Hey good people, I watch videos and scour the internet all day pretty much but I'm still having a little trouble learning in this new hobby. Can someone please explain bike brands as football teams lol. I feel like I learn best by being able to compare things and usually I have a good friend that's already in the hobby when I start a new one but unfortunately don't know anyone into cycling at the moment.

Most any brand you find in a local bike shop will be a good brand. Trek, Specialized and Cannondale are popular in my area, but there are quite a few others that might be popular for your area. Scott is what I'd consider my dream bike. But I've never had or ridden a Scott bicycle.

You really need to just decide on what type of riding you wish to do the most of. Buy a bike for that use. Don't buy for the things you might do once or twice a blue moon. If you don't have to have the most expensive bike, then you can own more than one type of bike for different riding styles.

Awesome feedback! I picked up a trek dual sport 1 off marketplace, I think its the model before the most latest one that is coming out. I've mainly just been riding the light trails around my apartment here in ATX. Still too nervous to ride on roads. 100% agree on not getting the most expensive bike in order to get other bikes for different things.

Also learning you can make any entry level bike look nice by upgrading parts. Any advice on where to start?

I did a google search for 'entry level bike look nice by upgrading parts" and got back many hits, a lot of videos too.

Would you like me to copy and paste that information here if you are not able to search?

Do let me know if you need help searching google.

Feel free to link the video you find most helpful, thanks!

Tell your credit card company to max out your account limit !. Just kidding, but there are thousands of bikes out there of many types, mountain bikes, mountain downhill bikes, hybrids, gravel bikes, carbon road racing type bikes, touring bikes, bikepacking bikes. From dozens of manufacturers. Some are the biggies like Specialized, Trek and Cannondale, then many, many others too numerous to name. Lots of good stuff out there, some of it is very expensive.

read the posts on this forum to learn stuff...

If everyone read and searched for the answers, there'd be no reason for BF to exist. This is a social site for people interested in cycling to engage in conversation. Shouldn't matter if the answer can be found elsewhere by other methods or even if it's already been covered by conversations on BF.

what a helpful comment

OP I think all the bike brands are essentially the same nowadays. The bikes are mostly made in Taiwan in the same factories. Back in the day when they were handmade the brand probably mattered more. Trek, specialized, giant, etc it’s all the same stuff

Pretty much. You are better off knowing the group set you want, style of bike and specifics rather than just name on the frame.

It's cheaper to buy a used good quality bike than buy a entry level and load up parts cannon. I guess you'll learn to wrench while upgrading, but I'd rather learn servicing my already "upgraded" bike. Chances are you won't tell the difference anyway being a novice.

All good comments, what ever bike you choose will educate you as to what bike you want, that bike, in turn will make you want something else. But don't worry, bikes are very accepting or their riders infidelity.
As to your requested analogy, Giants are better than The Giants, these days.

As others have said above this site is a great place for info. One pro tip is to use google for your searches but include bikeforums.net.
Try google searching "Trek dual sport bikeforums.net" or pick a part you want to replace "what is your favorite Saddle? bikeforums.net" this will bring you to lots of threads with great info. Another great place to start is threads like "Show us your vintage mountain bikes" which has hundreds of pages of bikes people are showing off, many of which have been upgraded or customized. Take some time and explore. Welcome to the forum

I see see what you did there and sadly it is true, I would call the Giants a Huffy, but I wouldn't want to offend [MENTION=133054]AdventureManCO[/MENTION] maybe they are a Huffente, since they do have some good parts

A Trek Dual Sport is a hybrid with a suspension fork, yes? I wouldn't spend a bunch trying to upgrade it unless something is worn out or there is something you don't like about it.
For now you could just ride it and have fun while learning and building a base. If you stick with it you might decide you want a road bike or gravel bike or mtb.

You have a bike (good for you!), so ride that. After a few months, or a year or so, you'll have a better idea of what you really would like to ride. When I started riding six years ago, I bought something that looked good at a LBS, and it was a good bike, but over time I realized I wanted something different. I now have a couple of bikes that I really like, but my "starter bike" was a good investment in that it enabled me to understand more what I want in a bike. So enjoy your Trek and don't be surprised if you want something different after riding for a while.

what if i want to have convos with people and not just go searching for stuff? keep sh*t to yourself if you gotta be negative d.a.

EXACTLY. Thank you!

OUCH. Just kidding

I don't know what being offended means. Which is why I can start Huffy threads. It's like a super power!


956user welcome! Have lots of fun w/ your new bike and ride it every chance you get!

I don't think this analogy would be helpful as teams get better or worse depending on the time of day LOL. Most brands (excluding box store bikes) will have a low end through high end versions of their bicycles with minor differences between them. The Dual Sport you mentioned will give you lots of enjoyable riding and years of service as long as maintenance is kept up and the bike is not abused. I would suggest learning to do repairs and such yourself and investing in some tools to do so. Also, be prepared for the grumps on this site which like to police posts. I am opinionated as the next guy when it comes to some of my classic bikes and their parts but I also remember what it was like learning BEFORE the internet. Ask questions, it will save expensive mistakes.

D2C manufacturers really should just talk about their bikes in 30 seconds on tiktok and let people swipe.

Because doing actual legwork with google and bf and having to actually read, is just way too exhausting.

Appreciate the feedback!

Thanks for the feedback and time! I for sure feel like I'm going down that path already. Would love to get a fixed gear to mess with every now and then.

This was actually extremely helpful, thank you!!!