syntaxjunkie
04-22-2006, 12:48 PM
I got an email today from a friend who's thinking about buying a bike. She hasn't owned one for several years, and asked for some advice as to what to look for, etc. I whipped up the following tidbits. Since I know there are a lot of bike buyers and LBS folks who use this site, I'm curious to hear what additional/contradictory advice you might have.
1. Have a price in mind, but don't be ruled by it absolutely.
Let's say you decide you want to spend around $700 on a bike. You will find a lot of bikes under $700 and a lot that cost more. If you fall in love with a bike that costs $825, should you shun it? Biking is like any form of exercise: the likelihood of doing it regularly is directly proportional to how comfortable you are doing it. No bike will keep you from getting tired after grinding up a long hill or make your first all-day sojourn a walk in the park. But as you try a number of bikes, you'll notice that certain ones just feel right. Like you belong on them. If you settle for a bike you're less comfortable on because it's priced a little lower than the one you really want, you'll save some money in the short term. But in the long run, you'll either end up riding it less, or spending more than you saved to make it into the bike you want. Think of a bike not as a purchase, but as an investment. The return on your investment is measured enjoyment, fitness and health. These are hard things to put a price tag on, but certainly worth more than $125 over the life of your bike.
2. Make Changes and Adjustments.
It's rare that a bike will be set up perfectly for you right off the showroom floor. Standard adjustments like seatpost height can't account for every riding style or body type. If a bike doesn't feel quite right the first time you take it out on a test ride, tell the sales person about it and ask him or her to make some adjustments. This can include swapping out parts like seats, stems and handlebars to dial in a better feel. Good bike shops and good salespeople will work with you to make a bike right. If you do swap out parts, you probably won't get them free, but many shops will discount them as part of a bike purchase. If the changes don't solve the problem, move on to a new bike. Something that seems like a small discomfort or inconvenience on a test ride will blossom into a full-blown sufferfest on a long ride. You'll end up hating your bike and hating biking, which defeats the purpose of buying a new bike.
3. What Kind of Bike?
You'll be looking at three basic types of bike: Mountain Bikes, Road Bikes and Comfort Bikes. Comfort bikes are sort of a hybrid of mountain bike and road bike, but aren't really quite like either one. Most have mountain bike-inspired components like front shocks, but these shocks typically have less travel than their standard off-road counterparts. The main differences lie in geometry and components. Comfort bikes tend to have more compact geometry that allows (or forces) you to sit more upright while riding. They also tend to use components (pedals, derailleurs, tires, brakes, seats) that are less robust than the ones found on mountain bikes. When they were first introduced, they were marketed to people who wanted to ride both off-road and paved trails on the same bike. Realistically, they are much better suited to asphalt than dirt. The upright riding position and compact geometry that are comfortable for a short spin around the park don't always respond well to the range of positions used in off-road riding. And components designed for more casual riding may not hold up to extended dirt adventures. Think about the riding you'll do realistically. If you're likely to stick to paved paths and short rides, a comfort bike is probably the way to go. But if you're going to going off road more than once or twice a year, you'll enjoy it more on a mountain bike. And if you aspire to longer rides on paved surfaces and roads, there's now a greater range in road bike designs and geometry to offer a comfortable ride to people who aren't hardcore roadies.
1. Have a price in mind, but don't be ruled by it absolutely.
Let's say you decide you want to spend around $700 on a bike. You will find a lot of bikes under $700 and a lot that cost more. If you fall in love with a bike that costs $825, should you shun it? Biking is like any form of exercise: the likelihood of doing it regularly is directly proportional to how comfortable you are doing it. No bike will keep you from getting tired after grinding up a long hill or make your first all-day sojourn a walk in the park. But as you try a number of bikes, you'll notice that certain ones just feel right. Like you belong on them. If you settle for a bike you're less comfortable on because it's priced a little lower than the one you really want, you'll save some money in the short term. But in the long run, you'll either end up riding it less, or spending more than you saved to make it into the bike you want. Think of a bike not as a purchase, but as an investment. The return on your investment is measured enjoyment, fitness and health. These are hard things to put a price tag on, but certainly worth more than $125 over the life of your bike.
2. Make Changes and Adjustments.
It's rare that a bike will be set up perfectly for you right off the showroom floor. Standard adjustments like seatpost height can't account for every riding style or body type. If a bike doesn't feel quite right the first time you take it out on a test ride, tell the sales person about it and ask him or her to make some adjustments. This can include swapping out parts like seats, stems and handlebars to dial in a better feel. Good bike shops and good salespeople will work with you to make a bike right. If you do swap out parts, you probably won't get them free, but many shops will discount them as part of a bike purchase. If the changes don't solve the problem, move on to a new bike. Something that seems like a small discomfort or inconvenience on a test ride will blossom into a full-blown sufferfest on a long ride. You'll end up hating your bike and hating biking, which defeats the purpose of buying a new bike.
3. What Kind of Bike?
You'll be looking at three basic types of bike: Mountain Bikes, Road Bikes and Comfort Bikes. Comfort bikes are sort of a hybrid of mountain bike and road bike, but aren't really quite like either one. Most have mountain bike-inspired components like front shocks, but these shocks typically have less travel than their standard off-road counterparts. The main differences lie in geometry and components. Comfort bikes tend to have more compact geometry that allows (or forces) you to sit more upright while riding. They also tend to use components (pedals, derailleurs, tires, brakes, seats) that are less robust than the ones found on mountain bikes. When they were first introduced, they were marketed to people who wanted to ride both off-road and paved trails on the same bike. Realistically, they are much better suited to asphalt than dirt. The upright riding position and compact geometry that are comfortable for a short spin around the park don't always respond well to the range of positions used in off-road riding. And components designed for more casual riding may not hold up to extended dirt adventures. Think about the riding you'll do realistically. If you're likely to stick to paved paths and short rides, a comfort bike is probably the way to go. But if you're going to going off road more than once or twice a year, you'll enjoy it more on a mountain bike. And if you aspire to longer rides on paved surfaces and roads, there's now a greater range in road bike designs and geometry to offer a comfortable ride to people who aren't hardcore roadies.