#1
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Selecting a Bike
Doctor told me to get a bike. Consumers Reports say Giant FCR3 is good
for exercising ( I'm 57, 5'7", 170 pounds). When I went to the LBS, and told them I wanted a bike that was also comfortable, and could take some bumps (be easy on my butt + back), handle curbs, be fitted with baskets and perhaps even be ridden in a campground occasionally or a dirt path, they told me to go with something like a Giant Sedona or a Cannondale Comfort 5 instead. When I talked to the people at work, they all seem to like low end mountain bikes like the Iron Horse Warrior 3, except for one buddy who got a $100 dual suspension bike whose bearing failed in a coupled of yrs. So right now, I basically confused with conflicting advice. It seems that big tires are the way to gain comfort but exercise bikes don't seem to have them, and if the bike isn't comfortable I know I won't ride it. I really would like a dual suspension, even if it's used + a little scratched. But I really don't know which way to really choose the style because there such a selection of bikes out there, not like when I was a kid, it actually a little confusing. Could you some help sorting this out. Thanks |
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#2
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Selecting a Bike
Katuzo wrote:
Doctor told me to get a bike. Consumers Reports say Giant FCR3 is good for exercising ( I'm 57, 5'7", 170 pounds). When I went to the LBS, and told them I wanted a bike that was also comfortable, and could take some bumps (be easy on my butt + back), handle curbs, be fitted with baskets and perhaps even be ridden in a campground occasionally or a dirt path, they told me to go with something like a Giant Sedona or a Cannondale Comfort 5 instead. The difference between the Giant FCR3 and the Giant Sedona is that the latter bike has 26" wheels. Such wheels can be fitted with fatter tires, and they are naturally stronger. When I talked to the people at work, they all seem to like low end mountain bikes like the Iron Horse Warrior 3, except for one buddy who got a $100 dual suspension bike whose bearing failed in a coupled of yrs. So right now, I basically confused with conflicting advice. It seems that big tires are the way to gain comfort but exercise bikes don't seem to have them, and if the bike isn't comfortable I know I won't ride it. Whether you'll be more comfortable on a so-called mountain bike or a comfort bike is a matter of personal preference and how far you intend to ride at one time. Comfort bikes are great for short rides at low effort levels, but they impede the process of strong athletic riding. Stay away from department store bikes of any kind. They are generally made in only one size, so you most likely won't be able to find one that fits you properly. They are almost always incompetently assembled and made of the cheapest parts and materials available. Many worthy bike shops won't service them because they are more trouble than they are worth. I really would like a dual suspension, even if it's used + a little scratched. No you wouldn't. It's not worth it unless you intend to ride on very harsh surfaces. You'll waste a lot of muscle power bouncing the bike on its suspension, but you probably won't find the ride much more pleasant than a normal fat-tire bike on a normal road surface. Dual suspension bikes require a lot more service over time than rigid frame bikes do, and they cost a lot more for any given level of quality. Simple is better. For comfort, fat tires at low pressure are beneficial, but large diameter wheels are also helpful. You can have both if you get a bike with 29" wheels (that's a 700c road-bike-sized rim with a 2"+ mountain bike sized tire on it). The Redline D440 29er is a good and cost-effective option if you want multiple gears. The Redline Monocog 29er is good if you are interested in a single speed bike. Make sure the bike fits you acceptably well. You should see to it that the handlebars are no lower than the height of the saddle, and preferably a few inches higher, if comfort is of paramount importance. Lower handlebars are for efficiency at high speeds at the expense of comfort. And take care to get a saddle you can live with; most originally equipped saddles are terrible. Chalo |
#3
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Selecting a Bike
