# Overwhelmed with all the bike decisions!



## Girrlkitty (May 6, 2009)

Hello! I stumbled across this forum while trying to Google bikes, and I've been reading the posts, but even the newbies here seem to know more than me! So I thought I would just post.

I haven't been on a bike in probably 15 years, and even then, I was only riding as a kid around the neighborhood. I'm a little overweight, so my boyfriend and I have started walking, and he expressed that he would really like to start riding, too. I'm game for that, but I don't have a clue where to start when it comes to getting a new bike. I thought a bike was a bike until I started reading the other posts, so now I'm confused as to what I should even be researching! I know we want to ride around at home, on the sidewalks and road, and he mentioned the possibility of going out to some trails he knows of as well. Neither of us is planning to do any racing, and I don't know what kind of bike he has, but I don't think it's a fancy one. I know he hasn't been on it in a while, either. 

So, my question is, what should I be looking for? Any advice as to styles/frames/etc I might want to look in to? What about clothes? I see people on here talking about different kinds of shorts, and how that makes a difference - given the type of riding I'll be doing, should I look into investing in those as well? If so, what kind would you recommend? Also, what kind of price range should I be looking at in terms of getting something decent for my needs that will hold up for a while, but not too extravagant.

Please help! I'm getting overwhelmed!


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

What kind of rides do you envision yourself doing? Casual bike path rides? Touring? Riding to the bank/market? Climbing mountains? Doing centuries? 

For casual riding and chores like going to the market you might want to consider an upright hybrid style bike. 

If you're more serious about keeping fit, you might want to check out road bikes with drop bars. 

Don't worry about the shorts yet. But a pair or two to get you started. You might be able to find them for $40 or less. Be sure to get a helmet and some gloves.


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## Girrlkitty (May 6, 2009)

Hmm, I guess I see myself doing more casual riding around town, instead of taking the car, as well as doing the occasional bike path in the summer. That might change later, as if i really like it, I'll probably do more to keep fit, but even then, it will be more weekend riding than trying to compete in a race, or anything like that.

To start with, would I be okay riding in a pair of jeans and sneakers? And is there anything to look for in gloves and helmet, or are they all pretty much the same?

Thank you so much for your help!


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

For the helmet start with the lowest price ones. Try them on and work your way up until you find one that is so comfortable you know you'll be happy to wear it on all your rides. 

The gloves are mainly for hand protection. Get some that fit comfortably and don't cut off circulation.

You can get by on your first few rides with jeans. Jeans do get hot and sweaty though so I say get a pair of bike shorts or knickers with a chamois pad. 

I highly recommend getting bike shoes and clip in pedals. Sneakers flex way too much.


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## grrlyrida (Aug 3, 2006)

*check out townie*

You should also look at the townie line of bikes if you plan on doing more casual riding. They are like cruiser style bikes but with gearing. Come in different styles, colors and suppose to be comfortable.


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## ColoradoVeloDude (Oct 7, 2005)

Girrlkitty said:


> Hello! I stumbled across this forum while trying to Google bikes, and I've been reading the posts, but even the newbies here seem to know more than me! So I thought I would just post.
> 
> I haven't been on a bike in probably 15 years, and even then, I was only riding as a kid around the neighborhood. I'm a little overweight, so my boyfriend and I have started walking, and he expressed that he would really like to start riding, too. I'm game for that, but I don't have a clue where to start when it comes to getting a new bike. I thought a bike was a bike until I started reading the other posts, so now I'm confused as to what I should even be researching! I know we want to ride around at home, on the sidewalks and road, and he mentioned the possibility of going out to some trails he knows of as well. Neither of us is planning to do any racing, and I don't know what kind of bike he has, but I don't think it's a fancy one. I know he hasn't been on it in a while, either.
> 
> ...



If you are thinking of doing any road riding (like organized rides, centuries, tours) then you want a road bike. Next, don’t get anything that is race oriented. These are built for very aggressive stances to eek out all the power from your legs. What this means is that you’re down over the drops with your butt in the air and everything optimized for getting your glutes engaged. Great if your are doing averages of 20MPH+ for 50 miles at a stretch (yeah, that includes climbs, stops, and everything else the road gives you).

OK, so where to start?

If you are of small stature, or have extra small hands, you’re probably looking for a women’s specific bike. The geometry of the bike is built to fit, and most of all, the shifters won’t take finger extensions to work properly. 

Next, if you are thinking of doing any kind of long climbing (see below for a primer), a triple chain ring is a must. This gives a lot of gear selection to keep you spinning up a hill rather than mashing.

