Another Newbie

[wannaduacentury]

Hi all !

Quick background: I'm an injured runner going nuts since I can't run and have decided to take up cycling. I have decided I want a hybrid bike. I am not interested in mountain biking and feel I need to have some time on a bike before graduating to a road bike.

I intend to mostly ride on bike paths and the roads around my neighborhood which are fairly rural. I'm guessing I'll ride 10-15 miles, 2-3 times per week to begin with. I've only tried 2 bikes, Trek 7000 ($280) and Trek 7.2 FX ($470), and I am eager to go purchase one of the 2 mostly because I want to ride now ! As you can see, I don't intend to spend alot of money on the bike as I want to see first if I like it and stick with it. If I do, then I can upgrade to something better.


Questions:

1. Would you advice I try more bikes before buying ? I haven't had a bike in years and I have nothing to compare the bikes to. They were both comfortable when riding around the parking lot at the lbs. I do realize that was a short spin and not hours on the bike. If you have any suggestion of other bikes to try, please let me know.

2. Are those 2 bikes considered good starter bikes ? quality: price ratio.

3. Do bike shops typically have after Thanksgiving sales ? in other words, should I wait until next Friday to purchase ? Chances are the bike I end up with may not be on sale, but maybe I can work out a deal in terms of accessories or something ?

Thanks for your input and I'm sure I'll have more questions later.

Seychelle

Hi and Welcome, I have a Trek 7100 hybrid. I like it b/c it has a suspension fork and seat post, great for bumps. The others are nice too. Ride all of them and pick what you like best. I bought a road bike in sept so now I have bikes for paths and road riding. Jennifer

[suzieqtwa]

I don't really know what a good bike fit feels like either. I'm a skinny 5/9 ,so I fit on almost any bike. Its not the bike so much that concerns me ,its the saddle. Both hybrids make my crotch sore after 15 miles or so. I don't know whether its the Nike shorts I bought on "sale" , the hybrid saddle ,or just the fact I was never fitted for it. I'm learning as I go along ,and on my new road bike ,I hope to be fitted properly ,and have a better saddle. I think you will just learn as you go along...but the TREK is a good bike. These ladies have a ton of good information.
I'm trying to run again ,but I feel the injury deep in my ankle. Yes, I miss it.
Suzie

[seychelle]

I'm trying to run again ,but I feel the injury deep in my ankle. Yes, I miss it.
Suzie

I'm so sorry, I literally feel your pain. I'm sure you know this, but be careful. I'm just saying it because you and I both know how runners are I'm sure you've ran through pain (as have I) before. You don't want to do unrepairable damage. How long ago was your injury ? was it a stress fx ?

[aicabsolut]

I'm an injured runner too..well my injuries started in high school, and then I put all my energy into being an equestrain instead of doing a million sports, but in college and grad school cutting back on the riding meant more running and other high-impact activities. My ankle is pretty trashed (OCD of the talar dome), and I can only manage the discomfort by avoiding running, kickboxing, and all the stuff I used to like to do.

Because I move a lot, I tried spinning for a long time (over a year) and then took the plunge and bought a road bike. But your approach for where you live will probably be just as good. I think a hybrid would be too slow and heavy for my taste, but anything you think you'll enjoy without breaking the bank to start with is great.

I don't know of any post-Thanksgiving bike sales, but look for 06 models that are hanging around the shop.

You can generally go out for longer rides, especially if the shop isn't too busy, but you might have to leave an ID and credit card with them. Try finding some speed bumps, roots, and any rough terrain that you can to see how comfortable it will be on the trails versus on the roads.

Cycling is addictive. I'm thinking of racing in the spring. Sometimes it'd be nice to run when I want to do certain other activities like play ultimate frisbee or soccer, but overall, I don't miss it. My tibia and ankles are so much happier since I gave it up. Now I just need to get another horse....