@higgmond…yea my co-workers give me Sh#t when I tell them I fell, got hurt or I lost a race…they say I should hang it up and do something else with my time…but I always simply respond beats having a beer belly and talking about how good I used to be playing HS baseball, football, etc.,…I get good chuckles out of that.
^ It’s the “mismatch” in size between rider and machine that makes me chuckle.
Yea I am only 5’9…some guys I race against are easily 6++…looks silly to an outsider I know. I tried road for a bit but never got into that look. Had a nice Kline mountain bike that got stolen from my mothers house few years back. Spin class is a good alternative for someone without a bike.
Sorry, just saw the post that you bought a bike…
we all know there ain’t no Walmart in manhattan
Kmart yes
- you got a schwinn didn’t you
Buy a road bike. You cna get a good entry level road bike for about $700 these days. Check out the Giant Defy or the Specialized Allez for a good entry level bike. I think you start getting diminishing returns on a bike after about $2k. My next bike will be the Cannondale CAAD 10 with Shimano 150 components. Also, I prefer aluminum to carbon. Aluminum can be just as light as some carbon bikes and is way more durable. If you crash one time on a carbon bike, the frame is toast.
^ He’s going to be pulling his kids around in a trailer, so a mountain bike or hybrid is probably a better fit.
I went by the local bike shop yesterday and rode an Electra Townie 3i. It had a 3-speed internal gear hub. I liked the internal part, but I’d like more than three speeds, even if I’m just using it as a leisurely commuter bike.
The Townie also has that “foot forward” thing, which means that your feet are kinda in front of you instead of down underneath you. It felt a little strange, because you’re working different muscles. And it would be difficult to stand on the pedals.
I saw the Giant Seek 1 online, and it looked cool. It was a virtual clone of the Giant Seek 3, but the 1 had an internal gear hub, and the 3 had a dérailleur. The difference in price was $400.
My fame survives crashes. Yeah it’s that good.
I really think if most of your riding is going to be on pavement, you’re best to get a road bike. If you’re looking for a more comfortable ride, you can get an endurance frame with flat bars. I like drop bars because you can put your hands in three different places and can get into a more aero position when needed.
Get a cyclocross bike. Think of it as a road bike but with fat tires (or the option to have tires that are either skinny road ones or fat mtn bike types). Its the perfect in-betweener for most types of riding. Many of them come with brakes on the top part and the drop bars too. I’d recommend getting an aluminum one of craigslist. Forget the internal hub stuff, shifting isn’t that hard and having 20speeds vs 3 is a no brainer unless you are a fixie hipster.
Who goes into big box stores these days!? I ordered the thing from Walmart.com. It’s a fine ride that has taken all of the abuse I’ve given it.