"Katuzo" wrote in message ... Doctor told me to get a bike. Consumers Reports say Giant FCR3 is good for exercising ( I'm 57, 5'7", 170 pounds). When I went to the LBS, and told them I wanted a bike that was also comfortable, and could take some bumps (be easy on my butt + back), handle curbs, be fitted with baskets and perhaps even be ridden in a campground occasionally or a dirt path, they told me to go with something like a Giant Sedona or a Cannondale Comfort 5 instead. When I talked to the people at work, they all seem to like low end mountain bikes like the Iron Horse Warrior 3, except for one buddy who got a $100 dual suspension bike whose bearing failed in a coupled of yrs. So right now, I basically confused with conflicting advice. It seems that big tires are the way to gain comfort but exercise bikes don't seem to have them, and if the bike isn't comfortable I know I won't ride it. I really would like a dual suspension, even if it's used + a little scratched. But I really don't know which way to really choose the style because there such a selection of bikes out there, not like when I was a kid, it actually a little confusing. Could you some help sorting this out. Thanks Why do you want a comfort bike but yet want to hop curbs or ride dirt paths? Consider a recumbent bike and ride centuries on the road! Put some 1.5-inch tires on a LWB like this one: http://www.ransbikes.com/SXP07.htm And you'll be in comfort all day... There are a whole host of other types of recumbents, such as these: www.catrike.com Both are American made bike companies, btw. You can add accessories to put your stuff in...and you don't really need suspension (or you may not need it unless you ride really rough roads). No hand, butts, neck, or shoulder pain with either of these. |
#4
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Selecting a Bike
Thanks for the info about rim size and comfort, I didn't see that in
any of my research so far. So the Giant FCR3 (700cc), Giant Sedona (26"), Cannondale Comfort 5 (26") and the Redline D440 29er (29") would all be good bikes for exercising. The main difference in comfort would start at their wheel diameter, and then if I could use a mountain bike sized tire on it. So the either the Giant FCR3 or the Redline D440 would be the way to, based on wheel size alone. Now all I have to figure out is which one can take a 2"+ mountain bike tire. I wonder why the Sedona and Comfort 5 are rated more for comfort even they have a smaller wheel diameter? Is it because of the wider tires they come with or could it be because of the seat? How far do I plan on riding? On a daily ride, they say you must exercise your heart for 30 minutes. Including warm up and cool down, that would probably be 35 minutes. How far can you go on a bike in 35 minutes? I really don't know. |
#5
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Selecting a Bike
"Katuzo" wrote in message ... Doctor told me to get a bike. Consumers Reports say.... When I went to the LBS...., When I talked to the people at work, they .... Never mind all that. Test ride some bikes and see what you like. Go to a couple of bike stores and try different machines. Including, but not limited to, what they recommend. Tell them you don;t know what you like and are there to find out. After a short while you'll be able to say things like, This one was very comfortable but hard to ride uphill, and learn from the LBS what the tradeoffs are. Your experience is the best teacher. |
#6
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Selecting a Bike
Katuzo wrote:
Doctor told me to get a bike. Consumers Reports say Giant FCR3 is good for exercising ( I'm 57, 5'7", 170 pounds). When I went to the LBS, and told them I wanted a bike that was also comfortable, and could take some bumps (be easy on my butt + back), handle curbs, be fitted with baskets and perhaps even be ridden in a campground occasionally or a dirt path, they told me to go with something like a Giant Sedona or a Cannondale Comfort 5 instead. When I talked to the people at work, they all seem to like low end mountain bikes like the Iron Horse Warrior 3, except for one buddy who got a $100 dual suspension bike whose bearing failed in a coupled of yrs. For that price, he was lucky to get a couple of years. My advice is to not focus too much on what seems like comfort. Soft saddles feel better at first, but can cause havoc once you are riding more than a few miles at a stretch. Dual suspension seems like it will smooth over the bumps, but it is heavy, and the suspension prevents you from climbing well out of the saddle, so you will have more trouble on hills. The knobby tires slow you down, without giving you that much advantage unless you are riding in dirt and sand. "Some bumps" suggests you want to ride on roads. Mountain bikes are ill-suited to that. I can't imagine why you would want to jump curbs. Avoid them, don't ride over them. Road bikes work fine for occasional dirt paths. You might also consider a hybrid, but again suspension has more negatives than positives. So right now, I basically confused with conflicting advice. It seems that big tires are the way to gain comfort but exercise bikes don't seem to have them, and if the bike isn't comfortable I know I won't ride it. Your commitment to exercise should carry you through the first hurdle, where your butt becomes conditioned to the saddle. What's really comfortable in the long run is NOT the same as what is comfortable on the first ride. Don't get skinny tires, but you don't need balloon tires to be comfortable. Road-bike sized tires with 32mm width are very comfortable, as would be mountain-bike slicks 1 1/4" wide. I really would like a dual suspension, even if it's used + a little scratched. Dual suspension, or even front suspension, is not helpful except for rough mountain rides. -- David L. Johnson You will say Christ saith this and the apostles say this; but what canst thou say? -- George Fox. |
