Maxwell said:
I'm also thinking of buying a bike. I'm really out of shape, and I'd like to start biking to get some exercise and to get around town without using my car.
Awesome! We're proud of you for making such a great decision.
1) What style of bike should I use for exercise & traveling? I don't plan on riding 500 miles a week, not even close. I'll probably been riding on roads only, but I don't know - maybe there are some nice trails around here.
Bicycles cover a spectrum. On one end, you have bikes that sacrifice comfort and practicality for speed. These are the high-end, $2k+ road racing bikes. I don't think you're in the market for this kind of bike. On the other end of the spectrum are the commuter and hybrid bicycles, which are heavier, slower, and don't handle as well, yet are much cheaper, much more practical, and much more comfortable.
2) Do I really need to spend over $1k on my first bike? Or is a very cheap/used bike reasonable? I'm basically looking for brands that are good, so maybe I can find something used. I'm not opposed to putting $1k down eventually, once I've been doing this for a while, but not right away.
Decent road bikes start at around $600-$700. The best price-point in terms of features per dollars is at around $1k, which is why that number pops up a lot.
If you choose to buy another style of bike, you can easily keep the cost under $500. Make sure you buy your bike from a reputable shop -- don't buy your first bike online, or at Costco, or from a previous owner. Once you have more experience riding, you'll be able to make those kinds of purchases with more confidence. For now, you'd be better off having someone show you a number of different models and letting you test ride them.
3) Another issue - my size. I'm pretty big, about 6'1 and 290 lbs (see why I want to start biking?). Am I going to need to special order a bike for someone my size? Also, what type of bike will make biking more enjoyable for me? I have not been on a bike in over 10 years, so I don't know how I'll be able to ride at all. I'm planning for the worst. In fact, I haven't done ANY exercise in a long, long time.
The truth is that road racing bikes are almost exclusively designed for riders under 200 lbs. Many of them come with wheels that simply cannot support a 300 lb load without being dangerous. If even for this reason alone, I'd suggest something other than a road racing bike.
Most hybrids and mountain bikes are designed to withstand much larger impacts, and thus are capable of handling bigger riders.
Your height is not much of an issue -- most shops will either have bikes that fit a tall rider, or will be able to get one drop-shipped from a nearby warehouse in a day or two.
If I were you, I'd look into some of the hybrid models. Look into the Trek Navigator series, the Specialized Globe series, the Giant Sedona, and other bikes in that category. They all feature relaxed geometries (meaning you can sit upright without straining your back), comfortable seats, and wheels and tires that will easily handle anything from road use to gentle off-road use. Many of them are priced at or under $500. I'm actually considering getting a Specialized Globe myself to complement my racing-oriented bikes.
I also strongly suggest that you go hang out at
www.bikeforums.net for a while -- you'll learn an absolute ton. They have an entire forum dedicated to bicycle commuting, as well as an entire forum dedicated to bicycling as a means for weight loss. Good luck to you!
- Warren
