BIKERS - I need your advice.

I've decided to take up biking.  I used to bike constantly as a kid and have found that I just don't  like running. I've never had a choice in bikes as I simply rode whatever my parents got for me also I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be looking at a bike other than a road bike as the city of richmond tends to me dangerous to ride in. So my question is:

Where do I start? I don't have tons of money to spend but am willing to save up if necessary. What's a good bike? Do I really have to purchase a woman's bike? Will it make that much difference? I'm not even sure what to look for in a bike besides that I want it to be red.

 Also, is biking in fact a suitable replacement to running as cardio. It seems to me an obvious yes, just making sure I'm not horribly misled.

Cyclists have better VO2Max than runners, so yes it's great for cardio but you will burn fewer calories in a given time until you can build up the muscles and your endurance, then you should be able to burn like crazy.

I think the best place to start is at a few bike specialty shop near you and find out what type of bikes they sell and let them know what you are looking for. Personally, I use an urban hybrid (Giant Seek 3) which was reasonable in price for what I wanted. You will need to let them know what type of riding you want to do (road, track, trail, mountain etc) and how much you are looking to spend. As a general rule, it's about $1K to drop a pound of weight but you won't need a high end bike just for fitness.

A couple links to get you started:

http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/health/inde x.htm

http://www.bikewebsite.com/buyingabike.htm

 

Have fun with it!

What to look for really depends on what kind of riding you are planning on doing. As for women specific bike, it really depends on your proportions. Check out this website: http://www.teamestrogen.com/content/wsdBikes

UD

don't give up on a road bike!  riding any other type of bike is not going to make you safer.  The important thing is to find a place in Richmond where cyclist go to ride, and ride there!  The people will be used to dealing with cyclists.

WSD bikes are good for the ladies, but the most important thing is to get one that is the right size for you...

Biking is one of the most efficient forms of transportation: meaning, you are using very little energy to get from point A to point B.  If you are going to use biking as your primary source of exercise, don't expect huge weigh losses unless you log lots of miles (10-20 miles per day).

The advice above is sound: make sure the bike fits you and wear a helmet.

Have fun, be safe, and enjoy the outdoors.

 

Original Post by renee0467:

Biking is one of the most efficient forms of transportation: meaning, you are using very little energy to get from point A to point B.  If you are going to use biking as your primary source of exercise, don't expect huge weigh losses unless you log lots of miles (10-20 miles per day).

The advice above is sound: make sure the bike fits you and wear a helmet.

Bicycles are a major PITA.  I used to ride as a kid, but my mother would never let me ride on the road, so it amounted to riding around the property.  April 2008, becoming increasingly irritated at bumming rides and not being able to learn to drive, I decided to get one.  I researched and got a Dekra Urban Voyager ($500), which was shaft-driven (even though I read that shaft drives are much less efficient than chains).  It lasted five months before the threads that connect the crank to the shaft drive started to wear down.  In another month, it was totally unusable.  (To be fair, I think what caused it to break down was that I got straps, hoping it would be more efficient than platform pedals, and when I started practicing with the straps was when it first started making odd noises and the crank came loose two days later; if I stuck with the platform pedals, it might still work, or that might have just been a coincidence rather than causation).

A few people were amazed that I'd ride all the way up the mountain.  They were like, "If it were me, I'd push.  I couldn't do it at 15, let alone 28."  When it broke, I decided to wait out the winter and then I got a new bike, chain-driven this time (and was amazed at how much easier it was to pedal up hills).  It was a Schwinn hybrid and cost $240 (from walmart.com).

I could make it all the way up the mountain without stopping at all (though I forced myself to stop a few times to drink some water); I had to stop about a dozen times with my shaft-driven bike.

It lasted about three weeks before I heard clicking and clanking from the back wheel and the chain kept slipping off.  From what I read and what my father told me, I just needed to adjust the derailleur.  It lasted another week before my pedals wouldn't move anymore.  My father looked at it and said the problem was that all the bearings had fallen out of the cassette.  He said he'd get me a new one but hasn't yet.  I personally don't want to go to the bike shop myself because I remember how the staff stood over me the whole time I was there last time (ah, the convenience of online shopping) and it seems horrible to spend money on new parts every month.

I've been picking up walking again lately (I was recently put on antidepressants and my doctor urges me to not just stay in the house all the time, though confronting the evilness of people isn't my idea of a fun time) and I keep thinking about how much more fun bicycling is.  If only bicycles were more durable.