After that, look for a bike with carbon fiber forks. A carbon fiber seat post is a good addition too. These help to absorb the road vibration. Of course, an all-carbon bike is the ultimate in vibration reduction and smooth ride (IMO, YMMV). But, you have to be a bit more careful with an all carbon bike. Not much more careful than a steel or aluminum bike, but no sudden slams to the ground. Carbon frames are strong and long lasting, for normal use you shouldn’t have an issue. But, drop a brick on a carbon fiber frame from a height of five feet and you might crack it. Do the same to a steel or aluminum bike and you’ll probably have a good dent with no loss of use.

Find out what your price points are first and go do some internet research. You can’t go wrong with the large names I think: Felt, Trek, Specialized, Giant. There are others. Next, there seem to be price breaks between $800 to $1500, $1500 to $3000, and $3000+ What you get for the upper prices is smoother and more predictable shifting and longer lasting parts. 

If you want to get a road bike, do your research and then find a gear head bike shop. Go on a weekday right after they open so you can talk to the guys without being rushed and then test-drive a boat load of bikes. I think I tried almost 30 different models of bikes. Too short, too cramped, too rough, ugh, ick, and yecch are some the words I’d use to describe what I rode. In most cases, I knew within the first few pedal strokes. Finally, I got onto and rode MY BIKE which was wonderful from the start (and has been since).

Note that if you’re a regular roadie (i.e., not any kind of racer) you’re probably going spend most of your handlebar time on the top of the bars and not in the drops. The drops are mainly used for full-bore don’t want to be last or I’ll have to buy the beers riding or smoking down a mountain pass (like Fremont Pass here in Colorado – 11,500 feet to 8,000 feet in 15 or so miles). You’ll be in the drops for the descent of your life (and the bugs on your teeth from the grin you’ll have all the way down).

I started cycling 5 years ago from ZERO and then trained up in 6 months do Ride The Rockies. Now I am an aspiring roadie that does anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 miles a year on my bike. My bike is a Trek Pilot 5.0 (all carbon) and a v-e-r-y nice ride.

So the climbing primer. I go for 20 mile morning rides with no intention of doing any planned climbing and the computer registers 2,000+ feet of climbing. Well, that’s Colorado. Yes, I love my triple chain ring and the 27 gears it offers. Next, here are some of the rides we train for out here:

www.coppertriangle.com
www.ridetherockies.com
www.bicycletourcolorado.com
www.bvbf.com – this is the first century – 100 mile – ride I did. Only the first 60 miles are uphill. The first year took me 11 hours to complete. The next year I did it in 6.5 hours. Note that I started all of this when I was 47 years old.

If you are sitting on the fence between getting a “around town weekend” kind of bike versus a road machine, get something like a Specialized Cirrus. No quite road, not quite mountain bike. But not a “townie” either. And relatively cheap (~$450). I’d rent a townie type of bike before you buy one. 

The other thing is the cycling clothes. Yes, they look, well, dork. We justify it by saying stuff like it’s ok if you are within 15 feet of your bike. But, ride with it once, especially on a warm-ish day and you’ll find out really quick what it’s all about. Yeah, it’s a good thing.

Find out what you are going towards. If it’s to the road, then you’re going for the century ride at the end of the summer (100 miles or a metric century – 100KM = 62 miles). Keep at it, and you’ll see that 20 miles is a “nice” morning ride of about 1 or 2 hours. A really NICE morning ride is 30 to 50 miles. Jaws will drop from people around you that don’t understand. The understanding comes from the riding. You’ll be like use techie guys saying stuff like “my job involves explaining things to idiots” – Dilbert. 

Instead, you’ll be describing the 50 mile ride on a weekend morning when you left when the sun came up at 5:30AM (after your fuel breakfast of oatmeal, banana, yogurt, and a GU) and finishing at 10:30AM with a donut (yes, you’ll have a calorie deficit – all is forgiven) and a cup of coffee at your favorite java place. Then you’ll strike up conversation (and you’ll be asked) “how far did you ride?” When you answer any number over 10 miles, watch the eyes get big and the gears start to turn in people’s heads on how to react to that. Then you’ll go home and have the best shower of your life.

Come join the roadie crew. It’s work to get here (about four weeks of regular riding), but once you’re here, you’ll never want to go back…

The guys at the gear head bike shop can help you. Go there some day and talk with them. If it's the end of the day, bring a cold six pack and say something like "I want to talk to you guys about road biking, I don't want to buy anything today, but show me the Rites of Passage." That will buy you more goodwill than you know...

