Originally Posted by
MRT2
Your friend isn't necessarily steering you wrong. Plenty of folks start out with a hybrid and find themselves shopping for something better in a year or two. Of course, the opposite is true. Plenty of folks buying road bikes or dual suspension mountain bikes and finding them mostly sitting in a garage.
You need to know yourself. Are you the sort of person who dips a toe in, then catches the bug and dives in, or do you really just want to ride on a MUP maybe a couple of times a month?
It’s not that I think he’s trying to steer me wrong; I just think the type of riding he does is different than the type of riding I want to do. I don’t foresee myself getting as serious about it as he is. I’m busy enough and have other hobbies, so this is just really something to do on a weekend for some extra exercise and a bit of leisure.
Originally Posted by
MRT2
The operative word here is light trail. OP should stop by to clarify what he or she means. In my home state, most of the MUPs and bike trails within 40 miles of my house are paved or hard packed dirt or crushed limestone. So if a friend or acquaintance asks me what sort of bike to get for riding the local bike trails, I say without hesitation to go with either a sport hybrid like the Jamis Coda, Specialized Sirrus or Trek FX or alternately, a sport/touring bike if they aspire to ride something with drop bars.
Now, 6 or 7 hours away in the Northwestern part of the state, there is a network of somewhat more rugged dirt and limestone trails where I would suggest a dual sport or even hard tail mountain bike.
Good point. I’m not exactly sure what is classified as a “light trail”. I live in Philly, so obviously there aren’t a lot of crazy off-road trails or mountains or anything (I think a MTB would be overkill). But there are trails and parks, especially if I wanted to drive somewhere outside the city. I would say my definition of “light trails” would be partially paved and partially flat dirt roads, but I don’t want to limit myself. Basically, I don’t want to end up with a bike that’s really only good for riding on smooth roads.
Originally Posted by
JonathanGennick
Don't let your friend talk you into something you don't want. It sounds like you want a simple, flat-bar hybrid without suspension. The Coda, Sirrus, and FX that MRT2 mentions in his post are all good choices.
Are you able to visit any shops and get in some test rides? Even just an around-the-block ride can help, and what matters is to buy the bike that feels fun and comfortable when you get on it and ride it. Maybe test ride your friend's bike to see whether you like the drop-bar arrangement. If you don't like it, don't buy it.
Originally Posted by
Retro Grouch
Have you been to a bike shop yet? I think that your smartest first step would be to shop for a bike shop. audition all of the shops in your area until you find the one that has the people who you can identify with and who ask you the "right" questions. Only after you have identified the right shop can you be properly prepared for the plethora of incrementally different bike styles that are available today. Trust me, there are a BUNCH of them.
I actually did visit a bike shop (with my friend), and tried out a cyclocross bike and 2 hybrids (one was more road oriented, the other closer to a MTB). Honestly, it is very difficult to get a good idea from just test riding them for a few minutes. The hybrids felt more comfortable and easier to ride, but that’s not to say the cyclocross was all that uncomfortable (it might take a bit of getting used to the seat position, but it wasn’t like I immediately hated it). One thing I did notice was that the cyclocross felt a lot bumpier when going over uneven road - I just rode it in a paved parking lot (basically a road), but every once in a while if I hit crack or bump in the pavement I felt it a lot more.
Originally Posted by
corrado33
Sure, we all SAY that, but would you have been comfortable enough on the other bike to continue riding? You were on a hiatus, and had experience riding bikes before. For you, I would recommend the cyclocross bike, but for someone who likely hasn't ever ridden bikes for exercise, I recommend a hybrid. You rode the hybrid enough to WANT another bike, that's the point. It's not a forever "keeper" bike. It's a "I'm getting into the sport and I want to see if cycling is for me" bike. If you decide you want to go faster, you sacrifice a bit of comfort for speed and buy a road bike. If you want to go faster off road you do the same with a mountain bike. In the end, hybrid bikes generally aren't expensive enough to really make that big of a dent in your finances and if it gets you into biking, it was well worth it.
That pretty much sums up what I want. I have no idea how much I’m going to get into it, so I really just want something to get started on. Maybe eventually I will become really involved and want a road bike and a mountain bike. But until then, I’d rather spend a bit less money and just get something to try out.