CLEFanForLife

Well, sort of. I just got a new bike today, it was on sale at K-Mart for $80. Probably sounds like a sin. After I got it, I saw online that it was recalled because the crank could come off. What a shame. Worst case scenario, I make a hybrid out of it and my old bike.

This one is a Huffy Howler (26"). Before that, I had a Huffy Vormax (26"). And before that, I had a Huffy Meltdown (24"). Considering I was a kid/teen, they took quite a beating. Which brought me to this newest purchase.


Problem is, I don't know what to look for, which brings me here. What companies actually specialize in bikes? What bike is really worth $200+? Does anyone know of any shops/stores in the Cleveland area? There used to be one I went to, Schneider's Bikes on Lorain, but it closed. I don't even know of any others. I finally got a job, so it's not so troublesome to try to save some money. But with summer coming up, I'm hoping to find a good bike as soon as possible. I've still got my two old bikes, and the one I just got, and we'll see how things go. But either way, it's probably a good idea to look into good bikes.



Edit-
I should probably mention, I'm just looking for a basic road bike. I personally prefer dual suspension, for the more comfortable ride, but it's certainly not necessary. I honestly know very little about bikes, so I'm really hoping for a bit of help here. What brands/makes/models should I look into? What kind of bike? I just want some sort of 26" road-type bike that I can ride around on roads and sidewalks, a daily rider sort of bike.

SweetLou

There are a few shops around. There is Bike Authority in Parma, Eddy's in North Olmstead, Century Cycles in Rocky River, One on Lorain in Fairview, can't remember the name right now, but maybe Fairview Cycles, Performance in Rocky River.

There are many companies that specialize in bicycles, Specialized, Trek, Giant, Bianchi, Cannondale, Raleigh, etc. In my opinion, one company's product is not any better than the others. Get the bike that fits you the best or the one you think looks the best.

As for what type of bike to get, well, that all depends on you and your likes and dislikes. I would stay away from suspension for a road bike, but that is me. If I was looking for a comfortable road bike, I would probably look at the hybrid/comfort bikes. Some come with some form of suspension.

As to what to look for, well that would depend on your budget. Eddy's has a 2008 Trek 7000 for $279. You will be getting the bottom of the line in components. As the price goes up, you will be getting better components.

But, why are you looking for a new bike? What don't you like about the ones you have now? Have you thought about used? You can get some really nice bikes for a lot less money.

CLEFanForLife

I'm just kind of curious as to what to look for. I suppose I'm not really looking for a new bike, but moreso for information. As long as the one I just got holds up, I should be fine. But for $80, I don't know how promising it really is. If there is any sort of problem, I'll need to know what kind of bike is actually worth getting (i.e. the one you linked to).

deraltekluge

You might start with the Yellow Pages...a quick search showed me about 30 bicycle dealers in the Cleveland area.

Road bikes and dual suspension bikes are mutually exclusive categories. If you really want dual suspension, be prepared to pay in the thousands of dollars for a decent one.

Most bikes...all good bikes. The real question is whether any cheaper bike is worth even what you pay for it.

deraltekluge

The Trek 7000 has a suspension seat post, but no suspension at the wheels. The next step up, the 7100, has a suspension fork as well, and about a $50 higher price.

HandsomeRyan

To answer your question about what makes a bike worth $200+...

Lighter weight, and higher quality components (shifters, brakes, chain, etc.) that will function efficiently and last a long time.

If you have a bike shop in your area you should go talk to the staff about your budget and the type of riding you do. They can show you the different types of bikes that are available and what they are used for. In addition, they can demonstrate what makes one bike worth only $250 while another that may look similar can be worth $2,500 (and everything in between).

SweetLou

Yeah, I forgot about Spin in Lakewood and Independence Bike Shoppe in Independence. I have only been to Independence one time, it is not very convenient for me, but the owner seemed very nice and knowledgeable.

Basically, the bikes you get at bike shops instead of Wal-Mart or Kmart, are going to be of good quality. Even the bottom of the line bikes should be better at the bike shop. The bike shop should set it up correctly, including fitting you. If you will be riding around Brooklyn and mostly on road, I think dual suspension is not needed or wanted. The suspension will make the bike heavier. Also, some of the energy from you will be put into compressing the suspension instead of going forward, making you slower or working harder.

For comfort, get a nice hybrid/flat-bar road bike with wide lower pressure tires, about a 32mm wide tire. This should be comfortable enough and let you travel more efficiently on the roads. One of my bikes is a flat-bar road bike and I like it very much. I use it to walk the dog, go to the store, riding on MUPs, commuting and occasionally on longer fun rides. It is a very comfortable bike. Even when loaded down with groceries, I can travel very easy on the West Park area streets.

CLEFanForLife

Alright, thanks for all the help. I'll have to take it into consideration... If I can get to a bike shop sometime, or if I'm looking for a new bike one day, I'll be sure to check back again.

andrelam

You asked what sets a $200 bike appart... I would rank them in three major catagories:
1. Quality of components:
As others have stated quality of components is a BIG difference. You need to spend around $200 just to get OK components. The stuff that sells for around $80 tends to fall apart very soon, I've seen a few Wallmart bikes have major failures such as cranks falling appart in as little as 15 miles. I rode over 2200 miles on my $500 bike during the last year and commuted through the entire Winter in the Buffalo NY area. That is hard on a bike. Not a single components has had problems. The only maintenance has been brake pads. I've seen some bikes at Target for around $200 that are pretty descent and that are pretty much equivalent in quality to the $275 bikes you find at the LBS. These may be OK, but see my next two points as two potential pitfalls.

2. Fit:
The problem with the the cheaper bike is that they tend to come in a one size fits all. That is a bit like selling boots and telling everyone that one size is OK. Certainly an average person my fit OK, but a non fitting bike can cause much discomfort. All the bikes at the big box retailers are pretty much one size fits all. There are clearly kids bikes in different sizes, but the adult bikes come in one size only.

3. Proper assembly
I bought a Schwinn for my Mom at Target because I knew it fit her and I know how to wrench on bikes. As assembled, the bike was DANGEROUS. The brakes were so poorly adjusted that they would not have stopped someone. It is no unusual to notice things put together completely wrong. This is why you pay about $75 extra at an LBS... they will put it together correctly! If you buy a bike at a big box store you will have to pay someone to go over it and adjust everything and ensure that it is assembled properly.

So can you find some descent deals at the big box stores... sure, but know the limitations. Their "high end" bikes are the "low end" bikes at an LBS. These will be fine for light riding. If you don't know about fit and adjustment, then please save your money a little longer and get your bike from a proper store. You should have no problem finding a store that has reasonably priced bikes, and will help you find something that is a proper fit, properly assembled, and will give you many trouble free miles.

Happy riding,
André