They are, you just have to buy one that is not a gimick, shaft drive, or Wally World pile of junk.

UD

Original Post by umneydurak:

They are, you just have to buy one that is not a gimick, shaft drive, or Wally World pile of junk.

UD

I've never even seen a shaft drive, are they still around?

They are, you just have to buy one that is not a gimick, shaft drive, or Wally World pile of junk.

Such as? The hybrid I got seems the same as what was in the bike shop and it was a much more comfortable experience buying it online rather than having the salesperson hover over me the whole time. I said I would think about which I wanted and come back later but of course, I didn't plan to actually go back and just did some googling so I could buy it online.

 

I've never even seen a shaft drive, are they still around?

You have to order them online. Dynamic Bicycles is the most popular, but not cheap. I got mine from Dynacraft, because I'm a cheapo and didn't want to mess around with chains. Like I said, it probably would still be working if not for pulling up on the pedals by the straps.

Have you compared the components? Last time I looked Wally world bikes have bottom of the line, cheapest stuff they can put on it. Not exactly quality/long lasting stuff. As for which well there are tons of options out there some good bike companies: Cannondale, Specialized, Felt, Trek. They all make hybrids, cruisers, road bikes, etc. When looking at the specs you will see other manufacturer names.The drive train components they come with (shifters, derailures mainly), will either be from SRAM or Shimano. The wheels, saddles, handle bars, and usually brakes are usually some other brands. Most common some inhouse brand owned by the bike company.

Personally I use Specialized Langster for commuting, and I have PedalForce RS2 bike.

Original Post by zooplah:

They are, you just have to buy one that is not a gimick, shaft drive, or Wally World pile of junk.

Such as? The hybrid I got seems the same as what was in the bike shop and it was a much more comfortable experience buying it online rather than having the salesperson hover over me the whole time. I said I would think about which I wanted and come back later but of course, I didn't plan to actually go back and just did some googling so I could buy it online.

The thing you got from the big-box store, that looks like a bicycle, is a collection of the very cheapest-possible components that could be sourced, and it was assembled by a low-wage laborer rather than a knowledgeable bicycle mechanic.  It is little wonder that you had trouble with it.

The differences that a layperson does not see versus a bike shop bike are many, but here are some of the highlights:

• the bike shop bike's frame will be made of lighter, stronger material (thin-walled chrome moly steel or aluminum versus the thick-walled mild steel you find in the big-box store)
• the bike shop bike's wheels will be made with higher quality bearings, hubs, spokes, and rims, and any reputable bike shop will at least have touched them up, truing-wise.  They'll also be lighter and stronger than the big-box bike's wheels
• the bike shop bike's driveline components will be higher-end (lighter, stronger, more precisely machined, better shifting) and will be replaceable, compared to the cheap, stamped, riveted-in-place stuff you find on a big-box bike.
• the bike shop bike will have been assembled and adjusted by an actual bicycle mechanic, not by a just-hired-last-week high school kid with an adjustable wrench
• the bike shop will take the time to make sure the bike is the right size
• the bike shop will (typically) throw in a one-time tuneup due about a month after you buy the bike, to adjust for stretched cables (they always do when new), adjust the shifting (which will go off as the cables stretch), and re-true the wheels (if necessary)

Yes, all of that adds to the cost.  You get what you pay for.  Bear in mind that the goal of the big box store is to get you to make an impulse purchase.  The goal of the bike shop is to sell you something that you will use and enjoy, and to give you a decent experience so that you will become a repeat customer.

I ride a Peugot Orient Express, I got it used at a local bike shop and heart it so much. It's red and white with a few stripes of yellow and orange. I didn't pay a lot for it and had some trouble with the chain which I had the bike shop guy look at, but it was still a problem until I accidentally flipped over the handlebars and then it wasn't. I'm not too serious about it all though, I live near to work (5 minute walk) and most of the errands that I need to do are within walking distance. Though I do ride several times a week for far away things to do or to visit friends in other neighborhoods or just to go on a long ride.

Talk to the bike shop guys/ladies, they'll ask what kind of money you're willing to pay and type of bike and riding you'll be doing. It has to fit you pretty well so you'll be spending some time with the salseperson getting an idea of what to look at.

Have you compared the components?

