Hey guys.

Only got back to riding a bike in the past 6 weeks or so. I would love to ride to work soon enough and I've been riding a few miles a day to prepare myself. I'm using a 10 year old Pacific mountain bike so I'm sure I really can use an upgrade. I actually attempted a trial run yesterday morning but only made it halfway. My legs were already tired from the past few days and it was a little windy so I had a headwind once I got on the busier road. Not only that, but the end of my trip has a slight incline too. I just turned around.

1) It's just over 5 miles to work. First half of the trip is residential, the last half is a 2 lane each way road. Fairly busy, but I'd be going to opposite way of traffic going to and from work. Cars go west in the AM, I go east so I luck out there.

2) I'm 31, about 5'6" and around 175 lbs. Hopefully dropping a few pounds as the cycling continues. Not sure if that has anything to do with bike selection.

3) I do like the shifters on my current bike although I don't know what they're called. You grab the handle bar and twist it forward or back. My wife has levers on her handle bar which I don't care for. They seem harder to find whereas mine are very easy to find.

4) I've never been on the local trails so I have no idea what they are like. I did find a youtube video and it looks like this particular trail is part paved, part packed dirt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv8UEjpZsJA I'd like something that can possibly do easier trails and double as my work bike if possible. I don't plan on any aggressive mountian biking, just casual stuff.

Thanks for the input!

I'm guessing you're not in very good shape if you have trouble riding 5 miles, or you have some nasty hills. Tires without the knobs will reduce rolling friction, but if you can't ride 5 miles, you'll have to build up to it.

Go to your local bike shop (LBS) and tell them what you want to do, and ask them what they have. For 5 miles, I'd think a hybrid would be their choice to sell you. Test ride it for a couple miles. See if it has mounts for racks, so you can put your stuff in panniers (aka saddlebags).

If you have multiple LBSs in your area, repeat until you've found one you like. Buy it and ride it!

Right now, go to your local Jamis dealer, or REI, or Sports Basement and get the (2011) Jamis Coda for $500 at the clearance price.

You can thank me later...

Now hurry up and go!!!

- Slim

PS.

I'll just bet you'll love a Coda...Those things fly!...Want some wings?

Thanks. It's only recently that I've gotten on the bike. I have no problem doing 10 miles or so when going around the neighborhood. When I attempted a practice run to work I had just woken up and didn't really eat anything. Also was tired from the last few days plus I had the headwind. Not only that, but every pedal I took brought me closer and closer to work and farther and farhter from home. I didn't want to get too far and then have to ride back home. When I got home I also noticed my tires were a little low. All of these things add up to me bailing out. lol

I went to a LBS last week and told them exactly what I posted above. The guy also suggested a hybrid. One is particular was a black or dark gray Raleigh that was about $400. Something along those lines I believe. I didn't really get too much into it.

I started biking to work (and being car-free) 11 months ago. I've lost a lot of weight and am still 230 lbs with a commute just as you described (5 miles, uphill at the end) and can do it efortlessly now (not so effortlessy at the beginning, but doable still). I know you can work up to it if a big guy like me can! Also, you made it half way and back, essentially you did the whole one-way commute, so I think you can do it no problem!

Also, I started out on a 90's Eddie Fisher Mamba (an old mountain bike) that I just put smoothe tires on. I still use it sometimes as it's fun for jumping curbs, riding down stairs like a little kid, etc. I say just save some money for a bit, get some smoothe tires and ride the mountain bike for a while to give yourself some time to figure out what you want in a every day bike! I thought I might like a hybrid at first, but after reading and riding for a while I wound up with a touring bike (Raleigh Sojourn) that I'm extremely happy with and probably won't ever get rid of. (That new Surley LHT with disc brakes is pretty tempting, though...).

You wanna really nice bike for cheap...Get a Fuji- Absolute 3.0 from Performancebike.com for only $350

Just go to www.Performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_500042_-1_

Then go to Bikes & Frames..Next click onto "Shop by Brand"..Select Fuji..Find the Absolute 3.0 then go back to the home page and locate a store near you.

It's best to have a brand new bike with a warranty....Right?

- Slim

Thanks, but is that going to hold up on the local dirt trails? No aggressive riding, just hard dirt trails with an occasional root or small obstacle.

Also, what should I be using with a show like this? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041HX7XU

Hey there CM!

Just what is your budget? What is the absolute most you're willing to spend?

Shoe type doesn't matter that much unless you're in a road bike club or you're racing.

Don't get me wrong here, there are many improper shoe types, but you first need to settle upon bike-type.

So what's your upper $ limit?

-Slim

Mountain bike shoes. Road shoes are hard and uncomfortable to walk in.

We have a weird cycling culture where "Road bikes" are some stupid imitation of racing bikes, because what's good on the race track is good for commuting right? Touring bikes benefit from thing that hurt race bikes, and vice versa.

A flexible MTB shoe will feel great when you walk out your door to the garage, and get off the bike to walk to the office. I don't want to waddle around in a carbon fiber brick strapped to my foot.

