Hey all. Newbie here looking for a hybrid bike mainly to get to and from work. Will be trekking approximately 3 miles each way on city pavement. I am looking for a bike priced anywhere from 400-600 bucks. Any suggestions? So far I am thinking a Specialized Globe, Trek 7.3, or Fuji Sunfire. I am about 5'11", 195 lbs, and quite fit... Anyway, what is the consensus about buying a bike online provided one does a lot of research? Any particularly good sites to buy a bike from? I have not had much looking finding any... Bike shops seems to be a ripoff. Nevermind the elitist attitude to anyone not buying a bike for at least a grand.

Thanks for any and all help!

If this is your first bike, I would highly recommend finding a shop that will help you find the right size and model to fit the riding you plan on doing. Just find a shop that you are comfortable with. Most of them sell a ton of hybrids.

Most of the big brands do not allow online sales, so you can either start trolling ebay or go for the Bikes Direct deals.

I think you must be visiting the wrong bike shops for your needs, then. There are plenty of bikes in the $400-600 range available at LBSs that would meet your needs. Check out Jamis bikes. They're a good value, they make a variety of bike styles at reasonable prices, and generally speaking, shops who sell them have reputations for being moderately priced and not as heavily sports-oriented. If this is your first bike, you would be better off getting advice about fit and repair from human beings in your own community.

I agree alittle with mgo737. I'm also new to biking. Have visited several bike shops in the area(Dallas). Most seemed like that didn't care about my business. I also only need a bike to get to and from work/gym 3-5 miles. (my mountain bike was stolen) Haved looked at the FX line also. They just kept throwing different bikes at me and not really sizing me up to see which one fit the best. I still do not know what size bike would work for me.

btw.. if it was you would you buy the 7.2, 7.3 or make that BIG jump in price to the 7.5?? FX of course.. Thx

You would be making a very uninformed buying decision if you bought online unlessyou actually rode the exact size and model of bike you would be ordering before buying.

Find a different bike shop. Look at what they've got; talk to them. If they are being elitist, go elsewhere. We have 3 bike shops in this smallish town and one I don't deal with; the other two I do depending on need and inventory. I would ride ride ride before buying, and the way to do that is in a bike shop.

I wouldn't get hung up in an attitude where "I'm only riding 3 miles each way" where the underlying sentiment is that for three miles any bike will get the job done. Most will probably agree with me that down the road you may find yourself riding more than you thought because it is a damn fun hobby. I've gone from tandeming with the wife, to recumbent riding, to road bike to hybrid, to mtb. They all have their plusses and minuses. And in the process I discovered how cool bike commuting and touring are. What I'm saying is that the three miles you are talking about may morph into an expanded interest in cycling and you should take your time to choose the right bike; the way you do that is research and riding. Hard to do both online.

Have fun and good luck.