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OT- I need an new bicycle
Brian Hollingsworth, Photographer
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Austin | TX | USA | Posted: 5:46 PM on 03.19.08 |
->> So this is very off topic, but I trust the people on this site much more than some random anonymous bike review site.
I need a new bike for mostly commuting around town and doing some light trail riding and maybe a charity ride or something like that.
Any suggestions for under $500? I've looked at the REI brand Novara and my local shop sells KHS which I didn't know much about before I went there. It's been 12 years since I bought a bike and all the options are a bit overwhelming. Do I need a front shock? Should I get a front shock with lockout? Disc brakes or caliper?
Also do any of you regularly haul some gear around on your bikes? What kind of set up/racks/packs do you use?
Thanks-
Brian H. |
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Rob Ostermaier, Photographer
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Newport News | VA | USA | Posted: 6:14 PM on 03.19.08 |
| ->> By the way. Cycling is awesome exercise! |
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Patrick Smith, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Towson | MD | USA | Posted: 6:27 PM on 03.19.08 |
| ->> I am a Haro man, the originators of the mountain bike. But I am basis since my uncle worked there before starting Mirra Co. Bikes. I still have the same bike from the early '90s and it's great. Only have front suspension, no disc brakes. Buy a solid brand name and you will never need to replace much other than brakes and tires. |
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Eric Seals, Photographer
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Detroit | MI | United States | Posted: 6:30 PM on 03.19.08 |
->> Hi Brian,
I have a Novarro from REI and it is great. Nice tires for trail or concrete riding.
I won a very nice Trek mountain bike in a essay contest with Biking World magazine and it is a much better bike but only for rugged trails.
But like some of the others said, check out your local bike shop then check out online reviews doing a google review search. Good luck!! |
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Thomas Boydston, Photographer, Student/Intern
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Georgetown | Tx | United States | Posted: 6:45 PM on 03.19.08 |
->> I'll give my +1 to Trek as well.
Granted, mine wasn't tested in a wind tunnel with a full time mechanic like some other American Trek riders, but it's gotten me through some serious marathons, some commuting, and just fun.
A lot don't come with a kickstand as in the big boy's game of cycling it's juvenile to have, but I had one installed at the same shop I bought it for a few bucks, so you might want to look into that as well.
Good luck! |
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Rob Kerr, Photographer
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Bend | OR | US | Posted: 7:08 PM on 03.19.08 |
->> Patrick Smith:
>>I am a Haro man, the originators of the mountain bike.>>
Sorry Patrick. I have to challenge. Too close to my heart...
http://www.mtnbikehalloffame.com/page.cfm?pageid=3
I'm with Eric Seals in going with the local bicycle shops. With all major cookie-cutter brands, you will be sold solid packages and have to learn too much about components and groupos to nitpick between the dozens out there. A local shop that carries the stuff your new bike needs and can help you learn its maintenance needs and supplies will carry you longer as a cyclist. If box stores are it for you, REI [yes, i've been a co-op member since 1984, it is a box store and hurts local biz :-(] is good and might be leading the "city bike" surge over the last several years.
But, IMHO, fit is the single most important thing in a bike. If the bike hurts you to ride, you won't ride it. Test ride. If the right fit means spending a bit more and the inconvenience of not having a bike right away, so be it. This is about health for you, the planet and those around you. Don't skimp. I would not worry about shocks. Cheap shocks are worse than no shocks in terms of bike handling. I would consider disc brakes mostly if you ride in slush or mud or carry the extra weight of a baby/luggage trailer.
For pure chic, and to be enthusiastic, I'd vote for you to get a hard-tail 29er for all-around efficiency and fun. Any used bike, or a cyclecross also seems to fit the bill from your description as well. |
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William Maner, Photographer
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Fraser Britton, Photographer
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Ste Anne de Bellevue | QC | Canada | Posted: 7:49 PM on 03.19.08 |
->> Brian,
Stay with a larger brand (Giant, Specialized, Trek). Giant is the largest producer of bicycles on the planet. They produce many other companies bikes in their factories in asia. They have great component spec, a good warranty and god variety.
Trek and Specialized have many of the same qualities, but usually slightly higher prices.
the specialized rockhopper or hardrock models would be a good place to start. Most MTBs from larger brands (not REI/CCM/Walmart) at this price point will now come with disc brakes. They are actually cheaper to produce (and thus spec) than some of the nicer V brakes and work just as well. The Giant Yukon is another example of this level of bike.
Feel free to PM me if you have any more questions. I have worked in the cycling industry (MTB specifically) for a long time as a racer and journalist and would be glad to help. |
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Kevin Leas, Photographer
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Rochester | NY | USA | Posted: 11:07 PM on 03.19.08 |
->> Brian,
I'll stay away from brands, but I'll echo what others have said - try to go to a local shop, and even then you should try to actually see how good the guys are.
