buying a bicycle, need info/advice

[45calibre]

i have made the decision to drop money on a decent bicycle. my budget is set at $500 max and would like some info on what brands to go to and which to stay away from. i am leaning towards a mountain bike. i will mostly be riding paved bike trails but occasionally riding off road(grassy hills) and i also plan on riding on the sand dunes. that is the most off road i plan on doing. realistically i would like to spend around $300 but will spend up to $500 if need be. from the little research i have done TREK seems to be a very reputable brand.

i have never owned a bicycle and have never ridden on sand dunes but i am looking forward to doing this, although i dont even know if its possible to ride on sand dunes with a mountain bike.

 

[Bennettjh]

Here's a link to the Trek I have.

TrekBikes.com Bike Archive | 2011 4500 Disc

Mine is exactly like this(plus some dirt and mud). Disc brakes are awesome!

 

[74J10]

You can't ride a bike on sand dunes. It would be awful. You will have to work really hard to maintain speed and the front tire will try to slide out on you every time you turn. It sucks!

With that said, Treks are nice, Giants are nice, Specialized are nice. Raliegh is decent. In all honesty, most of these bikes are made in the same factory anyways, just made to the spec of the parent company (frame geometry at least) and the put a different sticker on it. Most of it is made from the same source aluminium and same manufacturing process. The difference is often in the parts.
First off I would highly recommend aluminum over steel frame. The modern steel frame bikes are HEAVY. Alumimium is much lighter. Then I would ride as many different types as you can. Go to a decent shop, tell them what you are thinking of doing and they should be able to point you to the various types. Off hand, you sound like a comfort bike rider. This is kind of the middle groung between street and off road. It has a 26" wheel, semi slick fat tires. Normally have a front shock and twist grip shifters. Very up-right riding position. Made to ride mostly roads, not winning any races, with capability of some very moderate off road, mostly mulch or gravel trails like those in most city parks or the Canal Tow Path in Indy. They can be had in your price range too. You could also go with a true mountain bike like listed above. That will have knobier tires and higher rolling resistance with a more agressive riding position. You could also go for a hybird, this is the streetier bike. It has 700C wheels so they are slightly larger and more narrow, kinda like a true road bike. This lowers the rolling resistance significantly. These also have an upright riding position.

I would try to ride each of them at a bike shop and see what feels best. No matter what, feel of the bike is most important. I recommend BGI South at Emerson and Country line road. There is another BGI on the north side that is good too. The other shops around town are nice, too. There is Matthews on Pendelton Pike and I-465, Indy Cycle Specialist at Washington and Arlington, Grey Goat at US31 south and Edgewood.

EDIT: Crap, just saw you are NWI. Only shop I know of there is at US30 and Cline. Not a huge fan. Don't know of any other shops up there unfortunately.

 

[45calibre]

well then scratch that sand dune idea. my use is going to be all paved trails with occasional gravel,grass, and dirt. i would also like something that i can get decent speed with and go all out on.

 

[Whitsettd8]

Adding to 74J10 I would recommend going to a shop and getting fitted. Fit is extremely important on a bike and you don't want to end up on the wrong size frame. Check out the cyclecross lines as well. Road race geometry but equipped to go off road. I have owned a few road bikes a trek 5200 and cannondale Six-13 both awesome bikes. Like 74 said most your money is in components, stick to Shimano or SRAM they have their different tiers but most their stuff is pretty good. Once your'e fitted and you know what bike your looking for check Craigslist or Ebay people buy bikes thinking they are going to ride but just end up sitting around and get sold quite a bit cheaper than purchased.

 

[bstewrat3]

In the price range you are looking at, my number one recommendation is to not get suspension. By not getting a front shock you will typically get better shifters, deraileurs and brakes.

Definitely seek out a couple bicycle shops and ride several bicycles to see what you like best.

Ask about getting fitted to the bicycle, because even if the frame size is right the reach to the bars may not be. The saddle is another area you may want to try several of. The wide gel seats may look more comfortable, but usually allow you to shift around and cause more discomfort. Buy bike shorts and ride a saddle that fits. You will have discomfort at first from the seat if you ride enough, but ride through it over a couple of weeks and it will go away. There is so much to pass on, but I'll leave it for now.

 

[karl77]

Schwinn on ridge road in highland.

very happy with my Raleigh hybrid.

