Looking for the best "part-time" bike

So, I have a few questions and need some advice. I am currently new to cycling (unless you count that WalMart mountain bike I bought and rode in my early 20's) and am trying to find a good bike for me now in my early 30's.

I am currently looking at biking as just another fun way to exercise now and then (I'm doing running as my main form of exercise currently since it's a lot cheaper), but I really do enjoy biking and would like to throw in a few bike rides each week, maybe 10 mile rides or so.

In addition, I am 5'4", short-waisted, long-legged, and small-handed so I've been thinking the whole WSD line would work great for me from what I've read and researched so far.

I've currently been looking at Trek's line as I like the way they look and they seem the most affordable with good quality. I could get a cheap-o $100 bike at WalMart again, like I did in my 20's, but I got tired of always being left behind on bike rides with my friends because my equipment was so heavy/crummy/just flat-out lame that I just couldn't keep up.

So, here's my question. Should I spring for a $600 Trek 1000 WSD (which I understand doesn't have the greatest components, but is surely way better than a $100 WalMart bike) and possibly upgrade my components over time as I can afford (I'm currently in college and would be buying my bike with the leftovers of my loan money), or should I put off buying it for a semester or two and saving up for the $1,000 Trek 1500 WSD that already has the better components? I don't plan to become some sort of major bike racer, but I do enjoy going fast so I thought a decent Trek bike would be worth it to me as opposed to the WalMart bike.

In addition, I'd be riding it mostly on bike paths (I live in Tulsa, OK right across from Riverside Park - THE biking park in Tulsa) so I thought a road bike would be best for me. I'm looking for a bike I can keep for years and just upgrade components on, at least until I graduate and start making the big bucks anyway, lol.

So do you think I should I go for the Trek 1000 WSD or save up for the 1500 WSD? Are there any other good cheap bikes for what I want to use it for?

Also, I was quoted a price of $670 on a Trek 1000 WSD from a LBS here in town, is that considered a normal price considering the Trek website doesn't even list the bike that high? Maybe the quote was for the new 2006 line? I thought it was getting to be off season and so the bike should be somewhat cheaper this time of year? When is the best time to buy a new bike for cheap?

Thank you for reading this over, I'd appreciate any advice or recommendations you'd like to give me.

Thanks!

PartimeBiker in OK

I'd vote for a hybrid bike in the $250 to $300 range. Something lighter and more "ride-able" than WalMart but not a road bike. You can get something with a lot of adjustment to the stem length/height rather than a fixed stem. You can get a bit of suspension in the seatpost. And you can beat the heck out of it on bike paths and limestone trails if you want. You won't be nervous about getting it wet in the rain if you decide to start commuting around campus. Your legs will become mighty oaks riding around on a bike that weighs a bit more than a road bike. And when you are totally in love with riding, you can dream and plan for your next bike, which, if you're like most of us here, will be more expensive! :p

I agree with Nuthatch...A nice hybrid will turn into an excellent commuter...and is perfectly fine for 10 mile rides. Then, when you become a fanatic, and more experience, you will have money and time to find the perfect road bike and spend real $$$ on it. But you'll still have the hybrid for commuting and lousy weather.

I bought a trek 7200FX ($330) and am really enjoying it. But maybe next year I'll think about upgrading my old road bike (12 speed, downtube shifters) or getting a new one as my distances are increasing.

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Originally Posted by drplasma64

I bought a trek 7200FX ($330) and am really enjoying it. But maybe next year I'll think about upgrading my old road bike (12 speed, downtube shifters) or getting a new one as my distances are increasing.

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Yeah, the thing about road bikes is they are built for speed and covering the distance and bike paths are not conducive to either of those things. Not to rain on your road bike parade, of course. If you do go with either of those Treks, you will find yourself wanting to ride like the wind!! ;)

P.S. I think now is the time to buy anything cheap.

me3 chiming in on the hybrid. If you decide to go with a road bike I would say go with the cheaper one for now in case you decide you don't really wanna be a biker or you need the money for school etc etc. Coz I can just about promise you - even if you go with the more expensive model, it won't be good enough for you down the road - you'll want an even MORE expensive model! LOL

I'm voting for the hybrid coz it is faster than a Wal-Mart special, it'll keep up with your friends, and it'll take a beating if it has too. I rode over 1000 miles on my "comfort" bike before I got a vintage road bike. I'm still thinking about using the comfort bike for my winter commuter - which brings up another point. If you're planning on riding through the winters - they can be pretty nasty in OK yes??......and the skinnier tires and the harrier handling of a road bike on slick roads could be scary. whereas the hybrid has slightly wider tires and the handling isn't so harrier fast.

I'm not a fan of hybrid bikes. I believe each type of bike has a purpose. You need to assess what you plan on doing then decide on the bike. If your plan is to travel short distance, stay on bike paths or off road trails and use the bike for limited exercise, then the hybrid is OK. If you are looking for a means to improve fitness, do moderate to heavy exercise then chose either a road or mountain bike, the MTBike to be use off road or on trails only.

There are lot of good, inexpensive road bikes and MTBikes out there. There are also alot of good used bikes out there. Maybe that's the ticket. If you have a local bike club, check their website. Folks are always buying and selling and outgrading their bikes. See if someone you know has a bike you can borrow. That's even better and cheaper. RIde ti for awhile she if the sport is for you and then decide to get a bike. Even paying $300 for a hybrid bike is wasted if you don't ride.

What great advice you've all given me! Thanks so much, you've really opened my eyes on things! I never even considered the hybrid because to be honest, I didn't really know what they were. Last time I was bike riding, titanium frames and mountain bikes were all the rage, and I'm not sure there even was such a thing called a hybrid - (there might have been, but I'd never heard of it).