What? No. It seemed pretty much the same to the layman:

 

• Very "functional" looking. Needless to say, I didn't get the compliments I did for my shaft-driven one. The top tube is flat, there are no accents in the paint job, etc. Needless to say that my shaft-driven bike with its curved top tube, green accents, and twist shifters was much more attractive.
• The pedals are flat, plastic, and plain.
• Aluminum body.
• Shimano parts.
• 21-speed.
• Trigger shifters.

Last time I looked Wally world bikes have bottom of the line, cheapest stuff they can put on it.

My father calls it Wally World too. I find that odd, as it was the amusement park the Griswalds went to visit in National Lampoon's Vacation. I must be missing something.

Our Walmart doesn't carry bicycles at all (perhaps good, as the bike shop is right across the street; but I'm sure Walmart could still sell some bikes, as it would be cheaper and a less horrible buying experience). K-Mart does and that was what I looked at first, but they were all single-speed. I knew that if I was going to use it, it couldn't be single-speed. Earlier today, I saw a boy trying to ride up the hill in front of our house with a single-speed bike. He was standing and pumping. I was thinking, "My God! I couldn't imagine doing that with a single-speed."

Maybe that's why people have been so amazed that I've made it up the mountain bicycling, because they've only used single-speed bicycles. I can imagine that would be a pain. They say that they'd push it up, but that wouldn't be all that great either. Walking up when you're not used to it isn't a good idea. I did that a couple months ago; I hadn't walked in months but decided to walk into town and back, and I hurt for days afterwards.

As for which well there are tons of options out there some good bike companies: Cannondale, Specialized, Felt, Trek.

I did hear good things about Trek, but there was no online ordering on their website and the nearest store to sell them was almost 50 miles away. Uh, yeah.

 

Original Post by behanna:

The thing you got from the big-box store, that looks like a bicycle, is a collection of the very cheapest-possible components that could be sourced, and it was assembled by a low-wage laborer rather than a knowledgeable bicycle mechanic.  It is little wonder that you had trouble with it.

The differences that a layperson does not see versus a bike shop bike are many, but here are some of the highlights:

 

• the bike shop bike's frame will be made of lighter, stronger material (thin-walled chrome moly steel or aluminum versus the thick-walled mild steel you find in the big-box store)
• the bike shop bike's wheels will be made with higher quality bearings, hubs, spokes, and rims, and any reputable bike shop will at least have touched them up, truing-wise.  They'll also be lighter and stronger than the big-box bike's wheels
• the bike shop bike's driveline components will be higher-end (lighter, stronger, more precisely machined, better shifting) and will be replaceable, compared to the cheap, stamped, riveted-in-place stuff you find on a big-box bike.
• the bike shop bike will have been assembled and adjusted by an actual bicycle mechanic, not by a just-hired-last-week high school kid with an adjustable wrench
• the bike shop will take the time to make sure the bike is the right size
• the bike shop will (typically) throw in a one-time tuneup due about a month after you buy the bike, to adjust for stretched cables (they always do when new), adjust the shifting (which will go off as the cables stretch), and re-true the wheels (if necessary)

Yes, all of that adds to the cost.  You get what you pay for.  Bear in mind that the goal of the big box store is to get you to make an impulse purchase.  The goal of the bike shop is to sell you something that you will use and enjoy, and to give you a decent experience so that you will become a repeat customer.

 

So, in summary: it's more hassle that it's worth? Thanks for that. Given the responses I had already received in this thread, I had already figured as much.  I guess I won't be taking it to be repaired or getting a new one now.

BTW, it was worse than a high-schooler. I attached the pedals, seat, and front wheel. I had to wait for my father to come home to put on the handlebars (it turned out you had to unscrew it, take off the cap, and then attach them, but I'm stupid). I did like its handlebars, though, as they allowed you to adjust their angle (personally, I love sitting straight up but the default position was hunched down like on a road bike).

 

Original Post by zooplah:
So, in summary: it's more hassle that it's worth? Thanks for that. Given the responses I had already received in this thread, I had already figured as much.  I guess I won't be taking it to be repaired or getting a new one now.

BTW, it was worse than a high-schooler. I attached the pedals, seat, and front wheel. I had to wait for my father to come home to put on the handlebars (it turned out you had to unscrew it, take off the cap, and then attach them, but I'm stupid). I did like its handlebars, though, as they allowed you to adjust their angle (personally, I love sitting straight up but the default position was hunched down like on a road bike).

It's not more trouble then it's worth, it just requires some effort just like everything else in life. Like getting education, finding a job, etc. Seriously if picking a freaken bike is too much hassle then you really need to re-evaluate your life. Anyway if/when you do decide to get a bike post back and I'll post a lengthier explanation of all the components and why they are not all created equally.

