Posted: 6/20/2006 7:59:35 AM EDT
|
I am wanting to purchase a bike for trail riding and pavment riding. I went to the local SUN and SKI sports place today. They seemed to know know anything about the bikes they were selling. They tried to intrest me in a "Haro" bike but I dont really know whats what in the bike world. I went to another store that specializes soly in Bicycle sales and maintaince. They tried to intrest me in a $450 TREK 4500 21inch bike. Can ya'll help me out? Are these good bikes? I havent ridden since I was 14 or 15. I'm 21 now. I kinda miss it so I wanted to get back into it. What Bikes would you recommend and why? |
| You will want tires that are wider than a road bike and skinnier than mtn bike tires, maybe a cyclocross tire or a skinny mtn bike tire so its easier to ride on the pavement but has some control on the trails. I always thought Haro made BMX style bikes, good bikes though. Expect to pay at least $400 for a decent bike, department store (wal-mart, k-mart) bikes are junk. Stick with a good name like Trek, Gary Fisher, Cannondale, Fuji, Bianchi, Raleigh, Marin, etc. |
|
What you want is called a Comfort, or Hybrid bicycle. IMO, there is no such thing as a bike that will do BOTH on AND off road well. YOu should choose what type of riding you think you will be doing most and go from there. Here is a url I found doing a quick Google search: www.bicycleman.com/fuji/comfort_hybrids/comfort_hybrid_bikes.htm |
|
I bought a "comfort" bike years ago for the same reasons you are, I ride (well when I get my lazy ass out there) mostly on pavement and occaissionally on fairly easy trails with my g/f. The tires have some deep tread on the outside edges but less tread on the center than a mountain bike, it is not that hard to go ass over teakettle off road on one of these, as I found out. I just ride a mountain bike all the time now, it is slower off road and has more resistance, but I'm not looking to race the college kids on their road bikes with their spiderman suits, they can whiz by me on my tractorbike, I don't care. Comfort bikes, at least mine, looking feroicously dorky, like something your grandpa would ride. Not a big deal to me, but a young cool guy like yourself might not be thrilled with it. 
|
8 year old little girls on Schwinns and mothers out pushing strollers pass me, but I can't blame that on the bike
|
|
Hmm... I'm wondering if it would be worth the money to buy just for the disc brakes. I'm leaning towards yes because I remember a time when I was hauling ass on a Huffy I had equipped with rubber brakes, I needed to stop in a big big hurry unexpectedly while it started to pour on me, and naturally, the rubber brakes helped break my pride on the side of some poor guy's passenger door. ETA: I'm in the market for a bike for a commute to work |
|
If you really think you are going to be riding trails at all you are better off getting a hard tail mountain bike. The hybrids don't do well on dirt and really are just comfort machines for the road. If they are sizing you as a 21" frame, you must be a fairly tall fellow 6' plus, another reason that a mtb would be better is that they are generally sturdier and the smaller wheels can handle greater weights better. Make sure to buy a floor pump. Properly inflated tires make all the difference in the world. You will enjoy your bike more, and you will have fewer mechanical problems. Just test ride and find something comfortable, Haro isn't as big a brand, but they make quality bikes. You tend to find better pricing on the bigger brands like Trek, Specialized, and Giant. Usually, bikes in the same price range are fairly equivalent. |
|
Yep, get a comfortable mountian bike. It's slower on the road but more versitile than a road bike. And it's not dorky like a crossover comfort bike. When you are buying a bike keep in mind the only thing differentiating one bike from another is the frame. The shifters and brakes are all spec'ed components from a very few companies. At a given price range you will find most of the bikes have the same or similar components. Only difference is that a big company like Trek has more buying power so their components might be ever so slighly better than another brands for a given price (splitting hairs here). All the brands mentianed so far are good. The best thing you can do is ride a bunch of them, buy a few magazines, look at the internet and find one that fits you the best. Kent |
The problem you had was chome plated steel rims, all the Huffys had them when I was a kid, and you are right: when wet, they don't stop. That's a thing of the past. With aluminum rims the rubber pads get a good bite ever when wet. If you buy anything with a hint of quality you will get aluminum rims. Unless you are a hardcore mtn. biker you will never need disk brakes. |
|
Cannondale makes some great bikes for this purpose. Go to Bike Lane (1960 @ I45) to see the lineup. You want a hardtail (no rear suspension) to keep the weight and cost down. The Cannondale Headshok is far better for service, stability and dependability since it has a solid fork. The Bad Boy Disc will allow you to run the stock 700c x 28 wheels for great on road and light off road use and you can get a spare set of wheels in 26 x 2 for serious off road work. It is a light bike with disc brakes for the best of both worlds with lightning fast wheel changes. No brake issues to worry about. With the smaller 26" wheels, you get better off road performance (better climbing, lower overall gear ratios) and the 700c wheels offer higher speed potential. And the frames are hand welded in Bedford PA! Every single one of them. Most lower end Trek frames are overseas welded. |
Thanks for the input, I didn't think about those rims. I just got off the phone with a Raleigh dealer, and he persuaded me to go for the Passage instead of the Venture, the passage has tires that will require less effort to maintain speed on the road, so that sounds good to me! And as far as need... this is ARFCOM! 
