Miss Kenton's bike being stolen has made me think about those of us that are- or will be- In the market for a new bike. Not talking the complete "Newbie" as they pose their own problems as they will not not know the various forms of Frame design- specs that they want or even the size. They will hopefully be assisted by Friends or the local bike shop (LBS) in their choice of bike.

What I want to highlight are some of the choices and pitfalls of the next purchase that some will have to make this year. First of all I am not going to knock cheap bikes. Unless they are a "Wally Mart" type bike or "Cheap" mail order that is such a good deal that it cannot be refused. There are a few good deals available from them but you do need some knowledge and judgement to make certain you are not buying a "Pup"

Most bikes within certain price ranges are basically the same. There will not be much difference between various manufacturers on the bikes around the $800 or $1200 price bikes or any other price that you decide you can afford. What will vary though is your own personal choice gained of Knowledge from reading reviews or talking to friends. What may influence you on a particular manufacturer is your choice of LBS. You may only have one shop that is worth going to in your area and the bikes they sell will influence what you buy. My LBS sells Giant as their main bike but also carry some choice names in limited supply. So my own personal choice is within the Giant range but it could be any other manufacturer.

What you have to realise is that there are various types of frame made for various uses that it will be put to. Within Road bikes there are comfort frames-Touring frames- race frames and other use frames like time trial and cyclocross. They are built differently and will feel different to the rider. May be in Headtube height in that the bars will be higher or that it is a stiffer frame to give a faster but harsher ride. So first of all you have to decide which type of "Bike" you want to get. That cannot be done by " I always go for 25 miles up the MUP so I need a Comfort/ touring bike" The only way to check this out is to test ride the various models. Although if you are Only planning 25 mile MUP rides- I would not get a Time trial.

Now onto the bikes themselves. Material is not that important and I know there are many that say that you have to go for "XXX" as a material. It doesn't matter whether it is steel- Aluminium- C.F. or Ti or Wood. The ride of the bike is influenced by the material it is made of but that ride does have to be how you want it to be. I have a C.F. bike that still gives a harsh ride and I have aluminium (My favourite bike) that is very compliant and rides a dream. Your choice may be influenced by your wallet but the material must be suitable for the use you want to give it and suit you.

Lots more to consider on buying your "Next" bike but I hope I have given you a starter on your choice. Component choice "Within the price range" will not vary between bikes- but a couple of things you should also consider. Are you a Clydesdale? If so- then the bike will not be a problem- or the components- but you will need a strong wheel. Well worth looking for a bike that does have a strong wheel from new (Doubtful) or getting the shop to change them on purchase to something that will take weight. Also worth considering at this stage are pedals and saddles. These are mostly fitted to bikes so you can test ride them and are of low quality. Ride them away from the shop but think about these two items being disposable and may need changing very soon.

So just my thought- and gained from several good bike purchases- and plenty of duff ones over the years.

Wise wisdom! If I had known this I would have saved a few "duff" buys myself.

Thank you so much for this post, Stapfam. As my stolen bike had been a gift, I have never had to shop before. Now I am finding the choices overwhelming. This information is helpful to me as I'm sure it will be for others.

Stapfam forgot to mention recumbent bikes, such as from RANS ransbikes.com. But, of course, you wouldn't qualify to ride one without the stereotypically-required grey hair, beard and aerobelly.

One strategy used by some is to post a thread on BF asking "What bike should I buy?"

Aerobelly!:

Forgot? Perhaps, or intentionally left out due to lack of personal recumbent experience.

We can attempt to fill that gap (though I've only had a couple years experience myself). Everything Stapfam said basically applies to Recumbents also. No two ride the same, material affects the ride, plus with recumbents the configuration (Short Wheel Base vs. Long Wheel Base) affects the ride.

There is a picture of Miss Kenton posted on her stolen bike thread and can state she doesn't fit into any of the neceesary qualification categories. As a youngster would say she looked hawt!

So...

Make sure you get the type of bike that suits you and the kind of riding you'll do, don't worry about the material and if you are heavy get strong wheels. Did I miss anything?

Not sure why Stapfam didn't mention color, or colour, as it is critical to a peak riding experience. Once you've ridden a white bike, nothing else compares.

"Once you've had black..."

As I was contemplating the specs of the new (replacement for my bike destroyed by the pickup that rear-ended us) I looked at the available colors. Lots of beautiful options.
After giving it a couple days thought, I went with black... again.

On a more general note, lots of riders -- especially those of us over 50 -- are looking for a bike that they'll own for many years. Maybe even looking for the 'last bike' we'll ever buy. For many of us, it makes sense to get a custom built frame, sized to our personal measurements, and equipped with durable (and serviceable) components.
It requires a bit of planning, but it's worth the effort!

Have 3 of the requirements for Recumbents- Age-Grey Hair and Beard and I am working on the belly- but I have tried them and not for me. But also didn't mention Mountain bikes or Tandems- both of which I also ride. I tried to keep it to a general bike and what I said above will be the same for any bike ( Not certain about Unicycles though)

And BD is right-Right bike for the type of riding you do and that is about it. But I would worry about the colour. One of my neighbours went out and parked his white bike down in the Forest at the weekend- He lost it and will have to wait till the snow melts before he can find it.

Custom bikes are great, if you know what you want or what to ask for. That takes experience. I wouldn't recommend a custom bike to someone until they have ridden for several years and gone through a couple bikes (at least). But if you know what you want, I would highly recommend a custom Ti frame for its ride quality and durability. BTW, any bike's ride qualities can be changed by swapping wheelsets and or tires (within the parameters of the frame, can't make a noodle frame a super rigid sprinter etc.)

Agree 100%!
Spending money on the 'newest & best' can really be a trap, especially if 'best' is defined by someone else.