I'm hopefully about to relocate to a new city that's much more bike-friendly. I haven't been on a bike in 15 years. Until a few hours ago (when I started research & found this site) I only knew about 2 different types of bikes- MTBs and road bikes. I want a bike for general riding around town (trips to the grocery, library, etc.) so I figured I needed a road bike. I thought this might be better if I decide to do more serious road cycling in the future.

After this evening's reading, I think what I really want would be considered a utility, commuter, Urban, or something like that. I think that this would make a good "starter bike", & I can get a road bike later if I really think I need one. On the other hand, a commuter that's more "road friendly" (perhaps lighter and faster) would be nice. So basically, I want a bike that's comfortable, has a full chain guard, fenders, racks, lights, etc. An internal hub & generator lights would be nice. I'd really like to spend $500.

The only LBS in town sells Schwinn. As I reviewed the major brands today, I thought Schwinn bikes were the best fit for what I'm looking for, so that's a plus. I really like the idea of being able to walk to the shop, buy a bike, & ride it home, plus having somewhere local to bring it back for maintenance and such.

The next town over has almost all of the other major brands represented.

These are the bikes I would like to look at so far:

Schwinn: the NX7 sells for $550 and has just about everything I'm looking for. I'd also consider the Willy (which I think is the best-looking bike on my list), the Coffee, the World S, and the World GS, all of which are under my budget.

Trek Belleville: $650. A little pricey, but all the extra features might be worth the extra money. I like the "Eco friendly" design, but I've heard reports that Trek is "greenwashing" a bit here.

KHS Green: I had never heard of this brand, but the Green sells for $349, which sounds like a great deal for its features.

Giant Suede GX: looks fairly similar to the NX7, for the same price.


So, I have two questions:
1) Are there any other brands I should be considering- ones that have the features I need for $500?

2) I really like the idea of supporting my nearest LFS, & I like a lot of the Schwinn models. Is there any reason not to go with the Schwinn I like the best?

My suggestion is to ride as many bikes as possible within a certain price range. I had to look up all the bikes you listed and the one that stuck out was the Trek Belleville. Except for the 3 speed rear hub it looks like everything else should work fine. However, don't get to caught up just yet into what you want.

The first bike is the one you learn on. You will learn what kind of riding you are doing, will do, and want to do. If you know something about bikes look into craigslist or see if any LBS sell used or you have a bike coop in your area. I wouldn't spend a lot of money (all relative of course), but you need some experience in the saddle. Without knowing the area you are moving to its hard to say how many gears you may or may not need. If you are talking about all short distances (3 miles or so) almost any bike would work fine.

I think you could find an early to mid 90's MTB bike or hybrid type bike for around a $100 or so. Racks, Fenders, chain gaurd wouldn't be that expensive (depending on what you get). Lighting is going to depend on whether you want "to see" or "to be seen" type. Though they tended to be a bit heavy, they rode nicely, were bomb-proof, and all around pretty comfortable IMHO.

My opinion would be to get something cheap so you get some experience. From their you may decide you want more or less gears, a lighter bike or something that feels more solid, more or less hand positions, more relaxed or aggressive geometry, go off road or stay on pavement, ride longer or just around the neighborhood, etc, etc, etc...

I'm not sure it's wise to restrict yourself to bikes that have chainguards, racks, and fenders. I use my bike the way it sounds like you'll be using yours, and have never had any problem with the lack of a chainguard. I've yet to even get dirt on my pants. But having a chainguard might make it harder to clean and lube your chain, which you should do frequently. As for the rack and fenders, those are easy and inexpensive to add, and there are plenty of aftermarket options for most bikes.

I second the recommendation to try out as many bikes as you can. I hadn't ridden since my teens (around 1972) when I got my bike a couple of years ago. I was amazed at how much the technology has improved! But I quickly discovered that some bikes looked like they'd be fine, yet they just didn't feel right for various reasons.

Thanks to both of you for your recommendations. My old bike - which I still have - is a Trek MTB from the early 90s. The front brakes fell off, the tires need replaced, and I'm sure it needs a bunch more stuff than that. I was considering selling it on Craigslist & using the cash toward a new bike. I assumed that it would probably cost more to get the MTB fixed up than to get a new bike, but that may not be the case - I should at least look into it.

