Hi,

I need your help selecting very first bike. For some reason my previous post did not show up in the forum, hopefully this is not a re-post.

I'm ~45 years old man, planning to ride in neighborhood streets, trails and parks.

How important is to have disk brakes on hybrid bike?

Would you recommend one of the following or any other bike?

1. Fuji Traverse 1.7 Disc Sport Hybrid Bike - 2017
2. Trek 8.3 DS
3. GT Transeo 5.0 - 2017
4. Fuji Traverse 1.5 Disc Sport Hybrid Bike - 2017

Cheers!

I prefer hydraulic discs, but for casual riding, I would not consider lack of disc brakes a deal breaker.

Of the bikes you have listed, I have owned only the DS 8.3. I liked it a lot, but it did not really fit me correctly, so I replaced it with another Trek that does fit.

My previous bike was a Fuji (not one of the ones you listed) and I was always impressed with the quality for the price paid.

For your very first bike I say go with the Trek DS 8.3 and an LBS that will treat you well.

I have a Trek DS 4 and I love it.

Since you have not ridden a bike much in the past, it is hard to determine what kind of riding you will want to do in the future. I am going with the theory that you should get a bike you like to ride, but one that you will outgrow and not feel regret or hesitation to buy a new nicer bike in two years.

Price: Look for a bike under $500. Over $500 and you will hate to buy a new bike that will suit you better. Consider the bike you buy a "gateway bike" that will lead you to bike you will fall in love with.

Versatility: This will lead you to a hybrid. A hybrid will let you inexpensively switch out tire sizes and treads so that it can serve well on pavement or on rough trails.

Weight: Get the lightest hybrid you can get under $500. You will find a lot of choices under 30 pounds. Don't go over 30 pounds. Don't worry about disk brakes. Rim brakes will be fine. Spend your money on other components. Alivio or Deore derailleurs. 8- or 9-speed.

Ride your bike a lot on all kinds of trails. Find out what you most like to do. If you like long rides on paved roads, then your next bike will probably be a road bike. If you really like trail riding, then you might want a mountain bike. Or maybe you'll discover that you like a wide variety of riding experiences and you'll tweak or upgrade the kind of bike you already have. Good luck.

practical gave the best answer I have read in a while. Personally I would go with Trek DS 8.2 if any are still available and then after some time upgrade to something more expensive.

Since you don't have them on your list, you should also consider the Trek FX and Specialized Sirrus bikes.

Buy from a shop that will Fit you to a Bike.

So I went to the local bike shop today, had to google what LBS means

They had many bikes in the store but none of the ones that I was looking for. The person working there suggested that I should go with a mountain bike instead of hybrid. His reason was that mountain bikes are more sturdy and most people end up buying a mountain bike anyways. Any thoughts?

He did ask me to try a bike for sizing, and explained how to select the right size. He said every brand is slightly different therefore its better to try the brand first. How do you guys try a bike that is not available in store?

And they do not carry Trek brand.

I recently bought a mountain bike as a second bike, but I wouldn't want it for my primary bike. I love having the wide tires and suspension fork when riding rough dirt roads, deep gravel, or trails with lots of roots and other bumps. But on the road (most of my riding), my hybrid is perfect.

I do agree with the salesman in one respect: if you're going to have a suspension fork, it's better to shop for mountain bikes which will offer better suspensions than those offered on hybrids. However, for the type of riding you're looking at, I think you're better off with a rigid-fork hybrid. Then in time if you decided you like riding rougher trails, you can add a second bike which is more suited for that type of riding.

Giant Toughroad. Will do everything you want and more. Really underrated machine that is a jack of all trades really. Wish I had bought one.

If you're not an offroader:
Giant Escape, Trek FX, Specialized Sirrus, that type of bike

Lighter, faster on paved roads and they can do easy offroad.
I've taken mine on gravel & hardpack occasionally

If you'll do a lot of offroad, yeah, get a mtb.

Hybrids, IMHO, are not as finicky to fit, compared to road bikes. But yeah, it's good to at least be able to sit on the bike (test rides are not a thing where I live).

+1 on the bikes CadenceBoy recommended (I'd add the Kona Dew and Fuji Absolute). Contrary to popular perception, one doesn't need front suspension in most cases (it's heavy and it'll eat up your energy going uphill). Plus, they're more expensive (to buy and maintain).

