holy hell i'm overwhelmed! PLEASE HELP!

[arielmoon]

Good for you for choosing a healthier you! Some wonderful advice here (TE forum rocks!) and I agree with saving your $1000 for a better bike later and making do for now. I rode my BF's handmedown Trek 2300 for months before committing to my own bike and although I had to pay with plastic I have not regretted it for a minute! You are going to need some clothing too so keep that in mind. This is not an inexpensive passion but the rewards are priceless!

[PamNY]

thanks for all the advice again :-)
The height of the Trek FX 7.1 - it's 17.5 inches. Is that too big? My friend who is 5.6 says it's just the right size for her... but i'm only 5'4"

I just bought a Trek 7100. It's a size 15 and fits me well. I'm 5'4" and the 17.5 would way too big for me. Just FYI. Good luck with your choice.

Pam

[wackyjacky1]

Let me add +1 to the accolades for the Trek FX series. After a few mods, I am head over heels in love with mine. It's a great all-purpose bike for a decent price, IMO.

I'm 5'5" and I have the 15" Trek 7.2FX WSD. The frame fits me really well, but I do have to have the seatpost extended to its maximum. Take your friend's bike for a spin and see what you think. It's probably too big, but ya might get lucky -- ya never know.

Whatever you decide, congrats for getting out there and riding!

[Miranda]

That FX is a nice bike. I really considered it before I made my purchases. As the girls said, fit is important.

I also just wanted to post another "good for you" comment on the healthy life choices. I lost quite a bit of weight a few years ago, and it was one of the best gifts I ever gave myself.

Riding can be so freeing to the soul. It can lift the weight of the world off your mind, vs what it can do for you physical weight. Don't let all the gear hoop-la boggle your mind out of that regardless .

[earthgirl]

so again, thank you... i'm blushing with all your support. it's really lovely.

I realize i'm a bit short for the 17.5in but my friend is giving me this 250-take-it-or-leave-it offer... so I'm going to take it. At that price, it's 200 bucks below msrp... i figure since it's new, i can sell it if it's just awful for my height...

so i'm praying that at it's lowest setting it'll be okay. and if not... resell it i guess..??

and i have to reask the question from my last post:

The trek has never been used - so i feel like it might be a good idea to buy it, and try to trade it in for one that works for me..... but I don't know what the "etiquette" of bike trading/selling is... do LBS's sell used bikes? will they just laugh at me when I take in the trek?

In case you're wondering why i haven't tested it yet, it's because my friend lives WAY way way outside the city. I can barely afford the gas to get there and back. And he's gotten plenty of offers, so he's doing me a really huge favor by holding on to it (for almost two weeks now!) while I decide what to do...

plus.. he's more of a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend... so he's not that inclined to be the noble saint here. Although, putting up with my indecision has been very saintlike I have to admit....

again, thanks for the encouragement... i've already fallen twice to the overwhelmed feeling this summer. I'm REALLY glad I'm asking for help... it's really making it less stressful/depressing...

[Blueberry]

It really depends on the shop as to what their policy is, what they do regarding trade in's and how welcoming they are to the concept. Mine sells a few used bikes, but not many. Mostly kid's. You also wouldn't get nearly what it's worth (you might get $100-$150 would be my guess). Bikes depreciate somewhat like cars, and they can't sell a used bike for much more than you're paying for it (even though it's basically new). Plus they gotta make their $$. You'd probably do better to sell on Craigslist or Ebay if it's not right for you. My 2 cents, anyway

[malkin]

Hey Earthgirl!
Way to go deciding to ride and asking for help and everything!

Where do you live?
I never heard anyone say "holy hell" until I moved here!

[earthgirl]

well so much for my trading option... so i guess i'll just pray it works out on the lowest setting... my brother is six feet tall and i ride his bike pretty well.. so there's some hope i guess.

malkin - i was born and raised in tejas, and live here now but i've been pretty nomadic... everyone is like "what did you say?" when i say that... but I've been saying holy hell the better half of my 26 years on the planet :-)

other things that make non-texans pause: "no worries" and "y'all"

where do you live?

[Kano]

Earthgirl, when I was 5'4 and 236 pounds, I got my '80's era Trek 730 out of storage and started riding it. It's a PERFECT fit for me, and it's a 17" frame. I have the seat up 4-5 inches out of the tube, not jammed all the way down.