|
+1 on the above. I used to ride my MTB on rough trails when I was in college/grad school. Now that I have a job, my MTB gets used mostly for going to/from the gym (i.e. street use) but I wanted to retain off-road capability for those times when I'd hit the trails again. My solution was to get a MTB but modify it for street use. 2003 Kona Cinder Cone:  The tires (not shown) are low-profile WTB All-Terrainasaurus tires. These are not street tires or even hybrid tires ... they have relatively low-profile nubs on the main contact patch but retain aggressive nubs on the outer sides for trail holding capability. If any of you all remember the old discontinued Panaracer low profile tires (XCR?) they are much like those. They are great on the street but will also do in a pinch on relatively light trails. PS the disc brakes are great in the rain or mud! I'll never go back to v-brakes! Trek is a good brand. I don't think you can go wrong by purchasing a quality hardtail from any of the major manufacturers (Trek, Specialized, Kona, Gary Fisher, Klein, Cannondale, etc.). Just buy a hardtail MTB and modify it to your needs. Stay away from any bike from a big box sports store (e.g. Sports Authority, Kmart, Walmart). |
|
Go to this web sight they got some good bike prices. If you are a 21" you knwo your soze and will need to buy that size, which I think is also a Large in some other brands. I ride a Jamis Dakar XC expert and love it, best bike I have ever owned. Also, check with more local dealers they might be on sale now. Get a mountain bike, more durable and alot funner off road. http://www.bicycleblowout.com/MountainBikes.htm http://www.jamisbikes.com/ |
I recently bought a bike for a similar set of requirements (but more pavement oriented). I went with the Kona Smoke - it's a great bike for the money: 
|
use tinypic, works great and is easy to do, but if you want me to post/host them I will [email protected], I might not be back on the site til late tonight though. |
Appreciate it, another member already got to it and should be posting soon. I will get withyou on tinypic though. I'll IM you some questions later when I get to work. thanks 
|
|
My wife bought a Specialized Rock Hopper and rode it very little. Still the head tube developed a crack and they replaced the frame as per their warranty and this was 10 years later. I had all the paperwork saved. Just nice to know some companies stand behind the product. At 21 you should be able to ride any bike comfortably unless you have a bad back. Skinny tires are faster, fat tires smooth out the bumps. Spend some time and get properly fitted for the bike. Your knees will bother you if the bike is too small or too large. I'm not talking a Lance Armstrong fitting but a good shop will take the time to do this. |
|
congrats man. I picked up a Specialized Rockhopper Comp Disc Hardtail about 3 months ago. love it. well.. I loved it until i wrecked out bad and destroyed my shoulder a few weeks ago. Get a helmet and wear it, even if you feel a bit retarded. I'd be in a lot worse shape if i hadn't been wearing my helmet when i wiped out. Also, take it easy and if riding unfamiliar trails always go slow the first time through to thoroughly scout out obstacles (this is what got my ass, dumb dumb dumb . IF you find you are riding a ton consider clipless pedals and a computer. I have time ATAC Z Controls on mine and they are easy to get in and out of. You wouldn't believe how much more efficient your pedaling gets to be when you power on the up stroke of the pedals to (150$ or so for pedals and shoes). Computer is great for tracking distance and speed (30$). As for required gear, i'd get a small underseat bag, a couple spare tubes, a patch kid, a frame attached pump and one of those multi tool things that has tire irons on it. (you WILL get a flat) Nothing totally outrageous money wise) remember to keep hydrated. get a water bottle thing for the frame for the short rides and a camelback for the long ones (I like the MULE, 3 liters and enough storage for keys, wallet, spare shorts/shirt etc) Reccomend MTBR.com for gear reviews and bike specific topics. Can't wait til i get healed so i can get back out and start riding again |