Get one, ride the heck out of it and soon you'll figure out what's your riding style. If you do end up doing a lot of technical single track, you can then get a MTB. The hybrid will still be fun to ride on roads, commute, do errands, etc.

You can test ride all 4?


Pick the Bike shop you like doing business with, then Get a Bike from them..
brands are many but "all things being equal the will be ", as far as the Bottom Line.

Nothing you originally said indicated any preference for mountain bike abilities, ditch that LBS. They should listen to you and give guidance, at this point you may not know what to ask for. You are in a metro area, go to several bike shops and ride some bikes.

Some good advice here (all of it).


I agree visit a few bike shops. Talk to the people on the floor. The most helpful sales assistant will win you over. If they don't sell you this (first) bike, bet they sell you your next one. And all the accessories for what ever you do start with.

When I re-entered the world of bike's at age 56. I visited all the bike shops in our small city (pop 106,000). I get a real comfortable feeling from the older life-long cyclist on the sales floor. But, I get a great amount of respect from the young (20-30's) folks. Their youth, excitement, and a tremendous amount of very current experience is valuable.

I tend to agree on the fixed front fork Hybrid. Planning on upgrading with-in a year or two is a realistic point of view. Others have suggested ride a lot, I agree. You will see what people are using, and enjoying. As you get to know the bike shops, and their staff, your next bike will find you! It may be a suspension bike, who knows.

Enjoy your self, hope this may help.




-Snuts-

I called around and it seems that I will be able to test drive at least Trek and Fuji bikes, other recommended bikes are available online only (Kona Dew, Giant Escape, Specialized Sirrus, Giant Toughroad, etc.).

I plan on going to a two other LBS this weekend and talk to the sales people on the floor.

The only reason all of the bikes in my initial list had disk-brakes and suspension is because I thought they look good


Thanks again for the tips.

LBS is the way to go. The shop I bought from is unusual:

"Free Service For Life On Every Bicycle We Sell"

I bought from them.

That's a very good deal.

We have a few Performance Bike and Bicycle Inc. stores in this area. It seems that Performance Bike has good return/exchange policy: "We stand behind every product we sell. If an item does not meet your expectations, simply return it. We guarantee your money back for a full year. After one year, we’ll provide an exchange, repair, or store credit to ensure you have the product that meets your needs. If you’ve lost your receipt, we’ll provide a store credit at our current price."

Bicycle Inc. is not so generous: "If there’s a problem with something you purchased from us, you can either bring it to our store or ship it back to the address below. Ship returns via Ground UPS or insured US Mail (we do not accept CODs). We will refund shipping costs on damaged or incorrect merchandise. Merchandise returned that appears used will be subject to a restocking fee. (Labor fees are not refundable, i.e., custom built wheels.) "

I bought my bikes from Bicycle's Inc. in Arlington, TX. Have gotten good customer service from the people that work there. There is a mechanic at that shop who is very helpful to customers needing bike repairs. On 3 separate occasions that I was there, he was explaining to the customer in detail, what he fixed on the bike, why he did it and how to avoid future problems.

I visited their Southlake branch once, to pick-up a handlebar that was ordered from Trek. The Southlake branch is very nice (looks fancier than the Arlington branch) and their staff were helpful as well.

Nice.

I have a 2014 Traverse 1.3 and like it a lot but I'd skip the front suspension next time if I have a choice (got the Traverse used). If you're looking new, for your type of riding which is similar to mine, I'd look at the Fuji Absolute in the Fuji line. Try to get something with a carbon fork if you can. If your budget allows, also checkout the Specialized Sirrus and Trex FX line. I've got a bead on a Sirrus Expert Carbon X1 myself. That or a Trek FX S 5/6.

I ended up ordering SE Boilermaker (older model).

Hopefully it meets all of your recommendations i.e. fixed fork, light weight, not too expensive, etc.

I love the way it looks, very stealthy

Thanks again for all your help!

SE Bikes Boilermaker 1 City Bike

i like disc brake lock

Great choice! You won't be needing to upgrade any time soon. Have fun riding it!

Thanks. What is a brake lock?

Thank you.