markntasha

Hi, me and hubby want to get the right bike for me and need to know where to start. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN PROVIDE!

She is petite, 5' 0". We will mostly be riding on asphalt but occasionally off road and on gravel and need some level of shock absorption. We prefer not to be in 4 figures for her equipment. Any advice on what type of bike would be good for us to look at, accessories and some brands under $500 (hope that is possible)? THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

Shadowx

I would find a good local bike store. You should be able to find a quality 26" mountian bike for that pricing. My 8yr old son is on a 26" extra small Marin. Its gonna mostly be about finding the right frame size. As far as tires, look for some good urban tires. Michelin protek 26x1.4 are on my sons bike and he loves them. Mickelin Protek urban is a good tire too but a step up in price. if you looking for a race style tire check out the michelin wold n run, or continental grand prix 26" .

prq9218

Have you gone to your local bike shop? I've usually had good luck with mine.

markntasha

Thank u so much SHADOWX and prq! We were thinking to avoid them cause they appear to cater more to racers and hardcore bicyclists and their expensive equipment but at least we can look into them and see if they carry bikes in the three figure ranges. Thanks again!

VegasTriker

Most of the chain store (multiple location) bike shops will have a selection over a wide price range. You can look up the location of such stores here - Bicycle Retailers with Multiple Store Locations. Unfortunately it is true that some independent shops prefer to deal with high end bikes as the profit margin is larger. You can always leave if that is all you can see. One other place to look is REI if they happen to have a store near you. Membership is $20 for a lifetime and you get back 10% of whatever you spend there at the end of the year. https://www.rei.com/membership/benefits for info and store locations.

Shelly81

I got my Liv Rove at my local bike store about s year ago. There's a few different levels that start in the $400-500 range. It's been a great bike for me.

bjjoondo 

My wife and I own Del Sol comfort bikes, made by Haro Bicycles. These bikes would do what you want in riding style and price. Del Sol Bicycles We have the Lxi 6.1 Luxury Models have been Very happy with them. Look for "Family Bike Shops" in your area, stay away from the Pro Shops for racers and tri-athletes. , most major brands of bicycles have a "Comfort Bike", just ask your salesperson for the style of machine. Good Luck.

VegasTriker

Look for the lightest bike in your price range. That may mean avoiding suspension. Front suspension on an entry level bike is pretty much a selling point for the uninitiated. It doesn't work very well, adds weight, robs some of the power put into pedaling, and diverts money better spent on the other components on the bike. Short people (and I am one) don't have the leverage taller riders have so it is way better to find a lighter bike to help compensate. As to a comfort bike: I looked at the Del Sol recommended above. It has that horrible spring saddle. Be very wary of wide saddles. They can chafe the inner thighs. That would be especially true for a petite rider. Tire width is somewhat of a compromise. I use 1.75" wide,smooth tread tires on my mountain bikes for road riding but prefer narrower tires for road bikes. You don't have to go as narrow as 23 or 25 mm which are more for fast riders but a bike with 28-32 mm tires is a good compromise.

rm -rf

Yes, wider tires than the usual 23 or 25 mm ones on road bikes can be run at much lower air pressure, making a smooth ride over bumpy road. Look for at least 28mm, maybe 35mm or wider. That's 1.2 to 1.5 inches. (Front shocks on mountain bikes are good for riding over very rough terrain, rocks and roots, and are not necessary on paved roads or on rail trails.)

Appropriate tire pressures will give a smooth ride without slowing you down. 35mm tires could be around 45 to 50 psi front, 50 to 65 psi rear. Heavier riders would be at the high end of this range. (25mm road tires are often 90 front, 105 rear.)

The squishy, wide saddles are good for casual riders, that ride shorter rides, maybe 30 minutes or less. They can get very uncomfortable for longer rides.

There's a few high end only bike shops, but most will have bikes in your price range.