I would look into a hybrid also...there is a forum here. I have read that a lot of people like the trek fx series and it is in your price range but maybe a little more versatile. They look like nice bikes https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/story/fx/

The cost of bike repairs is mostly labour. If you can do the work yourself, the parts will likely cost less than buying a used bike that's ready to ride. I ride a 1996 trek mountain bike in winter, and it's still holding up nicely. I replaced the drive train a couple summers ago, added fenders and rack, and it's still running smoothly now. New brakes needed every couple of years, and I'm thinking it might be time for a new wheelset. If you don't think you can do the work yourself, then you're probably better off finding a bike that's ready to ride. You should still get comfortable enough cleaning and lubing your chain, repairing a tire, the kind of basic stuff that paying a mechanic to do would be too inconvenient, or too expensive.

For a first bike (in a while), I'd agree with the above and go used. I ended up buying my wife a lower-grade new bike a couple years ago because it was very hard to find anything small enough used, and now it's looking like it's probably time to replace it with a better model, so that one isn't going to see a lot of years of use. A mountain bike can make a perfectly functional commuter, and it's better to find out what you like and don't like without spending hundreds of dollars.

I've never had a chainguard, but will certainly admit to getting my pants dirty. On some level, it'd probably be a nice feature, but would make some maintenance activities more challenging.

I like the Schwinn the best. It has 7 gears wgich mean you will always have a comfortable gear to pedal. I had a 3 speed 55 years ago, and I kept finding the gear was just to high or just too low. It will be easier to operate the twist gearshifter from the straight bars on the Schwinn. The Schwinn has a suspension fork which adds unnecessary weight, which the KHS and Trek dont have to lug around.

I've been kind of wanting this. It looks like it has everything you want, but it's out of your price range.
https://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/hybrid/detour-deluxe/

Also, like others have said, you may want to go used, or something new but inexpensive. I started with a $260 Diamondback (bought new, since the used market around here leaves something to be desired) just to see how I'd like it. I now have more money in accessories than I do the bike, have ridden the crap out of it, and am looking for an upgrade this spring. The Detour Deluxe is on my list, as are some more exotic possibilities.

If I had to do it all over again. I'd get a Surly 1x1 and have the best of both worlds. Put some nice road tires/rims for the summer, and a big wide 2.75 knobbie with some homemade studs for the winter. That bike has all the braze-ons you'd want and you can reconfigure it to whatever you like. Single speed or cassette. You want a suspension fork. Put one on it. You'd have a kickyourrearend bike. I'm riding a Gary Fisher "Utopia" now. But if anything happened to it that's what I'd replace it with. Same set-up I have now. Rear rack on the back, Porteur rack on the front, and some Aero-bars to slice thru the wind with. Sweet !

Someday I hope to get a Surly also but that is probably long off

There is alot to be said for buying from your LBS (Local bike shop) if you ride and like the schwinn, and the shop is a good shop I say go for it. Priceless can be the value of a good LBS when you buy your bike from them

what exile said...you won't really know what you want until you've ridden for a couple of weeks or months. do what I did and buy something really cheap, and then once you've settled on your commute route and know yourself a bit better, spring for the upgrade and use your old bike as a backup.

I just ordered one of these! $500, 5 speed internal geared hub, drum brakes, fenders, and rack eyelets:

https://www.torkerusa.com/bikes/commu.../2010-graduate

Yeah, that and the Torker cargo bike there look pretty solid for the money.

The Belleville would be on my short list. In fact, it WAS on my short list until I realized that I could re-purpose my LHT as a city bike for less money. But for starting out from scratch, it's a great bike. My main objection to it would be that there's a lot of steel on it for a $650 bike, but you do get a lot of features for that price: front and rear racks, generator lights, steel fenders, etc. The other oddity is the integrated bars and stem, but how likely are you to change out the bars or stem right away on any other new bike? If it fits, it's a good one.

As for the chainguard, yes, it's a very good thing to have. I wouldn't consider it absolutely essential (as I would consider fenders), but it's pretty close. The major change I made to my LHT was the handlebars (drop bars to Velo-Orange porteur bars). A chainguard is one of the next things on my list, as I consider rolling up my pants or stuffing them into my socks (which are all 3/4 length, so it doesn't really work) to be a great aggravation, and silly-looking besides.

I have a Surly LHT, a Litespeed titanium mtb, several 80-90's vintage road bikes with 27" wheels.
They are all nice.

I am winter commuting on my Giant Iguana with studded tires Winter Marathons.
My friend gave me the bike after his son abandoned it.
I worked it up with pedals, fenders, lights and some tuning

Her it is tonight at my workplace.
It rides as well as all the others.
Yes that's snow.

bill

Wow that Belleville is gorgeous and already complete. the whole "eco-friendly" sales pitch is a bit nauseating but the bike looks awesome.

A used but decent mountain bike can easily be made a bomb-proof utility bike....best are ones without a front suspension fork - usually easy to find.