Our local Dicks (formerly Galyans) was generally staffed by people who had no idea what was going on there - my brother was a racer for a while and worked there for a period. I bought a bike there, had it assembled, and had to bring it back a week later to have someone else look at it. The second guy - in his 70s and a pro cyclist for decades, just shook his head when he saw how poorly the first guy had put it together.
Local shops are generally staffed by people who are all about bikes, and actually know what they're talking about. They should be able to help you pick a stock model or design one to fit your needs. Again, it's not always the case, but your odds are significantly better than with a big box store. |
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Matt McLoone, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Ventura | ca | United States | Posted: 11:32 PM on 03.19.08 |
->> I have a sweet blue Univega fixie that I got off Craigslist. Pretty solid. Today I rode around 20 + miles on it and overall it has never failed me.
If I were you I would lean towards KHS. I hear that they make some sweet bikes.
But I would also really check out Craigslist if I were you. you can really find some gems on it. Definitely worth a look. |
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William Maner, Photographer
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Biloxi | MS | USA | Posted: 12:18 AM on 03.20.08 |
->> I meant to say something very important in my earlier post.
Whatever brand you buy, don't try to get by cheaply. I paid a good amount of $$$ for my Bridgestone 22 years ago. People thought I was crazy to pay as much as I did for a bike when you could get 'em for $100-$150 at the Wal-Mart, Sears, K-Mart, etc..
My Bridgestone rides just as good as the day I bought it. Over the long haul, I've gotten more than my money's worth.
Get the best bike you can afford...A great buy now will give you good rides for a long time. |
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Mike McKinney, Photographer
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Albuquerque | NM | USA | Posted: 1:10 AM on 03.20.08 |
->> I wholeheartedly agree with what everyone just said, buy the best you can afford. Quality components will be worth their weight in gold, especially if you will be riding as much as I expect. Do a bit of research about components and find out what is good and what is not. This should be somewhat eye-opening, there can be dramatic differences in build quality even from the same manufacturer.
Shop around for last year's or even later models, many times bike shops have these hanging on their racks for amazing discounts with very quality components.
Lastly, buy your bike for the PRIMARY use that you will need. Bikes today are very specialized: commuting vs. trail riding vs. touring vs. racing etc. They may all look the same but have very different qualities. For example, you don't need a $3000 road bike if you're only commuting to work but you also don't want to take that daily commuter out on the singletrack. |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 1:17 AM on 03.20.08 |
| ->> of course I will go against the grain here. I bought a GREAT bike seven years ago from costco for $150. it still is a great bike, no problems...with ANY of the components.....I think REI is great and have great deals. but I gotta say after being to many bike shops...you should steer clear of them they have some seriously overpriced pieces of equipment. these aren't cameras....they're bicycles.... |
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Joshua Brown, Photographer
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Christian del Rosario, Photographer
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San Jose | CA | USA | Posted: 5:40 AM on 03.20.08 |
->> ->> Patrick Smith->> I am a Haro man, the originators of the mountain bike.
Hmmmm...that doesn't sound right...
I'm positive that historical claim belongs to Joe Breeze of Breezer Bikes fame (just clarifying for anyone new to mountain biking). |
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Christine Hochkeppel, Photographer
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Providence | RI | United States | Posted: 7:14 PM on 03.20.08 |
| ->> I am a road biker myself, I love my Fuji Finest AL, it's light with decent components. Find a good local shop, make friends with the owner and they'll sell it to you for around $450-500. |
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Ramsay de Give, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Walter Calahan, Photographer
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Westminster | MD | USA | Posted: 9:20 PM on 03.20.08 |
->> Why is this an off topic?
My first bike was a Huffy!
Get one or two of there: http://www.serotta.com/ |
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Walter Calahan, Photographer
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Westminster | MD | USA | Posted: 9:23 PM on 03.20.08 |
->> Get one or two of THESE
S comes after R, Walt |
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Aaron Rhoads, Photographer
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McComb | MS | USA | Posted: 9:43 PM on 03.20.08 |
| ->> Great bikes and great exercise. But what about your sperm count? |
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Gregg Riess, Photographer
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Overland Park | KS | USA | Posted: 10:29 PM on 03.20.08 |
->> You can't just have 1 bike....you need several because there are different types of terrain & competitions on each:
http://greggriess.com/bikes.jpg |
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Walter Calahan, Photographer
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Westminster | MD | USA | Posted: 10:30 PM on 03.20.08 |
->> If didn't learn that sperm could count in high school biology. My dogs can count the number of dinner plates there are. Amazing, they want to lick every one of them. Tough to sneak one by.
So Aaron, why do you need to know Brian's sperm count? I'm touched by your caring. Grin. |
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Jon Buder, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Aztec | NM | USA | Posted: 10:48 PM on 03.20.08 |
->> "but I gotta say after being to many bike shops...you should steer clear of them they have some seriously overpriced pieces of equipment. these aren't cameras....they're bicycles...."