So knowing my background a bit, I hope you won't mind this rather stupid question - if you don't ride a road bike on a bike path, does this mean you actually ride it on the paved street? :confused:

Because if that's the case, there's no way you could ride your bike in Tulsa on the street and hope to survive! :eek: There's no such things as bike lanes here, just urban sprawl and even pedestrians are few and far between unless you're at a park.

That being said, I think the hybrid really will be the best bike for me to start with (although little synapses blinked and sparked in my brain at the mention of going so fast on a road bike that it might actually be a little scary - Oooo! Ahhhh!) However, due to Tulsa's lack of racing bike trails/open roads, I think the hybrid will be the better choice for me. They are apparently building some more bike roads though, so maybe they will open just in time for me to upgrade to a road bike here in the next year or so :)

I also wasn't aware that the road bikes could get slick and hairy in the wet weather, thanks for that insight, as I do plan to ride my bike through the winter. We don't get a lot of snow here, but now and then we do and it rains a fair amount. I like the idea of a little extra stability during those times, at least until I get used to biking again. Or maybe I'll do as drplasma is doing and keep my hybrid for winter and look into a road bike a little later on. I hadn't even considered that always having been a one-bike kind of girl thus far.

I sure can't beat the price on the hybrid either, now I'll even have enough left over to buy the gear to go with it! I might even see about getting one for my mom too, as she's starting to get the biking fever with me, lol.

One concern though, I did read something about how the comfort bikes with the spring seats and the straight handlebars were not as good for you as a seat without the springs and curved (I think they call them dropped?) handlebars. There was also some mention about how leaning over your bike is actually easier on your back and breathing as opposed to the more upright positions on the hybrids/commuters/comfort bikes. This is my only reluctance in buying a hybrid instead of a road bike, is this really significant or have you all noticed any differences?

Thanks again for all the great info!,
PT Biker

A lot of us who ride road bikes and live in urban areas will drive our bikes out to the country roads to enjoy riding fast - no traffic lights, not many cars, long, uninterrupted stretches where you can really get your speed up. But some of us just plot paths through the urban area and head out into the country on our bikes, especially for club rides that have a set start point in town.

I think the body position question is really a matter of what you prefer. Upright is a slower, more leisurely riding position where you can see things around you. Down in the "drops" of the handlebars on a road bike will make you more aerodynamic but there are plenty of folks who really like that position - my ride partner has tremendous back problems in the more upright position and likes being stretched out over a long top tube and drop handlebars. My back doesn't have any preference but I like being able to see things quicker on my hybrid when I'm commuting and I like being in the drops when I ride long distances on the road over the weekends.

If you visit a bike shop with a big selection (more than one manufacturer represented), you can check out the different styles. It seems more and more that bikes come in all sorts of "frankenstein" varieties, with features that are mixed. Flat bar road bikes, cross bikes, things in between a mountain bike and a hybrid, etc.

I've been really happy with my Giant Cypress hybrid as my starter bike. I took it to a different LBS for tuneup & to check fit (the shop I bought it from closed its closer location) and the seasoned fellow there said he thought it was a great bike for me right now. I kind of think of it as my "pony." Someday I'll graduate to a palamino stallion and rule the roads :rolleyes:, but the pony will always have a warm spot in my barn.

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Originally Posted by latelatebloomer

I've been really happy with my Giant Cypress hybrid as my starter bike.

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Hey, that's my ride too! I love my Giant - it's my faithful commuter and my weekend knockaround trail bike. I treat my Marin Argenta like it's made of glass but my Giant will take anything I dish out! And I had two bike stores say the same thing - "this is a great little bike" when I had it out for tune-ups and upgrades.

Hmm, what upgrades?

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Originally Posted by PartimeBiker

Or maybe I'll do as drplasma is doing and keep my hybrid for winter and look into a road bike a little later on. I hadn't even considered that always having been a one-bike kind of girl thus far.

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ROFL.....yeah I'm with you on that one. I Never dreamed of myself as having more than 1 bike. As of right now I own 4 bikes and have 2 more waiting for me to go get in another state!! *shakes head*

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Originally Posted by PartimeBiker

One concern though, I did read something about how the comfort bikes with the spring seats and the straight handlebars were not as good for you as a seat without the springs and curved (I think they call them dropped?) handlebars. There was also some mention about how leaning over your bike is actually easier on your back and breathing as opposed to the more upright positions on the hybrids/commuters/comfort bikes. This is my only reluctance in buying a hybrid instead of a road bike, is this really significant or have you all noticed any differences?

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It's truly a personal thing like Nuttie said. My personal preference is a road bike with me riding in the drops 70% of the time. Other ppl use the drops only for descending or headwinds or...etc etc. I have a friend that Never uses her drops...she feels she lacks stability on the bike the few times she's tried it. As for the breathing - never heard that one - but there's a LOT of things I've never heard of. I would hazard a guess a more upright position would be easier on your breathing then riding in the drops - but that's just a guess. Most ppl have problems with their neck and shoulders from the drops but some of that is using a new set of muscles in a different way. With an upright you would alleviate some of that. However, being more upright will create more wind resistence But - you are also more visible as your profile is higher. So see...there's pros and cons to both sets of handlebars.

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Originally Posted by PartimeBiker

So knowing my background a bit, I hope you won't mind this rather stupid question - if you don't ride a road bike on a bike path, does this mean you actually ride it on the paved street? :confused:

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I"m probably not the right person to answer this coz I've ridden my road bike just about everywhere except singletrack! I've ridden streets here in Albuquerque that most people hate driving their cars on coz they're so busy.....and I've ridden just about all the bike paths this city has built. I see the bike as a means of getting where I need to go and then using whatever means I can to get there.