it clear that you are not looking for a heavy 'comfort cruiser' type bike but rather more of a 'zippy' hybrid. Don't let some sales guy try to sell you a super heavy beginner's hybrid intended for riding only to the corner and back on flat terrain.
Many many people start with a hybrid and put thousands of miles on it, then decide to get a road bike for intense fast riding and voila!- they decide keep their beloved trusty hybrid for commuting or hauling kids and groceries.
If you do a lot of different kinds of riding it makes sense to have more than one kind of bike....but a hybrid is an excellent first bike choice for your situation, especially if as you say you are not too concerned with speed yet. :)

All this is just my own opinion. :cool:

I'll second that - a nice "zippy end" hybrid would be a good choice for you at this stage.:)

And I know people who have done sprint distance triathlons on zippy hybrids without any drama. So as long as you are not taking yourself too seriously a hybrid would be fine to test the waters in a tri. Go for it!

My zippy hybrid is Jamis Coda Comp (2003). If you can find a used one that fits you, be sure to call and try it out.

I agree with everything Lisa said about hybrids. As a novice, I had no idea what to buy, but decided on a hybrid. I found a good used Trek on Craigslist last summer and I love it. I guess it's zippy -- the Raleighs I tried out felt more clunky and less zippy (but take that with a grain of salt; I haven't ridden that many bikes). Index shifting is nifty when you're new, and sitting a bit more upright is easier.

Good luck with your choice!

Pam

I second the Jamis Coda. I bought one for $400.00 as my "second" bike. While it feels heavy to me, compared to my super light road bike, I love riding it. It carries panniers well and I use it to do errands all of the time. I got the "femme" version and it actually came in a size small enough to fit me.
Not a lot of shops carry Jamis bikes and I always get compliments on it when I have it locked p outside of the coffee shop!

I'd second checking out hybrid bikes, they are good starter-bikes. You may want to upgrade to a road bike, but the curve will be less steep by then.

Check our the Trek fx 7.2 (around $430 USD I think), a pretty zippy hybrid.

And welcome to TE!

I found a Trek 7100 at a LBS for $300. I also saw a Trek FX 7.2 there, and I liked it, but I'm not sure if I can afford another $100+. Right now, we're on a pretty tight budget, so I'm stretching it at $300. I haven't bought anything yet, but I'm seriously considering the Trek 7100.

Test ride them each at least twice. Find out which one feels better to your body! Ask questions about the frame size and how it 'should' feel.
Test riding is VERY important. Good luck!

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Originally Posted by pistol

I found a Trek 7100 at a LBS for $300. I also saw a Trek FX 7.2 there, and I liked it, but I'm not sure if I can afford another $100+. Right now, we're on a pretty tight budget, so I'm stretching it at $300. I haven't bought anything yet, but I'm seriously considering the Trek 7100.

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I had the Trek fx 7100 for a while and really loved it. Unfortunately it was bent by a car driver who "didn't know there was a light," that's why I ended up with a 7.2 fx.

Is the 7100 a "fx" also? It makes a big difference.