Bicycles-recommendations?

[Tom_Mary_Lou]

Thinking of getting new bicycles. We are older now & certainly don't need a gagillion speeds. Any recommendations would be appreciated. THX

[Gjac]

Tom/Mary Lou wrote:
Thinking of getting new bicycles. We are older now & certainly don't need a gagillion speeds. Any recommendations would be appreciated. THX

It would be good to hear from the OP again on how they will use the bike, but from the original post it sounds like they want a bike to ride around the camp ground on dirt roads. I have a Jamis 24 speed Mtn Bike that I have had for more than 20 years which was over $700 back then. I have gone through multiple chains and gears sets. Has the Rock Shox on front which no longer work. Now at 68 I want a little more upright position to ride in. Also have an old Bianchi 21 speed road bike. The head broke twice on that bike and no longer ride it, even with Areo bars being bent over for long periods was uncomfortable. Mid 50's I could do 100 miles/day but not any more. One thing a lot of people don't realize it a lot of the cost that goes into a higher end bike is weight reduction. More money does't mean stronger and lasting longer, only lighter weight and better performance. So based on your age, general physical condition how you will use the bike, I see no problem with buying a $200 bike Mtn Bike from Dick's or Walmart. The Mtn bike is the most versatile just get one with an adjustable head or short head set so you can sit more up right to take some pressure off your lower back.

[winnietrey]

As a point of reference DW and I are not hard core riders, but we do ride 1x to 2x a week about 25 miles round trip. On flat level trails. We are in or 60's

In my opinion money spent on bikes is money well spent, both from a health and something to do together point of view.

So I do not think, price should be the main consideration. They will last for many years, and any money you spend on them is about 6 seconds in a hospital.

So if it keeps you healthy, and doing something together it is a super deal

Couple of thoughts, buy a decent bike, things like thumb shifters, a nice after market saddle, a nice rack and bag will add a lot of value to your enjoyment.

I have a Trek Verve, very much enjoy it.

My DW rides a Tera tadpole Trike, With is something else, I think worth a thought. She never really enjoyed a bike but loves that trike. Turns on a dime, very stable and just a whole lot of fun to ride.

Time, I tricked both out, with racks, bags etc. Probably in about 1K on the bike, and 2K on the trike. But as I said for us I fell it is money very well spent, and probably about the best 3k we have ever spent.

As a PS, you might consider a bike with an internal hub. They range from 3 to 8 speeds, and you skip all the problems with de-railers.
You can "dead shift" them, the are smooth and easy to shift, That is what the trike has and I am impressed with it. Just a few thoughts you might consider

[Markiemark32]

PastorCharlie wrote:
After reading all the recommendations for the Trek bikes I did a Google search and have decided the "big box store bikes" are not in their class of ride.

The Trek Remedy 9.9 priced at $8,400
The Trek speed concept 9.9 priced at $11,500
The Trek yo****omo nara speed concept priced at $200,000
And last but not least:
The Butterfly Trek madone priced $500,000


There were a couple others within the Trek range.
The KCS tier 3 custom at $22,00-$32,000
The Aston martin one 77 cycle priced $37,905

Considering these prices one must conclude there is more to their comfort than just the seat. :B

Do you believe everything you read on the internet?



Markiemark:C

[mlts22]

If I were to buy a general bike, I'd see about buying one with a Rohloff 14 speed hub. It is priced at around the same price as a decent shifting group, and weighs just as much... but you can shift while stopped, the chain lasts longer, since it isn't bounced between gears, and it lasts longer. Just make sure to change the oil.

I would run, not walk from department store bikes. Just looking at them, I saw brakes that couldn't be adjusted, forks that were impossible to repair, and many other details. From a distance, they looked decent, but no so when close. At least get a low-end model from a reliable brand (Trek, etc.) That way, you can upgrade the fork, components, and other items as one sees fit as time goes on.

As for bicycles, I'd consider different types, depending on use:

If I had to just have one general use bike, I'd go with a mountain bike. For city roads, I can use slick tires which give a surprisingly good amount of traction. It isn't as roadworthy as a dedicated road bike, but it is better at handling whatever terrain a RV park throws at you. I wouldn't go too high-end, so if it it gets stolen, it isn't too much of a loss.

