GodofScrubs

I just started to ride a bike and exercise. I've looked through a lot of options, but I don't know what a good bike or a bad bike look like. For reference, I am a teenage guy, I'm 5'4, and I weigh about 105 pounds. Pls help me
Thanks

Stick69

That is a pretty wide open question. One way to look at it is who do you plan to ride with and what are they riding. If you have similar bikes it is easy to decide where you want to go. If everyone but you has a mountain bike and you have a road bike it will be difficult to go some of the places they may want to go.

MRT2

So, what are you currently riding?

riva

I've been real happy with my 80's stuff. One option.

1989Pre 

Anything aluminum should be quite righteous, but stay out of Wal-Mart. Get the right size, a 52 centimeter should work for a road bike or 14-15" for a mountain bike. Go by price: you get what you pay for. If you lay down 400 at a bike shop, you'll get a good bike, plus you'll get the right size. Go talk to your local bike shop people. Even if the nearest one is 100 miles away, you need to talk to your local bike shop people. There is no substitute for the one-on-one, personal service that is critical to you right now.

VegasTriker

I beg to differ with the previous response. Both steel and aluminum make fine frames. Some of the most obese bikes I have come across (WalMart specials) with the fancy aluminum frame and useless suspensions could be classified as morbidly obese. You are short and light so bike weight is a major factor you need to consider. The lighter the bike, the easier it is to propel and crap bikes are never light. If you buy new, a bike store is obviously the best place to try. Finding a used bike on CL is going to be a real crap shoot because there are fewer small frame bikes that would actually fit you. You and I are the same height though I can't remember back far enough to weigh 105! There just aren't that many good quality small bikes in the used market. Buying one that is too big is a really bad idea. It will not be comfortable to ride and may be unsafe. You need to be able to plant your feet flat on the ground and not hit the frame.

I'd recommend a standard diamond frame. One without suspension. One that comes in multiple frame sizes so you can get a frame that fits.

shafter

I sugges an old good bike as opposed to a new cheap one. Craigslist is a good spot and where I bought mine; just be careful.

jefnvk

Agreed, especially if you are starting out and don't want to outlay a lot of cash on a sport you aren't sure if you are going to keep up with or think that you still have growing to do. Really easy later on, when you know better what you want, to recoup your initial investment and go upgrade, too, if you so choose that 80's bikes aren't your style or you need something bigger.

Short of finding something on the used rack or a spectacular closeout, I don't know many LBS in which lying down $400 is going to get you much more than an entry level hybrid or city cruiser, which may or may not suit the OPs needs.

jefnvk

YMMV. There are plenty of smaller frame bikes around me on CL, including some very nice one very cheap because they simply aren't in demand. There's a 48CM Fuji touring model for $150. A Cannondale that looks to be around 50CM for $250. 21 inch Schwinn World Sport for $130, and those are all what is available right now just typing "small frame" into the search. I passed up on a very beautiful Nishiki Cresta a few weeks back for $120 because at 48CM it was too small for the girlfriend. I've seen a few small Specialized modern road bikes in the $2-300 range over the past few weeks. They are out there.

As far as standover height, I find that to be a pointless measurement. My top tube and my crotch are very intimately familiar with one another, I like big frames, it has yet to cause me any problem, certainly not a safety concern. Not that big of an issue to stand with the bike slightly leaned over for the short time that I am actually standing over the bike.

1989Pre 

[QUOTE=jefnvk;18737201 Short of finding something on the used rack or a spectacular closeout, I don't know many LBS in which lying down $400 is going to get you much more than an entry level hybrid or city cruiser, which may or may not suit the OPs needs.[/QUOTE]

Entry level. Just started riding. Do the math. I am looking at a Raleigh Cadent 1 right now, list price:$399.00 Raleigh Bikes, 2016 Cadent 1

VegasTriker

I tried the suggestion to use "small frame" in our local market for CL (2016 population 1.95 million). Six bikes showed up using a maximum price of $400. Five of the six were mixte frames for women which I presume the OP would not be interested in. The one remaining bike, a Gary Fisher Capitola, had an asking price of $145 for a bike that had an MSRP of $299 to $319 and it could be anywhere from 9 to 15 years old. Not much of a bargain. I agree that some of the older vintage bikes can be a good buy. Standover height is not a pointless measure unless you want to do away with the need for birth control in the future.

Vexxer

Without knowing your budget, or the type of riding you want to do, its an impossible question to answer.

jefnvk

Again, meh. I can't flat foot any of my road bikes, I can barely tippy-toe them, and even then my crotch is still sitting on the top bar. I've got short legs and a long torso, I prefer to be comfortable while pedaling on the bike, not standing over top of it. It really is not that big of a deal, I'm not in a habit of falling off the front of my seat onto the top tube.

I did also say CL is very area dependent. I have no idea where the OP is. I just glanced at the Vegas listing, you have far less bikes available there in general than Detroit does.

obed7

list the type of riding you plan to do. If you do not know what to call it, tell us the type of terrain you will be riding in.
Also give us a budget figure...then you might get some reasonable answers that are something other than guys blowing smoke and then arguing with each other over the color of their smoke.

fietsbob

Rather than telling you what Bike type and Brand I like ...

I recommend starting with a test ride at a Bike shop.. picking your favorite shop ,

then finding a bike sold by the shop you like doing business with.