please help on choosing a bike

[Salts]

Hi all

I am a new member to the forum, i am just getting back into biking after being away from it for about 7 years. at the moment i dont have a very big budget for a bike either, but will be saving to invest in my dream bike in the future, i would like to get your opinions on the below listed bikes, and let me know which of the ones i have listed, would be the best choice for my needs and if any of them are better made parts etc. than the others, and what u would upgrade on the one you choose.
i will be using the bike for short rides 3 to 4 times a week, on asphalt, some dirt trails, a few very small hills, 2 to 6 miles rides each outing till i get my endurance built back up. i am also not sure if i should go with a bike that has no speeds or a bike with speeds.
thanks for any input that you may have.

here are the ones i am debating between:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Schwinn-Al...-Bike/15711179

http://www.walmart.com/ip/26-Women-s...-Bike/13398152

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Schwinn-Si...-Bike/15711175

http://www.walmart.com/ip/NEXT-Avalo...-Bike/14272885

http://www.walmart.com/ip/26-Women-s...-Bike/13398136

or if you recommend a single speed bike, looking at this one:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/26-L-Cranb...green/12509650

thanks again

[KatzPajamas]

I think you should give them all tests rides and see which is the most comfortable first of all. Then observe which has the best response when you want to increase your speed. I see they all have grip shifters except one of them-if all bikes seems the same then the trigger shifters would probably be the deal maker for me. I have ridden both types and the trigger shifters are easier use, to know where you are and where you can go from there. You may also want to check out some local bike shops for used/refurbished bikes and get the opinion of the shop person. I would gravitate to a women salesperson who has experience riding. She would be more in tune to the needs of a woman cyclist and easier to ask questions of. You might be pleasantly surprised how nice a bike you could get for close to the price you are currently looking at. Once you make your choice-ENJOY! When I ride, I only know that I am out on one of my mini-vacations ( I take 4 or more week). A couple of hours on my bike away form electronics like tv and cell phone and computer. I have been passed by all kiinds of people on all kinds of bikes or I pass them and we are all having fun!

[Owlie]

May I suggest that you look into buying a used bike? You'll get a lot more for your money than you will from a big-box store bike, and it will be worth upgrading. The trouble with those kinds of bikes is that they're often not put together properly. They may say "Schwinn" or have "Shimano" components, but the truth is that Schwinn makes high- and low-end stuff, and Shimano makes crazy-expensive Tour de France-worthy component and really cheap ones. The other big problem, which KatzPajamas alluded to, is that you can't really test-ride any of them.

If you've got questions--you find something on Craigslist, for example--please ask us.

I'd suggest getting a hybrid (something like a Cannondale Quick or a Specialized Ariel come to mind) or a hardtail mountain bike. Either will be good for your purposes. They're all multi-speed bikes--I'm not a huge fan of the idea of single speeds, but I live in a hilly town. How tall are you, and what's your inseam?

[Salts]

Thanks for the replies everyone I have thought about used and have looked at craigs list. but i am not sure what i am looking at, if the prices are good for the bikes they are advertising, and if i went to look at the bikes , if the parts would be in good shape on the bikes, i am new to specialized bikes and reading and learning as much as i can , to learn it all, my main concern is quality, and i want something that will last and something that i can upgrade and keep for a long time, i do have a budget of around 400 dollars for my first bike and have looked at bikes in that range, but being new to bikes , not sure what brands and parts are better than others, my last bike i had years ago, was from the box store, and i did have problems with it, so i would like to step up from those but was'nt sure where to look, and thought maybe the bikes they have there now days might be better than the ones i had bought from them 10 years ago, but after reading your posts and other posts , i can see they are still not made very well, and maybe i should look into getting a bike from somewhere else, i do have a rei store around me and looked up hardtail mountain bikes

they have these to choose from in my price range.
Raleigh Talus 3.0 Bike - 2011
Novara Portal Bike - 2011
Novara Pika Women's Bike - 2011
GT Aggressor 1.0 Bike - 2011
Marin Coast Trail Women's Bike - 2011

my local bike shop carries Giant brand and here is what they have:

Giant Women's Cypress ST W
Giant Women's Cypress W
Giant Women's Boulder W
Giant Women's Revel 2 W

looking at those options. and of course i will go in and test drive them, which ones would be the best choice for good parts and quality and something that i could continue to upgrade?

i also looked up the Cannondale Quick that was suggested and i like that one also.

i am 5'9" tall
and my inseam is 31.5"

thanks again, i really appreciate all of your input

[Antaresia]

Ah ha! If you don't know what you're looking at, get a used bike from a local bike shop! A lot of them sell used bikes. It's what I did, and I know I got way more for my money than if I had bought a walmart special : / the mechanics would never sell a bike that wasn't safe, but look up reviews for the shop before you go just to check them out. Either way, you don't really have anything to loose by dropping by and taking a few test rides (it did take me a while to find my perfect used bike, I went to 4 different bike shops before cupids arrow hit me).