Do you trust the build of your camera with your life? Going along at 30+ mph (a conservative number if you have any good hills on your ride), if a part happened to fail and, say, the front hub locked up, you'd be flying through the air before you saw anything coming. Even if you didn't hit anything or get run over, that wouldn't be much fun. And if you were feet/inches away from traffic moving quite a bit faster, think about the chances of ending up under a wheel...
Now, chances of something breaking like that all of a sudden might be pretty slim, but cheap bikes end up needing a lot of maintenance if you ride them hard and/or often, and they never ride that well to begin with. |
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Dan Powers, Photographer
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Appleton | WI | USA | Posted: 11:12 PM on 03.20.08 |
| ->> Trek...hey...what can I say...it's a Wisconsin thing... |
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Mitchell Clinton, Photographer
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Carlsbad | CA | USA | Posted: 11:15 PM on 03.20.08 |
->> $500 is not a lot of money in the world of bicycles. I defiantly would not spend less. If you can spend more, do it, a nicer bike will be more fun to ride and as a result will be ridden more. The biggest problem with the low dollar bikes is that not much attention is paid to initial assembly in the places like cosco. A cheap bike that has had an additional 1 hour of time put into assembly buy a quality mechanic, to be sure the spokes are the proper tension and at an even tension and to be sure than nuts and bolts are lubed and tightened properly will make all the difference in the world one year down the road. So I would highly recommend choosing a quality bike shop even if your budget only allows $500.
And my 2 cents on the best bike at $500... http://www.feltracing.com/08/product.asp?catid=1504,1516&pid=8760
and
http://fujibikes.com/2008/bikes.asp?id=447
Good Luck |
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Aaron Rhoads, Photographer
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McComb | MS | USA | Posted: 9:07 AM on 03.21.08 |
->> Walter,
Brian's, your's, mine..with global warming, the bird flu, and evil AI coming Tv and the movies say we're a dying species. We may need all the offspring we can make. |
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Sharon P. Fibelkorn, Photographer
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Corona | CA | USA | Posted: 12:44 PM on 03.21.08 |
->> I'll gush a little about Trek! I commuted into the city daily and initially got a really cool beach cruser. But they are heavy and slow. So I purchased a bike path model Trek and immediately realized how energy efficient it was! I dusted the guys I rode in with every day and it's not like I was trying to, I was just biking as usual. So Trek is it for me. But I like the new Urban bikes from them and I've been thinking of getting one that can take more dirt (since I'm usually at horse shows and that usually means dirt paths).
Good Luck Shopping! |
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Andy Mead, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 9:18 PM on 03.21.08 |
->> I do some data analysis work for a local bike chain, and my advice would be to go to a couple different local stores and ask questions - and let them ask questions of you. All the main brands from Trek/Fisher/Lemond to Specialized to Cannondale/GT/Schwinn to Giant and so on should be able to supply the bike you need. The best way to figure out what that bike is is to go check out what the local shops have. The big brands tend to have multiple overlapping product lines at price points from a couple hundred to nearly ten grand.
The median new bike sold at an IBD (Independent Bike Dealer) is around $500.
I ride a 1993 Specialized Epic (early carbon road bike) and a 2008 Specialized Langster (single speed road bike). I had a 2006 Trek 7300, but I'm not into squishy comfort hybrids, so I sold it. At some point I want to pick up a cheap mountbike hardtail like a Trek 3700 or one of the Cannondale's the shop I do work for keeps trying to talk me into.
Most local shops tend to include basic lifetime service with the bikes they sale. It's always good to have a backup. Creating a relationship with a local bike shop is like the one most photographers have with their local camera shop. Sometimes you pay a little more, but the service is so much better, and they usually take care of you when you really need them. |
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Dianna Russell, Photographer
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Springfield | MO | USA | Posted: 6:02 AM on 03.26.08 |
->> Here's another vote for Electra. http://www.electrabike.com/home/
I love my cruiser. I may someday get a lighter, faster bike as Sharon mentioned, but for now mine is just right. Its finally getting warm enough to ride the greenway trails again. Yay.
Sorry to disagree, Chuck. But good bike shops are kind of like good camera stores. Develop a relationship with one and the service is worth the extra money, in my opinion. I doubt very much if the big W mart or Costco would be there help with other necessities besides the bike like a good bike shop would. They aren't going to make suggestions for "fit' either. I'm glad yours worked out for you but usually people get what they pay for.