 

[r.gray87]

I recently went looking for an entry level mountain bike, I couldn't do it at your max. slightly under your budget is a Trek 7.1. It's a fitness bike, in its barebones state you can get for right above $400. However, I've always been told to get a nice frame and upgrade the rest if you need to later. The 7.2 has an improved frame and if you get the V-brakes, the ones that squeeze the wheel, you can go just a pinch over $500 and have a nice set of wheels that would be great for riding on paved trails. The occasional grass/dirt might be a bit of an issue for you though.

I've had friends with the 8.1/8.2 Dual sport bikes from Trek that have been happy and looking for the same things as you.

 

[45calibre]

Schwinn on ridge road in highland.

very happy with my Raleigh hybrid.

Do you mean ridge cyclery?

 

[gregkl]

$500 is barely enough for a bike to "go all out". I would call a $500 hardtail mountain bike entry level. Will it work? Yes.

If you are older, a full suspension offers a ride that is easier on your body, but you are not even halfway money wise to a bike I would recommend. So stick with a hardtail.

As far as fit, it isn't a road bike. You won't be spending hours in one position racking up miles. Get a basic height, inseam check and have the sales guy put you in the right frame size. Don't worry about all the rest. Just ride it. If you get really serious, you will end up buying a more expensive bike anyway and by the time you have lot's of hours riding you will know what to tweak on the bike make it suit you better.

 

[gregkl]

In the price range you are looking at, my number one recommendation is to not get suspension. By not getting a front shock you will typically get better shifters, deraileurs and brakes.

Definitely seek out a couple bicycle shops and ride several bicycles to see what you like best.

Ask about getting fitted to the bicycle, because even if the frame size is right the reach to the bars may not be. The saddle is another area you may want to try several of. The wide gel seats may look more comfortable, but usually allow you to shift around and cause more discomfort. Buy bike shorts and ride a saddle that fits. You will have discomfort at first from the seat if you ride enough, but ride through it over a couple of weeks and it will go away. There is so much to pass on, but I'll leave it for now.

Agree.

Try before you buy. And most bike shops will swap stems and seat posts around to fit you better. Some bikes have adjustable stems to help with the handlebar positioning.

People look at my saddle on my road bike and think it must be awful, yet it is the most comfortable saddle I have ever ridden upon.

 

[45calibre]

I am young, only 24.

I went to look at some bikes today. I saw a raleigh musceo 2.0 road bike that was 500 with a 50 dollar mail in rebate. I really liked it however i want some off road capability.

I also saw a GT mountain bike for about 450 that i really liked i didnt get the name though.

I finally saw a trek 3700 mountain bike that i am really thinking about getting. It was 430.

How is raleigh?

 

[Hookeye]

$500 max IMHO means getting a better model/brand used bike.

 

[Whitsettd8]

If your only looking for light off road use I would stay away from the mountain bike unless you plan on running multiple sets of tires. The rolling resistance or a mountain bike on the road is gonna beat you down quick as compared to a hybrid or road bike. I just sold a Specialized CX4 with light knobbies for turf and slicks for road. I could easily maintain 17+ mph on the road which might be a struggle for a typical mountain bike. I rode trails probably 5-10% of the time so road has always been my primary focus.

 

[45calibre]

i ended up buying a hybrid bike. its a raleigh misceo 2.0

 

[HICKMAN]

I have the Giant Escape 2 and really love it.


Hard to find a decently priced bike that will support almost 300 pounds, but this one does it.

 

[45calibre]

Agree.

Try before you buy. And most bike shops will swap stems and seat posts around to fit you better. Some bikes have adjustable stems to help with the handlebar positioning.

People look at my saddle on my road bike and think it must be awful, yet it is the most comfortable saddle I have ever ridden upon.

can you recommend a more comfortable saddle? i ended up getting a raleigh misceo 2.0 and the saddle hurts.

 

[74J10]

IMO smaller is better. The less you have to contact the seat the less places to rub and get sore. But you have to find one that fits you too. It's almost impossible to recommend specific saddles. You pretty much have to just try some. I really like Fizik, but they are expensive. Some shops will put a few on your bike and let you try it, they don't like to do it (probably won't tell you that, but trust me, no one likes to do this) and even with trying it, it isn't a guarantee. You really have to put some miles on it and break it and yourself in together. After 2-3 rides of 10-15 miles, you will know.

 

[bstewrat3]

I would recommend a Brooks in whatever design suits your taste, but they aren't cheap. I have upwards of 20.000 miles on mine that I use on my touring bike and it is comfortable with or without bike shorts. They look out of place on alot of bicycles though. All of my other bicycles have San Marco Rolls saddles.

 

[PistolBob]

For that kind of money...Trek or Giant