What kind of bike?
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2008-08-19 12:28 PM |
6 | Subject: What kind of bike? Hi All, I am looking into getting a new bike as a reward to myslef when I complete one month's worth of planned workouts. I went to a local bike shop and was told that I should probably get a hybrid bike for now because they are best for road and train rides. Anyone know if this is good advice? I'm wanting to do my first triathlon next spring.... Thanks, Mel |
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2008-08-19 12:55 PM in reply to: #1613745 |
Expert 3324 central Iowa | Subject: RE: What kind of bike? mrhapner - 2008-08-19 12:28 PM Hi All, I am looking into getting a new bike as a reward to myslef when I complete one month's worth of planned workouts. I went to a local bike shop and was told that I should probably get a hybrid bike for now because they are best for road and train rides. Anyone know if this is good advice? I'm wanting to do my first triathlon next spring.... Thanks, Mel What do you mean by 'train rides'? Are you referring to group rides or some other type of riding (for example off-road)? What type of triathlons are you planning on doing - off-road, on-road? What is your budget? That will help people know where to start in offering suggestions. Also, do you currently have a bike now? Is so what kind; and what do you like/not like about it? |
2008-08-19 12:57 PM in reply to: #1613745 |
Extreme Veteran 638 Carlsbad, CA | Subject: RE: What kind of bike? Train rides? "Training" rides or rides on a commuter train? Hybrid as in a commuter bike or a cyclo-cross? Personally (and this is just my opinion), if you're looking into competing either in a road bike race or a triathlon, and since you're already in the market, I would look harder at the road bikes. Eventually, you'll want to step up to a road bike anyway, so if you've got the money and inclination to buy now, buy into a decent first road bike. |
2008-08-19 12:59 PM in reply to: #1613745 |
Extreme Veteran 638 Carlsbad, CA | Subject: RE: What kind of bike? ^ or what she said |
2008-08-19 12:59 PM in reply to: #1613745 |
Master 1572 PA | Subject: RE: What kind of bike? I think the first think to think about is what your purpose is for the bike. I bought a road bike, but I really didn't intend to use my bike for any type of leisure riding. The only reason I ride at this point is tri training. With that said, I wasn't sure if I would like tris, so I held off on getting a tri bike. I am now 6 months into tris and wanting a tri bike. Good luck! |
2008-08-19 1:00 PM in reply to: #1613841 |
Subject: RE: What kind of bike? cami bee - 2008-08-19 1:55 PM mrhapner - 2008-08-19 12:28 PM Hi All, I am looking into getting a new bike as a reward to myslef when I complete one month's worth of planned workouts. I went to a local bike shop and was told that I should probably get a hybrid bike for now because they are best for road and train rides. Anyone know if this is good advice? I'm wanting to do my first triathlon next spring.... Thanks, Mel What do you mean by 'train rides'? Are you referring to group rides or some other type of riding (for example off-road)? What type of triathlons are you planning on doing - off-road, on-road? What is your budget? That will help people know where to start in offering suggestions. Also, do you currently have a bike now? Is so what kind; and what do you like/not like about it? I think the OP probably meant "trail" - as in a hybrid is more versatile to go off-road. But Cami bee is right - we need some more info. What are you riding? How much trail vs road/paved trail riding do you plan on doing? Do you think you want to stick with triathlons, etc? I know we usually tell folks here "whatever bike you have is good enough for your first race" - which is true. But if you are buying a NEW bike, meaning you already have one, I would say to get a cheap road bike if you plan to race. You don't need to drop a grand or whatever - even look for used bikes. Just make sure that it FITS you. Depending on how much you are looking to spend, you can probably get a used road bike for not a whole lot more than a hybrid. And if you already have a mountain bike, etc, a hybrid, imho, would be a waste of money. If you are going to do a lot of road riding and triathlons that are not off-road, a hybrid is going to be considerably slower than a road bike. But again, we need some more info. |
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2008-08-19 2:12 PM in reply to: #1613745 |
6 | Subject: RE: What kind of bike? I meant "trail" rides. Sorry... typo... |
2008-08-19 2:15 PM in reply to: #1613745 |
Extreme Veteran 638 Carlsbad, CA | Subject: RE: What kind of bike? Well, then the first question you need to answer is whether or not you intend to ride on trails ... |
2008-08-19 2:17 PM in reply to: #1613745 |
