I am a newbie getting into biking, and I need some help on getting me on the right

[Mark]

bike.? I have been looking for a bike for quite a while now, and I can't come to a decision. I have always had an "exercise" bike high on my list. However, that limits me to just the road so why not get a road bike. I kind of like the thought of doing some trail riding, but realistically, I'll probably keep it on the road using it around my community for excercise. I've been looking at the Trek FX series, but I have thoughts about just getting a mountain bike and buying a road set of rims/tires. The hybrid bikes that I've seen didn't grab my eye. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[eRiK]

Hi there. Maybe I can help you. I just recently purchased a mountain bike and I did do some upgrades to it. I put a more comfortable seat on and swapped the tires. I'd definitely go with a mountain bike. That way if you wanna do some off-roading, you can. Also, to prevent flats, get the tubes with the green slime in them. They work really well. All the bikes I've owned had them.

 

[stromhappyak]

What I did after years of not riding a bike was shop Craigslist with a budget of around $250. I ended up with a Trek 7500 with Rolf wheelsets. It has been a great bike and I do mostly what you mention except offroad or trail riding. The major benefit if the urban high PSI tires you ride much more effeciently. Also, make sure you buy a bike that does not have front or rear suspension. That will only make your ride inefficiently. I am finally getting some good weekly mileage in and now have a better idea of what sort of next bike to get.

 

[Bob A]

Visit the local bike shop and take a look at the hybrid and comfort bikes. They both will be good on the road and bike paths. It doesn't hurt to have more then one bike either. There is nothing that matches a road bike for going fast on the road and a comfort mountain bike for the rail trails and bike paths.

 

[Lord_Darkclaw]

Before you can decide on a bike you'll have to be clear in your mind what you will use it for and what you want to get out of it.

If you are going to ride only on the road and speed isn't an issue (speed is good if you want to cover long distances) then ignore all the performance bicycles and look instead at comfort bikes, town & country bikes and the like. I've got one similar to this (minus the front rack):
http://balancedview.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/chiltern_forest_trail.jpg
It's very old but the 3-speed hub gears still work perfectly and it's much more comfortable than my previous bikes.. not much use off-road though.

Find a bike that you can have fun with, you'll get more exercise when you wake up in the morning actually wanting to take your bike out for a spin.

 

[answer]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Kona-Fire-Mountain-steel-front-suspension-MOUNTAIN-BIKE_W0QQitemZ270449185236QQihZ017QQcategoryZ98083QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[dickydaddydynamite]

honestly, your best bet is to find a good bike shop around your house and ask them. just google bike shops in your area and plenty will come up. they can help you find the perfect bike that will suit your body and abilities better than anyone that answers here can. plus when you find the right shop they will be able to help in the care of your new bike.

 

[Livestrong2009]

I am glad to see that you are interested in the Trek FX lineup, although you did not mention a price range, I would highly recommend a 7.3 FX or higher. If you go to your local Trek dealer, take a few different bikes for a ride. If you are planning on doing mostly urban riding, or even light gravel use, the 7.3 FX would be great for your needs. It comes with hardcase tires, which highly reduce punctures, they have double wall rims, and fast enough derailleurs(shifters) for hard exercise. If you have other questions, you can email me at RedRider2009@yahoo.com