newbiebiker000

Hi. I am new to biking. I am 38, 5 feet, heavy set female. We have recently moved to Denver and the trails are just so tempting. I plan to ride small distances within the city and try some mountain trails too. I plan to ride with my 8 year old son who is 4 feet 7. I would like to buy good but not so expensive bike for now and see how things go. If we take to biking seriously I could go for an upgrade then. Any recommendations ? Thanks in advance.

MRT2

Welcome to bike forums. Spend a little time searching these forums, as there is a lot of good advice and information here. As for your question, I have a few questions of my own. Are the mountain trails you want to ride fairly challenging mountain trails? If so, you should probably post your question in the mountain bike forums. What percentage of time do you think you will do mountain biking, and what percentage city riding? Finally, what price do you have in mind when you say not expensive? $500, $600, $1000? Do you have any bike mechanic skills or do you plan to work with a bike shop to maintain or repair your bikes? Does it have to be new, or are you open to getting something used? This is important if your budget is below $500.

qcpmsame 

Hello, welcome to BF, You are in a great area for cycling, Coloraado offers some of the most varied cycling around. The suggestions by MRT2 are all good advice, I'll add that you can also read some of the Recreation and Family Cycling Forum https://www.bikeforums.net/forumdispl...nal-amp-Family and see what others with children riding along are doing and the bikes they are riding. Go to as many local shops as you can and judge how the people working in them are willing to listen to your needs and concerns and not try and sell you something that the shop needs to move out. Best of luck on starting cycling.

Bill

newbiebiker000

Thank you for your replies. Will check the links - that should help.
Meanwhile I am not sure I am up to riding on challenging mountain trails to begin with though I am sure Denver has lots of those. And it will be mostly city riding with some light mountain trails on some weekends. I am okay with a good used bike too. And my budget for the first bike is definitely below 500. Thanks.

MRT2

Used hardtail (no suspension) mountain bikes can make nice city bikes. Just put smooth tires on for city riding. Alternately, lots of hybrid options that might meet your needs. I particularly like the older hybrids, like the Trek 700 series from the mid to late 90s or similar bikes like the Bianchi Advantage (actually own a 97 Bianchi and it has been a great bike), or similar products from Raleigh, or Giant. These bikes were made of cro moly steel. By the early 2000s, a lot of manufacturers switched to aluminum. That is my personal preference. Lots of folks like aluminum bikes just fine.

The main difference between a hardtail mountain bike and a city/hybrid is the wheel size. Mountain bikes have 26" wheels, hybrids 700c. Either one would suit your needs.

Don't know if this helps, but a few years ago, I bought my son an old Trek 800 mountain bike. Put city tires on it, as the roughest terrain he usually tackles is light gravel and dirt, with 99% of his riding on pavement. He is 12 now, but still rides it quite a bit with his friends and with us, as far as 30 miles. The thing is built like a tank, and though heavy, is still lighter than a bike with a suspension fork. I bought it used at a local bike shop for about a third to half of what I might have paid for an entry level mountain bike, and it has taken 3 years of kid abuse and still runs like a top. I would note, the bike wasn't out on display with the shiny new ones, rather, I went to several bike shops and specifically asked if they either sell, or would build up an old bike. (my theory being that a kid will only get 2 to 3 years out of a bike before he outgrows it) Finally found a shop that, it turns out, had a huge pile of used bikes in the back of the shop. So, we went through the pile and picked this one out. They replaced the brakes, chain, rear derailleur and tires, and my son had an almost new bike in a couple of days.

newbiebiker000

Thanks ! Really appreciate it. Wrapping my head around all that info.
Meanwhile I am getting a used version of this bike. Size 14 which, as the calculators on the internet tell me, is rather ideal for me.
Would appreciate your opinions here. Thanks.

https://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/B...0#.UdMgVfXnYuo

MRT2

Not a fan of suspension forks, but looks like a decent bike. Don't know what you mean by size 14 as that doesn't sound like a bike size.

newbiebiker000

Reading up on suspension forks now I meant frame size - oops !

newbiebiker000

So what is the alternative to suspension forks ? And thanks once again - a lot of info in your comment has now become clear with some additional reading.

MRT2

If you ride mostly in the street, or paved trails, a solid fork is better, especially at your price point. Cro moly is good, carbon fiber maybe better but more expensive. Suspension forks are better for single track, but on pavement they add weight and slow you down. And, a good suspension fork can be expensive.