qcpmsame 

Welcome to David Bierbaum and Nutty grandma it is good to see you are sticking around. Rrobinson, several members ride single speeds and love them but they require you to be in pretty good shape if, as Denver said, you have any hills, much less mountains, you will be riding. Try and get someone with a single speed or a fixie to let you ride their bike for a bit. If you enjoy the ride and can handle the lack of gear choices then add this into your thoughts about which bicycle to get.

What you spend now will matter a lot in whether you enjoy the riding or not. Don't break the bank by any means but get as much bicycle as you can afford. Don't rush this, as said you have plenty of good weather time right now to decide on what will suit you best. Several of the members that can offer a lot of good, sound advice have posted in this thread and they will be invaluable in returning to bicycling (Denver Fox and stapfam are 2 that have made a difference for me.) I will step back and let more qualified people help you out in the decision making process. Best of luck and I look forward to your participation here for a long time.

Bill

CommuteCommando

+1. Gears are good. I live on a hill where the shallowest approach is 7%. If you live where it is even moderately hilly, get gears.

BigBlueToe

I would guess that your cycling will evolve, and what seems good to you now might become unsuitable. It's an evolution you have to go through. Lots of people might say, "This is the type of bike you need." They might get it right, but they might be dead wrong.

There are good reasons to buy a "good" bike at a real bike shop. It will be properly set up, and you usually get support - free adjustments when cables stretch, etc. One reason to buy a good bike is because it will come with good components. Most department store bikes work fine at first, but things don't stay that way. Good quality components work better and work smoothly for a long time.

If the Diamondback feels good to you and the price is right, buy it. However, if it needs work, take it to a real bike shop. Also, be prepared for the N+1 syndrome. If you become a real enthusiast it will just be a matter of time before you decide you need to upgrade and buy another one.

Retro Grouch 

The good news is: That's a good choice. The reason that it's a good choice is the bad news: The first bike is the "test" bike.

Ride that bike for 1,000 miles or so and make a mental list of what you like and don't like about it. Don't be surprised if the list turns out to be a LOT different from what you are thinking today because that happens to lots of people.

rrobinson

No hills to speak of. It is pretty flat in Binghamton, NY. I can buy the Madison for $275 at Amazon (sold by Nasbar). The problem is that it comes partially assembled and I am not sure how hard it would be to finish the assembly??

Retro Grouch 

Single speeds have their place but, even if I'm riding a flat bike path, I like to have a bunch of closely spaced gears.

Every hill has a top but the thing about riding someplace that's flat is that it never changes. That's fine if you have a gear that's right in the "sweet spot" but if you don't you have to either pedal too fast or to push too hard all day long.

DnvrFox

FWIW, I assembled an internet shipped road bike just fine, and I am one that they passed a law hereabouts that I should not be allowed to use any tools.

I don't know about this Nashbar bike, but, at times, NB has some great sales.

BluesDawg

Cycling Past 50 is one of the best sleep inducers I have ever found.

Dudelsack 

Base Building for Cyclists rates right up there, too.

rrobinson

That is surprising - the book has great reviews. How does this book put you to sleep??

qcpmsame 

The book gets "thick" at times with statistics and such. I work with statistics and math everyday so I am used to the numb feeling. And Joe has a pretty dry style of writing so you an get lulled away.

Bill

nuttygrandma

Oh my, what excellent advice. I found my LBS today and had a little chat with the guy there. He really was excited. He explained the difference between the comfort bikes and hybirds. I now know my comfort bike is not gonna do the job for the trail I want to do in the fall. I was really hoping for at least 20 miles of the trail since I already know it's along my favorite drive thru VA. It also won't do well in the mountains where my time-share is. I did ask about bike trails within the city and he got really sad. There is a trail but it's in an area that is no longer safe. He recommend I only go out there on Sunday mornings, before noon when there are a few walkers. Other than that, it's just not safe. I have a co-worker checking with her husband and he would know. Not only is her husband a biker, he's also a cop. Looks like I'm gonna be checking out more LBS to find out what they have available, too. I'm still happy with my wally-world special because it's gonna do the job for the next month or two but I'm not putting anymore money into it.

xjken99

First off congrats on the weight loss, if I lost that much... well I would still be overweight just not as much. There's a lot to be said about the benefits of buying from a bike shop. It seems to me the Diamondback is a decent starter bike and in my mind Dick's is a step up from Wally World and the likes. Only you can decide how much you can spend. The main thing is to get out there and ride but, realize that your foray into biking could go either way at this point. If you find out you love it you can always buy or trade up, if it turns out it does not live up to your youthful memories your not out a whole lot. If I had to guess I think your be looking to upgrade or better yet add another bike. That's when the fun begins because you no longer have a bike you have a collection of bikes.

tony_merlino

Aren't they ALL the "test" bike? Except for N+1, of course. Until it becomes N.

