What bike to get the boyfriend?

I'm purchasing a bike for my boyfriend who hasn't been on one since he was a kid and I'm having a hard time deciding what kind to go with.

There's a <50 mile used Jamis Ventura Sport on sale for $550 nearby, but I can't really figure out if going straight to an entry level road bike is a good idea or not.

The other bikes I'm considering are new:

Kona Dew Plus for about $500 bucks
or a Marin 29er Muirwoods for $680.

I imagine that he'd be more comfortable and apt to ride the hybrids than the Jamis (initially anyway-- roadbikes aren't particularly comfortable for a beginner) but I can't help but think he'd eventually like the road bike! It's probably just wishful thinking and perhaps I shouldn't bank on hope. The other option was to find him a cyclocross bike, but I'd probably have to go used to get one for the right price and it's not always easy finding something like that locally.

Anyway, thoughts? Do you have any other suggestions for ~$500-$600 bucks?

IS there one you can borrow? I'm just thinking that is a lot of change to invest in hopes that someone likes it.

I'd go for the hybrid, because that's what it is- an all purpose ride. you can put different tyres on and go for light forest trails or serious road rides.

Well we've talked about it... he loves to bike ride, he just hasn't had a ride for years. Plus he often mentions how he wishes he could come on my rides with me. I mostly do road rides, so a hybrid like the Dew would work just fine to keep him moving along side me.

What does he want? Has he ridden either style of bike yet?

I think I'd do some test rides just to see what his preferences are, and go on from there.

Haha, yeah, I suppose surprise is out the window. We're going camping for a week at the end of may... Maybe I'll take him out a-test riding then. It would be really sweet to have a ride for him while we're camping though... Alas!

I really ought to be as serious about this bike purchase as I would for any bike I'd buy myself... I suppose that means getting him on the saddle and pedaling around to see what he likes the best.

We had a pretty informative discussion of "cheap road bikes" here

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=15647

Maybe a flat-bar road bike is in order?

I hooked my best friend up with a specialized "cafe bike" last year and she loves it. I still wonder if something semi-trail ready is a good idea though. There are a lot of great hard pack trails around here in the great "Missouri Wine Country" lol. I don't currently have a bike that can handle it the pebbles and gravel, but I'm hoping to get one before the end of the summer.

My other problem is that I keep impressing what I want onto my idea of what he wants!!! I really really really want a cross bike! So I keep telling myself "maybe Jim wants a cross bike..." and then subconsciously ... "he's not THAT much taller than I am!" :D

I think it really intends on what kind of riding he wants to do with you and/or you want to do together.

I approached my own entry into cycling with the same assumptions, i.e., that I'd feel more comfortable on a hybrid and that a road bike was too intimidating. In retrospect, I wish I'd just gone straight to a road bike. The hybrid was a nice bike, but it really wasn't comfortable for anything longer than 25 miles. It also didn't help me deal very effectively with the constant wind in Indiana. I bought a road bike about 2 months after buying the hybrid and haven't used the hybrid sense.

If he has no intention of doing long rides with you, then a more upright bike would work. Otherwise, I'd steer him toward a road bike. IMO and IME, road bikes just seem more intimidating. In the end, you still have to get used to riding again, dealing with traffic, learning how to be safe, etc.Most road bikes these days don't have an overly aggressive position and are more comfortable than they appear.

Good luck!

Definitely have him test out a few and choose one. I bought a bike for my then-DH as a surprise, and it was neither the right bike nor the right size for him. We did not exchange it, which we should have done. When we split up several years later, he said that he never liked that bike and didn't know why I even bought it for him. Ho-hum, I tried. But I would do it differently now.

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Originally Posted by tulip

Ho-hum, I tried.

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You're too good for him :p ;)

Garage sale? Craig's list? My sister's first bike (at the age of 60) came out of a dumpster and her husband's from a garage sale. They became hooked and learned enough to shop for their next bikes.

Two of their friends went out and paid $600 a piece for new bikes, and they sit unused in the garage.

I had a hybrid and was considering switching to a road bike. I didn't know if it would bother my lower back--so we bought a women's street bike off of Craig's List for $20. I was hooked and I was able to go the bike shop and buy with confidence.

Make him a cool voucher and let him choose himself!

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Originally Posted by tulip

Definitely have him test out a few and choose one.

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+1. There is no substitute for test-riding when buying a bike.

When I read the title, I thought that it said "What bike to get a boyfriend" :p ;) As in, finding one ;)

You are so sweet. I am bad at surprising people with expensive gifts because I am so afraid it won't be what they like so I usually like them to be involved in deciding what to get them. They are normally quite excited to be involved :)

Hahaha another question entirely. Would depend on who you're trying to impress ;) hahaha!

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Originally Posted by tantrumbean

Make him a cool voucher and let him choose himself!

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Reeshy Reesh...I love this idea!