|
Good choice Jason!!!! I have a Specialized StumpJumper FSR, 5 years old now, and it still runs/rides like new. After buying the bike I began upgrading components here and there, it was as addicting as BRD - and more expensive  Me and some buddies take a yearly trip from here (Houston) up to the Ouichita Mountains and really mountain bike ride. There are some nasty single tracks, Earthquake Ridge, the Womble, fun stuff!! |
|
Did you get the floor pump? Now take out your adjustable crescent wrench and A: Remove the kickstand B: Turn the bike upside down and spin the wheels. Watch the rims, are they fairly straight as they spin? Turn the wheel slowly and pluck the spokes as you go, if you find any that are grossly loose, tighten them to a similar tension as those around them. A spoke wrench is best but you can use a crescent if you are patient. This step often isn't done right by shops and it will go a long way towards making your wheels last. |
Because the bike is made to be ridden not parked.  Kickstands are for little kids and soccer moms. Useless weight.Congrats on your purchase. 
|
|
Various opinions: On a "street" bike, kickstands are durn handy to have, there's nothing wrong with them at all. But I do admit--on a off-roading bike, sometimes you do have problems with hitting the ground hard and the kickstand flipping down (and then up again).
This step isn't usually done by the bike shop because if you spent less than $3000 or $4000 on a bike (or if you paid extra $$$ for hand-built wheels) then it probably has machine-built wheels. The shop gets them already assembled and doesn't do a thing to them except put them on the bike. Sometimes the nipples are chewed up and tightened unevenly though (by the machine) but you need to take off the tire and rim strip to check that. You need to visually inspect the nipple heads to make sure they're all okay. The tires the bike comes with is not a big concern; if the bike has 26-inch wheels, you can get tires from about one inch to 2.25 inches wide. Get inner tubes to fit your width of tires--skinny tires need skinny innertubes! A fat/skinny tire with a skinny/fat tube will end up leaking soon! Do yourself a favor--do NOT buy a "beach cruiser" or a "comfort" bike (such as the Giant Revive). They seem like a nice idea but overall these bikes are a marginal improvement in comfort and they lack pedalling efficiency. They are relatively tiring to ride. If you want an "upright" bike that's comfortable to ride but still efficient, consider the Rans crank-forward bikes: http://www.ransbikes.com/ (the Fusion, Cruz, Dynamik and Zenetic, especially the first two). ~ |
Here's some info. Most applies to road but the general stuff applies to all bikes. www.coloradocyclist.com/bikefit/ |
Kickstands (clamp mounted on the chainstays like 99% of them are) are usually bad mojo on aluminum frames because it's too easy to crimp the seatstays while installing/tightening them. |
although i pretty much agree with you, we aint talkin' bout race bikes here. The thought of leaning a grand or so worth of bike against a telephone pole or pavement just aint rite That being said canondale makes a light weight rear mounted aluminum kick stand (mainly for their police bikes) that would fit the bill great  see pic of my urban assault vehicle for referance 
|
+1 ... they don't have to be huge honking lights, just so you are seen. Go for the LED models, they are smaller and lighter. I have Planet Bike LEDs on the front and back; both are equipped with a blinker function which enhances visibility. The front white LED unit uses N-cells (ultra-small) so you save weight and space. |