Newbie here, need advice.

[eyesroll]

I'm going to get a bike very soon. I haven't ridden in years -- my last bike was purple and pink with streamers on the handlebars -- but I'd like to start again.

I'm already asking for bike-shop recommendations in the Milwaukee area (anyone else care to recommend one?), but I'd like any advice on what it is I need.

I'm looking for a good-quality/durable bike, but not one that is necessarily flashy. I don't need to cheap out on this, but I don't want to spend hundreds of extra dollars on features I don't need. Primary use for the bike will be city streets and paths, for exercise and transportation.

So...any idea what I should expect to spend on a decent bike? And what features and accessories are musts for an amateur? (I know a helmet and a good lock are vital, but beyond that?) For that matter -- what's nice to have but optional, what's totally extraneous and what's just going to cause more harm than good?

Thanks! :hi:

[Longhorn]

1. Welcome!

I'm somewhat of a newbie myself and I'll let someone else answer your questions about the bike itself. I had a pretty good bike from the late 80's that I took in and got fixed up for about $180 including new helmet, grips, and seat. So you might consider getting a good used bike and getting it fixed up. My must-have item (besides the helmet, of course) was a bike rack since riding in my hilly neighborhood was getting discouraging.

These aren't necessities but I'm glad I got them:

-- a bike computer (odometer, speedometer, average speed, total time, etc.) so that I can better track my progress

-- padded bike shorts that make the entire workout a lot more pleasant.

-- a tiny personal FM radio so I can listen to music.

-- inexpensive bike gloves, again, to add to the comfort level.

I have ordered (but not received yet)

-- a backpack hydration system. I'm not that great at balance and trying to drink from the water bottle and get it back in the cage is not easy for me!)

-- bike sandals. The quicker I can get on my bike, the better and socks slow me down! ;)

-- I'm thinking about getting some straps for my pedals to help keep my feet in the proper position.

Have fun! Cycling has been so much fun for me! I hope you enjoy it, too! :D

[welshTerrier2]

3. yikes ...

a tiny personal FM radio so I can listen to music

i suppose riding where there are no cars makes this a little safer but the "by the book" is that this is not safe ... hazards might include other riders, kids, dogs, rollerbladers, etc ... just my two cents ...

on the other hand, tunes are the only way to go when your bike is up on the trainer ...

[BiggJawn]

5. I agree.

I want my ears open when I'm on the road, so I can HEAR that F-350 that i missed in my mirror coming up behind me.

Also-I would bet if you checked, you'd find that wearing headphones while riding is a code violation

[Longhorn]

7. I agree if I was riding on the road

and I forgot that not everyone rides where I ride. :)

But where I ride, there are only bikes and rollerbladers, no dogs or walkers, the track is a paved, two-lane road, we all go one direction, and slower traffic (me!) stays on the right. And even then, I've never had someone come up behind me without hearing them first. And I sure see lots of other riders with wires coming out of their ears!

[BiggJawn]

2. Less is more.

Here's my main ride:
http://tinypic.com/1sjst5

The only things I'm considering adding to it are lights and baggage. But then, this one is intended for carrying me distances of between 100-750 miles withpout waering me out or beating me half to death.

Some things I would suggest for a CITY bike...

Steel frame. TIG-welded is OK, lugged and brazed is better. Aluminum is OK, Carbon fiber is too much for a city bike.

26" wheels with "bald" tyres, or 700C wheels with fatter tyres, like 28-32mm wide. You don't want the thin skinny 20mm ones for curb hopping and trail riding, nor do you need mountain bike knobbies for pavement. Bald tyres will grip in almost anything. Even wet. you have to get the 1.5" ones up to 120-odd MPH before they hydroplane, and if you can pedal that fast, what can *I* tell you? :-)

"Upright" handlebars, either MTB bars, or "Priest" bars, or "moustache" bars. ("Priest bars" also go by the name "North Roads", like were on 60's Raleigh 3-speeds)

Get thee a Brooks saddle. speak kindly to it, and annoint it with Proofhide, and keep it dry, and it shall bear thy ass all the days of thy life. www.wallbike.com

Shimano makes an internal-geared hub called the "Nexus". It's offered in flavours of 3 through 8 speeds. Not as fussy as a derailleur system, the gears are out of the weather, you can select a gear while sitting still, and the spread on the 8-speed would handle almost anything you're likely to find.

[seemunkee]

9. That is what I got my wife

She hated having to figure out which shifter to use so we got her a Bianchi with the 8 speed internal shifting hub. We just came back from a nice neighborhood ride and she loves it.
Breezer, Bianchi, Townie all make bikes like this.

