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

[paulcardoza]

Somebody above mentioned a nice entry level TREK Mountain Bike. I agree with this 100%. Affordable and very well built. Stay away from road bikes, since you'll likely be riding around CG's on dirt roads. A decent, fitted mountain bike is the perfect answer. I have a Trek that is about 20 years old. Tune-ups ever few years is all it needs.

[Bird_Freak]

OK, I have seen many post about Walmart bikes and have to say this. The difference in quality between these and a good bike from a shop is the same as a go kart and a Rolls. We bought several bikes from Wally world and wound up replacing them every 2 years or less. You could buy another one cheaper than replacing all the worn out parts. We got the Townie Electras 6 years ago and have done about $80.00 in repairs on the DW's bike. Dropped it off the back of the 5er at 60mph on interstate. Thank God nobody hit it.
If all you have ever ridden is a big box store bike do yourself a favor and go ride a good one at a bike shop. By the way, I paid less than $700 for both bikes.

[Campfire_Time]

Markiemark32 wrote:



Basically a good bike shop will listen to your needs, educate you on options, fit a bicycle to you & your style of riding you want to do, also will stand beind their equipment, with many times follow-up service included to ensure properly working etc..

Yes costs more, but you know what they say.
You get what you pay for!


Later,
MArkiemark

X2! Bike shops are not snooty. They understand that there are all sorts of riders from the causal rider to the serious racers to the hard mountain bikers. And they know what's appropriate for each!

billyboy wrote:
I let the 2 grandsons go to dicks to buy bikes for their birthdays, and they picked out 200. Bikes. They didnt hold up any better then the 80. Bikes from walmart, which were the bikes his parents bought for themselves. Go figure

That's not a good comparison. Kids are hard on everything. Most kids could destroy a $1k bike the same as an $80 one. I wouldn't give a kid a $200 bike until they are old enough to understand the value of things and appreciate what quality is.

But I know from experience that an $80 adult bike can't hold a candle to a $300 bike. As I said above, there is a huge difference in fit, finish, and ease of riding. You can't appreciate that until you actually try it for yourself.

[Richmcm]

I have purchased bikes at Walmart for the kids and grandkids but went to a local Bike Shop for the bike I needed. I try to ride at least 25 miles a week on a bike trail close to our home. I went to the bike shop because at 6'3" I needed the bike to fit. I would up with a Schwinn Searcher XL Hybrid Bike (Trail/Road) for $350.00. It fits great. The bikes at Walmart are also a very good deal but are certainly not the same as the bike shop bikes. There gears are a lower quality. That being said the bikes I purchased at Walmart are still working very good. They are not used as often as I use my bike but that is my point. If you ride your bike daily then spend a litttle more to get a bike that fits you especially if you are over 60 years old.

[TOMMY47]

When I bought my Specialized brand bike, the selling point was it included free tuneups for life. That's something you get from bike stores, not Walmart.

[billyboy]

I let the 2 grandsons go to dicks to buy bikes for their birthdays, and they picked out 200. Bikes. They didnt hold up any better then the 80. Bikes from walmart, which were the bikes his parents bought for themselves. Go figure

[billyboy]

I let the 2 grandsons go to dicks to buy bikes for their birthdays, and they picked out 200. Bikes. They didnt hold up any better then the 80. Bikes from walmart, which were the bikes his parents bought for themselves. Go figure

[Markiemark32]

Fat Tire ~~~???? Good for beach sand, snow


SKinny Tire Good for speed


Mtn Bike action Good for off-road


Road Bike action Good for fun



Basically a good bike shop will listen to your needs, educate you on options, fit a bicycle to you & your style of riding you want to do, also will stand beind their equipment, with many times follow-up service included to ensure properly working etc..

Yes costs more, but you know what they say.
You get what you pay for!


