Newbie from Northan Va
 

Hi all,

I'm 26 y/o male, live in Reston Va, near some supposedly nice trails. I've been wanting to get started but know nothing about bikes, what I think I want is a hybrid, I would like to do small trails as well as some road work.

Could anyone point me in the right direction? I went to a bike shop recently and was recommended a Giant FCR3 which is a decent looking bike, however it looks like it's strictly for straight paved roads. I have been warned against this because I hear they will not hold up well especially if I come across dirt paths and such.

Money is a factor unfortunately so could anyone else suggest some entry level bikes that I should look at. This is a new hobby that me and my fiance are hoping to get into real soon, with so many trails being so close as well as DC being so close. I would like to take advantage of location and am looking to buy real soon.

Go to a bike shop and tell them what you just wrote. If they don't listen (and steer you towards something that is not appropriate) go to another bike shop. Eventually you'll find a bike shop person who listens.

DC area riding is great. I commuted and rode there for several years.

Have you looked at the Giant Cypress? How about the Trek FX series?

They sound a bit better suited to what you're looking for...

Welcome to BF!

East Hill

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t...a/pinkstar.jpg

Hey tulip, thx for the reply, yea I did stop by one bike shop so far. I told them that I probably want to go with a hybrid, excuse me if thats not the right term, but what she showed me was in the upper range of about 800. Which, as an entry level biker, for both me and my fiance, was a bit higher than I was hoping to spend.

So she next recommended the giant fcr3 because I also had told her that my fiance is like a true beginner she's never ridden before so the shop lady recommended a straight up road bike. It's a nice bike, but once I told a friend about that bike, he told me that I should avoid a straight road bike, because with the trails that I'd want to ride in this area, there are going to be paths and trails and a straight road bike just won't handle as well. So here I am looking for advice, but I do plan to go to a few more bike shops, and see what other recommendations may have. As well as from you kind folks, if you have other brands or models that you think I should research into, I would greatly appreciate it.

Hey East Hill, I'll definitely do more research on the 2 you just suggested, I already like the description of the cypress model already. Any other suggestion would be greatly appreciated. Thx again. I'm really excited and really want to start riding soon. So I may go out and but bike and gear as soon as this week, so that I can ride this weekend. I'll keep you posted =P

Thanks,

ayo

Being in Reston and near the W&OD and Cross County Trails, a hybrid is probably a good starter bike. I use my Trek 750 hybrid for road and trail. Works fine on the CCT stretches around Lake Accotink, or from the W&OD at Farraday Court to Lake Fairfax. I also take it out on the gravel of the C&O, and it's tough enough to deal with DC streets. Only drawback is it's a bit heavy and slow on road riding, especially hills.

As a personal preference, I'd stay away from suspension. Unless you're planning to ride on really rugged mtb trails it just adds weights and is something else that can go wrong. Better to spend on a good saddle and a good set of padded shorts.

For bike shops, I like The Bike Lane in Burke. It's a good friendly shop, but they may be a bit out of the way for you.
added - I just remembered, The Bike Lane is opening a store in Reston Town Center in the next couple of months.

Thx cc_rider, I was just looking for a bike shop in the area to go to too.

Try Performance in Reston. They often have last year models on sale. Plus they have a club where the annual membership is $20 and you earn 10% back on everything you spend. That coovers a lot of towards helmets, gloves, pumps, etc.

Great, thx alot. Looks like I'll be stopping in at Performance today.