Need Suggestions

[kilcher]

Hi, first post here. I'm 29 and over the last five months I've gone from 271 to 218 and would like to lose another 30 pounds. So far I've relied solely on dieting but I know I need to be more active. And as I lose the weight I feel as though I want to be more active.

My initial impulse was to join a gym but I don't want to bulk up so I would mainly be using the stationary bike and treadmill. With spring this close I didn't want to get roped into an annual contract so I decided I'd be better off spending the money on a bike.

Long story short... I'd like to spend $300-400 on a bike, preferably a hybrid, and I think I have it narrowed down to two. The Sedona DX and the Trek 7100. From what I've read so far everyone seems to be very happy with the Sedona DX. Any thoughts or suggestions?

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/030...04&model=10618
http://www.trekbikes.com/bikes/2003/citybike/7100.jsp# (that shows the womens bike, not the one I want ).

I just want something for riding around town, probably no more than 5 miles each way. And I definitely want to stay in that price range.

I haven't been to look at either, just been checking them out online. I'm going later today. What should I expect? I'm assuming I should ask them to ride it, right? What is a good time/distance for a test ride? Any "must have" accessories? Any other tips? Until now my shopping experiences have been limited to Wal Mart, etc. It's probably been about 10-12 years since I've ridden regularly.

Thank you in advance for all of your help!

[Joe Gardner]

Welcome to the forums, congrats on the weight loss, and wanting to get active. Feel free to stick around here once you purchase your bike!

Both are good bikes, the Sedona DX has a front fork, and honestly, you do not need one on a comfort bike. The trek is priced a bit cheaper, but is an overall lighter bike, the lack of a front fork will make the bike quicker on the road. Both will be fine for a few short 5 - 10 mile rides a week.

The main thing you need to look into, is fit. Make sure the bike shop correctly fits you for the bike. Make sure you buy a nice helmet, nice doesn't mean expensive, you can find great helmets for under $20. Also look into purchasing a jersey, or sports shirt that can wick sweat away from your body. You will be much more comfortable on the bike, in turn, you will ride more.

As for the length of the test ride, its really to each shop. Ask how long you can take out the bike, take it for as long as you can. Run the bike thru all the gears, start and stop alot, try to go up a hill or two. I have had some bike shops tell me 5 min max, some let me take a bike for a few well over an hour. I would try to put on at-least 20 minutes on the bike. Drop by the shop 10 minutes into the ride if you need to make any adjustments to the bike.

Also make sure your shop offers some type of free service with purchase, a min would be 30 days of free tune ups / adjustments. Some may give you X number of adjustments for the life of the bike. Make sure you take the bike back to the shop for a tune up once you put 50 - 100 miles on the bike, this is a must.

[kilcher]

Thanks for the welcome. I run a forum of my own and this is a nice place you have here.

It'll probably be another 2-3 months before I'll look decent in a jersey but it won't be getting warm until then anyway. And I'll see if I can get a 20 minute ride. I'm definitely going to buy something so hopefully they'll be willing to work with me. Only problem is we have snow on the ground, it's supposed to be 50 today so that might not be much of an issue by the time I get over there.

I've read about the first tune up so I'll see if I can get them to throw that one in. Should I expect to pay the price they have on the bike then?

I was leaning toward the Giant but now I'm thinking more about the Trek. I guess it'll come down to which is more comfortable. A guy I work with knows all about this stuff but wouldn't you know it he's out with the stomach flu.

[BustNuts37]

Me --> VeggieMonster
hehe, guess you found this place on your own.
Guess I get to welcome you here now, welcome

[shokhead]

I wouldnt say you dont need a front shock.They do help take the shock out of the arms and shoulders.Also you say 5 miles each way,thats now but if you get into it,lose a little more,nice weather,you will ride more so dont throw out the front shock yet but do ride both and see.You could look for a used bike,300 bucks would get a decent one and if you do get into it,you WILL want a better bike,that happens to the best of us even if we dont need it.

