General Cycling Discussion - Newbie Biker, looking for a great startoff bike

Stats: Female
24 years of age Live in South Boston, bike trails nearby, haven't really been riding much but know how to
What I'm looking for:
Bike that is reliable, somewhat nice to look at, contemporary but not bizarre, pleasing color, affordable and will stand the test of some time
Also something for a weekend biker who occasionally would ride to work in the city. I would take the bike on Bike trails but ones designed for biking/rollerblading not really mountain trails

Any suggestions?? Help is much appreciated. Stores in Boston would be great! :D

Probably answered this question too many times...I understand. I just dont want to make the mistake of walking into a bikeshop and buying something I don't need.

But thanks for viewing the post.

:D

well you only gave us 15 minutes... but first off do a little research on the site and then come back with some specific questions.
price range?
bike options in the area?
etc

Sorry, Patience is not a virtue I posses. I was a spoiled first born daughter.

I am willing to spend up to $500 but would prefer less. I live in boston, ma, so there are many options of where to go. I'd prefer not a mega store like Walfart or Tarjay.

Thanks for responding! I'll try to wait longer before berating next time.

Go to several bike shops, talk to the employees, see how they are. Buying a bike is as much about the service as the bike. Test ride a bunch of bikes, and pick one you find comfortable.

Cool. I like 2 brands of bikes epically because i have tried both, not these particular models but the maker themselves.
First off i don’t like "comfort bikes" so I’m going to recommend a mtb and then recommend that you get some SimiSlicks if your going to commute on it and ride some trails. A bontrager SS revolt should be good but look around, even pythons should be good.
1. Jamis - Dakota Xc but i cant find a price. It’s nicely equipped and would be an excellent starter bike.
FRAME Reynolds 631 seamless air-hardened chromoly main tubes, double butted cromo stays, Jamis lost wax dropouts w/ eyelets, international disc brake mount.
FORK Manitou Skareb Elite, 80mm travel.
HEADSET Dia Compe SAS Aheadset, 1 1/8”.
WHEELSET Mavic CrossRoc UST tubeless wheelset with 20/20H Maxtal rims, sealed cartridge QR QRM hubs, stainless steel spokes.
TIRES Hutchinson Python UST, 26 x 2.0”, kevlar, tubeless.
DERAILLEURS Shimano Deore XT rear, Deore XT 28.6mmtop swing/top pull front.
SHIFTERS Shimano Deore XT, Rapidfire-SL, 27-speed.
CHAIN Shimano HG-72.
FREEWHEEL Shimano HG50-I, 9-speed, 11-32.
CRANKSET Shimano Deore LX Hollowtech/Octalink, 44/32/22, 170mm (13”- 15”), 175mm (17”-21”).
BOTTOM BRACKET Shimano BB-ES51, 68 x 113mm.
PEDALS Time ATAC Alium clipless.
BRAKESET Avid Single Digit 7 direct pull brakes w/ Speed Dial 5 levers.
HANDLEBAR Answer Taperlight, butted 6061, 5° x 580mm.
STEM Ritchey Pro, 1-pc forged, 90mm x 6° (13”), 100mm x 6° (15”), 120mm x 6° (17 -19”), 130mm x 6° (21”).
GRIPS WTB dual compound.
SEATPOST Thomson Elite, 330mm x 27.2mm w/ alloy clamp and QR seatpin.
SADDLE Fizik Plateau with leather top, nytek sides, scuff guards & cromo rails.
http://www.jamisbikes.com/bikes/03_2dakotaxc.html
2. Specialized Hardrock or low end stumpjumper.
check em out.
t

Hi,
I think the Bianchi Strada is an excellent value, it does cost a bit more.

trek 7100

THANK YA.

I like the looks of the dakota..I'm very shallow and would want my bike to look sweet. Spoiled, shallow and impatient. I'm quite a catch.

I appreciate all the help. its a good suggestion to go around though too, I may have to curb the impulse to buy right away. Treks look cool. I'll have to check out the Bianchi Strada too!

Thanks again!

Price Range?

When you mean "bike trails" you're talking a sidewalk designated for bikes correct?

I'd suggest a mountain bike with some minor modifications. You're young, and a comfort bike is too stuffy for you.

Get a mountain bike with front suspension and buy a suspension post as well. If and when you buy the bike, ask them to swap the knobby tires out for either semi-slicks or a slick (depending on probablility of off-road riding).

There are a ton of bikes that will suit you. If you are long legged, and short torsoed, check out the WSD (Women Specific Designed) frames offered by Trek, Gary Fisher, Specialized and others.

I couldn't begin to list all the brands available, visit your LBS and test ride as many different brands as possible. Narrow down you choices to 2 or 3 and then test ride those again. Comfort is critical, then looks, then price!

L8R

Originally posted by newbikerboston
THANK YA.



I'll have to check out the Bianchi Strada too!

Thanks again!

Bianchi is good stuff



I'm very shallow and would want my bike to look sweet. Spoiled, shallow and impatient. I'm quite a catch.

hay baby!

