Any Bicycle people? Looking for some advice

[Route_2]

This is a good site I used when deciding on my last bike purchase. Can compare different models and see all the specs.

https://99spokes.com/bikes

[snake911]

Originally Posted by WidespreadMule3

really seeing that you get what you pay for. Just had to take my bike in for the second time in less than 2 weeks. the cable that connects the front brake snapped and I outright lost one of the brake pads. only had this bike for ~2 months.

Would like to invest in a better bike but I was really hoping this one would keep me going for a couple of years before making that decision. want to make sure I'm really all in on biking before investing $1200+ in something.

What are you riding currently?

[snake911]

Originally Posted by WidespreadMule3

really seeing that you get what you pay for. Just had to take my bike in for the second time in less than 2 weeks. the cable that connects the front brake snapped and I outright lost one of the brake pads. only had this bike for ~2 months.

Would like to invest in a better bike but I was really hoping this one would keep me going for a couple of years before making that decision. want to make sure I'm really all in on biking before investing $1200+ in something.

Second question: what are you looking to do with the bike? just cruise around town? rec riding? commutes? light touring? year round riding or just April - Oct? You should be able to get a good quality bike (not a race machine or cross county tourer) for easily under $1000, and less if you look for used. But it depends on your goals.

I spent my first 18 months of serious commuting on a $450 bike, put over 2K miles on it figuring out what I wanted my "real" commute bike to be.

[Rodey]

I would also say that's highly unusual for a bike.

I have a Jamis Coda that I use for casual rides with my fiance and any kind of around town biking I do. It was less than $1000 and is a beast. And I went through a stretch of not maintaining it very well.

[WidespreadMule3]

Originally Posted by snake911

What are you riding currently?

Infinity Boss 3 Men's Bike

https://www.infinitycycleworks.com/p...-mens-7-speed/

Originally Posted by snake911

Second question: what are you looking to do with the bike? just cruise around town? rec riding? commutes? light touring? year round riding or just April - Oct? You should be able to get a good quality bike (not a race machine or cross county tourer) for easily under $1000, and less if you look for used. But it depends on your goals.

I spent my first 18 months of serious commuting on a $450 bike, put over 2K miles on it figuring out what I wanted my "real" commute bike to be.

Yeah right now it's just an alternative to running. I've wanted a bike for several years but never pulled the trigger. Main goal was to have a leisure activity that could also provide some health benefits. I mostly ride around my neighborhood and a few parks. There's some trails that I want to go out and hit but have been avoiding because they're crowded due to COVID.

I know I got a cheap bike (despite plenty of good reviews from multiple sources) but really thought it'd hold up better than it has. I'm only doing about 30 miles a week on asphalt. Averaging like 10-12/mph.

[AJF_41]

i've been mountain biking a lot more in last few years

just pulled trigger on santa cruz chameleon (18 version), loving it so far

[TypicalBilly14]

Got my Trek road bike back like 3 weeks ago and have already had one flat tire, the new rear tire and I have no idea how it happened. I went to the shop on Saturday and asked how much to fix and he was like "could be 50 or 60 bucks." I said I only paid 35 for the new tire. He was some new, annoying older guy with no customer service skills. So I dealt with another person. Turned out to be a tube that somehow got screwed up so with labor was like $22 bucks.

[Route_2]

Flats are going to happen. Learning to swap out tubes on your own is a valuable skill.

[snake911]

Originally Posted by WidespreadMule3

Infinity Boss 3 Men's Bike

https://www.infinitycycleworks.com/p...-mens-7-speed/



Yeah right now it's just an alternative to running. I've wanted a bike for several years but never pulled the trigger. Main goal was to have a leisure activity that could also provide some health benefits. I mostly ride around my neighborhood and a few parks. There's some trails that I want to go out and hit but have been avoiding because they're crowded due to COVID.

I know I got a cheap bike (despite plenty of good reviews from multiple sources) but really thought it'd hold up better than it has. I'm only doing about 30 miles a week on asphalt. Averaging like 10-12/mph.