Later,
MArkiemark

[goducks10]

You get what you pay for. Sorta. If you just want to ride around the CG or short distances then a simple single speed would do the trick. If you think you may ride short to medium distances then upgrading to a better bike would be better. I'm 62 and ride a Trek Hybrid. The wife (59) and I ride roads and mtn bike trails. We have literally beat the crude out of our Treks. Other riders we meet on the trail are surprised we are where we are with the bikes we ride. I can guarantee the if we had Wallmart bikes and ridden them the same way they'd be toast.
One of my sons bought an El Cheapo mtn bike from Wallmart. It's not even close to being as refined as ours. We paid $750 each for ours. His was in the $300 range. Granted $750 would be a bit much for putting around. But if you plan on doing a decent amount of riding then you'll appreciate the better refinement of the controls and overall bike quality by going to a local bike shop vs say Wallmart. I'd go to Dicks Sporting Goods before Wallmart.

[mich800]

TOMMY47 wrote:
Dutchman Sport--I had a partial knee replacement a few years ago. While I could get around, I did have limitations. I got a bike and within a month, My knee strengthened enough that I was able to do everything and anything I wanted.
I can hike, walk many miles at a time, walk 18 holes, bike, get up from a squat position when putting. Getting that bike and using it was far and away the best therapy for the knee.
BTW--I'm about to turn 68 and am going on a long RV trip solo where a lot of biking and strenuous hiking is planned.

That is a good observation. Cycling is a great rehabilitation tool for the knee. Providing it is sized and set up correctly. I know some have stated they do not need the extra gears but this is exactly what you need if your knees are not 100% or your fitness is not what it should be.

A Walmart bike is probably ok if you do not ride many miles and you are mechanically inclined. The trade off purchasing a cheap big box bike is low quality, poor set up, and no service after the sale. But not everyone is able or willing to pay what even an entry level bike would cost at a dedicated bike store and that is fine. Only the individual purchasing the bike can make this determination on priorities. The people that discount the value of a quality bike have not ridden both to realize the difference.

[Steeljag]

x 20 on a "real" bike store. Remembering you get what you pay for, box store bikes are low cost due to low quality frames / rims and compoents.

It can't be said enough how important being fit for a bike is for comfort / enjoyment of cycling. We have several types of bikes for different riding styles / events all being Trek / Specialized and one Diamond back.

Glad to see your buying bikes. They are fun / healthy and great for leg muscles, heart and lungs!

Pedal power!

[TOMMY47]

Dutchman Sport--I had a partial knee replacement a few years ago. While I could get around, I did have limitations. I got a bike and within a month, My knee strengthened enough that I was able to do everything and anything I wanted.
I can hike, walk many miles at a time, walk 18 holes, bike, get up from a squat position when putting. Getting that bike and using it was far and away the best therapy for the knee.
BTW--I'm about to turn 68 and am going on a long RV trip solo where a lot of biking and strenuous hiking is planned.

[Campfire_Time]

WyoTraveler wrote:


Yup, and for about $600 to $700 they will fit you with a good bike. Yipes! Walmart has reasonable bikes for less than $100 that will work well for seniors. Walmart has some really good bikes in the $100 to $150 range.

Have you actually walked into a bike store and looked at them? Obviously not. We got our Trek 820 mountain bikes on sale last year for $300 each ($375 was the regular price). Granted they are the low end of the high end. But there is a dramatic difference in comfort and ease of ride between a quality bike and a Wal-Mart special. I wish we had bought them years ago. I will never buy cheap bikes from a big box store again.

[ncrowley]

I just went through the process of getting a bike for my DH. I really think you should go to a bike shop and get fit properly. My DH never really liked biking until he just got one that actually fit him. He was riding bikes that were too small and not adjusted correctly.

We ended up with a hard tail mountain bike. If you do not care about speed, the larger tires on the mountain bike provide better traction, are more stable and you are comfortable if you go on a dirt road. There are also hybrids that have a little larger tire. Go to a shop and try everything out.

[Dick_B]

We are two seniors that have electric bikes. They require pedaling to make the motors work but the motors take much of the strain off our knees which allows us to ride an average of 2000 miles each year.

There is a lot of advice here but a lot depends on what you want to use the bike for; riding around the campground (narrow tires may not work) or bike paths or mountains. Answer that question first before investing in a bike(s).