nOOb in nEEd!

[Diggles]

Hi Ladies! As the title suggests...I am a noob in need. I posted on a local forum but after a month of waiting on a helpful response, I have given up hope.

Here is what I posted there:
Ok, I'm new to this. I've barely done any cycling except when I broke my ankle & wasn't able to run...feeling like a lazy slob I borrowed a friends road bike for a bit. Fun...I admit!
I'd like to get something fairly cheap just so if I hate it, I haven't wasted a ton of money. I'm thinking the 200-300 range. According to my local bike shop I need a 15. I'm 5'7" & 135lbs.

I've done a bit of snooping around here & you ladies seem so sweet & helpful. I've been wanting to get into cycling for a number of reasons...1 being the price of gas...and 2 being that running is really starting to hurt my knees & ankles. I just can't get my mileage in like I used to be able to. Gettin old & all.

Hope to get to know some of you...
D

Afterthought:
I hope it was ok to post here looking for a used bike? I apologize if it's inappropriate. I would really love suggestions for a decent, cheap starter bike...I can look elsewhere for the actual bike!

[pikato]

Quick Question:

Do you specifically want a ROAD bike or are you asking about a bike in general??

[Diggles]

The only kind of riding I've done is on a road bike. Although I'm open to suggestions. I think I would be too nervous to try to get on trails since I can barely even balance.

*This is so embarrassing*

[KSH]

If you want a road bike... it's going to be hard to find a new one for under $500-$600.

You can look at used bikes, but honestly... they tend to be almost as much as a new one... but MANY years old... and then you have to search and search for one that fits you just right. Your options are limited at that point.

I know it's PAINFUL to pay $500+ for a bike... and you aren't even sure if you will stick with it. Trust me, I had that same struggle.

Well, I bought my bike in October 2004 for $600, and I have ridden 2,700 miles on it, and I am still going strong! I put 450 miles on it last month alone!

Think about this... you have probably spent up to $600 on entertainment (eating out, movies, books, etc.) in the past 2 years. Well, you can $600 for 2 years PLUS... of enjoyment on a bike.

I think if you look and find a bike that you really love, that you will find that you won't give up as quickly as you think you might.

[CorsairMac]

Diggles: don't be embarrassed, if you can't ask it here where Can you ask it!

For the price range you're thinking about, you can get a hybrid bike. It's not a road bike Or a MTB, it's more like a commuter/comfort bike. You can get one for under $500 and see if you like riding and/or how much you'll ride it. The hybrid bikes tend to have straight across handlebars so you're going to sit up, the tires are thicker than skinny road tires and they are built for comfort. It's a good place to start tho to see if this is what you want to do.

I'm not very familiar with some of the other brands - the other ladies are tho and can offer suggestions but I'm thinking along the lines of the:

Trek Navigator 200 or 300. We've got a lady here on the board that just did her first century on the Navigator 300 so don't poo-poo the hybrid-ness of it!

[pikato]

Hello again,

I personally agree with the other ladies about buying new. I'm a relative newbie myself, and the concept that I'd have to pay over $600 for an ENTRY LEVEL road bike nearly killed me, but I have a lovely LBS(local bike shop) that allowed for layaway. For some reason it didn't seem so bad when I could make payments

After all is said & done, I've had Oscar(yes he has a name!) for about a month now & I really don't think I could have bought a used bike, since I was such a newbie. I had no clue about fit & all the jazz that you will see people posting about. Oscar is a beginner friendly Giant OCR 3, which I was able to get for $550 since he was last years model.

I definitely recommend looking around at bike shops and seeing what is comfortable to you, THEN worry about the price, lol.

[KSH]

Might I add that if you are not sure if you want a Hybrid or a Rodie... why not go rent each type of bike and take 'em for a test drive.

My boyfriend wasn't sure if he wanted a Hybrid or a Rodie... and after a few rentals, he knew that a Rodie was for him.

You certainly don't want to buy a Hybrid, just because it's cheaper... only to find out that you want a road bike.