UD

Okay, instead of getting involved in this discussion (tempting as it is), I'm just going to try and answer your questions Lillith.

Biking is as good as running in many ways. Both have distinct advantages and disadvantages, but I'm sure you know that. ^_^ They'll give you similar cardiovascular benefits. I personally do both (though unfortunately it's too cold now to bike here).

Anyways, I don't use a woman's bike. I don't really know anyone who does, for that matter. For some ladies out there it might work, but I've never felt the need for it. Find a good bike shop and try out women's bikes and see how they feel. We have a fifteen+ year old Trek mountain bike that I still use if I'm doing serious mountain biking (it's not the best or most high tech, but it gets the job done). I also have a newer (3yrs) hybrid for everyday use. Ugh, I really can't remember the brand for the life of me though! I'd go check, but it's in the shop. I've had tire problems with it (which is why it's in), but it's been very minor.

Bikes are truly an item where you get what you pay for. If you're serious about it, invest in your bike. It'll be worth it. My hybrid 3 yrs ago was about 600CAD. There were a couple cheaper options, but since I haven't bought a bike in years, we decided to splurge a bit (we're not serious bikers). It was an independent bike shop.  

Is there any way you can borrow a bike for a few weeks/months before buying your bike? If you haven't done it much since you were a kid, you can make sure you still love it and see how much you'll use it before putting down the cash. 

Good luck! : )

Original Post by umneydurak:

It's not more trouble then it's worth, it just requires some effort just like everything else in life.

Like I said before, the last time I tried, it sent me fleeing. You know, the "life sucks, get used to it" position doesn't make me like life more.

If picking a freaken bike is too much hassle

Not picking one out, as I've been through before. It's all the other stuff. I'm going to pretend that you are just ignoring what I'm saying rather than that I'm incoherent.

you really need to re-evaluate your life

I've been evaluating it lately. It's not pretty. Actually, it's been over the last few years that I've discovered how much life sucks.

 

if/when you do decide to get a bike

I doubt it. Way...too...much...trouble. Well, it was a trial that just didn't work. Thanks for helping me realize that it was just something I shouldn't pursue any further.

 

Original Post by umneydurak:

Original Post by zooplah:
So, in summary: it's more hassle that it's worth? Thanks for that. Given the responses I had already received in this thread, I had already figured as much. I guess I won't be taking it to be repaired or getting a new one now.

BTW, it was worse than a high-schooler. I attached the pedals, seat, and front wheel. I had to wait for my father to come home to put on the handlebars (it turned out you had to unscrew it, take off the cap, and then attach them, but I'm stupid). I did like its handlebars, though, as they allowed you to adjust their angle (personally, I love sitting straight up but the default position was hunched down like on a road bike).

It's not more trouble then it's worth, it just requires some effort just like everything else in life. Like getting education, finding a job, etc. Seriously if picking a freaken bike is too much hassle then you really need to re-evaluate your life. Anyway if/when you do decide to get a bike post back and I'll post a lengthier explanation of all the components and why they are not all created equally.

UD

Eh, I probably shouldn't have replied earlier.  I was already depressed from seeing my shrink today.  Now, I'm also feeling the hopelessness of bicycling, so I'm going to go lie down until I feel a bit better.  I'm sure that, for better or worse, I'll live.

What ever floats your boat. *shrug

UD

Original Post by zooplah:

Original Post by umneydurak:

Original Post by zooplah:
So, in summary: it's more hassle that it's worth? Thanks for that. Given the responses I had already received in this thread, I had already figured as much. I guess I won't be taking it to be repaired or getting a new one now.

[...snip...]

It's not more trouble then it's worth, it just requires some effort just like everything else in life. Like getting education, finding a job, etc. Seriously if picking a freaken bike is too much hassle then you really need to re-evaluate your life. Anyway if/when you do decide to get a bike post back and I'll post a lengthier explanation of all the components and why they are not all created equally.

UD

Eh, I probably shouldn't have replied earlier.  I was already depressed from seeing my shrink today.  Now, I'm also feeling the hopelessness of bicycling, so I'm going to go lie down until I feel a bit better.  I'm sure that, for better or worse, I'll live.

Bicycling isn't hopeless, but it might not be your thing.  That's OK.

Life doesn't have to suck.  Don't let it get you down--grab it by the snarglies and give it a good twist.