If I could go with another bike, I'd have the mountain bike, but I'd also have a decent quality folding bike like a Brompton or Dahon with a good carrying case. Case in point. Here in Austin, there are a lot of cyclists, and the buses have at most two slots on the front for a normal bicycle. I've seen people actually get into fistfights about those. The folding bike is a lot better for crowded areas, especially if you have to use buses or subways. Plus, when folded, it doesn't take that much room in a RV.

After that, depending on where I was going, a good quality mountain bike, road bike, or whatever is the best for the area.

[Carb_Cleaner]

fj12ryder wrote:

rexlion wrote:
(snip)
The only thing I wish for differently is an internal hub; with chain gears you have to let off pressure on the pedals when shifting down, but an internal hub doesn't need any letup when shifting. These are pricey but nice to have.

I think you've got that backwards: external derailleurs require you to pedal while you shift because the derailleur has to move the chain to another gear, the internal hub shifting is the model that shifts when you remove pressure from the chain, i.e. stop pedaling for a second.

With derailleurs, a slight decrease in pressure, only for a moment (but maintaining rotation), prevents excessive chain and sprocket wear, making for a smooth shift. Constant, full-on, loaded-for-bear, going up-hill pressure while shifting seems to produce less reliable shifting, tweaking the chain and sprockets. Maybe, it's just me and I'm doing it wrong, but this is my observation. I'm a cycle hobbyist, not a pro.
Going up the price scale of bikes, you get better and better components, to a point. Then, reducing the weight of the quality components kicks in, costing a little more (excluding engineering costs and marketing from the scale).
I used to think spending thousands on a bicycle was insane. I never imagined I'd buy a bike that had a comma in the price tag, but I'm glad I did. Compared to previous bikes, including a hard-tail Cannondale that I rode for 5 years and thought it was the Bee's knees, my present bike feels like I'm, somehow, cheating. Forty years ago, I'd slap a couple wheels on any frame I could scrounge up and be in tall Cotton. My tastes, and level of desired comfort, has matured. Amortized over 5 years, it cost about the same as a gym membership, which would be worthless, because I hate going to a gym.
When you visit your LBS (local bike shop), ask about last year's model. Sometimes, they're not on display and you might save a few bucks. Don't sacrifice fit for money, though.

[stripit]

We owned 2 Trek 7 speed men's bikes for about 10 years. Aluminum frame and comfortable to ride, but as my wife started having hip issues hard for her to get on. She researched easy boarding and found the Biria Easy Boardingso she bought one. After a few months of me using it whenever I had a chance and she was not using it, I bought one too. Light weight, easy shifting (we purchased the 3 speed model)and comfortable. You sit more erect and it is very easy boarding and exiting. The bike shop we purchased from sells many of these bikes to folks that have had knee or hip replacements as they are so easy to use. Not cheap, but I think these will be the last bikes we will ever have to purchase.

[PastorCharlie]

After reading all the recommendations for the Trek bikes I did a Google search and have decided the "big box store bikes" are not in their class of ride.

The Trek Remedy 9.9 priced at $8,400
The Trek speed concept 9.9 priced at $11,500
The Trek yo****omo nara speed concept priced at $200,000
And last but not least:
The Butterfly Trek madone priced $500,000


There were a couple others within the Trek range.
The KCS tier 3 custom at $22,00-$32,000
The Aston martin one 77 cycle priced $37,905

Considering these prices one must conclude there is more to their comfort than just the seat. :B

[fj12ryder]

rexlion wrote:
(snip)
The only thing I wish for differently is an internal hub; with chain gears you have to let off pressure on the pedals when shifting down, but an internal hub doesn't need any letup when shifting. These are pricey but nice to have.

I think you've got that backwards: external derailleurs require you to pedal while you shift because the derailleur has to move the chain to another gear, the internal hub shifting is the model that shifts when you remove pressure from the chain, i.e. stop pedaling for a second.

[VAfan]

I love my “lower level” Diamondback hybrid with a shock in the fork and a big comfortable aftermarket seat.

Had it for 5 years and perfect for my needs…..ride it down beaches at low tide; don’t worry about covering it up when it rains and even though it “wouldn’t be a pleasant experience” no big loss if it’s stolen.

I have a Cannondale hybrid but 90% of the time ride the Diamondback.