Keep in mind that if you want to do group rides with groups, you will probably need a road bike to keep up, unless it's a really slow group.

[DrBee]

I'm in agreement with Corsair - I suggest a hybrid.

It's a good way to get started and even if you decide to make the jump to a roadbike in a year or two, you'll have a good bike to toodle around town or do some commuting with. This is what I did. I bought a Trek Hybrid (7200FX) - they run somewhere around $350. There are lots of other brands, too. It was a great way for me to get started and test out my knees and committment to cycling before I plunked down $1500 on a roadbike. 8 months later - I bought a roadbike. But I do still use the hybrid to run errands and take the kids to the park, ride with my daughter, etc. I have a friend that's been riding a hybrid for years and goes many many miles!

Good luck and let us know what you decide! Feel free to ask more questions - that's why we're here!

[Bad JuJu]

Whatever you do, don't make the mistake of going out and grabbing a Wal-Mart special just because they're cheaper. The bike will almost surely not fit you well, won't shift or brake properly--at least not for long, and you'll be so unhappy and uncomfortable with the the bike that you might think you just don't like cycling, when it's really the bike that's at fault, not the sport.

A decent bike is a good investment, so bite the bullet and make it--and, oh yeah, have fun.

[dachshund]

The hybrids are quite a bit cheaper, for what it's worth. I second the idea of going out and test riding. Go to multiple shops, you'll get to try different bikes, and learn a lot by talking to different sales people.

I guess the risk of getting a cheaper bike "for now" is that you might want something better or lighter down the road. (all puns intended) Maybe do the LBS circuit then see what's available in used bikes? Anyway, as others have said, having a hybrid around as a second bike would probably really come in handy. Also, ask if they have "last year's model". I saved quite a bit by getting a 2005.

[chickwhorips]

i had the same problem when i first got my mountain bike... i didn't want to spend a ton but wanted a good bike. i looked at the bike shop, but then wound up at REI.
they had a ton of different bikes for a reasonable price. if you have one of those in your area i'd look there or online at www.rei.com

[Diggles]

You ladies are so incredibly helpful! Thank you!

I did go to my LBS (look@me...using the lingo already!) and the guy suggested a Trek 7200. The price tag was do-able for getting a feel if it's something I'd stick with.

My only reason for hesitation is that I would really love to have something I could also take off-road. I'm looking at Trek's website right now & I just can't make heads or tails of what all this stuff means...a Hybrid is a bike that would serve this purpose?

[Duck on Wheels]

If by off-road you mean jumping over rocks and balancing on logs, then the hybrid might not be up to that. But if you mean gravel trails, then yes. In fact, there are hybrids specifically designed to work well on the road and on trails. But I'm a newby too and forget what they're called.

[Trek420]

Diggles "You ladies are so incredibly helpful! Thank you!"

welcome to the board Diggles, lots of help here.

"I did go to my LBS (look@me...using the lingo already!)"

oooh, cute, look, she's saying bike words. ::sigh:: they grow up so fast here, before you know it.... Just kidding you, that's great.

"My only reason for hesitation is that I would really love to have something I could also take off-road."

If by off road you mean gravel trails consider simply getting an extra set of tires. Use the slicks for commute, road rides, just pop knobbie tires on when heading for a gravely ride.

What will most of your rides be like?

My commuter is a GT Outpost trail about 10 years old. They have front shocks now but back in the day no suspension anywhere.

It fits just right. I don't need suspension for my commute.

I got slicker tires and have taken it on a fire road but nothing bouncier than that. I just threw good money after bad at it an upgraded the wheels. On some rides, like hills (which I'm bad at) I might be faster on the old el'cheapo GT than on my fancy schmancy road bike.

I've read here that you're faster going than stopping so I may even try it on Mt Diablo someday.

[crazybikinchic]

I agree with KSH. Most of your LBS will rent you a bike for different lengths of time. That way you know what you want when you get hooked on cycling, because we all know that you will.