Clipless pedals rock btw. SPDs <3

I still favor drop bars and trigger shifters, though. I have a hybrid I want to replace with a folding bike as a back-up, and go with drop bar road bike as a main.

Have to agree that if you struggle on a 5 mile commute --You need to get your fitness up. Won't take long but only ride every other day till it does.

The bike you have now is serving a purpose--Mainly you are riding it but the first bike only serves one purpose--To tell you what the 2nd bike will be.

You may like gripshifters right now- but they most definitely can be improved on. Style of bike and do you ride off road?- Is all or most of your riding on asphalt of hardpack smooth trails? Do you have any BIG Hills? Then is the current bike the right size? Once you have used your current bike to get fit--you can then start deciding what the next bike will be. Don't be in a rush to buy a new bike that may be wrong.

And I hate to say it but that is going to easy to sort out. The big problem for most of us initially is finding the right LBS (Local Bike Shop) They are not all the same but one of them will sort your new bike and sort you at the same time.

I finally received all my cycling gear and today was the first time I went out with everything. I had cycling shoes, socks, shorts, jersey, gloves, glasses and helmet. The app on my iPhone says I went almost 8.7 miles in about 50 minutes for an average speed of about 10+ MPH. I could have kept going but my wife is heading out and I wanted to be home when she left. It's 76 right now with about 86% humidity too. Pretty humid out. It was only the last mile or two I had to breathe through my mouth, but it wasn't constant. It was more because I'm suffering from allergies and my nose gets a little clogged.

I think my problem going to work last week had more to do with what I ate. When I attempted going to work it was a great morning, about 60 degrees with low humidity. I had just woken up about 30 minutes beforehand after a rough few days before that. I also didn't eat anything before going out.

Even though today was a much worse cycling day weather wise, I still had no trouble even cycling after work. I got home from work about 2:30 and had a bowl of healthy cereal. I attempted to eat a peach but it wasn't so good so I tossed it. I ended up having a PB&J sandwich and OJ, then I drank a glass of water before heading out. Much better cycling workout then the other time and much more energy!

I'm also wondering if a mountain bike might serve my purposes better. I'm not going that far to work and some of the roads have some deeper sand. The sand is only going to become more of a problem with winter setting in soon enough too.

I also can't really comment on the local trails. I've checked some youtube videos and some of them appear to be hard dirt, some are paved. I don't really have any hills going to work, only slight inclines.

It's hard to say what my limit is because I don't even know how much a bike should be. I think I got my current bike from Toys R Us off of Amazon about 10 years ago for like $150. Is $500 a good point? I also don't plan on getting a new bike in the next week or two. I want to keep at my current bike a bit more till I decide and do more research. It's still a few months away but I'm wondering if my family would just chip in to help get a new bike for me for Christmas. I think my wife would kill me if I spent more money right now. lol She's a teacher and money is tight this time of year because she doesn't get paid during the summer. lol

Here are the elevation changes along my commute. Pretty flat.

Alright CM!

Now we're rolling...

My very first suggestion to you was the Jamis Coda. This is the last year (2011) for the Coda, in the Coda series line-up. For 2012 the new entry-level bike for the Coda line will be the Coda Sport.

If you are still able to find some 2011 Codas still standing around somewhere, I can just about promise you, that they will be on sale at Clearance prices.

The Jamis Coda, is a Road/Hybrid bike. It rides like a road bike, but it has flat-like handlebars, placing you in a more comfortable, but less aerodynamic sitting position. It will be great for all paved roads. You will have the ability to change the tires to 38mm in width, if you like, so that the Coda will be better able to traverse the dirt roads you were refering to earlier.

The Coda prefers paved roads, but will handle the occasional dirt road just like many touring bikes would. The Coda is both fast and nimble.

The Sports Basement is currently selling the Jamis Coda for $490. This is very good price!

Once you've made your purchase, you can always upgrade you components, to increase both the value of your Coda, and its riding affects.

The Jamis Coda has a steel cromoly frame and will last a lifetime, if kept dry.

Good Luck!

- Slim

Tires are cheap and don't have to be changed unless the dirt trail is not a smooth one. The occasional rock or root, is no challenge to a Coda.

Pardon my ignorance. lol

It was already suggested that I change the tires on my current bike. If I were to change the tires on the bike you suggested then does that mean I need to swap out the entire wheel with frame tire and all? Or do I just swap out the actual rubber tire?

What would we be looking at cost wise for whatever the answer to my question is? (on the new bike)

Hi CM!

First of all CM, it might not be necessary to change the tires. First you have to see what size tires are already on the bike. In the event that you really need to change the tires, you will NOT need to change the wheel. You will only need to change the tire, for the purpose of installing a tire of wider width. Wider tires with tread hold the road much better in that they provide greater friction.

- Slim

Thanks.

We really don't have the funding for the bike right now so I guess the 2011 is not going to work. I'm thinking more along the lines of November/December for the bike purchase.

Do the LBS have better prices in the winter months?

