Recreational & Family - Suggestions Please!

Myself and my girl friend decided today that we wanted to start riding bikes to get in better shape. We aren't going to go hardcore, but during the summer it would be nice to do about 5 - 10 miles a week. We aren't looking to break the bank due to the fact we are BROKE college students. I myself went to dick's and saw a Mongoose Maneuver which I really liked. I wanted to know your opinion on these bikes. Like I said before, I know a lot of you may rip these things apart, but I'm going to be a very casual biker, I don't need anything special, just something that is durable and is in the price range of below $200. If this helps, I'm 6'0, about 190lbs. Now for my gf. She seemed to like this Omega Quest. Looks like a nice bike, she liked how it rode inside the store, but when I look for this bike online, i find nothing. She is a very small girl, she is about 5'0, 95lbs max. She is also looking for something for casual riding, that is durable, and more in the price range of $150. So if you would be nice enough to help two newbs out we would really appreciate it greatly!

I'm going to post a link to my bike the Mongoose, but for some reason, there is NOTHING on her bike online.
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2856704&cp=2367828.2716578.2712462&pg=5&parentPage=family&searchId=24112698484

Thanks in Advance! Hope to hear from you soon!

I think you are to heavy for a full suspension bike.
Look for used on Cragslist
.http://forgemet.tradeindia.com/
http://southcoast.craigslist.org/bik/559669994.html

I think you are to heavy for a full suspension bike.
Look for used on Cragslist.

He is in no way too big for full suspension.

Although I would say, for casual riding and your price range, you won't get good suspension. Additionally, at 5-10 miles/week, you won't really be riding enough to appreciate the full suspension and I am guessing you won't be on trails that warrant full suspension.

Your best bet is Craigslist, if you know what you are doing. You can find way better bikes than you would be able to buy new in the price range your are talking about.

I would not have any suggestions of particular bikes in your price range except to say, avoid suspension if possible. You may not be able to find one without front suspension but don't expect much from it.

Taken care of, the chain store Xmart bike can last awhile. Don't spend alot fixing it up. Save your money for something better on the next go round.

Another avenue would be to check local bike shops (LBS) for used bikes. My LBS often keeps 10-12 used bikes on hand and sells them fairly cheap. The benefit to buying from your LBS is they can help you get the bike set up right.

Another avenue would be to check local bike shops (LBS) for used bikes. My LBS often keeps 10-12 used bikes on hand and sells them fairly cheap. The benefit to buying from your LBS is they can help you get the bike set up right.

+1 on that. I used to recommend that also but I have not seen any shops in the last few years that do carry used bikes. If you have one that does, they would be a better place to buy from if you are unsure of what you want in a bike and how to set it up.

Unless you plan on riding off-road, I would avoid the full suspension bikes. The full suspension bikes are going to be much heavier and will absorb a bunch of the energy you are trying to put into forward motion. When riding off-road this performance loss is made up for better connection to the rough surface you are riding over so the tradeoff can be worth it. If you want to ride around the neighborhood or on some MUPS (Multi Use Paths)/bike paths you are better served with some kind of hybrid bike, or a hard tail MTB bike. Note that the gearing on the hybrids tends to be better suited for general path/road use as well. You definitely would not want knoby tires on a full-on MTB bike either that will fruther add to the frustration.

Price wise anything much under $200 tends to be pretty marginal in construction quality. Dicks at least have some bike mechanics on staff so their bikes should be assembled OK. Many department store bikes are put together by people who are not bike mechanics. I frequently notice stuff being put on wrong (like brakes that are on backwards), and rarely see them adjusted right. You would have to pay a real bike mechic about $60 to do a full tune-up/adjustment to get it right for riding. The bikes that are around $100 are just plain terrible. I have knows a few floks that thought they would just give it a try and it is not unusual to have major failure after a few rides and need new components in as little as 100 miles.

I would definitely check out Craigs list and see if you can find some good used bikes. A few years back when looking for a bike for my wife for instance we came accross a realy nice Trek for only $50. Too bad my 5' 3" was to short for the frame. I should have bought it and given it to my mom (who is 5' 7"), but I was not that smart. As others pointed out you LBS (local bike store) may also have some descent used bikes. I know one of the local stores is offering a trade-in for your old bike. They will want to find owners for the trades. I would buy a lightly used Trek bike before I'd by a sub $200 department store bike. Most bikes get riden a little and people either ride a lot, or leave them sitting in their garage collecting dust. The higher end compontents you get an a quality bike will last for many years, compared to the entry level components.

Happy riding,
André