Originally Posted by mom
When I was a kid, I loved to ride my bike. Now I'm 31 and relatively fit, but I can't seem to ride anymore! I can swim for miles, and I can ride for miles on perfectly flat roads, but as soon as I hit even a tiny incline, I can't seem to make the bike go. It's not that I get really tired or anything. I just slow down exponentially. My husband is at a loss. Anyway, we've only ridden a few times, and always on some random, borrowed mountain bike. I'm thinking that part of the problem has been the bike...? He's convinced me to buy my own bike, and though I'm skeptical, I really would like to go out and ride with him and my son (for whom we just got a bike seat!). So...I could use some buying advice.
We'll ride primarily (maybe exclusively) on paved surfaces. I'm looking for something comfortable (pretty upright and not too stiff), fast/easy to ride (thus light and with big, narrow tires, right?), and relatively inexpensive. I figure that should be a hybrid, but there just seems to be such a range out there. Advice? I'd love to hear about specific makes and models.
Thanks!
Having a bike that fits you can help out with comfort, and it can make hills easier, but it won't make them easy. My guess is that part of your problem with hills is the bike, and part of it is that you don't have cycling-specific muscles.
But if you want to ride more, you do need your own bike.
The best thing you can do is find a decent local bike shop (LBS), tell them what you are looking for, and test ride a few bikes. A good shop will be able to fit you well, and put you on a bike that you can afford.