Best bicycle for new rider (speed/road/trail)

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destrekor

Lifer
Nov 18, 2005
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So I'm looking for a road bike. I'm athletic in nature and need to get away from running as my only cardio, and definitely want a good bike for good exercise.
I'm looking for a good bike (road? Hybrid?) for likely paved paths, maybe some packed dirt/gravel paths. If it can handle more terrain types, awesome. :)

Big point, I can't afford a high price. Over 400, no go. Not even looking at 300 if possible. And idea is to get a good recommendation for a model, then look for one used locally.

Any ideas, and/or tips looking for good features or whatnot? I am a bike noob when it comes to roadworthy exercise bikes.

Thanks!
 
Sep 29, 2004
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Local bike shops usually have used bikes for sale.

I'd just go to one.

Before you go, decide if you are going to do mountain biking or road biking.

A traditional road bike will not work on dirt worth a crap. A mountain bike on the road has imporper gearing (unless you change the gears of course) for road use. Sounds like you need a hybrid but those would suck for pure moutnain biking.

mtbr.com has a list of places to mountain bike. See if there are any places in your area. You can always run or walk the trails to consider if you'd want to do mountain biking.

I am biased. I love mountain biking. I might do a road bike eventually.

And you will want to upgrade the stock seat on whatever bike you get. You will want a "nut saver". A seat with a dent along the center line of it.
 

ZOOYUKA

Platinum Member
Jan 24, 2005
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Also, if you get a Mountain Bike you can always buy a second pair of tires. I have and extra pair of slicks for when I ride my bike on the street.
 

abaez

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2000
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I have a Specialized cyclocross bike and it's great. Can be used for road and some light offroading.
 

eits

Lifer
Jun 4, 2005
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www.integratedssr.com
i started mountain biking... i enjoy it a lot. i'm not a badass on the trails or anything just yet, but i'm slowly getting there. i've ridden a few different bikes on trails, but nothing has been nearly as fun to ride as the cannondale trail sl 3. i LOVE this bike.
 

destrekor

Lifer
Nov 18, 2005
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Are cyclocross bikes different from "hybrid" bikes?

We have a few good paved paths in the region, and an increasing Rails to Trails project that will expand on the distances already available in the region. I'd probably avoid roads if at all possible - it's not going to be a commuter, and those big ol' vehicles terrify me even when I myself am very confident behind the wheel - let alone dancing with death on a wee little bike next to this idiots. :p

But there are a few heavily-beaten paths (either all dirt or highly-packed dirt & limestone) - nothing extraordinarily rugged or mountainous, though if I tried to look for such I could.

I'd enjoy mountain biking for sure, but not really looking for that - so... I guess I'm looking for hybrids or cyclocross bikes?
 

mechBgon

Super Moderator<br>Elite Member
Oct 31, 1999
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1. You can ride a mountain bike on the road if you want. So far this year, I've done over 2000 miles of that. There's an efficiency penalty, but if you're trying to get exercise, then hey.

2. Size is important. Don't buy a bike that's not a good size for you, no matter how good the price is. The length of the top tube varies in proportion to the length of the seat tube. If the reach to the bars makes you feel scrunched, or totally Superman'd out there, then you're probably looking at a bad size.

3. Condition of used bikes varies wildly and is not always easy for the layman to assess. I wish I had a dollar for every time a person's brought their horrific Frankenbike purchase to the bike shop for us to look over, and asked "so did I get a good deal?" and I'm all "uhhhh, actually you got ripped off." Before you buy a used bike, have a trustworthy bike shop assess it. For a good mechanic, this will take just a few minutes.



If I were going to suggest a brand/model line to look for, just based on likelihood of finding them on the used market, I'd say the popular Specialized Hardrock and Rockhopper lines, if you decided to look at mountain bikes. But there are many others of equivalent desirability. I'd actually lean towards one without a suspension fork, versus a cheap suspension fork.
 

xBiffx

Diamond Member
Aug 22, 2011
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Hybrid bike ftw. I got a Giant Escape 2 last year for dirt cheap. Awesome bike that gives you the upright feel, straight handlebars of a mountain bike but with the slicker tires and gearing of a road bike. Perfect for trails around here because they tend to get muddied up/washed out from time to time and a road bike would be no joy for that.
 

Dannar26

Senior member
Mar 13, 2012
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I just use a 100 wal mart special. I think it's called Next or some such.

Yesterday after work, I tried to see if I could make my commute (from Exton PA to Paoli PA) with a bike. I'm a cross country runner, so 10 miles was not a daunting trip. The narrow roads with no shoulders or side walk really put me off. No way am I going to try to dominate the road on a bike like that.

I was further frustrated when google maps (using the bike directions feature) instructed me to go on this lengthy park road...only to find "private road" signs posted everywhere. Guess somebody bought the "park."

Duely blundered from my thunderdolt
 
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