Newbie here....please advise

[sceniccityred]

Hello everyone,
I am new to this group and have been test riding several bikes in the past few weeks. Looking to begin riding again after about 30 or so years! Can anyone advise about the Trek Navigator 3.0 or the Trek Pure?

Thanks so much in advance for the advice!

sceniccityred;)

[Digital Gee]

Tom?

[guybierhaus]

Trek Pure is the pedal forward bike. Geometry is such so you can put feet flat on ground while seated, but have leg stretched out to cycle. Never rode one. Suspect they would be difficult to stand on pedals to climb hills, and not entirely sure you can pedal with max power with legs slightly forward. The Historian has a Navigator, maybe he will give his impressions. If you are going to ride on paved surfaces or hard packed trails, I think you would be better with something from the Trek 7000 comfort bike line or Trek 7.x hybrid line. Narrow tires are a bit easier to turn. Also for mentioned surfaces you do not need a suspension fork, save money and weight.

[Tom Bombadil]

Hey, we just had this thread

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=341798&highlight=pure

Or at least one much like it.

Both the Pure and Navigator are well-made, comfortable bikes. They are on the slow side, but most people who own them, like them. I've chatted with several Navigator owners out on the bike trails and they all love them.

Will you be riding on roads, bike trails, around city streets?

How many miles a week do you hope to ride? What priority do you place on performance?

Out on the rail trails, the Trek 7x00 hybrids and Navigators are the most popular bikes. Then come other hybrids and some mountain bikes.

One strategy, followed by a number of people on BF who had been away from biking for a long time is to get a very comfortable bike, like a Navigator or Giant Sedona or Specialized Crossroads - or if you like crank forwards then it would be Electra Townie, Giant Suede, or Trek Pure. Then if you ride a lot and get into better shape, and want more performance, then you are ready to look at a more aggressive bike.

[The Historian]

Hello everyone,
I am new to this group and have been test riding several bikes in the past few weeks. Looking to begin riding again after about 30 or so years! Can anyone advise about the Trek Navigator 3.0 or the Trek Pure?

Thanks so much in advance for the advice!

sceniccityred;)

The Navigator is great for what it is - a bike designed for casual riders on bike paths. If that's what you plan on doing, then it's a good choice. And it will hold up under more rigorous riding as well. I've ridden two 100 kilometer rides on mine.

But, if you are planning something more ambitious than casual riding on the local bike path, I'd suggest something else. The Navigator is a heavy bike, and not particularly quick.

[sceniccityred]

Thanks for all your responses! For now, will be riding mostly in the neighborhood and at our local park that has a great riding trail. Who knows where this will lead....right? One day, I may join you all for a weekend ride! Thanks again!

[JanMM]

You can start with one of those bikes (...or, you could get BOTH!) and then, later, when you feel the need to go faster or farther, or want to get more comfortable (recumbent), or ride tandem, you can just get another bike, and another, etc. And keep what you already have if they serve a purpose.
The correct number of bikes to own is n+1, where n is the number of bikes you currently own.

[stapfam]

Just remember one thing- The first bike you get will only serve one purpose. That is to tell you what sort of bike to get next.

I know when I started- Finance was tight and bought cheap. Too cheap possibly but I did not know if I was going to enjoy riding. Gradually over the years- I improved the bike for the type of riding I do So I lied- The 1st bike will only serve to get you started on the type of bike you should have bought in the first place.

Last year I had a Mental aberation and got a road bike for the first time in my life. A cheap Giant OCR3 and all that told me was That I should have got a better bike.

Only a couple of things to think of- Find a local Bike shop (LBS) that will treat you right- You may change these a few times over the years aswell. And get a bike that fits. That is wherre the good LBS comes in as they will get that right for you.

[The Historian]

Thanks for all your responses! For now, will be riding mostly in the neighborhood and at our local park that has a great riding trail. Who knows where this will lead....right? One day, I may join you all for a weekend ride! Thanks again!

If you decide to go with a Navigator, you can always "de-comfort" it by replacing the suspension seatpost, locking out the fork, and replacing the tires. This will make it a little more of a 'performance' bike than the stock set-up. I rode two metric centuries (100 kilometer rides) on mine. It now serves as my commuter bike.