[D*Alex]

I just want something for riding around town, probably no more than 5 miles each way.

Well, that sure isn't going to add up to much exercise. Still, in that price range, I wouldn't expect a bike to stand up to a lot of riding.
What you REALLY need to do is this: 3 times a week, 30 minutes of vigourous exercise. Even on a comfort bike, this would equal at least 10 miles. Fast walking is also a good place to start-even in the cold.
chances are, if you start riding regularily, you will soon find the limitations of a hybrid, and will look for something better-so don't blow a lot of $$ on a hybrid.
As far as gyms go-forget the ones that require annual contracts-you won't feel comfortable around that crowd, anyway. A local Y is a good idea, or even some towns have community gyms. I work out at the gym at my alma mater, and only have to pay $180/ year for the privilege.

[easyrider]

You are right to not want to spend a lot on a gym membership. Research shows that about 90% of people who purchase one year memberships visit regularly for under two months.

The research also shows that you are far more likely to use a workout facility if it is within a couple of miles of either your home or your work. People just find too many excuses to not drive (or ride) across town to work out. Obviously in large part because a one hour workout becomes a two hour or more ordeal.

So if you have a YMCA or something close to home or work and you can pay by the month, it is worth considering. Otherwise the odds are that it is a bad investment.

By the way, you should be proud of the weight you have lost and that you are committing to lose more through exercise. If you start with "short" rides of five to ten miles it is o.k. For a lot of the people on here that is a "warm up" and they will be critical. Don't let nasty people discourage you. Do it for you and enjoy the gains (or is it losses?) you are making.

[pokey]

You sure don't need a front shock on a hybrid.It just adds weight and cost. The bigger lower pressure tires on a hybrid ought to do a decent enough job of taking care of road shock.Put the money into a better bike.

[newmtb]

When i first started riding which was only a few years ago. When i bought my bike the guy gave me a discount on my helmet, and other accesories. He also gave me one year of free of unlimited tune ups. I thought that was great. If the guy at the bike shop tells you anything under 20 mins for a test drive. Tell him you are seriously looking to buy and you want to actually ride the bike. Also thats great about the weight loss. With the added cardio of cycling you should be able to lose the rest no problem. Keep it Real

[shokhead]

Dont sell a hybrid short.I stayed with a lot of road bikes.Hybrids are a pretty good first bike to start riding.The one i am selling has a front shock that might add,oh half pound maybe,just a single spring,half inch travel,just enough and you can lock it out if you want.The whole bike weighs around 27-28 pounds,with pump,pack,2 bottle holders.Theres good used bikes out there,mine was 1199 new,i put upgrades on it and i am selling for $600 so there is deals out there.Ive seen 5 year old road bikes,pretty good ones under $500.

[kilcher]

By the way, if I outgrow a hybrid because I'm too fit and need more of a challenge, I will gladly fork over the money for a new bike. I won't in any way see that as a bad thing. I'm calling the dealer now to get their hours and prices. I'll let you all know how it goes. Thanks for the input.

[kilcher]

Crud... It grows even more complicated. A dealer someone recommended only carries Specialized Expeditions and not the other two. I've read good things about this one and it's in the range? Should I consider this one as well?

[Poguemahone]

You should ride 'em. Ride some you haven't been told about or considered as well-- you may be pleasantly surprised. Fit of a bike is largely subjective, and what works for one person don't always work for the next. If the store won't let you take a longer test ride, I'd offer to leave them a deposit, and if they don't take that offer, go find another shop. I'd ride at least the five miles you plan on doing daily for a test ride.
Unless the roads in your neighbourhood are in really bad shape, I'd ditch the suspension fork. That's a personal thing, and I'm quite sure someone will be along to tell me what an idiot I am, but on paved roads they're just added weight and cost. Also, be aware that different tires can substantially change the ride of a bike. Knobbies, commonly sold on "mountain" bikes, have a very rough ride. Slicker tires are used for pavement-- the tires on my beater "mountain" bike, which has never been off road, have no tread. This makes for a much smoother ride on pavement. Also, be prepared to change out your saddle if it really bugs you (you'll have some sore butt for awhile, so give a saddle some time, but if it persists, consider changing the saddle out).
You'll want to make sure the shop you buy from has at least free basic adjustments and can help you with a maintenaince schedule. You can do a lot of simple stuff yourself-- cleaning the chain and cogs, etc.-- without much trouble, but unless you're prepare to immerse yourself in the finer points of maintainence, it's best to have a shop do it.