Changing tires just means the tire, and maybe the inner tube if you are going to a different size. If the sand is actually giving you trouble, then switching to a smoother tire might make that worse, I'd probably pick a wide slick tire so you gain speed on pavement without losing much control in the sand. If you think your next bike will also have 26" wheels, Schwalbe Big Apples are awesome, though a set of them will cost more than your current bike is probably worth. There are also cheaper tires out there that will work too.

No worries...

If the problem is a financial one, then the only other option that I can think of in terms of a new bike without a change in tires, would be the Giant - Sedona at $430. Other than that, you can go back to the performancebike.direct website for the Fuji -Absolute 3.0 at $350. However, you would have to change to wider tires on that model, as well.

Welp! That's it!

Good Luck!

- Slim
PS.

Wait A Minute!!!

Check this bike out!

www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=69510

Thanks for the help so far, I appreciate it! I looked at all the bikes and shops suggested above but none of the stores are even remotely close to me. I assume I could go to the LBS to see if they have the same bikes but I really don't want to waste my time or their time until I'm really in the market.

I was able to do my practice commute the other day and I was going about 15 mph fairly easily and consistently. What benefit would I gain by going with something other than a mountain bike? I kind of like the bigger tires a mountain bike provides since there is some sand and other debris along the way. I just feel safer with the bigger tires.

Also, after watching some more videos of the local trails I'm kind of interested in doing some more of the jumps and other obstacles I've seen in the local trails. We have a bunch of local trails and I just joined my local mountain biking club. They offer monthly rides for different skill sets.

I'm all about convenience so the act of switching tires doesn't seem appealing to me. I'd rather have a one size fits all where I make some sacrifices or get two bikes. So let me ask 2 questions.

1) Why would or wouldn't I want a hybrid?
2) Why would or wouldn't I want a mountain bike?

Wheel type is a dividing line ... both can be called 'hybrid',

if you are going to Jump stuff ,
stick with the 26" wheels fatter tire would absorb rougher treatment.

for easier rolling and gravel roads. a 700c -37 tire would be a better choice .
straight bars, and disc brakes can be in common., between the 2 bikes.,

What brands are sold in your nearby bike shops ?

[a handful of big factories make most brands of bikes,
so favoring one over another which is not sold anywhere around
where you live makes no sense,
and what is your price range?]

Pacific owns several brands that used to mean something.
now they all mean much less,
as they come out of big box discount chain-stores
with no service after the sale, like you can expect from a Bike Shop.

It's really hard to say a price range because I really don't know what to spend. I guess 500-900??

Here are two local shops. They both seem to be good from what I've read.

www.rockypointcycles.com
www.carlhart.com

I took a quick look at the rockypoint bicycles. The Raleigh Cadent FT1 at $570 (either in size 49cm or 52cm, maybe leaning more toward the 49cm if you're 5'6") looks alright except I read someone had a blowout with Freedom rims. :O

But, you could be satisfied with something cheaper. The Diamondback Insight 1 looks alright at 17 inches. That might be a nice fit for you.

The other bike shop listed has a lot of really nice brand names. I wouldn't even know where to start.

As long as you have a rear derailleur of either Acera or higher (i.e. Alivio and Deore), you may be alright. All the other ones like Tourney, Altus, TX and AO etc. I'm not sure I'd want to touch. But, whatever, you can still ride "anything" and still get it to shift. If I had a pick though, I'd want at least Altus as the minimum front derailleur even though they usually put a cheaper front derailleur.

As far as I know it's...
Tourney < Altus < Acera < Alivio < Deore < Deore SLX or LX < Deore XT < Deore XTR then you have a variety of non-series components that can vary in quality. I think I once found a non-series Deore XT quality part once and the way you could tell was by the series number. It was a 700 something series. From what I know, Acera is M300 something series, Alivio M400 something, Deore (M510 to M590), Deore LX I think changed to 660 etc.

EDIT: I'm a little tired but I just looked at the Cannondale Quick 5 from the other bike shop and it looks good (Alivio/Altus derailleurs) and Trek 7.2 FX.

Is a hybrid really going to be good to cover my work commute as well as handle local dirt pack trails? I really don't want to be messing around with swapping tires just to ride.

I'm wondering if it's better just to get 2 separate bikes. A road bike to commute to work and a mountain for the trails.

Around my area the cycling business is hurting in the winter so deals can be found, my last new bike purchase was two years ago and I got about a 30% discount. Or buy last years model and you can get a good deal. As for the tires, when buying a new bike see if the tires can be swapped out at the time of purchase so you may just pay the difference in tire price or have them change the tires or no sale.

That's always the dilemma. I think hybrid is at least a compromise. Jack of all trades, master of none I suppose.

I have a cheap mountain bike for the winter but a hybrid for the summer. When I complete my touring bike, I might be tempted to get rid of the hybrid. Fact is though, I wouldn't have a rain/city bike then and it would suck. I'm so tempted to get a better mountain bike so I could really have fun like a maniac with no fenders and backrack. I don't know what the solution is really. Maybe clip-on fenders and backrack that attaches to the seatpost that I can take off when I feel like it.