~D. |
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Michael L. Palmieri, Photographer
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Barnegat | NJ | USA | Posted: 9:14 AM on 03.26.08 |
->> For what it's worth, I have a Gary Fisher mountain bike and it is fantastic. I believe that Trek owns the company now but I have been pleased with it from day one. And, I did buy it in a local shoppe.
http://www.fisherbikes.com/
Not sure what you're looking for, and again I have a hard-tail mountain bike, but here is something under $500:
http://www.fisherbikes.com/bike/model/wingra |
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Benjamin McCall, Photographer
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Kansas City | MO | USA | Posted: 10:05 AM on 03.26.08 |
->> I HATE GARY FISHER. I have had a lot of problems with their Frames. My road/cross bike is a Specialized Tri-Cross that I love, and My mountain Bike is a SS Redline Monocog 29'er...But I'm a bike geek though :o)
You can't go wrong with specialized. |
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David Meyer, Photographer
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Orlando | FL | USA | Posted: 10:22 AM on 03.26.08 |
->> In with $100 to spare for some Birkenstocks and bell-bottoms (which, incidentally, won't get defiled by a greasy chain):
http://tinyurl.com/ynkl7n |
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Fj Hughes, Photographer, Assistant
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Baltimore | MD | USA | Posted: 10:41 AM on 03.26.08 |
->> Before I 'retired' to shoot photography full time, I worked in a bike shop for 10 years. We sold Trek along with Giant, Specialized and several other brands. I always compared Trek to Sony. There might be cheaper or fancier bikes out there but dollar for dollar Trek is hard to beat. Their customer service is also excellent. I would say the same goes for Specialized. Giant has some great bikes for the price but their quality is just a little step down. Definitely worth looking at though. I would stay away from budget brands such as Novaro. Usually the quality of the frame is substantially lower.
I agree with everybody on purchasing from a bike shop. A bike shop is more likely to go to bat for you if there are any rare warranty issues or if you need a repair in a pinch. Make sure to find a place you feel comfortable!
Honestly, it is hard to find a bike that will fit all your needs but it sounds like a hybrid might fit the bill. You probably don't need a front shock unless you are doing some heavy off road riding and then you would be buying a MTB bike. Mountain bikes are pretty cumbersome on the road and would be a disadvantage on a charity ride, especially longer ones. For what you need and your price range, I would stay away from disc bakes. Trek has their 'FX' series hybrids which are lighter and more suitable for 'serious' riding. Pricing may have changed in the last two years but I think $500-$600 dollars should get you something pretty nice. Don't forget to leave a little room for some accessories and a helmet.
I am actually helping out at a sale at my old shop this weekend and will look around at some specific models for you. Please email me off-line if you are interested or have more questions. |
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Benjamin McCall, Photographer
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Kansas City | MO | USA | Posted: 11:20 AM on 03.26.08 |
| ->> Mountain Bike with shocks? What's a Shock? My redline is fully Rigid! |
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Chuong Doan, Photographer
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Kansas City | MO | USA | Posted: 11:44 AM on 03.26.08 |
->> Absolutely go to a local bike shop. Go to several and test ride lots of bikes. They will be of great help in getting you on the right bike with the right fit and the right gear. Just about all modern non-Walmart-non-Costco bikes are great and will last a long time. You can't go wrong with any of the brands you'll find in your LBS. You just gotta make sure its the right one for your style of riding and your overall fit and no one on the internet can help you with that better than a real person at a shop.
Just make sure the salesman doesn't have whiskey breath at 10AM (true story!). |
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Aaron Chabot, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Ventura | CA | USA | Posted: 2:51 PM on 03.26.08 |
->> Or worse, make sure YOU do not have whiskey breath at 10AM, otherwise you end up pie-eyed handing your credit card over to an overly tattooed 20 something w/ a Koolaid grin for a bike you can ill-afford but love dearly. Yup true story it is! I second Andy on the Langster, incredible bike for the price. It is more like an urban assault vehicle then a road bike. The Trek Soho is a pretty slick ride too.
In fact, Craigslist has an '07 Langster at a HUGE discount here: http://tinyurl.com/2lcpzh
(quick note on this advert-- caveat emptor, seriously, caveat emptor) |
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Jeff Brehm, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Charlotte | NC | USA | Posted: 3:46 PM on 03.26.08 |
| ->> I think Benjamin is just doing some Freudian bragging. |
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Benjamin McCall, Photographer
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Kansas City | MO | USA | Posted: 6:53 PM on 03.29.08 |
| ->> I'm not bragging, Just representing for those of us who like to use our single speeds as an excuse not the climb that next hill :) |
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Michael Granse, Photographer
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Urbana | IL | USA | Posted: 7:27 PM on 03.29.08 |
->> I have never met Aaron Rhoads and certainly can not speak for him, but he was probably referring to this:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fertility/MC00023
Skip down to the subheading "FACT: Bicycling can sabotage the system." Aaron's comment is not an "inappropriate" but is a legitimate concern. Perhaps if he had elaborated on this he could have avoided the political correctness police :) |
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