As new as you can get

[pistol]

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.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

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!

[Biciclista]

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.

[derailed]

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!

[fastdogs]

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

[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 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.

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?