[greg360]

Congrats, Kilcher, for taking that all important first step.
The huge range of choices vis-a-vis bikes can be pretty overwhelming.

So if you don't mind my 2 cents, it's this: Keep It Simple.
No matter what you buy for a bike, you will probably want something different after a few months. As you you rack up the miles, your interests in a specific type of biking will become more clearly defined and the kind of bike you're looking for will become apparent. Your own experience will tell you what you need.

There seems to be an all-or-nothing mentality in our consumer culture that encourages the purchase of extreme equipment, but discourages the actual use of it. I guess that if you're actually out there playing with your new toys, Corporate America becomes displeased since you're not in the mall... buying more toys. The media loves to show extreme athletics because it encourages people to go out and buy extreme (read: profitable) equipment, but they don't want you to actually use it. That would be "too hard". Stay home and watch TV

OK, enought ranting. They are hopeless. You are not. Since you've already lost the first few pounds, you've fought the hardest part of the battle. I salute you. If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.

Use your good judgement to find a safe time and place to ride, walk, or run. No workout is too small. It helps to make it a point to do something every day, no matter how brief the duration or short the distance. By doing something every single day, you will accumulate some kind of momentum that will inevitably make it easier for you to push yourself further; indeed you will find yourself wanting to, and will enjoy it immensely. It's very satisfying.

Check in once in a while and tell the community how you're doing. These people care.

[MichaelW]

A run-about bike for getting around town is always useful and can help make excercise just a normal part of your life, not a special event you have to dress up for.
Hybrid bikes do the job well enough, and have fittings for a luggage rack and fenders, so you can use them for winter riding, shopping trips etc.
I would second the advice to avoid suspension forks (and seatpost), and put the money elsewhere.
I would probably want to upgrade the factory tyres for a slick touring tyre of about 32mm. I use these for commuting, and for riding on trails. Kevlar banded ones will reduce the risk of punctures.
Cheapo bikes may also have crappy pedals. I like metal double sided ones (MKS make good, cheap ones), and you have the option to fit toe-clips which will increase your efficiency and safety. If you get in to longer distance road riding, you may want to go with a special cycling shoe/clipless pedal combo, but there is no need to go that way right now.

Budget for a hemet ($40 are as good as $140 models), gloves (to save your skin if you come off the bike), and some lights and reflective gear, eg a bright windprood jacket with reflective piping..
Shorts are only needed for rides over 10 miles, and jerseys are nice to have, but Ive done plenty of rides in T shirts.

[Prosody]

I've been riding a Trek 7200 hybrid for about 9 months. In that time I've changed pedals twice: first for ones with toe clips, then for clipless. Mine has the suspension fork, but since I ride mostly on roads, I doubt I really need it. Most of my rides run from 10 to 30 miles, and the bike does ok on them.

Cycling shorts and jersey are worth the money. Both will keep you more comfortable.

[kilcher]

Well I'm picking up the Specialized Expedition in about an hour. It felt more comfortable and I liked the dealer considerably more than the Trek/Giant dealer. I've seen it said time and time again that in this price range it pretty much comes down to comfort and the dealer. Plus the shop is right by where I'll be doing most of my riding.

Thank you all for your help! I feel really good about my decision. I'm fully expecting to want something else within the next year or so but this will give me the chance to (affordably) find out exactly what it is I want.

I definitely plan on sticking around. I'm sure I'll have questions or will want to learn more about different types of biking. Who knows, maybe some day I'll be the one giving advice.