Buying a bike, opinions required

xenuxenu
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Ok, after a couple of decades of not riding a bike, I am in the market for one - for recreation and fitness.

I doubt it will see mud, but will probably see the odd dirt track (or the Clare Valley riesling trail).



Since I want my partner to have one, they need to be reasonably light - we don't want to fight the bike - and comfy.



The price range is around $500 (p/m $100) Australian ($250 US).



So far the bike shops have recommended



GT Palomar

GT Avalance 1.0/2.0/3.0

Rockadile SX

Rockadile AL

Rockadile ALX

Rockadile ALD

Rockadile LE

(The Rockadile Wing series look too wierd)

Raleigh M600



Has anyone here had any experience with these, and can give their opinion?



One place suggested we replace the standard seat with something softer, as we may feel it because we have not been on a bike for so long!



Are there any other bikes I should be looking at?



Then there are the helmets, lights, locks, ...



Are tubeless tires worth looking at?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    For recreational riders a light bike is way overrated IMO. Look at me. I weigh in a 200 pounds. You think it matters if my bike has an extra four pounds off of it.



    Don't worry too much about the seat. It's going to hurt your ass when you first get it and go on longer rides. You get used to it. I have one of those hard seats on mine and don't even notice it on long rides.





    No hybrids in the list? I'd consider getting a bike with the larger wheel considering you're not going to be doing any mountain biking. You'll get a much smoother ride (mostly because of the tires) and you'll go faster with less effort and the gearing is set more for cruising (and not "haul your ass up the 30 degree slope"). Also they tend to have a more upright riding which people coming back to cycling seem to like better.



    Tubeless tires cost a lot so don't bother.



    I haven't bought anything for a bike in a while. All the different levels of the components have changed on me so I couldn't tell you if the above had good stuff on it. Shimano makes good stuff but they do have a level that above it is much better than below it.
  • Reply 2 of 7
    burningwheelburningwheel Posts: 1,827member
    my wife and i looked into to bikes last summer (never bought any) however we like Giant
  • Reply 3 of 7
    hassan i sabbahhassan i sabbah Posts: 3,987member
    Giant are the world's biggest bike company and their bikes are pretty good value, I think. GT are good value too and in my opinion they, um, look better. Shiny frames.



    For the prices you're looking at, I wouldn't get a bike with suspended forks: they'll be heavy, and not very good, and you'll have them at the expense of decent components elsewhere. Much, much better to have no suspension and decent brakes and gears. And never get a full suspension bike for less than £400 (or equiv.) You'll get a tank.



    Actually a hybrid's a good idea; you can stick quite heavy-duty tyres on those big wheels if you want. I wouldn't advise it if you're commuting, though, although puncture resistant tyres are definitely worth the extra money. Don't get tubeless ones, waste of dough.



    Scott's right about the saddle I think. There's a school of thought that says that stiffer saddles are actually more comfortable in the long run, but you should probably ignore all advice concerning the comfort of your own butt.



    Marin make excellent hybrids (apart from the cheapest ones with the suspended forks, which I don't like, anyway.)



    Actually, the perfect bike for you is the Cannondale BadBoy: it's half city bike, half hardtail monster. Have slicks for the city, swap on knobbies to go down steep, muddy hills. It's a great bike but like all Cannondales it's not cheap. If you can find a second-hand one, that's the one for you.



    Check out a shop that sells Marins!



    [ 01-10-2003: Message edited by: Hassan i Sabbah ]</p>
  • Reply 4 of 7
    hassan i sabbahhassan i sabbah Posts: 3,987member
    oops



    [ 01-10-2003: Message edited by: Hassan i Sabbah ]</p>
  • Reply 5 of 7
    xenuxenu Posts: 204member
    Thanks people. Who would have thought buying a bike would be this difficult?



    Visited the Mike Turtur bike shop, and they are suggesting a Gitane Pinnacle for my partner, and an Apollo for me.



    Sigh.



  • Reply 6 of 7
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    You're on a very tight budget, so instead of getting an extremely cheap mountain bike, try to get a reasonable hybrid type bike.



    Don't be too worried about the frame of the bike, because for the riding you're doing, abuse is not an issue.



    You'll also probably find that slick tires will make a lot more of a difference on the street than an overall lighter bike.



    I really am not sure what one should expect to pay for a 'hybrid,' since I mainly only know mountain bikes.



    If you are considering getting into mountain biking at any time, maybe you should consider getting a cheap mountain bike, but don't expect that to last long.



    On the other hand, if you truly are just going to be out on the roads and paths, then almost any bike will last a long time, so just make sure you get one that is comfortable.



    [ 01-11-2003: Message edited by: Nick ]</p>
  • Reply 7 of 7
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    Gee. Ducati's are really great, because chicks dig 'em, and that's really the bottom line. The 748i is a good one. But you can get something like a Honda 600F4 used for a decent price.



    :chill:
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