OT: bicycles (the pedaling kind)...

[kikdakan]

just curious if there are some bicycle people on the board. i am in my late 50's and looking to purchase a new bicycle. it's been a number of years since i have used a bike. also looking for a bike that is most likely going to last a good long time. the bike would be used for exercise (fairly long rides) and casual/recreational riding. as far as price, guess i would be looking in that $500-$800 range. the two bikes that have caught my eye are the ones from Trek---FX series and Verve series.

if anyone could pass along any information/ideas, it would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Bremser]

Get the dual use pedals (clipless on one side to bind your bike show; teeth for unbound shoe on the other side). Consider a road/trail hybrid for multi-purpose use. If you will always be riding on concrete, the a road bike will do. Either way, avoid nobby tires and any sort of shock absorber...unless you intend to do hard core trail riding. Don't buy used. Go to a high-end bike store and get properly fitted for your bike. Wear a helmut.

Hope this helps.

 

[oldred]

Get the dual use pedals (clipless on one side to bind your bike show; teeth for unbound shoe on the other side). Consider a road/trail hybrid for multi-purpose use. If you will always be riding on concrete, the a road bike will do. Either way, avoid nobby tires and any sort of shock absorber...unless you intend to do hard core trail riding. Don't buy used. Go to a high-end bike store and get properly fitted for your bike. Wear a helmut.

Hope this helps.

Mostly agree except on the shocks, I have them because a lot of the trails I ride on are rough and they help my back which I have had problems with before. If you are going on rough surfaces I would recommend a hybrid. Have had a connondale and now have a Trek but it is more than the guy wants to spend. At my age (quite a bit older than the OP) I do not like the clip on pedals.

 

[litespeedhuskerfan]

Suspension forks on bikes that cost under $1,500 suck ass, and are a complete waste of money. The manufacturer will also dumb down the rest of he parts on the bike, to get it at that price point you are talking about. Seriously, that fork will suck, and it is a huge waste of money. Step up to a grand, forget the suspension, and you'll have a bike that last's for a while. Then, if you really do get into riding, you can buy a suspension fork later that will be better than what it would have came with, and have a real fork that actually works. Clip-less pedals are personal opinion. But again, at that price point you won't get them, you can always add them later but if you do, get Shimano, even their cheapest clip-less pedal is better than anything you can buy from anyone else.

 

[oldred]

Most if not all the bikes I saw at the price the OP is talking about did not have shocks on them. If I did not have a bad back would not have gotten them and when the surface is decent I lock mine out.

 

[coach00036]

I've got two colleagues who ride Treks. One rides a 520, which is outside of your range. He rode it across the country a few years ago, and didn't have any complaints. The other rides a FX 7.4, and he just recently had some issues with the deraileur. Had to have it replaced. Once that was fixed, he hasn't had any problems and rides daily, albeit a rather short commute. I would think you could find a decent mass produced (Specialized, Trek, etc.) bike in the price range. I'll second the suggestion to go to a Local Bike Shop (rather than a big box store) and try some things out. Those people will always be knowledgeable and get you the right fit.

 

[TheBeav815]

All depends on where you're gonna ride. If you're sticking to pavement like I do, I hate shocks. If you're going on trails, get them. Same story with tires. I don't like a super-slick road tire, I like something a little in between. But if you're off-road, you need good tread.

If you're just starting out and not gonna turn into a competitive cyclist, get a decent bike that is lightweight and has parts that won't cost you $600 freaking bucks to replace. Had my back wheel stolen (cassette and all) and learned that my father-in-law, whose bike it used to be, can afford WAY nicer wheels and gears than I can.

So yeah, also lock up all your wheels when you lock up! Don't be stupid like I was!

 

[bkrrrrr]

Visit a few reputable bike stores and ask lots of questions. Take lots of test rides on bikes that fit your size. Try all the styles of handlebars and shifters. Try both disk and rim brakes. Take the time to find something that feels comfortable long haul and works well.

If there's any chance you'll be riding in the wet/rain you want something that you can put full-size fenders on. (not those worthless little stub fenders) I'd always recommend sticking to a traditional frame of thin circular cross section tubes with lots of lugs for bolting things on. This will allow you the widest selection of accessories. Bikes with weird configurations, lacking threaded lugs, and with non-circular tubes can be a real hassle to fit basic accessories on.

 

[oldred]

just curious if there are some bicycle people on the board. i am in my late 50's and looking to purchase a new bicycle. it's been a number of years since i have used a bike. also looking for a bike that is most likely going to last a good long time. the bike would be used for exercise (fairly long rides) and casual/recreational riding. as far as price, guess i would be looking in that $500-$800 range. the two bikes that have caught my eye are the ones from Trek---FX series and Verve series.

if anyone could pass along any information/ideas, it would be greatly appreciated!

Where are you located by the way?

 

[kikdakan]

thanks for all the advice/tips etc. really appreciate it. plan to make a visit to a local bike shop that is a Trek dealer. by the way, have no plans on going "off road". bike would be used on pavement. i had questions about that shock. pretty sure will look for one that does not include a shock.

btw, for the bike enthusiasts---if you haven't heard of this before, pretty interesting viewing. here's the link about car smarts coming to the bike world:http://www.cnet.com/news/cobi-connected-bike-system/

 

[kikdakan]

Where are you located by the way?

i am located near Watertown, SD.

 

[Charlie Marlow]

I know this guy who has a sweet bike he is looking to get rid of fast. His name is Francis Buxton.

 

[oldred]

i am located near Watertown, SD.

Was going to recommend The Bike Rack if you were around Lincoln or Omaha.

 

[Hoosker Du]

i am located near Watertown, SD.

Oh my.. You'll need tires you can put chains on. ;-) During the winter of 2010-11, I was in Watertown for work, and I've never seen snow piled so high. I'm talking 10+ foot piles next to driveways. Have never seen a anything like it.

 

[HuskerNinja]

just curious if there are some bicycle people on the board. i am in my late 50's and looking to purchase a new bicycle. it's been a number of years since i have used a bike. also looking for a bike that is most likely going to last a good long time. the bike would be used for exercise (fairly long rides) and casual/recreational riding. as far as price, guess i would be looking in that $500-$800 range. the two bikes that have caught my eye are the ones from Trek---FX series and Verve series.

if anyone could pass along any information/ideas, it would be greatly appreciated!

Visit a Trek store and try out a $500-$600 hybrid. Unless you are a hard core rider that's flush with cash, the Trek is going to be more than enough bike. It is for probably 90% of casual riders. A good shop will also tune the bike for you for free the first year.

 

[oldred]

Visit a Trek store and try out a $500-$600 hybrid. Unless you are a hard core rider that's flush with cash, the Trek is going to be more than enough bike. It is for probably 90% of casual riders. A good shop will also tune the bike for you for free the first year.

Liked the Cannondale I had also

 

[bkrrrrr]

The name on the bike isn't important. They all use Shimano or SRAM geartrains, saddles made by a saddle company, brakes from some brake company, tires from a tire company etc. The name on the frame is basically just about fashion marketing. I'll also say that stock bikes often come with low quality tires. If buying a new bike negotiate higher quality tires folded into the purchase.

 

[redfanusa]

You haven't been on a bike in years? My advice is to spend $200 for a decent used bike on Craigslist. Then if you discover you are on it all the time, and it isn't just collecting dust in the garage, then spend $800 on a new bike. At that point you will have a much better idea what you like and what terrain you will be riding the majority of the time.