6 | Subject: RE: What kind of bike? Right now I have a bike that I bought at wal-mart. It is rusted and honestly I don't ride it much because it's not comfortable. I'm looking to stay between $300 and $400 because I don't want to make a huge investment and end up not liking it. I haven't done any biking at all, so most of your questions are Greek to me. I bought my current bike so that I could ride around our neighborhood with our girls. But, now I want to be more serious and focused. I just wasn't sure about going for the hybrid (as opposed to the road bike). The man at the bike shop told me that it would be a good starter because it is more comfortable to ride inbetween training rides. |
2008-08-19 2:19 PM in reply to: #1614104 |
Subject: RE: What kind of bike? mrhapner - 2008-08-19 3:17 PM Right now I have a bike that I bought at wal-mart. It is rusted and honestly I don't ride it much because it's not comfortable. I'm looking to stay between $300 and $400 because I don't want to make a huge investment and end up not liking it. I haven't done any biking at all, so most of your questions are Greek to me. I bought my current bike so that I could ride around our neighborhood with our girls. But, now I want to be more serious and focused. I just wasn't sure about going for the hybrid (as opposed to the road bike). The man at the bike shop told me that it would be a good starter because it is more comfortable to ride inbetween training rides. The Walmart bike should be fine for cruising around with your kids. I would invest in a better bike than a hybrid, to be honest. If you search hard enough you can probably find a used road bike for a few hundred bucks. It may not be all fancy and tricked out but it'll be a lot faster than the hybrid in race situations. Again, just make sure it FITS. |
2008-08-19 2:24 PM in reply to: #1614104 |
Extreme Veteran 739 Westlake, OH | Subject: RE: What kind of bike? mrhapner - 2008-08-19 3:17 PM Right now I have a bike that I bought at wal-mart. It is rusted and honestly I don't ride it much because it's not comfortable. I'm looking to stay between $300 and $400 because I don't want to make a huge investment and end up not liking it. I haven't done any biking at all, so most of your questions are Greek to me. I bought my current bike so that I could ride around our neighborhood with our girls. But, now I want to be more serious and focused. I just wasn't sure about going for the hybrid (as opposed to the road bike). The man at the bike shop told me that it would be a good starter because it is more comfortable to ride inbetween training rides. My advice then is to keep at this until you decide if you like it or not. If you buy now, two things will happen.
Edited by ohiost90 2008-08-19 2:25 PM |
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2008-08-19 2:27 PM in reply to: #1614121 |
Subject: RE: What kind of bike? ohiost90 - 2008-08-19 3:24 PM mrhapner - 2008-08-19 3:17 PM Right now I have a bike that I bought at wal-mart. It is rusted and honestly I don't ride it much because it's not comfortable. I'm looking to stay between $300 and $400 because I don't want to make a huge investment and end up not liking it. I haven't done any biking at all, so most of your questions are Greek to me. I bought my current bike so that I could ride around our neighborhood with our girls. But, now I want to be more serious and focused. I just wasn't sure about going for the hybrid (as opposed to the road bike). The man at the bike shop told me that it would be a good starter because it is more comfortable to ride inbetween training rides. My advice then is to keep at this until you decide you like it. If you buy now, two things will happen.
Good point. I guess I should expand and say, wait and buy a better bike when you know you want to keep doing this. Don't waste your money on a hybrid if you end up wanting a decent bike. How is the Wal-Mart bike uncomfortable? Is it the seat, the reach, etc? It may be fixable at least for the time being. You don't want to train on a bike that hurts to ride. |
2008-08-19 2:48 PM in reply to: #1613745 |
Member 219 Nampa, Idaho | Subject: RE: What kind of bike? In my opinion if you want to ride on the trails buy a mountain bike. If you want to ride on the road buy a road bike. If you want to do both you're gonna need two bikes... |
2008-08-19 3:22 PM in reply to: #1613745 |
Regular 78 Atlanta | Subject: RE: What kind of bike? i bought a hybrid before i caught the bug. the bike shop said it would be most 'versatile' if i decided i didn't like triathlons. uhm. yeah. not like triathlons? that was an option? i wish i'd got the road bike, at very least. |
2008-08-19 3:30 PM in reply to: #1614198 |
Expert 1240 Columbia, MO | Subject: RE: What kind of bike? chosenprovidence - 2008-08-19 2:48 PM In my opinion if you want to ride on the trails buy a mountain bike. If you want to ride on the road buy a road bike. If you want to do both you're gonna need two bikes... That said, both can be accomplished with a cyclocross bike a lot more efficiently (read that faster) than a hybrid. I think a hybrid is what happened when you got a bunch of leisure riders designing a go-between bike...I think the cyclocross bike is what happened when Lance Armstrong designed a go-between bike. If I could only own 1 bike (and keep in mind I own 4) it would be a cyclocross bike Edited by bsjracing 2008-08-19 3:32 PM |
