jamain1993

Hi Guys
Well I'm just starting to get into riding a bike I'm on a budget and my wife wont let me buy an expensive bike because she thinks I wont ride it.im into bodybuilding and need to work on cardio so
my friend sold me an 18 speed mountain bike made buy Next yes its a cheap bike but will it be ok to start out with? I dnt have an extra 300 bucks to buy a good one there is no used bike around here and NO bike shops so I'm doomed I used to ride a bike all over the town and then some when I was a kid LOL I'm just a little discouraged about not having an expensive bike to ride so what are your thoughts on this? also should I get a computer for it to see how far I ride? and what else would you suggest

Thank you so much
Jeff

Wildwood 

Craigslist is your friend for local used bikes. Deals abound for the patient buyer.

RonH

+1 on craigslist.org.
Get an inexpensive computer to start with.
When you really get a hankerin' for a good bike, ask your wife how much your health is worth.

Blanchje

Well you have a bike so ride it. Go for a spin like you were a kid. For cardio ride fast eough to get breathing hard for 15 minutes then turn around and do the same thing home. You can check mileage with your car. If you get faster you go farther. It's about the ride, not the bike. If you like it ride more. That will tell you if an upgrade in equipment makes sense. Welcome.

BobbyG

+1 It's the effort you put into the riding that counts. Whether you have a heavy, high-effort bike, or a light, low-effort bike, it's the effort that contributes towards fitness.

Dan Burkhart 

Congratulations on your efforts. Whatever bike you're starting with, there are always ways to improve the ride. If your bike has tires with an aggressive knobby tread, and you ride mainly on the street, a set of slick tread tires is an inexpensive way to make the ride much more enjoyable.
If it ain't fun, you will have a hard time sticking with it.

FrenchFit 

Though I have a dozen bikes I ride to the gym on a mountain bike, heavyweight w/rack & bags, platform pedals so I don't need to change shoes -- though it does have expensive slick tires. Afterall, if you want a cardio workout why would you ride a lightweight racer?

A decent old MTB that fits is a bike you can keep and use forever, even for a tourer. I waited a while before I started acquiring roadie bikes.

10 Wheels

Fred here 55 y/o toured 2200 miles on his Next. Camped the entire way.

Wildwood 

Fred can do anything.
But it would have been easier and more fun on a proper tourer.

10 Wheels

The OP has a Next.

Wildwood 

I wouldn't advise him to start a 2200 mile camping trip on it.

bransom

Take the bike you have and just ride. If you ride enough, she'll reconsider and let you buy a better bike. And by then you'll know more about what type of bike to upgrade to.

Miele Man

I find that a LOT of people really like an old MB converted to drop bars and bar-end or Brifter/Ergo levers as the ONE bike they can keep. Narrow slick tires make it quite fast and easier to pedal and also means you don't need to have as low gears as you do with the big knobby tires. MAny people I know get me to convert their MTB to such a configuration. Very rugged for loaded touring or grocery shopping to yet very comfortable to ride over longer distances.

If I could only have one bicycle it'd be an MTB converted to drop bars and Ergo levers.

I have a few MTBs here converted to dropbars and or bar-end or Ergo shifters and everyone wgo use one really likes it.

Cheers

dougmon 

I'm in agreement here. My first bike bought a little over two months ago is pretty much a utility/commuter bike the way it's set up. But my wife is much more receptive to the idea of me getting a second more "road-ish" bike simply because she sees me riding almost every day.

It's also possible that you might get so addicted that you'll find yourself taking rides you never thought you would take on the bike you have.

qcpmsame 

FIFY

And to top that off, he has gotten past that and gone the recumbent trike route so he is still burning up the Texas roads...

Bill

billd76

I'm lucky enough to have a son that rides allot. He came home to visit one year and had his bikes and told my wife Brenda that she should ride. Next thing I know we were off to the bike shop. I know if I had went to Brenda and said I was going to the bike shop to get a bike she would've said "why do you want spend that much money on something you'll never use" we got new giant hybrids that year, and this year I got a trek road bike (great deal on craigs list). Now I just need to get him to convince that she should be playing a Gibson Les Paul guitar !! First thing you need to do is get fitted for the right size bike. The right size bike will make a huge difference. Any bike shop will do that for you, cause they think you're buying a bike. Then shop and review bikes that you find on craigs list for your area. This time of year a good time to check out areas near universities, as the kids are heading home or graduating and looking to unload their bikes for summer cash. Good luck!!

Retro Grouch 

Just do it! Do the best that you can with what you have.

How thinly can you slice the baloney? Shimano makes several different grades of bike parts and, the truth is, they all work. The more expensive ones may operate a bit more crisply, they may be a little lighter in weight and they may look a little better, but even the lowest tier Shimano parts function adequately. Enjoy your Next for what it is until you are able to justify to your wife buying something a little better. Just don't let her see this post.

Oh - and if you're concerned about the possibility that other riders might scoff at your bike - that's sure to happen. After all, they have to be able to justify what they paid for their high dollar rigs so you are entitled to scoff right back at them.

BlazingPedals

Ride the Next. You've already got it, so you might as well! If you find yourself getting more serious about cycling and find yourself hankering for a better one, go visit a shop before setting a budget. You'll need a reality check before proceeding.

CACycling

My 2 cents. Make sure the bike fits. Make sure it is lubed, tuned and adjusted properly. Slap a cheap cyclocomputer on it. Ride the heck out of it. When the computer shows you've logged a thousand miles or so (yeah, sounds like a lot but will come pretty quickly if you actually get serious about riding), you should have adequate ammunition to convince your wife you really are serious and ready for an upgrade.

MidTn

`I second/third the tire change idea from knobbie to a road/hybrid tire, you can pick these up for less than $20/tire on amazon. This of course would be after what CACycling posted about making sure the bike fits, etc.

berner

I began cycling about 5 years ago on a bike I bought for $65 in a consignment store. The tires were in very good condition but I put a new chain on it and away I went. The bike liked speed even though it was a cheap bike and heavy and I enjoyed it a great deal. It never was comfortable and I found out after reading about fitting on this forum it was too big for me by quite a bit so bought another bike, new, that was inexpensive. Your bike will be plenty fun. Just ride it often.

DBrown9383

When I read this thread I thought it would be filled with comments about how the OP has the wrong bike and needs to go spend a thousand dollars or more to do it "right"... It's refreshing to see just the opposite.

jamain1993

WOW I guess if he can ride one so can I for now Thank you for the pic

Dan Burkhart 

That comes later once we have the hook firmly set.

Alfster 

Welcome to cycling! Your best bet is to ride this one ALOT this summer to see what you do, and don't, like about it. It'll help with your selection of a different one when the time comes. The trick to enjoying bikes is to spend a bit of time doing some TLC. Clean and lube the chain / sprockets will greatly enhance your ride. Do that whenever you see it's getting gunked up ... or more frequently. Replace break pads if needed. Typically they should have some 'rubber' feel left to them. If they're too old / hard, then spend the $10 to buy new ones.

Also learn a bit about proper fit so when you buy a different bike, you'll have a better idea of frame size required.

Good luck! and have fun cycling!