ColoradoVeloDude
Colorado Springs, Colorado


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## jorgy (Oct 21, 2005)

Now stop that. You're going to scare her away!

Seriously, I think the best thing is to follow il sogno's advice and head to a shop so you can figure out what type of riding you want to do.


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## Girrlkitty (May 6, 2009)

Wow, what a lot of really great advice! Thank you all so much! I'm thinking yeah, the local bike shop is going to be my next stop, but now I know what to start asking, which is a huge help! I admire you guys who can ride so many miles a day (I'm one of those who's eyes get wide when you say 50 miles in the morning!) but maybe someday I can get there! I'll make sure I come post here when I do finally get my first bike!


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## muscleendurance (Jan 11, 2009)

This is what your Local Bike Store (LBS :wink: ) is for! - go there and tell them what your needs are, and take it from there. Newb's here is a relative term, they dont know much about lots of things, but still know some more than the general population does.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

I second the recommendation - wander down to your local bike shop, or several if it's not too far to drive. 

Tell them what you told us. 
Don't allow yourself to be pressured (a good shop won't do that, anyway). 
Ride lots of bikes.
Get the one you like

You can always trade up later. A quality bike seems expensive, but really they're cheap compared to comparable equipment like golf gear, kayaks, 4x4's boats, ski gear, etc.


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## godot (Feb 3, 2004)

Definitely go to an LBS. If you feel at all pressured or uncomfortable, leave and try a different shop.

Don't be intimidated when you're starting out, we were all new at this at some point. There are a lot of cool toys out there, and a lot more to cycling than most people realize, enjoy the journey, it's pretty fun.


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## QuiQuaeQuod (Jan 24, 2003)

If you haven't seen it, you might check out this thread in the beginners forum on "Buying Your First Bike on a Budget":

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=58937


Lots of good advice in that thread (just in the first 20 posts or so that I skimmed). Some bad advice too, imo, but it should give you things to think about if nothing else.


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## mskip (May 14, 2009)

ColoradoVeloDude said:


> If you are thinking of doing any road riding (like organized rides, centuries, tours) then you want a road bike. Next, don’t get anything that is race oriented. These are built for very aggressive stances to eek out all the power from your legs. What this means is that you’re down over the drops with your butt in the air and everything optimized for getting your glutes engaged. Great if your are doing averages of 20MPH+ for 50 miles at a stretch (yeah, that includes climbs, stops, and everything else the road gives you).
> 
> OK, so where to start?
> 
> ...



thanks colorado for such a thorough reply. I have been lurking around the forums trying to make sense of all the biker/computer lingo. I have to search things on google just to figure out what people are saying. i know that's sad, but I have to start somewhere. I have a hybrid that I have been riding for a couple of years. It fits great and I love it but I am going on longer rides and thinking I need a road bike. I rode in the TOUR de Cure last summer. I started training in early Jan. and signed up for the 63 mile run. I made it to 55 miles and had to go to the hospital for heat exhaustion, it was 102 that day, and all my levels were depleted. they keep me overnight since my heart had been hurting during the ride. i really wanted to finish and mentally I was there but my body would not let me finish. This year I am taking it slower and am thinking about getting a rode bike. I am overwhelmed by all the choices. I hear over and over again to go to your LBS so I am going to do that next week. I just want to say thanks to all you experienced riders who take the time to clue us newbies in to what is really revelant in the biking world. I love to bike but my body has to catch up with where I want to be.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

mskip said:


> thanks colorado for such a thorough reply. I have been lurking around the forums trying to make sense of all the biker/computer lingo. I have to search things on google just to figure out what people are saying. i know that's sad, but I have to start somewhere. I have a hybrid that I have been riding for a couple of years. It fits great and I love it but I am going on longer rides and thinking I need a road bike. I rode in the TOUR de Cure last summer. I started training in early Jan. and signed up for the 63 mile run. I made it to 55 miles and had to go to the hospital for heat exhaustion, it was 102 that day, and all my levels were depleted. they keep me overnight since my heart had been hurting during the ride. i really wanted to finish and mentally I was there but my body would not let me finish. This year I am taking it slower and am thinking about getting a rode bike. I am overwhelmed by all the choices. I hear over and over again to go to your LBS so I am going to do that next week. I just want to say thanks to all you experienced riders who take the time to clue us newbies in to what is really revelant in the biking world. I love to bike but my body has to catch up with where I want to be.


55 miles in 102* heat is amazing. 

Have fun at the LBS next week. :thumbsup:


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