2008-08-20 10:02 AM in reply to: #1614350 |
Member 62 | Subject: RE: What kind of bike? I agree. I just sold my tri-bike so I could get a nice steel cyclocross bike. I described it as selling a porshe in favor of a sporty volvo wagon. My budget didn't allow me to have many different types of bikes, but I like to do very different types of rides (trails, pulling my daughter in a bike trailer, road rides and of course, triathlons) so something had to give. I will lose a little speed (not too much though since I mainly ride and race on hills), but as a clydesdale who enjoys the journey as well as the destination, I am happy with my decision. The cyclocross bike can be outfitted with many different types of tires, the frame geometry is nearly identical to its steel road counterpart (i got a lemond poprad and it is comparable to the lemond sarthe) and you can get them with the same component package as road bikes (mine has all ultegra). Did I mention that they are comfortable and still pretty light? Anyway, have fun trying out bikes and remember it is all about having a good time. Cheers, Paul |
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2008-08-20 10:35 AM in reply to: #1614198 |
Expert 2555 Colorado Springs, Colorado | Subject: RE: What kind of bike? chosenprovidence - 2008-08-19 1:48 PM In my opinion if you want to ride on the trails buy a mountain bike. If you want to ride on the road buy a road bike. If you want to do both you're gonna need two bikes... X2 A hybrid is fine if you never intend to do any serious biking, and it that's the case then you would be just as well off with your Walmart bike. Everyone I know who first got a hybrid ending up getting a more appropriate bike within a year thus wasting their money. Decide what type of biking you are going to primarily do and get the proper bike. Many hybrids fall into the category of "comfort bikes", meaning they're heavy, slow and put the rider in a position where going fast is almost impossible - but they will be comfortable! You can also run in Walmart running shoes or the slightly better shoes from places like Kohls. Just don't expect the shoes to provide the same type of support or performance as proper running shoes. The point is that if you're going to do tri, get what is necessary for a successful experience. Getting inappropriate equipment is a recipe for struggling and never realizing your potential. |
2008-08-20 10:55 AM in reply to: #1616096 |
Member 92 | Subject: RE: What kind of bike? Donskiman - 2008-08-20 11:35 AM chosenprovidence - 2008-08-19 1:48 PM In my opinion if you want to ride on the trails buy a mountain bike. If you want to ride on the road buy a road bike. If you want to do both you're gonna need two bikes... X2 A hybrid is fine if you never intend to do any serious biking, and it that's the case then you would be just as well off with your Walmart bike. Everyone I know who first got a hybrid ending up getting a more appropriate bike within a year thus wasting their money. Decide what type of biking you are going to primarily do and get the proper bike. Many hybrids fall into the category of "comfort bikes", meaning they're heavy, slow and put the rider in a position where going fast is almost impossible - but they will be comfortable! You can also run in Walmart running shoes or the slightly better shoes from places like Kohls. Just don't expect the shoes to provide the same type of support or performance as proper running shoes. The point is that if you're going to do tri, get what is necessary for a successful experience. Getting inappropriate equipment is a recipe for struggling and never realizing your potential. In addition to the highlighted quote: If you are going to use a running program regardless if it is for tri, marathon, 5ks, etc., a properly fitted running shoe may prevent injury(ies) and discomfort. There are folks who give up on running because everything hurts all the time. Proper shoes may have prevented this from happening. A local running store should take their time to watch you walk and run and in each shoe they recommend based on your answers and their observation. Note: "Anytime during your first few weeks of training you may return the shoes and we will replace them with a more appropriate pair". That is what you want to hear.
Edit: As far as the bike. Any bike can ride on a trail and the road. However, it is easier to do it on the appropriate type. If you truly want a new bike for trail and road, test ride a cyclocross and mountain bike. I had two wheel setups for my Mountain bike. Trail tire and road tire setups. Otherwise, save the cash until you are sure what you want to do and ride what you have. Best of Luck Edited by reconbyfire 2008-08-20 11:06 AM |
2008-08-20 12:26 PM in reply to: #1614198 |
Extreme Veteran 505 Lakeland, FL | Subject: RE: What kind of bike? chosenprovidence - 2008-08-19 2:48 PM In my opinion if you want to ride on the trails buy a mountain bike. If you want to ride on the road buy a road bike. If you want to do both you're gonna need two bikes...
I agree. Most hybrids can't handle off road use, they are meant more for light bike riding, in an upright position. |