Very New Here

[Just Joiey]

Hi,
I'm really new and haven't really ridden a bike since I was a teenager (I'm 55 now). I did begin changing my life 3 years ago - I quit smoking and started to get serious about caring for my body and mind properly. My first order of business was to get my Type 2 diabetes under control. I started out by walking for 30 minutes 3 times a week and taking one "bad" food out of my diet and adding one "good" food a week all the while getting creative with cutting calories as much as I could without ever suffering from the "hungries."
16 months later I was 95 lbs lighter and running 6 miles a day, 6 days a week. I've maintained my weight all this time and I'm no longer on diabetic medication (actually I'm off all medications now).
I've fought (and continue to fight) breast cancer. I've had 3 recurrences in the past 10 years and might actually be gearing up for my next battle against the disease now. I've had several tests that are suspicious but not conclusive. Next week I go in for a PET scan.
I don't drive and take the bus or walk everywhere I need to go but in recent months, I've thought that it would really be convenient to invest in a bicycle. As competitive as I tend to be, I want to get a bike that is somewhat versatile because I may end up wanting to ride competitively sometime in the future.
Right now I'm looking at a bike on Craig's List for $100. It's a '78 Motobecane Mixte -- I know absolutely nothing except the basics about bikes: They have 2 wheels that one pedals while holding onto the handlebars. That's it, folks.
Can anyone tell me what to look for in a bike? How to make sure it "fits" my 5'6" frame and so on?
Thanks.
I'm happy to meet you all.
Johannah

[BikeHN]

Congrats! I'm also new & had the same questions. Long story short, the bike shop did my fitting for me so that was easy (my local shop did it for free). The next question was what kind of bike. I was kind of intimidated by the road bike, but I ended up getting the whole deal...carbon & clipless pedals etc....I didn't want to invest then have to re-invest in 6 months b/c I caught the bug. Sure enough, I'm addicted so I'm glad I went in all the way. Of course, all that is personal to what you want and what your pocketbook will allow you to have. The people at the bike shop were really helpful & the people on here are as well. Good luck.

[ny biker]

Welcome, congrats, I hope everything goes well!!

Do you want something for:

Commuting/running errands/getting around
Long rides on roads or paved trails
Riding on dirt/unpaved trails
All or some of the above
Other

Also, how much do you want to spend?

I started by getting a mountain bike, which I rode mostly on paved trails but also some dirt trails. After a couple of years I decided I wanted to do longer on-road rides, so I got a road bike. I went to a few local bike shops and told them what I wanted the bike for, and chose the shop that said they would measure me to make sure I got one that fit me correctly. I chose a mid-range bike, in terms of frame material and components, that is good for long rides but also worked for my budget (which was a bit over $1000 at the time).

Asking local cyclists for recommendations is a good way to choose a shop, or at least narrow down your choices. Someone here might be able to recommend one or two, depending on where you live, or you might be able to find a local cycling forum online.

[NbyNW]

Congratulations on all the lifestyle changes, weight loss and getting off the diabetes meds! And welcome to TE!

You can do a ton of research on bikes but at the end of the day you need to get out there and do some test rides. There are some fit calculators on line if you want to just get an idea of what might fit you, especially if you are going the route of buying used. You just plug in your numbers and they'll come out with suggestions, and then you can go onto Craigslist and look for bikes with similar measurements.

Have fun!

[jezbael]

$100 is pretty cheap for a first bike. I think I got my first bike for $100 at a police bike auction... didn't even get to take it for a test ride! I knew nothing about bikes at the time (still don't know very much!), but I think it was something like a Wal-mart bike, and weighed a ton. I had that for a couple of years before I decided I liked biking enough to invest in something a little bit nicer.

My suggestion would be to go have a look at it, take it for a test drive, and if it feels good, buy it. You can worry about fit and specialized components when you decide you want to upgrade.

By the way, congratulations on all the healthy life changes you've made!