An internal geared hub bike is also a great utility bike.

Many bikes will work, I would suggest you avoid race bikes since most cannot handle larger tires an often lack fender and rack eyelets.

I started off commuting on my relatively short commute with a hybrid that had an exposed triple chain ring up front. All my chainside pant legs got dirty, despite using pant protectors. Lightweight pants billow out from those things and you will get dirty.

Given that I don't like wearing dirty clothes to the workplace, It's a must for me to have a bike with a good chainguard, along with good fenders. That's a plus for the Schwinn model you like.

Also, I can vouch for the Nexus 7 speed. It's smooth as silk and the gears are evenly spaced. I haven't done any maintenance to it and I've got approximately 9,000 miles on it.

That said, I don't know if Schwinn is making quality bikes now or not. I know the one's they sell at Target are less than impressive. Trek is definitely a good brand. I love my Breezer, but there aren't too many dealers of those bikes. Good luck!

As far as solutions for keeping your pants clean, I wear these:

https://www.pricepoint.com/detail/153...Ankle-Band.htm

If my pants are particularly loose, I wear 2 of those bands on the chain side. I purchased and wear 2 sets (2 on ankles, 2 on arms, 1 extra reflective band).

I would be curious to know more about the lights on the Belleville. Many of the generator lights I've seen (not many) barely throw a dull glow which isn't bright enough for me. Many drivers are distracted these days and I like to make sure I have their absolute attention. I would see just how bright they are and decide if that is bright enough for you. Not having to mess with batteries and removing/installing the lights would be nice but I have been pleased with my Dinotte lights both front and rear!

That bike is beautiful!

DP Roberts, where are you relocating to? Any idea how long your commute will be?

Holland, Michigan (or very near there). I originally wanted a bike for just riding around town (trips to the library, etc.) As we drove through the area I saw a lot of bike paths, which got me thinking about cycling again for recreational/exercise purposes. Then, I realized that my commute will probably be about 5 miles or less, on basically flat roads, which got me thinking about commuting. I'll just need to check out the roads on my available routes. I'm also a little concerned about riding in the winter, but it seems like a lot of people manage that too.

I think there are a few members from the Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo areas who could advise you on winter riding.
But for flat roads, and less than 5 miles, you can probably ride just about any bike.

I bought KHS Green a couple of weeks ago, and I cannot stress enough what a relieve it is to have a chainguard. I like the bike, and it works well. KHS has the reputation of making lowkey, reliable bikes. Trek is certainly the more recognized brand name. I like the Belleville a lot, but don't own it. The KHS Green is a very comfortable but slower bike (due to the geometry). I love the coaster brakes, which I find incredible useful when commuting. The brakes are powerful and extremely reliable, which you certainly can't say for rim brakes, which will need adjustment pretty much every other week. It seems for a 5 mile commute the bike would be perfect. (Mine is over 7 miles one way).

But I agree with many others, that recommend to try a lot of different bikes.

I used to be very concerned about winter riding too when I first started this season. And now I found it quite pleasant, you don't sweat but you'll be warm if you get a pair of good gloves, windbreaker and a balaclava.

Best of luck!

Speed is just a question of money...How fast do you want to go? LOL

Seriously you need to really think about the riding style you are likely to gravitate to. If you are looking for a leisurely pace that Trek Belleville is really nice. With the flat of MI the 3 speed should do fine and it is a big plus in the winters. That bike you are going to be going 10-12mph max. The down side is hand positions are very limited and you are stuck in a very upright and non aerodynamic position when you are fighting a head wind. This will also hold true with Hybrids and Mountains.

A drop bar road bike you get more hand positions but more of a hunched over riding positions. Touring bikes would be the most relaxed where a the top of the bars will near the seat hight like a mountain but fighting a head wild you can get in the drops and significantly reduce your aerodynamic drag. The faster the bike the lower the bars.

I started out with a cheap Mountain with front suspension Went to a Rigid mountain and swapped the handle bars 3 times trying to make it comfy for my 4.3 mile commute and long weekend rides. Settled on Trekking bars but it still didn't fix the head wind problem.

I wasn't lookign to do weekend crits but I was looking to do long weekend rides and finally gravitated to Touring frames. When I am just putting around riding I can be up on the tops. Normal ride where I am making decent time I am on the hoods and when I need to cheat the wind on the down hills or windy days into the drops. My Average speed on my Commute is about 16mph on a hilly route but I do push reasonably hard for the exercise. In the flats I am running 20-22mph. In afternoon traffice it only takes me 5 minutes longer by bike then car.

Good luck with your search!