SwampDude

As I recall, Binghamton is in a river valley that is surrounded by some decent hills. After a while, I predict you will want to venture beyond the valley to the open spaces beyond. Just consider a bike with adequate gearing to get you out of town. I also suspect that organized rides in your area go up on top where traffic is light and the scenery is better. I never regretted owning a triple crank.

The new bike you're considering will get you going with a reputable seller and warranty in case of issues. As you learn more just by ridin' and talking to riders, you'll figure out what the next bike should be. Take good care of bike #1 so you can sell it to get #2. There should be a robust used bike market there with lots of university students.

For $250-$300 you'll have good enough performance to get fired up about biking again. It will look good as well. Most importantly, it will get you going!

jon c. 

Having grown up in Rochester cycling around the southern tier of NY, I definitely agree with the above. Plenty of hills in the area once you get out of town and those are the most beautiful places to ride. If you get to riding much, you'll soon find there are more hills around than you thought. And remember that hills are much smaller in a car. Since I returned to riding I find that roads I thought of as pretty flat have more hills than I realized.

Jim Kukula

Here is a reasonably short ride, a loop from Binghamton out into the countryside:

https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/33958938

A category 3 hill is no joke! I have a hill like that practically at my door & ride it every other week or so. My lowest gear is around 17 inches and I use it a lot!

There is a lot of nice hilly country around Binghamton. I highly recommend getting a bike with plenty low gears. For starters, the smallest chainring should have fewer teeth than the largest sprocket. The Diamondback has a 28 tooth smallest chainring and a 34 tooth largest sprocket - that should be good in the hills!

Bunnicula

Congrats on your weight loss! Your local bike shop sells two very good brands. Of course, I admit I'm partial because I have a Cannondale and a Specialized. I'm going to suggest you go there and try a few models out, for a few reasons. Test ride them and see how they compare to the Diamondback (have you ridden the Diamondback yet?). Your enjoyment of the sport is going to be based on how much you enjoy riding that bike. Imo, you should give yourself a chance to test ride several different bikes before you make your decision. $275 or $299 may just be money misspent if you don't enjoy the ride. At least then if you decide to go with the Diamondback, or the single speed, you'll have gained a little experience on which to base your decision. The bike shop can help to size you, and keep you from buying a too small or too large frame if you do decide to buy from the big-box or online. And keep in mind they often have (or can get) last year's models at discounted prices, sometimes pretty deeply discounted. The Cannondale Quick 5 or 4 might be a good bike for you to try.

As a new rider I wouldn't be looking to get a single speed for the reasons people have already given. I think it will be too limiting on what terrain you'll be able to ride. The Binghamton area definitely has hilly areas where gears will help you. What looks like a small incline when you're driving in a car becomes a "hill" when you're biking. And there's such nice country around your area to explore. The single speed will hamper your riding.

Good luck on making your decision, and show pics when you get it!

GrandaddyBiker

For 30 years I have been riding a bike that was actually too big for me. Now that I have a bike that actually fits me I cannot begin to tell you how much more enjoyable bike riding has become. You can’t just go by stand over height. If it is at all possible test ride the bike. I was in my local Dick’s Sporting Goods a few days ago and I overheard a customer ask the salespersons if he could test ride a bike. The sales person told him he could only ride the bike inside the store. If he had rode the bike inside the store and hit someone. Could you see a lawsuit there? If you go to a LBS they will probably let you take a real test ride. I would rather have a $400.00 bike that fit me than a $1,000.00 bike that was too big.


Remember, when you are looking at bikes, if it doesn’t say Trek on it then it’s just a generic brand bike. (a joke guys – The Devil made me say that.)