Genesiis

Hi everybody,

I'm new to the forums, so don't yell too much please? I recently learned how to ride a bike and fell in love with the relaxing sensation! Only took me 20+ years (man, I live under a rock)..! I would like to pick up cycling as a hobby on the weekends on some trails. I don't think I would bike more than 40 - 75 miles a week recreationally. I'm looking to buy a bike to start off, I still wobble! Haha. For shame, I know!

I went to the LBS and rode a few bikes, the person helping me was recommending a fuji hybrid bike (Fuji Absolute 2.0) and swore by the fuji brand. I'm not sure what brands are good, I did some reading and it seems like every bike label is made in china under the Kinesis factory except for one company?

I would ride on both paved roads and trails, but aren't road bikes fine for light dirt trails? As long as it's not rocks and boulders right?

Height : 5'8"
Weight : 150 lbs

Could someone help me out and take a look at these potential buys from CL and give me some insight? I know nothing about bikes and my budget is around $200-$400.

Cannondale F5 mountain bike MADE IN USA like new
TREK 2007 PILOT 1.0 ROAD BIKE FOR SALE
Fuji Team Road Bike 54cm ~ Super Nice Bike~ - $450
fuji bike and trainer

The forks on those bikes all look pretty straight to me, I had a hard time telling from the "How-to" guides /posts on this forum. Most of the pictures kind of looked similar even though they had defects.

Cheers and thank you!

DBA

I would try to ride several bikes.....different brands, different styles, etc. and choose the bike you feel most comfortable with.
A drop bar road bike, to me, is the most comfortable but it's not suitable for anything more than smooth dirt roads if you want to go off the pavement with it. This is primarily because I run 700x23's on the road bike (very narrow tires). Some road bikes can handle wider tires and fenders.
It might be worth thinking long term such as "do I see myself wanting to carry stuff on the bike?". If yes, look for eyelets that will allow you to mount racks to the bike. These are great for carrying clothing if you commute, books, etc.

Genesiis

I don't think I will be using the bike for commutes anywhere, it's more or less a hobby that will let me enjoy nature peacefully. I plan on biking mainly on trails (paved and light dirt / gravel), so I don't think I'll need carrying space.

WestPablo

Buying used can be crap shoot! If you don't know what you're doing, you could get quite easily duped.

It's always best not to gamble. You could do much better with an online distributor like Bikesdirect, Amazon, Nashbar, or Performance.

Currently, Amazon has the Marin Muirwoods 29er on sale for only $450. Since it's size 17", it should be perfect for you!

WestPablo

I would strongly suggest that you checkout the Marin Muirwoods 29er bike. It's part Urban Commuter and part mountain bike. You can get it now on sale with Amazon for only $450.

Buying used can really be a crap shoot, unless you really know what you're doing...

Always buy new, if you can!

It's made of chromoly steel and has decent components.

5' 8" = 17in

Genesiis

I will surely check it out, thank you!

How come some people post measurements in cm rather than inches? And why do some people say a 52cm is perfect for someone that's 5'4" when 42 cm = 17" which is meant for someone that's 5'8"?

1nterceptor

Usually roadbike measurements are in cm. and hybrid and mountainbikes are in in.
If you're new to cycling; I highly suggest to buy from with your local shop. They'll
sell you the right size and will warranty the bike for a year. Buying a used bike
and spending money because you missed something that was broken is not a
bargain. Same thing with online sales. First someone has to assemble it($), then
if something breaks - how do you warranty it?

WestPablo

C'mon, man___! Really?