[ang1sgt]

Some of these Comfort bikes due to their geometry will be quite squirrelly if you attempt to STAND and pedal to get the most out of it. This is due to the pedal forward position of the cranks. These are very good bikes for casual riders that won't push the bike or push themselves. They are quite heavy as stated.

When I size up a customer I like to ask them about:
1) their past experience on bikes
2) What do they think is the right bike for them now?
3) Where do they want to be in 3-5 years in cycling?

While these are good questions to ask, there are times when both the customer and the Shop will miss the mark with the cyclist. I've seen some folks that certainly bought the wrong first bike, only to have to replace it in a year with something more to their liking.

In just the Trek Line, for a new rider I automatically think about three lines of bikes. The Navigator line, the 7000 Hybrid Line, and then the FX Series. With each step with these three bikes lines there is a performance increase.

Looking at "sceniccityred"'s question though we see two bikes that are designed for city riding and comfort. If you live in a flat city with few hills and good bike lanes, either of these two bikes will do you well for a coffee shop run or quick trips. The Lime with it's automatic shifting is an odd duck. There are only three gears, but they are well spaced. I think that a few mechanics will have issues understanding these bikes when it comes to service.

Have you looked at any of the SOHO series of bikes, and maybe one with the Nexus 7 or 8 speed hubs? These are VERY care free, give a much wider range of gears and can be had with a more premium frame set for a more enjoyable and useful bicycle in the long run. While the Trek SOHO 4.0 might be a bit pricey, I look at it as a heck of a durable and fun bike with almost bullet proof in design. Disc brakes, FX Frame set, and that wonderful Nexus Redline 8 speed hub. To me, this is the perfect city or commuter bike to be sure.

Chris

[Ken Brown]

I am curious to know where scenic city is. I would encourage you and all members to put it in your profiles. Just go to User Control Panel, Edit Profile, then enter under Location.

[DougG]

I got back into more serious cycling with a Giant Sedona. Then, after finding that I enjoyed riding on the road more than I expected, I bought a dedicated road bike. But for the riding that I still like to do, it's necessary to keep both bikes and use them for their intended purposes.

[Artkansas]

Just remember one thing- The first bike you get will only serve one purpose. That is to tell you what sort of bike to get next.

That is why investigating getting a used bike is a good idea for that first bike. Go to garage sales, thrift shops, pawn shops, Craigslist, eBay or even just ask your neighbors.

My main commuting bike was a freebie. It's a Specialized Hard Rock mountain bike that spent most of its first 15 years sitting in the garage, but since it was given to my wife and then to me. I put fenders, street tires, a rack and lights on it and since then its given me excellent service on the potholed hills of Little Rock.

[Tom Bombadil]

That is why investigating getting a used bike is a good idea for that first bike. Go to garage sales, thrift shops, pawn shops, Craigslist, eBay or even just ask your neighbors.


Yes, I went with used last year, when I started getting back into riding a bike. Purchased a very good condition 2000 Trek 7600 for $250. Bought it via eBay from a nearby LBS & authorized Trek dealer. That's the bike I've been riding this year.

[sceniccityred]

Well, I purchased my new bike today and immediately took it out for a ride! I purchased the Trek Pure Sport (pink!) and I have never had so much fun. Will be back out tomorrow and the next day. This one will serve me well for a while. Thank you again to all who gave such great advice about a bike to meet my needs. Thanks again!

[Allez Oops]

I purchased the Trek Pure Sport (pink!) and I have never had so much fun. Will be back out tomorrow and the next day.

Go, you!

Enjoy. It is so much fun, it shouldn't be legal, eh? :)

[DnvrFox]

Well, I purchased my new bike today and immediately took it out for a ride! I purchased the Trek Pure Sport (pink!) and I have never had so much fun. Will be back out tomorrow and the next day. This one will serve me well for a while. Thank you again to all who gave such great advice about a bike to meet my needs. Thanks again!

Pictures are absolutely necessary! We are waiting anxiously.