#7
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Selecting a Bike
On Jul 11, 10:16*am, "OughtFour" wrote:
"Katuzo" wrote in message ... Doctor told me to get a bike. Consumers Reports say.... When I went to the LBS...., When I talked to the people at work, they .... Never mind all that. Test ride some bikes and see what you like. Go to a couple of bike stores and try different machines. Including, but not limited to, what they recommend. Tell them you don;t know what you like and are there to find out. After a short while you'll be able to say things like, This one was very comfortable but hard to ride uphill, and learn from the LBS what the tradeoffs are. Your experience is the best teacher. This makes sense to me. A couple years ago, I advised on exactly the same question for an acquaintance (who's now a very good friend of mine). He's an electrical engineer, and he had done what he thought of as "considerable research" online, which was mostly visiting manufacturer websites and reading an article here or there. He was all set to get a bouncy comfort bike - suspension fork, suspension seatpost, soft saddle, high handlebars - until I told him some of the tradeoffs. He and I went shopping together. After trying the bikes he had in mind, he ended up with a different one entirely: a good quality, brand name, bike shop mountain bike, but with smooth tires and no springs anywhere. It was so much better riding that it was no contest. Keep in mind that hopping curbs, riding even fairly rough dirt paths, carrying loads, etc. is something that anything but the most delicate road racing bike will handle easily. I do all that and more with my standard road bikes. (P.S. My friend has now moved to an old drop-bar road bike he got for free, and he likes it even better, since its rolling resistance is less.) - Frank Krygowski |
#8
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Selecting a Bike
On Jul 10, 11:51*pm, Katuzo wrote:
Doctor told me to get a bike. Consumers Reports say Giant FCR3 is good for exercising ( I'm 57, 5'7", 170 pounds). That's a smartly specced bike for exercise, going moderately fast, shopping, moderate touring. It has provisions for mounting all the things you might want to add to a bike, like racks and fenders. Comfort wise, the tires it comes with should be just perfect for pavement and dirt road riding, but for further creature comforts, explore handlebar and grip options, which are easily and relatively inexpensive to change. |
#9
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Selecting a Bike
Katuzo wrote: When I talked to the people at work, they all seem to like low end mountain bikes... Don't go there... Go he http://www.bianchiusa.com/08_milano_alfine.html or http://www.redlinebicycles.com/adultbikes/925.html The Milano comes in several drive train configurations. The Redline is just a beautiful, simple machine. If it was my bike....I'd get a dynamo hub installed. If you do get the bug, you'll want the flexibility. |
#10
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Selecting a Bike
On Jul 10, 11:51 pm, Katuzo wrote:
Doctor told me to get a bike. Consumers Reports say Giant FCR3 is good for exercising ( I'm 57, 5'7", 170 pounds). When I went to the LBS, and told them I wanted a bike that was also comfortable, and could take some bumps (be easy on my butt + back), handle curbs, be fitted with baskets and perhaps even be ridden in a campground occasionally or a dirt path, they told me to go with something like a Giant Sedona or a Cannondale Comfort 5 instead. When I talked to the people at work, they all seem to like low end mountain bikes like the Iron Horse Warrior 3, except for one buddy who got a $100 dual suspension bike whose bearing failed in a coupled of yrs. So right now, I basically confused with conflicting advice. It seems that big tires are the way to gain comfort but exercise bikes don't seem to have them, and if the bike isn't comfortable I know I won't ride it. I really would like a dual suspension, even if it's used + a little scratched. But I really don't know which way to really choose the style because there such a selection of bikes out there, not like when I was a kid, it actually a little confusing. Could you some help sorting this out. Thanks First thing you need to do is decide what you want a bike for. Then decide what your price range is. Then check out several local bike shops. A good dual suspension bike will cost more than a good front suspension bike, cheap versions of both should be avoided. Basically do you need a road bike, a hybrid, a comfort bike, a mountain bike all have basic differances based on what they are built for. Then come back and re-ask your question:-) |
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