[dakasa47]

:)Hello, I have had different bikes since I was a kid. As an adult I bought a few from different stores that were around at the time like a Walmart. I bought a bike from a bike shop based on what it looked like. Then 13 years ago for my 50th birthday my husband David said he wanted to take me to a really good bike store and buy me a new bike. A year or so before I had rented a bike up in Bar Harbor ME. I loved it and made sure I wrote down the brand, which I had never heard of, for when I would buy a new bike. It was a Specialized and was the most comfortable bike I had ever ridden. So 13 years ago we are at a bike shop that ran the gamut from inexpensive to thousands of dollars expensive. The person who waited on me was so helpful and patient. I test rode a few bikes that were matched to my needs height size. What a difference. I had the name of the Specialized and tested that one. I was sold. It cost 500.00 at the time but I am still riding it. Its the BEST bike I have ever had. We have taken our bikes all over the county and we ride bike paths and safe side street, along beach, in the woods and my Specialized is still going strong. I have certainly gotten my moneys worth...or Davids money as it was a gift in the last 13 years.I recommend looking at Specialized.

[Bamaman11]

My daughter is a bicycle racer, and she is an expert on all bicycles. She custom builds all of their bicycles from individual pieces.

Stay away from Walmart and all their mass merchandised heavyweight bikes.

Go to a bicycle shop and go for a brand like Specialized or Giant. They purchase components in mass, and give you a good mid priced bicycle that's not too heavy. I'm talking $400-500 range for a decent "comfort bike." They can also fit you with a frame size that fits your body.

[rexlion]

Until about 5 years ago, I had cheap bikes. The most recent one was a great looking red mountain bike from Sam's Club for less than $100. I hardly rode it because it hurt my rear end bones so much. But I thought that's just the way it was with bikes.

Then when vacationing at Peninsula SP in WI, I rented a bike at the little bike shop just outside the park entrance. It was a Trek Pure, a 3 speed comfort bike with crank-forward design (the pedals are a few inches out front of the seat stem rather than directly below it). Riding approximately 12 miles on a combination of pavement and dirt trails in the park, I marveled at how easily it pedaled and how it didn't hurt my butt! That thing just glided along so nicely. It blew me away to realize what a piece of cr*p I owned and what a massive improvement the Trek was.

When I got home from that camping trip, I shopped around and compared several brands at bike shops. I ended up with a Trek Pure Sport (something like 18 speeds, I forget right now) and have been happily riding it ever since. I ride around home some, and I take the bike on nearly every camping trip and ride it. The crank forward design helps to make pedaling easier because you're pushing forward a bit more and not so much straight down. The upright seating position takes the pressure off the insides of the hip bones and moves the weight back onto the part of the butt where there's more, um, natural cushioning. 😄 The better quality bike rolls with less friction in the wheel bearings and stuff, too, which helps ease the pedaling effort; I wouldn't have believed it until I tried it.

The only thing I wish for differently is an internal hub; with chain gears you have to let off pressure on the pedals when shifting down, but an internal hub doesn't need any letup when shifting. These are pricey but nice to have.

[Dakzuki]

Big box store bikes are the Yugos of the cycling world. I work on my own (and friends') bikes and the Yugos are horrible to keep adjusted...if they can be. Go to a local bike shop, or even a chain like Performance Bike. REI offers very good value in their house brand (Novara) and they go on sale in the spring. REI has real bicycle people in their bike department too. You don't have to spend a mint but a $100 bike will work as well as that $4000 Yugo did.

[Markiemark32]

goducks10 wrote:
Long ago I bought my 1st son his 1st bike. I don't remember what I spent on it but it was a chunk of change. It was a BMX bike that was branded with some BMX guys name. My dad thought I was nuts for spending what I did on it. Got it at the local bike shop. That bike lasted through my 3 boys. I still have it in the attic in my shop. You get what you pay for. Start out with a good one and when you're done you'll still have a good one.

Haro - Bob Haro BMX Bikes

GHP - Greg Hill Products BMX Bikes

Dig it out, vintage BMX bikes in good condition, some models worth a mint on Ebay, etc...

Later,
Markiemark:C

[goducks10]

Long ago I bought my 1st son his 1st bike. I don't remember what I spent on it but it was a chunk of change. It was a BMX bike that was branded with some BMX guys name. My dad thought I was nuts for spending what I did on it. Got it at the local bike shop. That bike lasted through my 3 boys. I still have it in the attic in my shop. You get what you pay for. Start out with a good one and when you're done you'll still have a good one.