Originally Posted by
Ductunder2020
Hello all!
I am new here and also new to cycling. Me and the wife want to get into bike riding. We are interested in using it for exercise as well as trail riding(camping), off road, and around town occasionally. We were told to not get a bike from local department store such as Walmart.
We have looked online at some reputable bike shops and noticed they are very expensive.
So I was hoping to get advice on what to get.
How to get a good fit bike, what type of bike to get, and recommended 2nd hand places to buy.
Some quick info about me. I am 5'10 185lbs, she is 5'6 and 160lbs.
.
- Walmart does a poor job assembling heavy, cheap bikes that are not very durable.
- Yes, $400 at a bike is a stretch if you are comparing it to Walmart. But you get a well built bike that will be more durable and weigh 10lbs less (at least). Yes, your local bike shop is sold out because the gyms are closed, lots of parks close, movie theaters closed, etc.
- Second hand: Facebook Marketplace, or search for local user groups that focus on bikes; Craigs List
-- Craigs List - buyer be ware. There's a someone local to me in Detroit, also on these boards, who is selling really nice old bikes that he's put time and money into. So it's possible to get a really nice older bike from CL. You can also spend $40 on crap.
- "Trails" - paved multi use paths (MUPs)? Or dirt single track with roots and rocks? Those are very different bikes for enjoyable riding. If your tolerance for having things suck is high, you can use any bike for either. That's what I do.
- Size: measure your inseam and read up on "stand over height"...... don't make me google that for you.... doh! too late...
Let Me Google That
https://www.google.com/search?q=bicy...height%20chart
roughly: 5' 10" : maybe like a 54cm seat tube. you also have to look at top tube and reach (medium size)
5'6' (female); maybe 48 ~ 50cm seat tube. (small size)
Sounds like since you're just getting started, maybe just a couple of decently maintained Schwinn 10 speeds from CL. They are kind of heavy. They are robust. Easy to maintain. Cheap. A nice entry drug to cycling, my opinion.
- Like this:
https://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/b...141867504.html
- The seller should have the handle bars level, the seat level, matching tires, at least one picture where you can see the cranks and the whole bike.
OK. That's it. I should get back to work now......
ciao