Hybrid Bicycles - Will the freebee work?

Only been lurking for a few hours, but found better info on this forum than others, so official hello from a newbie to the site.

So, I have been looking around recently to get back into riding. Have not been seriously on a bike since college, about 10 years. Now 32 and have been getting back into working out during lunch breaks/after work, cardio, light weights, etc. I find that I tend to slack on the weekends and wanted to start riding again. Always enjoyed it before and would be a welcome addition to the boring world of gym exercise. I did not have a huge budget at this time, but then tonight happened. lol.

I was at work charity event and we raffled off a bike. It is a 2010 Marin Kentfield FS. My bank has them for sale online and in house each year, models vary. It is bright orange and has a small company logo. First impression is that it is a nice bike, read good things about Marin in general. There are a couple issues/questions.

1. I am going to see if we had any extras in stock as the bike is 17" and 19" would be best. 5'11" 31" inseam. We get new ones every year, so may only have the 2011 bikes on hand. If that is the case I won't be able to swap. However it is not uncomfortable to ride and knees seem to be within shoulders(that was the old measure we used back in the day), etc. I think it would work.

2. The hybrid is my biggest question. It has street tires on it, but honestly I would be riding mostly parks and trails in the area. Work is not far for me, but it is all stop signs, not so great hoods and traffic between my house and the office. I was not looking to commute in the first place. But in thinking about it I don't necessarily want to be tied to trail only. There wouldn't be any hard core stuff but decent hills, dirt, loose gravel pack, creek beds at the worst of it. Can I put some heavier trail tires on it and be OK? Any suggestions on what I should get? Other equipment recommendations?

Any other pointers are welcome. My last bikes were trek and specialized mountain bikes and 20" bmx to bang between classes on campus a decade or more ago. Nothing close to what is out there today. Some what stoked after this evening, winning the bike is a bit of a sign for me and that I am on the right track. Thanks in advance for any help.

Welcome, and congrats on winning the bike! The OE (original equipment... get used to acronyms on this site) tires should be fine for the riding you've described. They might get a little squirrelly in the loose gravel pack, but should otherwise be fine. Knobby tires are for mud and really loose surfaces; the added rolling resistance is a real drag when most of your riding is done on paved surfaces.

Proper fit is the real deal maker... you gotta be comfortable on the bike. You should be able to extend your leg fully on each pedal stroke, and you should feel neither cramped nor stretched out when riding. Since the bike was free, you might want to splurge on a professional bike fitting. Ask your LBS (local bike shop) about getting one.

I will be going to the LBS over the weekend, I know a couple in the area that are pretty good. I will chat them up for ideas and proper fitting. I need to go over the bike as it was assebled by someone at my work, may just have the shop do it and see if they will go through the fitting while I am there. Front brakes are not set right for sure, need to look at the rest. Once I get to ride it around my neighbor hood a bit I will figure out the fit but standing over the bike and riding it up and down my street it felt good, wasn't hunched or crowded. I still think an all terrain type tire would be better, but trial and error will probably be my guide as i most things. If all else fails I can sell it for a couple hundred and put that towards what I want.

Also did a more accurate measuremnt this afternoon for height and inseam, per the Marin fitting chart I was right on the cusp of the 20.5 frame. I am taking it home to assemble it and compare the 2 and whichever I like best I will keep. No 19" in stock.

I am your height and inseam - I would definitely go with the 20.5.

According to the Marin website your bike has these tires: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003LDM5YW/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=1278548962&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B001D770F2&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=18C764WWF1GW3C75EN3Q
they are fine for the riding you describe; but a bit too much tread if you were street only.

Those are not the tires on mine, but more what I was thinking would be appropriate. I went with the 20.5, no comparison once I sat on both and stood over them. Need to adjust the saddle a bit, but rode about 5 miles yesterday while visting my parents and was very happy with it. They live in Lancaster, PA so had great roads, hills and scenery in Amish Country.

Will lilkely still get an MTB in the coming months, and thinking I will stick to roads and suitable trails for the Marin. It will also help me get back into shape and ready for the more serious bashing in the woods. Very excited to start riding again and even more stoked about winning this bike.

Awesome that you won a bike!

As somebody wisely pointed out on these threads recently, you should ride the bike 'as is' for awhile before swapping out the tires or making any similar changes. Customized equipment can seriously improve your ride - but ending up with the wrong customizations can burn a hole in your wallet.

When you ARE out on your local trails, simply look down at the ground. You can tell alot about proper tire choice based on what kind of tread patterns you see on your route.