I have a friend looking to buy a bike for casual riding and exercise. He went to a bike shop and felt like the guy was trying to rip him off, though he wasn't sure which is why he wants to do some research first. He's looking to spend anywhere from 250-400, he was asking me about what frame size he should get. He's 6'4" if you need that info to take into account. He'd also like to know some good brands, and any other information you think he might need to know while making this purchase decision. Thanks a lot for any information you can share =)
Advice Buying a Bike Please
- Thread starter D_Harry Bacque
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Find your local Trek dealer.
Make sure the shop actually measures your friend for a frame (they'll measure his inseam, and his reach and stuff like that). Then (with Trek and a few other brands) they can recommend a bike with a certain size frame and frame geometry that will fit him best and allow him to ride comfortably.
Regardless of what brand you get, you want to make sure it's got all Shimano shifters, sprockets, deraileurs and all that. Front shocks are nice, don't bother with rear shocks or the crazy bikes with shocks all around. Unless you are really doing mountain biking you don't need anything more than the front.
Quick release wheels and seat are a big help, and disc brakes are worth the added initial expense if anything just because you don't have to adjust them later.
For a men's bike of a decent brand, you're looking around 400-450 for the middle-lower end. For your friend his height might limit him a little because most bikes are designed around 6 feet.
Whatever he buys, make sure he can get toe clips (they'll cost a few bucks more -- I like the ones with metal pedals and plastic parts), bar ends (these are the upright add-ons to the handle bars and are generally a cheap option), and I'd recommend getting a cheaper Cat-eye (little bike computer -- seems extra but it really helps you keep pace and meet your goals). Those are all options, but in this economy you should be able to negotiate some sort of deal on them if you buy it all with the bike.
Make sure he can almost lock out his knee on the downstroke when pedaling while not feeling like he is straining his neck (it's a combo of frame size/geometry, then seat height and handlebar height).
Make sure the shop actually measures your friend for a frame (they'll measure his inseam, and his reach and stuff like that). Then (with Trek and a few other brands) they can recommend a bike with a certain size frame and frame geometry that will fit him best and allow him to ride comfortably.
Regardless of what brand you get, you want to make sure it's got all Shimano shifters, sprockets, deraileurs and all that. Front shocks are nice, don't bother with rear shocks or the crazy bikes with shocks all around. Unless you are really doing mountain biking you don't need anything more than the front.
Quick release wheels and seat are a big help, and disc brakes are worth the added initial expense if anything just because you don't have to adjust them later.
For a men's bike of a decent brand, you're looking around 400-450 for the middle-lower end. For your friend his height might limit him a little because most bikes are designed around 6 feet.
Whatever he buys, make sure he can get toe clips (they'll cost a few bucks more -- I like the ones with metal pedals and plastic parts), bar ends (these are the upright add-ons to the handle bars and are generally a cheap option), and I'd recommend getting a cheaper Cat-eye (little bike computer -- seems extra but it really helps you keep pace and meet your goals). Those are all options, but in this economy you should be able to negotiate some sort of deal on them if you buy it all with the bike.
Make sure he can almost lock out his knee on the downstroke when pedaling while not feeling like he is straining his neck (it's a combo of frame size/geometry, then seat height and handlebar height).
Good advice, Pleasureboy. Covers everything I'd have said.
Another thing to consider is what your friend wants to use the bike for. If he's going to do pure road cycling, a tourer/racer would probably suit him best. If he wants to go off-road, a mountain bike or hybrid would be better depending on how much time he wants to spend on road/track/trail etc.
Another thing to consider is what your friend wants to use the bike for. If he's going to do pure road cycling, a tourer/racer would probably suit him best. If he wants to go off-road, a mountain bike or hybrid would be better depending on how much time he wants to spend on road/track/trail etc.
Yeah go to a good bike shop that has been in business for a long time their people are usually very helpful
Ｉasked in one shop why Ｉ should buy from and not some downscale shop or big box store. Ｉlistened and then Ｉ bought. one thing Ｉ appreciated was his explanation of fitting the bike to the rider; Ｉ hadn't known there were multiple frame sizes.
He won't get much in his budget. That's the bottom end. Probably do better used -- local bike shop bulletin board, craigslist, eBay....
D_Gunther Snotpole
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Agree.
A lot of shops will have some used bikes for sale.
Some shops sell only used bikes.
These will cost more than something on craigslist or eBay, but it might be worth the extra expense for the chance to try things on before buying.
You can sample several or many.
That's a huge advantage.
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