Any bike experts?

[sanantone]

I'm on a budget, so I'm looking at bikes at Walmart in the $100-120 range. I plan to mostly ride on a trail that's partially paved and partially a flat, wooden boardwalk kind of thing. However, I think I might want a bicycle that can ride on a wider variety of surfaces just in case I have to move away from that trail and have to ride on dirt trailers. I was looking at a cruiser, and I know cruisers are only good for flat surfaces. They are also slow, but that's not a major concern of mine. I'm also looking at a mountain bike, but I'm not sure how comfortable it's going to be for long rides. I plan to attach a trailer too so that I can tow my dog. My other concern is that someone complained about the mountain bike frame not being big enough for someone who is over 5'8". I'm 5'9" with long legs. Which one do you think will be better?

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[taylor]

Personally, I would go with the cruiser. It's a much more comfortable ride and you don't have to mess with gears which can be a pain in the arse. I have a single speed bike myself which I bought for exercise but for long rides it is uncomfortable because of the posture I have to maintain and the hard seat (although I could switch out the seat). And I don't think your height and having long legs will make a difference. Geez I'm 5'7 with short athletic muscular legs and I don't need to ride a tricycle or Big Wheels.

[AlbaTiVo]

The bikes that Walmart carries are known for being heavy and using proprietary parts which are not cheap to source. I would recommend you look around in local pawn shops, Craigslist, yard sales, etc. and you will find a better quality bike with serviceable parts for the same amount of money, if not much less.

[sanantone]

Thank you for the responses.

Personally, I would go with the cruiser. It's a much more comfortable ride and you don't have to mess with gears which can be a pain in the arse. I have a single speed bike myself which I bought for exercise but for long rides it is uncomfortable because of the posture I have to maintain and the hard seat (although I could switch out the seat). And I don't think your height and having long legs will make a difference. Geez I'm 5'7 with short athletic muscular legs and I don't need to ride a tricycle or Big Wheels.

Is your single speed bike a cruiser? I plan to ride a few miles a day. The cruiser I'm looking at, however, is multi-speed. I've mostly had mountain bikes in the past, so I don't mind changing gears. When I had mountain bikes, however, I never did long distance riding on flat surfaces.

The bikes that Walmart carries are known for being heavy and using proprietary parts which are not cheap to source. I would recommend you look around in local pawn shops, Craigslist, yard sales, etc. and you will find a better quality bike with serviceable parts for the same amount of money, if not much less.

I already looked at Craigslist, and people are selling garbage right now. I might try pawn shops, but the ones around here mark up everything way beyond their worth.

[taylor]

Is your single speed bike a cruiser? I plan to ride a few miles a day. The cruiser I'm looking at, however, is multi-speed. I've mostly had mountain bikes in the past, so I don't mind changing gears. When I had mountain bikes, however, I never did long distance riding on flat surfaces.

No mine is a track bicycle, the wheels are thinner. I would say this that if you are going to buy a bicycle with gears from a big box store, you may have to spend additional money at a bicycle shop to have the gears adjusted right. Most of the employees at the big box stores don't really know how to assemble bikes well. Few years back I bought a Schwinn mountain bike with gears from Costco and returned it because the gears would get stuck and nobody at Costco knew how to fix the problem. That's why I ONLY buy bikes from reputable bicycle retail stores, it will cost a little more but my peace of mind is worth it.

[Lindagerr]

I am not an expert but I can tell you a few things. I am 5'2" and a 26" bike is way to big for me You should be able to just touch the ground when sitting on the seat. DO NOT buy a bike at Walmart I have bought a couple for my sons because they were hard on bikes. The Walmart ones are cheap but you get what you pay for. I have had trouble with gears, brakes and handlebars that will not stay in place.

I bought my bike at a garage sale to see if I liked the feel and ride before I spent more on a better one. I like my 21 speed mountain bike just fine, I bought a new better more comfortable seat but that is all. I have ridden on roads , an unpaved dirt bike trail and a paved trail. The bike has been fine on all. I ride 5-6 miles at a time.

My son now an adult went and bought himself a good TREK bike and he rides it 15-25 miles at a time up hills on and off road and it is a mountain bike. He likes it so much he talked several of his friends into buying one and they ride together.

[taylor]

Cruisers are fun. I'll probably buy one next without gears. I'm anti gears, can you tell. I kind of regret buying my track bicycle because I realized after a day of riding it with the intensity of a spin cycle class, it's really doesn't fit my riding style. I do enough working out to the point I realize when I ride a bike I just like to do it to relax, more of an alternative to a gingerly jog. I like to look at the ocean, people watch, and grab a smoothie. Now that's my kind of workout on a bike =)

[mrs.b]

I'm not an expert by any means, and that's probably why I never bought into the need for different bikes for different terrain. Also, I was deprived as a child and never had a bike with gears (sniff :willynilly: ), so I stuck to an adult version without. I bought a Diamondback (not their racers or sleek, sexy speedy things...this one is a step above a kid's bike and so hideous it makes me smile) at a garage sale in new condition last year, and while I will not win any speed or grace awards off-road, it's a great workout. Hills, too. On smooth and reasonably level road, it's a very cozy ride. Depending on the weight of the trailer and grade of the hills around you, any 'ol bike could be fine. Unless you're training for something, I'd say let budget, long-term durability and repairability, and seat comfort be your guide...where the last is easy enough to adjust as needed.

[LaterBloomer]

It might be helpful to tall with someone who regularly rides, or a good bike store about changing tires. If you get a mountain bike, you may very well be able to get tires that aren't so nubby - giving yourself an easier ride. The reverse can happen if you get a bike that has smooth tires. I got a hybrid, and had smoother tires put on. There's the comfort of a wider bike, but with an easier ride. Also check a bike store as they might have used bikes.

[sanantone]

I haven't found anything yet. The pawn shops have old, raggedy bikes that are overpriced. The bike shops are selling used bikes for over $300 which is out of my budget. People are selling old, raggedy bikes with missing parts on Craigslist. I really don't want to waste gas driving from garage sale to garage sale looking for a decent bike.