VegasTriker

It is obvious that you need the help of a knowledgeable tourist rider (NOT a bike racer type) to help you if you are going to search the used bike market. Since all there of the CL listings are from Philadelphia area, here is a link to a local touring bike club: The Bicycle Club of Philadelphia -Home You might contact them and ask for help. I looked at the three you listed. The first one the Cannondale F5 is a 2008 model 2008 Cannondale F5 - BikePedia
. It had an MSRP of $630 so the asking price is no bargain. The components are OK but certainly not high end. The second one doesn't have a listed MSRP but the components are not very good 2007 Trek Pilot 1.0 - BikePedia
. The last one is a genuine Japanese made road bike dating back to the 1980s. It certainly should fit you. I'm not sure I would pay that much money for a 30 year old bike that would need a thorough going through. That's why I suggest you seek help from the local bike club. Someone there could help you wade through all of the junk that shows up on CL. The one MTB that I still ride (1990 Balance MTB) is 24 years old and cost me $450 15 years ago and came off the equivalent of CL back then. It is very light and has really nice components. The only repairs since then are two tires and normal lubrication. You certainly can get a lot more bike for your money versus a new bike.

As to the measurements - there are 2.54 cm in 1 inch so converting is easy. The problem is that the inch size that fits you in a road bike (probably 54 cm or 21 inches is close) would not fit you in a mountain bike because the frame design can be radically different. This measurement is the distance between the center of the cranks to the top of the seat tube (point where the seat post inserts into the frame).

The bike club should be able to fit you to different style bikes owned by club members and use those measurements to figure out which bikes to look at.

WestPablo

The only way to confirm a bike fit is to test ride the bike. Otherwise, you're either guessing, or making calculated approximations. Of course, the latter is preferred, but even then, sometimes, mistakes are made.

So therefore, one method of making a calculated approximation is thru the use of a bicycle sizing chart. Here's one for mountain bikes:

Mountain Bike Sizing and Fit - What is the Right Size Mountain Bike for Me?
(Mountain)

Here's one for road bikes:

https://bicycling.about.com/od/howtor...ike_sizing.htm
(Road)

* Just remember:

Some people have longer legs, than torsos. Some people have longer torsos, than legs. I've even seen people with extremely long necks and heads too!

Also, each bicycle company has different standards by which they assign bike sizes. For instance, a size 54cm made by Trek, may very well be a size 56cm made by Surly. Therefore, bikes sizes don't necessarily have to directly translate from bicycle company to bicycle company.

I guess, just like people, bicycle companies are different too!

Fastfingaz

alright Genesisi,,seeing that you started late,and theres no way you should be wobbleing at your age!! so to get rid of the wobble you got to ride plenty ! that means forget you own a automobile, do everything on your bike,, which ever one you buy,,, get a bike and start riding !! get the wobble out soon as possible!!

Retro Grouch 

My advice is to first shop for a bike shop.

Audition the bike shops in your area until you find the one with the staff person that you can identify with and who asks the "right" questions. There are new styles of bikes produced every year to fit an ever narrower segments of users. Find the "right" sales consultant, buy a brand that they carry, and you'll never go wrong.

Buying a used bike when you're inexperienced is hard. In addition to all the different styles of bicycles, bikes also come in sizes. Besides having the knowledge to evaluate a used bicycle, you also need to know when to walk away from a bike that's the wrong size.

Genesiis

Thank you for the great advice Vegas! What do you think a fair price would be to pay for the last bike is (you're talking about the blue one with the trainer right)?

What are good parts and bad parts? Is there a certain tier I should be looking for? I thought Sram and Shimano made parts were good in general.

Genesiis

Vegas, thank you for all the information and help you've given me. I really appreciate it! Sadly, I don't have 50 posts so I can't reply to pm's yet, lame! Is there a way to upvote or give reputation points to people on this forum?


I guess the best thing I can do right now is to just go to some shops and try them out. Should I just bite the bullet and buy a new bike from a place like performance bike shop or some other local one? Should I bother considering any of the bikes from amazon or maybe just buy a frame and build my own bike?


Its kind of crazy how most people have no problem paying $700+ for an entry level bike. Maybe I'm just a poor kid or crazy...

Fastfingaz

Gensisi,,, don't spend the money you don't have,, you can get a new bike in your budget, just make sure it's your size and of coures that you like it, you don't want to start out building a bike from frame, you gotta know everything you want to put on it, do that as a project later,, for when you do ,,,