[loveable liberal]

4. Get fitted. Go to a bike shop, not a big box store.

A 'fit' is the most important thing you'll do. It will make or break your riding experience. Being uncomfortable on a bike just plain sucks. Being fitted means you need to find out the right frame size and how you ride a bike. Bike racers are hunched over their frames because it distributes weight and helps in aerodynamics. The more you sit upright, the more your kiester will bear your weight and the more wind you'll pick up slowing you down. Sore kiesters suck.

Decide what kind of riding you'll do. Recreational, speed, distance. Bigger tires means a more comfortable ride. Racing thin tires means speed. There are combinations of both. I chuckle when I see mountain bikers with suspension bikes riding on paved bike paths. Thats just plain silly. Dont get suspension if you'll be riding on pavement.

Get a good helmet. Get comfortable shoes with inflexible soles. Get crotch padded shorts. Get padded gloves. www.performancebike.com has good internet sales on a lot of the accessories.

Keep in mind you get what you pay for. I paid $600.00 for my first road bike. It lasted 7 years and I still have it. I would recommend Trek, Bianchi, Raleigh, Specialized. Beware, I've found if you dont know what you're looking for, bike shop people can be like used car salesman. Unless you find a good used bike be prepared to pay too much.

[BiggJawn]

6. "Used car salesmen"

THAT'S the truth!
I was looking at new Treks, and the salesman wanted to put me on a 58CM bike he had in-stock instead of ordering me a 62CM one.
"We'll change-out the seatpost so it'll be high enough for you..."

I went to a thrft store instead, and found a 62CM Raleigh Super Grand Prix for $15....

[pmbryant]

8. Here's a helpful website, plus some advice from my perspective

This is a very helpful website for newcomers looking to purchase a bicycle:

http://www.bikesrnottoys.com/

Given your expressed riding preferences, you may want a hybrid. I believe good, but not flashy, hybrids can be had for $300-$400, perhaps even less, but don't quote me on that.

As far as accessories go: I think a rack over the rear wheel is extremely helpful to help ferry things around like books and small amounts of groceries. A saddle bag (small bag that fits under the seat) is also extremely helpful, to carry emergency supplies (spare inner tube etc). A water bottle holder mounted on the bike frame is very helpful for longer rides. And if you end up with a bike with a small frame, you may need to also purchase a special bottle that will fit. (For larger frame bikes, grocery-store-bought plastic water bottles fit.)

A good hand pump that can be mounted on the bike or fit in the saddle bag is of course crucial for when you get flat tires. A foot pump is much easier to use, though, and is good to have for the weekly tire pumping event. I didn't get one for years, but now that I have one I wonder why I waited so long.

That's pretty much all I can think of that I would consider essential or extremely helpful. Other things you can purchase as you feel the need for them.

(Oh, if you plan to do any riding around twilight or after dark, get a headlight and one of those strobe light contraptions to make sure you aren't completely invisible to drivers!)

EDIT: I should add that bike stores sell special saddles made for women. My wife got a $60 one at the time she bought her new bike a couple years ago and swears by it. Makes riding so much more comfortable, she says. (I'll take her word for it, though I've always just stuck with the saddles that come with the bikes.)

EDIT: Ok, I thought of something else. If you don't wear glasses normally, consider puchasing a pair of bicycle glasses with interchangeable lenses (clear and dark-lenses). Otherwise, bugs could fly in your eye while you're riding and that's no fun. Again, my wife swears by her bike glasses. (They aren't cheap, alas.) I don't have them, since I wear glasses normally.

--Peter

[Kolesar]

10. Many road bikes are not set up well for hills.

The hills where I live are so steep that I am at the limit of my aerobic capacity when trying to keep a 7 mph pace in my lowest gear. I don't want to be huffing, straining, and getting out of the saddle to crest the hill. I want a moderate workout for my entire ride. My original Campagnolo equipment had a 30 tooth chainring and a 26 tooth rear sprocket for the lowest gear. I spent A LOT of money to get 26 tooth chainring and a 28 tooth sprocket to lower the gear ratio. Now I go up those hills at about 4.5 mph an I am happy.

When I was commuting with a book bag, it was extra-difficult.

Succinctly, I would recommend a triple crankset (three chainrings in front), and low gearing in the back. Ask for a "touring crankset" of 28-38-48 teeth and "low gearing" or "mountain bike gearing" in the back.

My first road bike was an economy Nashbar bike from 1989 and it had gearing like I just described. Campagnolo hardware is designed for well conditioned athletes and racers, only, so it does not have low gearing selections.

Have fun!