Originally Posted by
MRT2
I disagree with the premise of this thread. Who advises anyone to spend $10,000 to get started? Almost nobody. And as for what to buy, what to wear, or how to train or ride, people give advise in response to questions from other people. It is sort of the point of forums like these. If the answer to every question is, ride what you like, spend whatever you feel you can afford, and wear whatever you feel like, it would make for very short discussion threads.
Originally Posted by
corrado33
There are two things to think about when a beginner is choosing a bike.
1: Fit
2: Style
#1 can be commented on by us successfully. If you're 6' tall you won't be riding a 48 cm road bike. But #2 is mostly personal preference, which we all have opinions for. However, even some of that can be commented on by us. If you're going to be riding primarily on roads, why by a mountain bike?
So yes, a person SHOULD ride what they want, but they may get a lot more enjoyment out of the sport if they have a bike that is the right size for them and the right style for them.
And to the OP: No one on this site (other than perhaps the road racing forum) would suggest buying a $10,000 bike. For road bikes, we say the entry level is ~600-1000 dollars, and we're not wrong. Anything below that and you're getting a heavy(er) bike with components that are likely to wear out quickly. So by buying a more expensive bike, you'd be saving money in the long run and enjoying yourself more along the way.
For a mountain bike that's actually going to be ridden on trails? I'd say for a hardtail the minimum purchase for a decent bike is $1000. I bought an $800 bike and it's... ok, would have been much more happy if I bought the $1000 version. For a full suspension, you're getting up into the $1500-$2000 range for a decent one. (I know less about full suspension bikes.)
Now if you're a casual rider, you can easily buy a $300-$400 bike and be perfectly happy. Anything less and you're getting a wal-mart bike.
Originally Posted by
McBTC
Probably a big waste of money to buy a cheapo bike--
Seems like everyone is missing the point of the thread. No one is saying to buy a bike that doesn't fit. What he's saying is that some here and in real life, judge what others ride, wear, spend and look like based on their own needs and wants and not the needs and wants of the other rider.
What I always say is that you can't buy a bad bike (even a Walmart special has its applications) but you can buy the wrong bike (a Walmart special is the wrong bike for fast group rides).