Type of bike for NYC
 

I live in Queens, and want to purchase my first bike. My friend bought a Specialized Rockhopper about 2 months ago, I've messed around with his bike and I like it. He says get the mountain bike, because its more versatile. However he even said to me that all his riding been done on paved roads. When I look around there are far more mountain bikes than road bikes, but if I'm going only on paved roads, wouldn't road bike make more sense?

NYC? Fixie with a messenger bag

NYC roads can be like mountain trails what with how many potholes we get. The answer totally depends on what kind of riding you want to do. Want to be able to run over almost any crack, pothole, or death cookie? MTB's your thing. Want speed and maneuverability? Go for a road bike. Try out a bunch of different bikes at your LBS (including city hybrids and whatnot), and see what you like. If you end up catching the bug, you'll be getting more than one bike eventually anyway...

Yeah.I have 3 bikes.MTB for the winter and errand.Believe me road bikes are unridable in winters likwe the last one.My commuter is an old Trek 760 racing bike.Wonderful machine that is a pleasure to ride and I also have a high end Titanium(Litespeed) for my long journeys up north 50-100miles.

I use a mountain bike for commuting with skinnier tires. It works out OK for that. For real riding though I use my road bikes. There are bikes like the Sirrus which are more upright than a regular road bike but are still light and agile.

Hey Mike, I'm from Queens also, Flushing to be exact. How about you?

I have had my mountain bike for a few years and usually just rode on pavement, with occasional trail riding.

I just picked up a fixie last week though. I enjoy it alot more than my mountain bike. Riding the fixie on pavement versus riding a mountain bike on pavement is night and day.

I think you would be better of getting a road bike if you are going to be riding strictly on pavement.

I only use one bike, a FUJI Newest 1.0 roadbike. I can't ride while it's snowing but
for the last 2 winters I've been using it on my 100 mile per week commutes. Usually
the roads are cleared in a day or two after the snow stops. Here's me riding 1 or 2
days after one of the worst snowstorm we had this winter:

I live in Middle Village, I'm leaning towards a mountain bike so I have a capability of hitting trails, I will also use it to ride to work and gym. Hopefully if I have a day off next I'll get one.

I'm in Kew Gardens and most of my riding is in Forest Park nowadays. Once in a while, I'll ride out around eastern Queens, or do some laps around Prospect or Central Park. All paved, so I started on a hybrid and then bought a road bike. There are some awesome trails in Cunningham, I hear. So if you go for the mountain bike, you can really use it. And the bike beefiness will go a long way on the roads out here. You can't go wrong with a MTB unless you start wanting to do, like centuries.

I'll have to side with reducedfatoreo here. All different types of bikes have their pros and cons, so don't listen to what anyone here tells you you should buy -- just find a local bike shop and demo a whole bunch of different bikes under the exact conditions you want to ride, and pick what feels best. (And I agree you will probably end up getting more than one bike eventually, so don't feel like you're making a compromise -- just that you're picking what works best for you right now and you'll get more later!)

a road bike is built more for speed than comfort and they aren't really good at hitting potholes. "paved" road isn't a good description of NYC roads, are roads are pretty messed up. this is your first bike, i recommend you get something that is built for both road and off-road. also, you're going to want to test ride a few bikes before buying one.

what is your price range?

NYC?

Fixie :)

i never understood why someone would want a fixed gear in NYC.

No, that's Portland, OR.

Mountain bikes are great for city riding.

I have a bike built on an early 90's Specialized Stumpjumper frame. It's great with rough roads and potholes, I wouldn't hesitate to ride it in the city. I'm still dialing in the fit, but I built it for shorter rides - no more than 10 miles - to be nimble and fun. But you can make a MTB more comfortable for longer rides by getting stuff like barends and a better saddle, and you can make them faster by putting on slick or semi-slick tires. Flat bars (as opposed to riser bars) will let you put more on the handlebars in the way of lights and computers and so on, but they're not as adjustable as riser bars.

Personally, I prefer hardtail frames, but you might want to get something with a front suspension fork. Just try to find one where you can lock out the suspension. Rear suspension in particular is overkill unless you're on rocks and singletrack. (Good suspension frames are also pretty expensive, see this page for more info about that.)

As neilfein stated, don't get a bike with rear suspension unless you're using it as an off road bike. Rear suspensions add weight, cost and suck up pedaling power.

+1

I was intrigued by fixies but I tried climbing a hill by house and realized it's not for me lol. I'm getting a Specialized Rockhopper 29er, my friend got a 26er.

There is one and only one bike that is THE most versatile bike for NYC. A folder. It opens up a world of possibilities. No other bike can you take on the subways than a folder.

IMO, a fold up bike only has one advantage, saving space, they are at disadvantage in every other category. If your primary goal isn't space saving stay away from fold up bikes. also, if I'm not mistaken all bike can be taken on the NYC subway.

Good luck trying to get a road bike or mtn bike on the subway during any time of the day with lots of people onboard, which is anytime the trains are running.

A folder IS the most versatile bike a NYC commuter can have.

we're getting off topic now, let's steer the ship back on course.

here is what we know about the OP:
1. he lives in Queens NY
2. he is a beginner and this is his first bike
3. he road a "mountain" bike and liked it

we need to know his price range.

it seems to me that the OP is mistaken the term "mountain" bike.

most of what you see, that you call a mountain bike isn't built for mountain riding, it's just a name that most people associate with certain looking bikes. most of those bikes are dual purpose(road/light off road). road bikes are built for smooth paved roads and they are designed for speed. in my opinion, get a decent bike that you feel comfortable on, with a front suspension, tires that aren't too knobby and have fun.

what is your price range?

If I was in NYC and needed a bike for around town I'd go as cheap as possible. Around here I can get mid-range 1990s full rigid MTBs for $50 or less and I love putting some 1.5" slicks and some BMX pedals on 'em for rollin' around town.

This kinda thing:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6045/...af53be1e_b.jpg
DSCN2024 by Lester Of Puppets, on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5226/...9a10acd6_b.jpg
DSCN1785 by Lester Of Puppets, on Flickr

Scored this one for $7.50 + tax at Salvation Army. It's almost too pretty for NYC streets IMO, though.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5307/...79a8a252_b.jpg
1991 GT Outpost. by Lester Of Puppets, on Flickr

I'd like to +1 everybody who recommended a hard-tail-mountain bike, similar to your friends rock-hopper.

They aren't very heavy, compared to the older bikes people like to commute on.

The gears "compact" are really good for stop & go red-light traffic.

They take a beating well, and hold a tune-up for a long time.

They are highly customizable (start with slicker skinnier tires, maybe). Lots of room for racks, a million kinds of fenders, and other goodies.

Cunningham Park, right there in Queens, is great fun on a mountain bike.

26" tires make sense in a city where pot-holes and cars chew up wheels (like if you want to bring your bike to Cunningham Park on a rear-car rack. Grrr)

They have good stopping power.

They are less vain than a fixie, less fragile than a road bike.

You can power-skid across Houston & parell to the middle island to escape me if I'm Cat-6'ing you. I wouldn't recommend this sort of trick, but its effectively awesome to watch.

Most importantly, unless you have a dentist in the family, it only takes one bad pothole with strong shocks to sell most riders on front suspension.

Used or new, you can find ample selections for any given price range.