Three questions about bike shopping

[PamNY]

Does it make sense to go to a fitter first? Manhattan is not the greatest place for test rides.

If it does make sense, how do I find a fitter? The only way I know is calling a shop, and I assume a fitter employed by a shop would naturally promote the brands the shop sells.

Finally, I'm not finding the bike's weight listed on many manufacturer's specs. A lighter bike is one of the main things I want. I like trips that involve some subway/train travel, and that means stairs. With my day's supplies and the 8.8 pound chain lock, I have to pay attention to weight. Am I overlooking something obvious?

I thought bike shopping would be fun, but it isn't.

[lcinva]

Does it make sense to go to a fitter first? Manhattan is not the greatest place for test rides.

If it does make sense, how do I find a fitter? The only way I know is calling a shop, and I assume a fitter employed by a shop would naturally promote the brands the shop sells.

Finally, I'm not finding the bike's weight listed on many manufacturer's specs. A lighter bike is one of the main things I want. I like trips that involve some subway/train travel, and that means stairs. With my day's supplies and the 8.8 pound chain lock, I have to pay attention to weight. Am I overlooking something obvious?

I thought bike shopping would be fun, but it isn't.

I am by no means an expert, but I did just go through the whole buying process so since no one else has said anything I'll give my two cents.

You're going to have to test ride the bike at some point. I know that being in a city makes that kind of inconvenient, but the bike store probably has a specific route they've found is fairly safe and a good test of the bike for you. We live in Boise but ended up buying our bikes in San Francisco. There were bike lanes and a route that suggested that wasn't totally traffic-y and had some hills to try. I would just ask the bike stores you are looking at.

Most bike fitters I know of are definitely associated with a bike store. I'm sure there are some independent ones, but most stores just hire a fitter kind of as a contractor. The Specialized dealer here has a whole separate studio just for fitting. Like you pointed out though, they fit you, and then recommend bikes from the brands they carry.

Most reputable bike stores should have at least a couple knowledgeable employees who by looking at you, and finding out about what you want in a bike, can narrow you down to a couple of bikes...which you then would need to test to rule some out.

I probably test rode 8-10 different bikes at a few different stores before I decided. That's just kind of how you tell. Even though there were bikes the stores swore up and down I would love, I didn't necessarily. It's all about the feel. A much worse option would be having them put the different bikes on a trainer to see how they feel, but obviously that is in no way similar to a ride.

If it's an option, maybe go out of the city and find some bike stores that carry the brands you're looking at. You can ride them there on less crowded roads, get a feel for them, and then buy at your LBS.

As to your last question, that information is usually on the manufacturer's website, not sure what bikes you're looking at or why you're having a problem finding it. If nothing else, the bike store can hang the bike on a scale and find out for you.

In summary of my comments above, I personally wouldn't waste my money on a fitter, because you're going to have to test ride the different bike brands anyway.

[ny biker]

I chose a shop first, and went from there.

I went into a few shops and told them what I wanted -- a road bike for doing long rides, so it had to fit me well, with a specific budget in mind. I chose the shop that gave the answer I liked best, which was that they would first measure me using their fit kit, then would recommend a couple of bikes in my budget range. At the time, that shop sold Treks and Giants, and I wound up with a Trek. We've made many adjustments in the fit since then (this was in 2002) but overall I've been happy with the bike. Most important, I'm very happy with their service.

[Grog]

What kind of bike are you shopping for? A fast road bike? A hybrid commuter? A mountain bike to go downhilling?

[PamNY]

What kind of bike are you shopping for? A fast road bike? A hybrid commuter? A mountain bike to go downhilling?

I'm not sure. Figuring that out will be part of the shopping process, I guess. I've had a hybrid (a heavy one) for two years and ride a good bit. I should know by now exactly what bike I need, but I don't. I thought reading this forum would help me clarify, but it's had the opposite effect. I'm just more confused.

I'm trying to focus on what I want to do with the bike and go from there. Mostly I ride in the city, but I want to do some suburban/country trips of 30-40 miles. I don't have a car so that means train travel and stairs, which is why I'm focusing on weight right now.

[Grog]

I'm trying to focus on what I want to do with the bike and go from there. Mostly I ride in the city, but I want to do some suburban/country trips of 30-40 miles. I don't have a car so that means train travel and stairs, which is why I'm focusing on weight right now.

You are right, that's the most important question: what do you want to do with it. And, importantly: do you want to carry stuff on your bike? How much?

I assume from what you say that you will ride mostly roads and perhaps dirt/gravel trails, but nothing too exotic.

And then there is the budget thing...

If it was me, the answers to these questions would narrow down the bikes I would potentially be interested in quite a bit. Then it's a matter of choosing a shop to deal with. In my experience, which is limited as far as buying bikes goes (alas!), you don't get fitted into thin air. You need to actually sit on potential bikes and try them outside, just roughly adjusting things (saddle height mainly, trying one size and then a size up or down). Once you find one or two or three that feel about right, then you explore in greater depth with (hopefully) qualified staff if the fit can be dialed in for you. So, answering the question from your initial post, I don't think it really makes sense to go to a fitter first (unless you're about to drop $5K on a custom bike).

As for bike choice, here's my two cents: my guess based on what you've said so far is that you'll either want a sportsy hybrid (like the Trek fx series, available in a broad range of price and components) or a light-touring bike (drop bars). That's assuming you want to carry things (and also add fenders). If you don't want to carry anything on your bike aside from whatever goes in your saddle bag, then you're in the realm of total road bikes. The touring or road bikes are likely to be quite a bit lighter than the hybrid bikes, but they ride quite differently. You need to try both.

I hope these thoughts, however disorganized, help a little bit.