Bicycle Mechanics - Help

My wife and I are intrested in getting into cycling. Im 59 and she is 52 both in decent shape walking 3.5 a day etc. I'm confused about the types of bikes we should get. Right now we are shopping on e-bay? good or what, but I'm more concerned with terms gears and all the terms. I'm 5'10 and she is 5'5. Does anyone have any suggestions as to which direction we should take. I don't want to drop a lot of money on something we might not enjoy.

First, what are you going to use the bike for.
Tours, trails, high speed exercise on the road?
Decide that first and then get back to us :)

Go to a reputable bike shop and ask LOTS of questions. Ride everything that looks like it might fit the bill, and then buy what fits right and serves your purposes. If you are looking for something casual for around the neighborhood, or on local paths, you might look at the Electra Townie and Giant ReVive lines, since they are very comfy. If you want to do day-long or weekend rides (usually fund raisers for various charities), you might want an entry level road bike (sometimes called sport, sport touring, or comfort road). There are a lot of options in this area, and the prices can vary wildly depending on frame material, components, etc. You need something that you will WANT to get out and ride on. Stay away from eBay. It is too easy to be misled by a cheap price if you don't know exactly what you want. Don't forget to budget for accessories as well- helmets and water bottles & cages are a must, along with a pump and a patch kit. Ask lots of questions here too. There are many wise people here who will be glad to help you out.

My wife and I are intrested in getting into cycling. Im 59 and she is 52 both in decent shape walking 3.5 a day etc. I'm confused about the types of bikes we should get. Right now we are shopping on e-bay? good or what, but I'm more concerned with terms gears and all the terms. I'm 5'10 and she is 5'5. Does anyone have any suggestions as to which direction we should take. I don't want to drop a lot of money on something we might not enjoy.Another poster got it right. ebay is a good place to throw away alot of money if you don't know what you are doing.

Our only bike shop went out of business last year. the only store close by is Dicks sporting. We would like for exercise basically. In local neiborhoods or perhaps state park riding. I know how motorist treat the bike riders so we are a little cautious. (afraid) I know ebay is a bit dangerous but if I stay under 200.00 I don't think I'll get hurt. The last bike I owned was in 1959 (what gear?)

Are there trails around that you will be using? You can get a decent MTB cheaper than a road bike and you can ride it on the road - it will be slower but you can get a feel for road riding before you jump in that deep. If you're not interest in trails then used bikes at an LBS might be a good choice. It will be a while before you would be confident enough to get one at a yard sale or other place where you can't ask questions of n expert. Having said that my first bike was a 3 speed yard sale bike.

Joe

As others have said, you need to define your expectations and the application. The typical lightweight road bike nowadays has what is called 700C wheels and uses tires 23 or 25 wide. This can be a PITA on rough roads or unpaved areas. They can be a real joy on smooth paved roads (like flying!!). This choice helps you choose your frame as the lightweight road bikes frequently don't have clearance for wider tires. Riding position is similar. The lightweight road bike is something of an acquired taste for us, uhhh, mature phsyiques. It is a taste well worth acquiring if you plan to do many miles as the aero advantage is tremendous. Short trips...more upright might be what you desire. Talk to riders...look at the trips you might take and visit every shop that you can find. I decided on a roadie and put up with the conditioning required to accommodate it. I am very glad that I did. YMMV

Since you are both about average height, there will be a lot of people bidding in Ebay for bikes your size. I think the bargains are to be had for unusually sized people.
Get advice and accessories from the bike shop, and if they dont have used bikes you can come back to this forum for more advice on used bikes you find elsewhere. If you get a mountain bike you can put narrower slick tires on it for easier and faster riding on the roads.

If you get a road bike, then get one with clearence for mud guards and some braze ons and so on for racks.

indy- try walmart or kmart THey are cheaper bikes in those stores

indy- try walmart or kmart THey are cheaper bikes in those stores

No, no, no; these are not bicycles, they are collections of leftover gas pipe. I'm sorry, but I've never seen anything in Wllyworld or Kmart that impressed me at all. The bikes are cheap and poorly assembled. They make one hate bicycling as they are such clunks.

Now, I don't have expensive bikes (except our tandem and even that was a bargain) but I buy for the most bang for the buck. It will not be found in the big box stores.

Doc

No, no, no; these are not bicycles, they are collections of leftover gas pipe. I'm sorry, but I've never seen anything in Wllyworld or Kmart that impressed me at all. The bikes are cheap and poorly assembled. They make one hate bicycling as they are such clunks.

Now, I don't have expensive bikes (except our tandem and even that was a bargain) but I buy for the most bang for the buck. It will not be found in the big box stores.

Doc

Please please heed this warning. Department store bikes are bloody dangerous and at best will give you so much grief you'll soon be parking them in the shed and walking again.

If you are serious you will find a Bike shop and do your business there. They will assemble the bike correctly, give you a free service/adjustment and be supportive when you need help which you will.
Spend the extra $$'s and enjoy a new lifestyle, it's well worth it.
Good luck

Please please heed this warning. Department store bikes are bloody dangerous and at best will give you so much grief you'll soon be parking them in the shed and walking again.

If you are serious you will find a Bike shop and do your business there. They will assemble the bike correctly, give you a free service/adjustment and be supportive when you need help which you will.
Spend the extra $$'s and enjoy a new lifestyle, it's well worth it.
Good luck
I'll back that up.
http://www.bikesrnottoys.com/

You guys all missed the obvious. Indy, even if you don't have a bike shop nearby, there's probably one or more local clubs that do group rides. They'll introduce you to a variety of bikes, offer advice, and if they're good folks, help you out with basic maintenance too. We have a local club here that does a lot of family-friendly rides, led by a couple that would be at least your age. I'd stay away from ebay unless you're a risk taker. And that's from someone who makes his living selling on ebay.

For the type of general purpose riding you want to do, a hybrid style bike is about the best in your budget. Its better to spend money on a quality frame and less weight than to opt for complex suspension systems.
You need to get bikes the correct size and you need them adjusted properly. The final assembly by your bike shop makes a big difference to reliability. This is what you need a proper bike shop for.
You also need to budget for accessories such as helmet, repair kit, pumps, maybe a luggage system.
At any price range there is not a huge difference in the quality between the major brands. At this low end of the market, a small extra spend buys a big increase in quality.
If you drop us your location, someone may know a bike shop at a reasonable distance.