techmaren
I would like to start riding bikes...and ultimately participate in a bike ride. I have never really done anything like this before and haven't riden a bike since I was a kid. I know there will be alot of time put in preparing for a ride. But where should I even start? What kind of bike is good for this type of thing? Any tips or suggestions? HELP! =)
Answer
The best bike for an entry level cyclist is not the same as for a serious road or trail cyclist. It's more like what a city commuter would ride. "city" or "hybrid"--best way to recognize them is, they will let you sit more or less like a person leaning forward on a chair to listen to an interesting conversation, not practically flat on your stomach. You can put a high stem (handlebar holder) and upright handlebars on a road bike, but they won't make the road bike handle well, and your will not be comfortable. Some modern city bikes are very heavy (especially as a trade off for a very low step-through) and they will never really be bikes for longer group rides.
I like moustache type handle bars, so my arms and hands are comfy. Drop your hands into a "holding the bars" position on imaginary handlebars in front of you, and hold the position a while, allowing your hands to adjust to whatever is comfortable.
There are also cruisers and semi-recumbents that let you sit waaaay back, but they often don't turn as well, and they don't always use your leg power well. Buy only if you are freaked on a bike, and want to be able to put your feet down FLAT, on both sides, while stopped. A cheap, old mountain bike (no shocks needed--they go bad first on cheap, old mountain bikes) will also do, to get you started.
Find a bike store first, someplace where they repair bikes. Ask them if they know anyone with some inexpensive used bikes, or find out if they will help you fix up something that you find at goodwill. After a couple of months, you'll make a much better choice of how you want to be sitting on a bike, and you can upgrade.
Aluminum bikes can't be fixed if they get bent or dented. A good steel bike can be as light as an aluminum bike. Any material is fine for getting started.
Internal hubs are foolproof &low maintenance, but hard to find. If your area is not hilly, a 5-speed or even 3-speed (internal or regular) or an old 10- or 12-speed is fine for getting comfortable. Chain and gears and brakes must be in good shape, or you will be miserable and not ride, or ride and be unsafe.
"Stand over height" is not a useful measurement for serious cyclists, who want a geometry that perfectly matches their proportions. For those of us who just want to not whack our "private bits" on the top tube, it's a very useful measurement--it means what it sounds like.
When you pedal, you want your leg to be almost all the way extended at the bottom of the stroke, and you don't want your knees up past horizontal at the top of the stroke. Otherwise, you can give yourself major knee problems. The seat tube normally allows you a lot of adjustment in height, but you do need to check that you can get the seat the right height.
Most new cyclists buy seats that seem like pillows for the first 5 minutes, but may chafe or press very badly after an hour, making them useless when you start doing rides. If you have a big bike store near you, with a stationary bike, go in with normal pants / shorts, and test ride 6 or 7 different saddles from their "cheap" bin. Some you will know in 3 minutes that they hit you badly. Some will look like they should work fine, but...no good. Eventually you will find one that seems OK for at least 20 minutes.
The side benefit, you will get used to turning your legs in a circle for quite a while, you can practice shifting, and you can see how you like to sit on the trainer while you pick your saddle!
There are some different standards as far as mixing and matching parts, but if you stick with bikes and parts from the past 15 years, and avoid a lot of high-end, overpriced, gimmicky stuff that you don't know enough about to buy, anyway, you will mostly be able to combine things you like: handlebars that fit your hands, seat that fits your bottom, bike that fits your size.
I will also mention small-wheel bikes. Unlike the trick bikes, there are some folders and other bikes with very small wheels that are actually fine for riding 50 miles or more. The benefits are portability, maneuverability, and a very low step-over height, so you can hop on and off easily. Think Dahon, Downtube,
Again, even if you eventually hope to do multi-day road bike rides, I would not start on a road bike, unless you were a confident rider in your youth, and you have a friend about your size who is willing to lend you their bike. I also would not pay a lot and get stuck with a bike that fits your mental image of "you as a rider," but not your actual body.
You do not want a "fixie" (they are cool, but not a beginner bike). Spend under $150 on a used bike (plus a seat and handlebars you really like, and new brake pads, and some chain lube). Later, spend the $$$.
Helmet!!! Lights!!! Find your local bike advocacy group, or coffee shop / bike store riders. Ask cyclists about their bikes, at the bike rack. Sidewalks are NOT safer than streets (driveways). HAVE FUN!
What bikes have shifting gears?
Dude, are they mountain bikes or BMX bikes?
Answer
mt bikes
roadbikes
hybrids
comfort bikes
cyclocross
lots do
ones that don;t
kid bikes
penny farthings
track bikes
fixies
single speed bikes
unicycles
kid trikes
boneshakers
bmx
wle
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