Yeah, thats not a BAD bike, but a "department store bike" isnt going to be built to the same quality as a more rec specific bike. The dept store bikes are ok for cruising the neighborhood and are perfect as campground bikes, but if you are regularly doing the cycling equivalent of 5-10k jogs itll breakdown pretty quick. Think, going for a walk around the block in vans slip ons vs running 5k in them.

What would your budget be for a more proper road going bike? And when you say trails are you talking single track hiking type trails, or graded dirt walking/biking paths? Mostly matters for how robust the bike needs to be and the tires you want to be able to fit.

[snake911]

Originally Posted by Route_2

Flats are going to happen. Learning to swap out tubes on your own is a valuable skill.

I'll second that. No need to pay someone $20+ to replace a tube, super easy skill. Plus, you dont want to get stranded out on a ride because you got a flat. A spare tube, patch kit, tire boot, and a mini pump should be carried on every ride.

[WidespreadMule3]

Originally Posted by snake911

Yeah, thats not a BAD bike, but a "department store bike" isnt going to be built to the same quality as a more rec specific bike. The dept store bikes are ok for cruising the neighborhood and are perfect as campground bikes, but if you are regularly doing the cycling equivalent of 5-10k jogs itll breakdown pretty quick. Think, going for a walk around the block in vans slip ons vs running 5k in them.

What would your budget be for a more proper road going bike? And when you say trails are you talking single track hiking type trails, or graded dirt walking/biking paths? Mostly matters for how robust the bike needs to be and the tires you want to be able to fit.

That's a really great illustration about the running equivalent.

I was hoping the bike would last a year or two so I could ensure I'm gonna stick with it. I know with COVID I'm going to use it more this year so I was hoping to see my engagement with it next year.

But for $450 what kind of bike did you have? That's fairly reasonable. I probably wouldn't want to do more than $500 for the time being.

[snake911]

Originally Posted by WidespreadMule3

That's a really great illustration about the running equivalent.

I was hoping the bike would last a year or two so I could ensure I'm gonna stick with it. I know with COVID I'm going to use it more this year so I was hoping to see my engagement with it next year.

But for $450 what kind of bike did you have? That's fairly reasonable. I probably wouldn't want to do more than $500 for the time being.

https://www.momentum-biking.com/us/street

I picked one of these up on clearance for around $360, and swapped out the saddle and pedals (I like bike polo straps for commuting). Momentum is made by Giant, but badged not as Giant because of the lower end nature of the bikes. A little heavy, non-brand wheels, etc... but built well and a great town ride. You can usually find one for $400-450. If I were to do it again today I would get this one as long as I lived somewhere mostly flat https://www.momentum-biking.com/us/ux-3s
The Shimano internal 3 speed hub is excellent, and with the belt drive no more drive train cleaning or chain lube, tektro hydraulic disc brakes are very good for a bike this price, if you get it at a local bike shop that includes a 500 mile/3-6 month tune up and youd easily get a year of riding this bike before you need to replace anything. Inexpensive belt drives and Nexus hubs are a very solid investment for casual riders.

Trek FX1 is also a great bike at that price, a few pounds lighter than the momentum, but traditional chain/derailleur set up. Pros and Cons to either one, if you have hills the 21 speeds (maybe 14 of them usable) on the Trek will make life much better, or if you have modest inclines but plan on carrying a bunch of stuff.

[TypicalBilly14]

Just dropped off my Diamondback mountain bike and Trek road bike at the local shop for yearly maintenance. Having new cables, housing, chain, tire and some other stuff done to the mountain bike as it's been like 5 years since it's been serviced. I walked around the shop while waiting for my estimate and I cannot believe that there are some electric bikes that go for 5 to 6 grand. Like wow.

[WidespreadMule3]

Since I got my bike (a hybrid) all I've done is take it on rides around our neighborhood. All on the street. Last weekend I took it out on some trails and that might have been some of the most fun I've ever had. If I keep going I'm gonna need a proper mountain bike because it beat my bike (and me) to hell. My ass was sore for a week but I loved every second of it.