Beginner bikes for memenee

[sadlebred]

Ok, so be a bit more specific memenee. What are you looking to do with your bike? What kind of bike are you looking for? What is your budget (be realistic. If you want a new road bike you are looking at $1000++)? Have you started shopping? Have you been to any local bike shops to look and try bikes? What brands do your local bike shops carry? I (and Susie) can recommend something, but if you can't buy it locally it does you no good.

[memenee]

Thank you for your help!


The only bike I own is a beach cruiser for tooling around the neighborhood with the kids.

I would like to finally take the plunge and sign up for a triathlon, which of course I would need a decent bike for. I can't afford to spend $1000 on a bike right now, especially if I do the Tri and don't necessarily get the bug to do more or to seriously throw cycling into the mix. So basically a 'starter' bike, if such a thing exists, that will suit me just fine unless I want to take this to a whole other level down the road and upgrade.

There is a free womens Tri group at the Y that I stopped into once briefly - I mentioned the lack of a decent bike and kinda got a very wide range of suggestions.

There are two local bike shops that were recommended to me, but honestly I have hesitated thus far because I don't quite know yet what to look for and don't want to get swayed by a salesman.

I guess what I'm looking for is - what bike did you guys start out on before you realized cycling was it for you and you decided to upgrade?

Again, many thanks for your help!

[katandkevin]

I started on a mountain bike but had joined the Tri team at my local y and quickly realized that I needed something different. I purchased a road bike that was maybe $600. It did exactly what I needed it to do and I rode it for all my races including a half ironman. I only upgraded to a tri bike when I committed to a full ironman. I don't remember what brand my road bike was so I am no help there. If you go into a local bike store and figure out what size you are, you can always try looking on Craigslist for a used road bike.

[sadlebred]

Since you have no idea with you need, I'll send you to the local bike shop. Better yet, go to as many LBSes as you can. If you want a "nice" bike, look at entry level road bikes. They will start at about $600. I would NOT buy your first nice bike on Craigslist. If you don't know what fits (the LBS will help with this!) and don't know what is "good," you could get burned. Sizes vary among brands and bikes. A 48 cm in one brand is the same size as a 50 cm in another. I can ride a 46 cm road bike in one brand but a 52 in another. Like women's clothing, sizing varies.

Going into a bike stop, taking up their time, and then buying something on Craigslist is like going to the running store, trying on all the shoes, and then buying them online. Not cool.

[memenee]

sadlebred and others - just to confirm, what would be best would be a road bike and not a hybrid?

Thanks for your time, I know you guys are on a whole other level than I, so I appereciate you taking the time to help someone just starting out down this path.

[sadlebred]

If you want to do tris and think you will really like them, go ahead and get a road bike. They are made for riding on the road. Hybrids don't really do anything well. If you want to tow the kids in the trailer, mess around on the local crushed gravel loop, etc. they consider a hybrid. You already have a cruiser for that, though.

If it were me, I'd get a road bike.

[katandkevin]

The only reason I suggested looking on Craigslist was because she isn't even sure if she wants to do more than one tri. I wouldn't want to sink a lot of money into a purchase not knowing if I would use it again. I have a hard time believing she won't be hooked after her first tri, but I understand that they aren't for everyone.

[sadlebred]

Jan 26, 2015 20:04:15 GMT -5 memenee said:

I would like to finally take the plunge and sign up for a triathlon, which of course I would need a decent bike for. I can't afford to spend $1000 on a bike right now, especially if I do the Tri and don't necessarily get the bug to do more or to seriously throw cycling into the mix. So basically a 'starter' bike, if such a thing exists, that will suit me just fine unless I want to take this to a whole other level down the road and upgrade.

There are two local bike shops that were recommended to me, but honestly I have hesitated thus far because I don't quite know yet what to look for and don't want to get swayed by a salesman.

I guess what I'm looking for is - what bike did you guys start out on before you realized cycling was it for you and you decided to upgrade?

If you can find out what brands they carry, I can make some specific recommendations for road bikes you might want to look at in the "under $700" range.

I forgot to answer your other question. I've been riding bikes (and horses) my entire life. After college I wanted to mountain bike and got a Schwinn Frontier GS hybrid. It was fine until I took it off road. I quickly replaced it with a Gary Fisher (Trek) Paragon real mountain bike (Dec. 1996). That spring I got an old Cannondale Road Bike b/c my friends did road riding. The next year I won an Airborne Titanium mountain bike* in an online contest. The following year (1998) I bought my first nice road bike, an Italian Casati with Ultegra components. Then I got a custom mountain bike and a second custom mountain bike (26er hardtails)...and a custom titanium road bike...and the matching customer titanium cyclocross bike....It goes downhill from there. The titanium bikes are still in my stable and are ridden regularly.

*A friend of mine still rides the Airborne although she's replaced all of the components.