Recommendations on Bicycles
 

It's been a couple of years now since I've bought a bike and was wondering if anyone had some recommendations or warnings about certain brands. I plan on riding to the gym in the morning (~5 mi.), then riding the 1/4 mile to work. As well as riding around town whenever I can.

I was also looking into the chainless bikes. They look pretty good, but if anyone has some experience with them I'd love to hear how they are.

Giant are always a safe bet for tough, reliable bikes. I've absoloutly abused the giants me and my friends have, and they still come back for more. :)

You really can't go wrong with Trek or Specialized (Giant is pretty good as well, tho made in China as the low level Treks and Specialized's are). Trek is number one in the world and Lance armstrong's choice, so they get a lot of promotion. I tend to avoid more gimmicky stuff like chainless bikes, auto shift bikes and so forth, and go with simple proven technology. I can probably answer more of your questions in a PM if you want since I work in a bike shop.

Make sure you buy your bike in a bike shop. You may already know this, but brands bought at Sears and Wal-Mart and places like that aren't likely to be very good. Also, the staff aren't likely to know anything.

Hope I'm not patronizing you if you already know this.

Bike shop employees are your best bet for questions. In my experience they rarely try to sell you something you don't need (of course that's a massive generalization). Good luck!

Big big bump to that, a bike shop is the best place to go by far.

Thanks for the recommendations. I live in a small town in mississippi, so I'm not really close to a dedicated bike shop. I was planning on ordering off the internet if possible since I wouldn't have to drive ~ 2 hours to a shop, although if it comes down to it I can.

I'm probably about to lose power due to Dennis, so I might be off the forum for a while. Thanks for all the help though.

Just want to second everybody's advice -- do buy in a bike shop if you can. I bought a Trek, which I recommend is a good brand. And I bought in a bike shop with good service. A few months after I bought the bike, I blew a spoke on the rear wheel and the bike shop fixed it no charge, on warranty. A couple of months later I blew _another_ spoke on that wheel. I asked the bike shop if it was my fault (I'm pretty heavy), but they said no, the manufacturer makes thousands of wheels a day and sometimes there's a bad one. They were on the phone to Trek then and there, and got permission from the company on the spot to build me a new wheel at no cost to me. I haven't had any problems since.

If you haven't got a good shop near you, you should do what you have to do. But that's why picking a bike shop is almost as important as picking the bike.

As a guy who has had back problems, I'd also recommend a bike with cruiser-style handlebars -- the kind that don't require you to lean forward while riding. Not as cool-looking, but much more comfortable.

Another bike shop employee here. Avoid the chainless bike. Like another poster said, avoid the all gimmik bikes like the auto-shifter etc. They usually run about the same quality as a Wal-Mart/Sears/Toys'R'Us bikes (complete crap) and are produced by some fly by night company with all kinds of promises of lifetime warranties and gaurentees, meanwhile they go out of business a year later. These bikes also use a good deal of proprietary parts, wich means you could be SOL if something breaks (especially if the company closes up shop).

Since the closest bike shop is 2 hours away... you might also want to invest in some tools to fix your bike when the inevitible happens. Tires go flat, rims bend, bolts losen, stuff breaks. You dont want to have to drive 2 hours just so a bike mechanic can tighten a shifter cable for you.

get aquanted with http://www.parktool.com :)

Another brand to consider is Cannondale. Top notch stuff. I find that most first time buyers take to Giants though. Not quite on par with a Cannondale or Trek, in my opinion, but very close. The prices for Giant bikes are usually very very reasonable for the level of components (brakes, shifters, wheels etc) they are equiped with.

Also, if youd like a nice barely ridden trek carbon fiber cross country mountain bike, im trying to get rid of mine. Its the deal of the century ;).Still pretty expensive though, I dont know how much your looking to spend.

Another big bump. I've had a Klein for years and love it. My brother-in-law has had pne for over 20 years and still riding it.

I have a Trek 7000 mtn bike and it's excellent.. You can find some good deals on ebay.. It's just like a car in that you will pay alot more from the dealer compared to a used one..

A good solid bike a Raleigh...

I would second most of what has been said here by the way...

Oh, yeah, a Raleigh was my first good bike. Solid, dependable and will last for years. It's what got me into serious biking. And the prices are much better than something like a Klein.