That was a few years ago and I did succumb to the temptation to buy a different "comfort bike" that I've never gotten along real well with. It's an okay bike, and DH loves his, but I later bought a road bike and then got the Trek out again for grocery shopping and the like.

This year I've made some changes to the old bike -- put on lighter tires, and a new rack and panniers for carrying stuff. It's a fun little bike to ride -- I think you'll like it!!!

Karen in Boise

[tulip]

earthgirl, kudos for taking the big step and living healthily.

No matter how much a deal a bike is, if it doesn't fit, it's not a deal. You will end up being uncomfortable riding it, and then you won't want to ride it.

Like others have said, bikes are not like cars. You can't just trade it in. Some shops will sell bikes on consignment, others will not. You may well end up with a bike that doesn't fit and have to deal with the hassle of selling it.

I suggest taking your time and getting a bike that fits you properly. Praying it will fit will not change the size of the bike.

[earthgirl]

okay so i went ahead and bought the bike from my friend because, like i said - it's the only thing i can afford, the final price was $250 plus 1/8 tank of gas.

So does it fit? I don't really know what an actual good fit is... so I can't say for sure. Edit: I lowered the seat, my feet are flat on the floor. (i previously said that my heal comes a 1/4 inch or less off of the floor...)

And this may be because I'm so heavy -but I noticed that when I stand on it, the tires flatten out a bit. Not completely, but more than I expected it to...

I haven't actually ridden it yet, so I don't know if this the case when I ride it.


***the reason I haven't been on it yet, is b/c there's a hurricane coming through and my friend's city is being evacuated. So I just picked up the bike from him and head out of dodge like the rest of the people. I'm going to ride it tonight :-)


i really can't say thank you enough to everyone on this thread. You seriously helped out a great deal. I wish I could have fixed up the Schwinn first, like so many advised... but it wouldn't fit in my car (the wheel can't come off b/c it's rusted over...). sad :-(. and I didn't want this trek to be gone by the time i figured out the cost of fixing the schwinn...

<3

I gotta say though, everytime I glance over at the Trek... i fall in love a little bit...

[wackyjacky1]

I am assuming you're here in Texas because you said there was a hurricane coming? If so, I'm always glad to see another Texan!

Regarding the tires, they're probably not fully inflated. Check the sidewall and see what they should be inflated to. My FX has 700x35 Bontrager tires that call for 60-80 psi. I pump mine all the way up to 80. Fully inflated tires deter flats, and as Martha Stewart might say, that's a good thing! You'll probably want to invest in a pump with a gauge. I got a cheapie one from Wally-World -- a Schwinn something-or-other -- that's kind of a piece o' crap until you figure out its quirks. Or spend a few buck more (maybe around $40 or so?) and get a decent quality one from your LBS.

Search TE for tips on bike fit, like saddle height. Basically you want just a slight bend at the knee when your foot is on the pedal and the pedal is at its lowest point. After that, I think you'll just have to ride it to get a feel for what you like and don't like, and adjust from there.

As for clothing, if you're like me and aren't quite ready to do the lycra thing, check out underliners -- they're padded shorts designed to go under regular shorts. The TE store has 'em. I recently got a pair and love 'em.

Rock on!

[Biciclista]

If your feet are flat on the floor your saddle is too low!!
that's really hard on your knees!!

but the good news is it sounds like the bike fits. Get some air in those tires and go riding (well, as soon as the hurricane blows through)

[earthgirl]

Thanks for the tip!!! you're right... i'm SO not ready for lycra. I can't even imagine a day that I will be.... seriously...

yup - i'm from Houston!!

My friend who sold me the bike lives out by Galveston... they ordered an evacuation... I'm not sure if it was voluntary or mandatory.. But all the billboard flashy sign things were like "HURRICANE EVACUATION IN EFFECT" or something close to that.

So I got the bike, and sped off before traffic hit :-)

[earthgirl]

If your feet are flat on the floor your saddle is too low!!
that's really hard on your knees!!

but the good news is it sounds like the bike fits. Get some air in those tires and go riding (well, as soon as the hurricane blows through)

Really?!?!? I thought it should be flat on the floor.... maybe I read it wrong.

Okay well that's good to know! I don't need it on the lowest setting then :-)