Plus, vintage steel bikes are sooooo stylish!

[Owlie]

Yes, if you can find a shop that sells used bikes (none of mine do, unfortunately), see what you can find there. I like Giant in that they tend to be good bang-for-buck.

With your height and inseam (crotch-to-floor, or jeans? The former is the one we need!), I'd actually suggest considering unisex bikes. (If I'm wrong, someone correct me.) You'll have a wider range to choose from, at the very least. I don't know if women's MTBs and hybrids are made with the same geometry 'tweaks' to that road bikes are, or it's just a designation for a pink and flowery design with a more sloped top tube. (I'm pretty sure that with Giant, it's the latter. So if you like the pink or you need that very sloped top tube, go for that.) See what feels best to you. Sadly, I'm not up on my componentry for mountain/hybrids, so hopefully someone else will chime in with that.

BUT--as far as I know, most manufacturers will offer the same frame with a variety of component levels. The more expensive, the better the components. It makes to upgrade (eventually) to the highest component level that the company offers with that frame. Financially speaking, not so much, but it will probably cost less than a new bike! Provided that the bike is of good quality and fits you well, upgrading wheels and parts as they wear out makes sense.

Sorry to have written a novel. Welcome to TE and enjoy those test rides!

[ultraviolet]

With your budget and relative inexperience with bikes, I'm going to suggest going the REI route.

WHen I wanted to buy my first bike in 15+ years, many well-meaning cycling friends told me to look at Craigslist, especially because I live in a pretty bike-saturated area. So, I did. I'm sure I saw some bikes that would have been great for me...the problem was, I had no idea what I was looking at. And even though I could send the ads to my friends to get some explanation, when it came time to actually check out the bikes in person and try them out, I was lost.

In the end, I stretched my budget enough to get me into an entry-level new road bike from an LBS. That was the last bike I bought entirely "new," but if I had it to do over again, I would go the same route. I was able to buy a bike with some confidence that there was a shop that would be there for me if something went wrong, or to just explain things to me when I didn't understand them.

There are those that would say that REI is only a scant step above a big box-store when it comes to bikes. And sure, it doesn't have the charm of an LBS, but the bikes are of decent quality and what you get for your money is generally a pretty good value. Top that off with in-store mechanics and a great return policy, and it's hard to see how one could go wrong letting that be their first stop back into the world of bikes.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against used bikes. I love them, in fact. I spend way too much time perusing (and buying from) Craigslist. Used bikes are great...if you 1) know what you're shopping for/looking at, 2) already have an idea of what you need with regards to sizing, and 3) have a little mechanical ability. It's pretty easy to pick up a bike from Craigslist and end up spending an extra $100+ on it at a bike shop fixing little things and tweaking other things to get it set up just right for you. If you can't do that kind of work for yourself (or have a friend willing to help you do it), a "great deal" from Craigslist can easily turn into not such a great deal.

Good luck!

[Biciclista]

Salts, your REI selections and the LBS selections sound great! they are all good brands..

[KatzPajamas]

How is bike shopping going Salts? Whatever you do, take your time...oh, yeah~and don't forget the helmet! Excited to see what you find!

[Sky King]

Welcome and good luck. I too strongly encourage LBS or REI, REI carries good brands and the people working there are going to me more knowledgeable than Walmart. Many LBS will not work on Walmart type bikes, poorly constructed and not worth the attempt to fix if something goes wrong. For sizing don't hesitate to do some website research, This link is to the Bike Hermits guide to sizing.

[Salts]

hi all

thanks again, for all the advice. I stopped by my lbs this weekend, and i loved the giants.. Going to go by rei this week, at lunch, the store is near where i work, which is about 40 miles from the house.. but i really liked the giants. so if i dont find anything i like better at rei. probably going to go with buying a giant at the end of the month...

i can see that bikes are very addictive.. i want to get them all

also can see in my future i will have a room in my house for my bikes, and my biking gear, after looking at all the used bikes also. i would love to get a used one to "fix up" after i learn a little bit more about bikes..

thanks again everyone !!!

[mxmus]

You should perhaps test ride and see which suits you the best