Thursday, September 23, 2010

Biking decisions - looking for a beginning adult bike

So my husband loves to bike. Seeing him do it and hearing how much fun he has makes me want to try biking. I have visions of our family biking around. This means I need a bike. The problem: I never biked much as a child or youth and I'm terrified of falling over. (My balance isn't great.) So I'm trying to find a bike that I can get on and off easily and put both feet on the ground. I want to use it to ride around with my husband and kids and potentially pull a bike trailer with the younger ones in it.

Use the mountain bike I have
cost: $35
pros:
  • cheap, I already own it
  • It's a decent bike
cons:
  • not the right size
  • bad memories
  • saddle hurts
explanation:
I got this bike at a yard sale a few years ago for $35. It needs a different saddle and the frame is a little too big for me. I've fallen over trying to get off this bike, so I'm a little worried about riding it again.

Get a cheap beach cruiser / hybrid
cost: $75 - 250
pros:
  • can get a step through frame to make getting on and off easier
  • If I don't end up liking riding a bike, I'm not out a lot of money
cons:
  • probably will be steel frame so heavy and rusts easily
  • you get what you pay for
  • A lot of beach cruisers are single speed
explanation:
A hybrid or a beach cruiser seem like what I am looking for, the step through would make it easy for me to get off without falling over. The cheaper bikes (like at wal-mart) tend to be heavier because they are made of steel.


Get a nicer beach cruiser / hybrid
cost: $350 - 600
pros:
  • Step through makes it easy to get on and off
  • some have forward pedals that let me put my feet down on the ground without having to have the seat to low.
cons:
  • expensive, especially since I don't know if I'll use the bike

Gears
Single
cost: $75 - 200 (depends)
pros:
  • very simple mechanically. if I got one from wal-mart there isn't much that could go wrong
cons:
  • towing is harder without multiple gears
three
cost: $100- 200
pros:
  • more gear choices
  • many have automatic shifters so that the chances of the chain coming off the derailers is slim. Also, I wouldn't have to be moving to change gears
cons:
  • more speeds make towing easier
seven
(same as 3 except the shifters aren't internal)

21
cost: $175 - $600
pros:
  • best for towing
  • more complicated for me because gears make no sense
cons:
  • chance of chain slipping or jumping
explanation:

breaks
coaster
  • stops, but not great for towing
hand breaks
  • stops the bike
Where to get the bike:
walmart
  • cheap
  • bikes assembled for you
  • easy returns
  • quality issues
on-line
  • better "bang for buck"
  • have to assemble it yourself
  • returns would be a pain
bike store
  • usually better customer service
  • knowledgeable customer service
  • can help you choose
  • more expensive prices (bikes start around $350)
classifieds
  • can get a good deal
  • have to know enough about bikes to tell if the bike is in good shape
  • no returns

Summary
I think what I want is an inexpensive 3 speed bike with hand breaks and step through aluminum frame. I'll probably get it online or from wallmart. My husband is good at bikes and can help me assemble a bike. I want a bike that will need less twiddling, so a three speed would probably be a good match. Since I don't know what I like in bikes, an inexpensive one would let me discover everything I hated about it so when I bought a new, I would know what to look for. Also, I could ride my husband's old mountain bike if I needed more gears.

(update 9/22/10)
I ended up getting a 21 speed Forge Athena from Target.  It was a pain to get set up, but it seems to be a good bike.

4 comments:

Robert Dozier said...

Check out the Schwinn Skyliner.

click for an image.


Ain't it So - the best bike I've ever owned. 21 gears, knobby tires, front shock absorbers. I added a gel seat. NICE.

melissa said...

Hey I stumbled upon your blog and I just wanted to say how much I like it. Thanks for your posts. I am now a follower here. I will be back for more updates! :-)

AskAMassivePro said...

nice post, helpful

Michelle H said...

Hi, I've just found your blog and this post rung true with me. We were in the same situation last summer and I've loved the bike I found. Didn't get much biking in because we had a newborn, but can't wait for next summer!