Find a bikeshop that you like, eg from:
http://www.massbike.org/memship/shops.htm
They should help you get one the correct size and shape.
The bike shop is really more important than the brand. Most major brands are good.
Dont underspend. The $400-800 range is where you find most bang for your buck.
A front suspension MTB ("hardtail") with slick road tyres on makes a great all-round bike for road and trail, and will leave you room to explore more.

For commuting, make sure it has threaded eyelets for a luggage rack. Commuting is a great way to get those extra miles in, have fun and keep fit. You will soon find that you are not restricted to dry summer days, but it helps if your bike is adaptable to wetter cooler conditions. You will probably want a bike which can take commuting/touring tyres and fenders.

Giant OCR 3. You can get it for $599 or less and it is a great bicycle for starting. I have upgraded mine for commuting to work and love it.

Make sure the bike fits properly. You may want to talk to them about a womens saddle (seat), they are different. Good luck.

The best bike for you is the one you're comfortable in and get a good value on. Of course in your case it might also have to look good. Just go to the local bike shops and see what they have and what you like. However, I would recommend Treks as they are my favorite, but it's bad to limit your self to looking at just one brand, so pick which you want!

Shane

For under $500 there is the Kona Tiki (http://www.konaworld.com/2k3/2k3_tiki.cfm) and Aloha (http://www.konaworld.com/2k3/2k3_aloha_d.cfm) for putting around the bike paths.

NewBikerBoston,

I'm not gonna suggest any model/make etc. of bicycle,
nor style, I'll let the others do that for you.
However, I do suggest that you go to Harris Cyclery
Web page here (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/hub.html) in West Newton, where you can (if you are
very lucky) meet Sheldon Brown (do a search on Sheldon
Brown here, he is a living legend!).

Marty

Toni, get a life man! Geez! Your Jamis bites the big one big time man.

Specialized would be my recommendation. They make sweet looking bikes for great prices.

Originally posted by fubar5
Toni, get a life man! Geez! Your Jamis bites the big one big time man.

Specialized would be my recommendation. They make sweet looking bikes for great prices.

"wha ever, wha ever, you got no style or class. S**** i'm going home":)

The bikes are nice agreed but cuz they dont have the name specialized does they seem to be a little cheaper and specked out a little better

Hi,
I would add, having bicycled in Boston, you want belted tires. You bike shop will have good reccomendations for tire choice. Most bikes come with mediocre tires and crappy saddles. My wife has a Strada on layaway, and we have ordered some Vredsteins for her. Which is a nice tire, not really the best choice for Boston. The Specialized Armadillo tires are pretty tough.
Something that got me thinking, is that Boston used to have these car sized potholes. I hit one doing about 30 mph once, it's an experience. If the streets are still that crappy; I might steer you away from 700c bikes (like the Strada, sweet as it is) and towards a solidly built 26" wheel. As much as the wheel, the larger tires will cushion you and your bike from serious harm. Steel frames usually have a little more give when you hit a big bump. Btw, the WTB Speed She is a nice saddle; and the model with Titanium rails adds a bit of shock absorbtion on the bumps. My Sis has one and likes it.

I'm with FUBAR. I bought my wife a Specialized HardRock womens model. She loves it. Also take a look at the Trek 820.:)

I just bought this bike: Van Dessel Super Fly, (http://www.vandesselsports.com/b_sfly.shtml)

Off of ebay for $380. There's one posted now here (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3605811303&category=7298)

I'm using it for commuting. I have a mtn bike for off road stuff but I see this as being a good city bike.

Edit: The ones on ebay are brank new in mfg box. At 60% of MSRP

I am very new to cycling myself, but let me share a few things that I have learned through my wallet over the last month or two. I have had six bikes for myself, I took two back to Wally world because they cheap components, and I could feel the cheapness in the way that they rode, and shifted. One was a Next brand, which really and truly would have been a good bike for a person who was going to ride leisurely, it was a comfort bike, and I only took it back because I wanted a multi geared crankset. I took back a Mongoose because it shifted terribly, and the components were very cheap.

I bought a bike shop quality bike, a GT Aggressor, and soon realized that it was too small for me, so fit is very important. I was able to sell it off, and not lose much money. It was still a good bike, too small.

I bought a KHS mountain bike. I was fitted for it at the shop, encouraged to actually ride it It is a wonderful bike, tougher than I'll ever need, and I can ride it all over potholes, curbs, and trails and grassy fields with my son. I enjoy it. I also bought a Bianchi. It was an older road bike, downtube shifters, 12 speed, a sturdy beater type. I actually managed to sell it for what I paid for it when I saw a very, very nice newer Bianchi in the bike shop, so I bought the newer model, picked it up today, and took it for a great ride.

What I am trying to say from my limited experience, is that yes you should get a bike shop bike, you sound to me like you would be happy with a road bike. The reason that I bought the Bianchi road bike is because I thought that I wanted a MTB until I decided to ride for excercise at the local trail, the Silver Comet, a rail to trail like is around many parts of the country. From my learned knowledge, which is small compared to most, I was better of buying a higher quality used bike than I was in buying a comparably priced new bike of a different brand name, Raleigh. This may be something that you could think about as well. It seems that I found the entry level road bikes are still pretty expensive at around $550 and up.

I hope that something in my long winded diatribe can help you. :) - Ted