Hi guys,

 

I have been looking to get a new bike but not really sure where to start.

I currently just have a mountain bike but I'm looking more for a road / commuter bike.

 

I would probably use it for commuting occasionally probably less then 15 miles in a day and occasionally go on some paved park trails. I'm just starting to get into biking more often so I don't need anything too crazy and prefer the flat bars for now also.

 

I'm hoping I can spend under $500 if possible and looking to get on advice on what I should be looking for and what route might be the best.

 

I have found some bikes online through bikes direct and wondering if anyone has used them. I'm in the Cleveland area and I know there are a bunch of bikes shops but wasn't sure if I could get something with my price range.

 

There was this bike I was looking at online and didn't know if this is actually a good deal or if I can get something better within my price range.

 

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/galaxy_tour.htm

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/cafe_latte_x.htm

 

Also saw this from Sears - http://www.sears.com/schwinn-700c-men-s-volare-bike/p-00670024000P?prdNo=3&blockNo=53&blockType=G53

 

I constantly hear that the bikes from department stores usually are not that good of quality and was wondering if that was really true or if it might be better to get a used bike from Craigslist that might be better for the same price.

 

Anyway if anyone can point me in the right direction as to what to look for, where to look or possibly some examples of bikes and prices that would be great.

 

 

I don't like the selection at Sears, Walmart, Toys'R'Us, etc.  Stick with the bike shops.  I really like my Raleigh Misceo, which falls into your price range (when on sale, which it always is) and other general parameters.  I like my tires a bit thicker than 28 and prefer the flat bars as well (although I add handlebar extenders and an adjustable stem to give me more flexibility).  One thing about the Misceo, however, is that the 'geometry' is a bit long on it.  I was disappointed at first.  It is surprising how much just an inch or two can make a difference in the "fit" of the bike.  But that is where the adjustable stem comes in handy.  Unless you consider yourself a seasoned vet at bike buying, you really should be fitted by a pro.  I would hesitate to buy online or any of the stores that don't specialize in bikes.  Bike shops usually offer a free tune up in the first year, which you need to do after breaking the bike in, so any price increase might be negligible.

 

Another good fit for what you are looking for might be the Jamis Coda Sport. 

 

Solon Bicycle (on 91), Cycle Sport & Fitness (on Taylor Rd), and the shop on Van Aiken (can't think of the name) all have decent selections.  B&B and Performance Bike seem more expensive.  Cain Park Bicycle sometimes has good deals on used bikes, but it is hit-or-miss going in there.

I have a Trek 7.1 FX that I am happy with. Use it in Cincinnati for errands, commuting, etc. It's got a bit shorter wheelbase than a lot of bikes in it's class (better maneuvering)

I'd suggest a bike store with a good reputation - not a store where they try to sell you something you might not want & won't try to sell you a whole bunch of junk you don't need.

I agree with all of the feedback above.  To answer your question, yes, bicycles at dept. stores are usually poor quality.  Not only is the quality low, but they are often assembled poorly too.  You can find awesome deals on craigslist, although that has been much harder in the last few years.  Even so, you need to know what you are looking for.  Every bike that I bought on Craigslist has needed to be worked on.  If you can't perform those repairs, than figure that you will be paying someone who can.  Ive had good experiences at the bike shop in peninsula, they were real bike nerds.

 

Good luck! 

 

(btw, a 15 mile commute is nothing to sneeze at... That's a pretty serious daily ride)

I will admit that I have a bias, but I would be weary of carbon forks on a commuter bike.  I'm sure it can be, and is done by many.  That's just my opinion, ymmv.

^I don't think he has to worry about carbon anything in his price range.  But I would put some thought into whether you want front shocks or not.  My spare bike (the one I rode regularly since my latest purchase) has front shocks and it does make a difference here on the 'North Coast' in dealing with potholes and other road issues.  My new bike doesn't have them and it is a bit rougher of a ride.  I hate (repeat hate) the spring system my wife's 'comfort bike' has built into the seat...... and I don't like the rear shock system used by a lot of mountain bikes which eliminates the seat stem.

 

Another thing about my (newer) bike which I am not liking is the disc brakes.  They are really grindy and noisy.

Thanks everyone for the advice so far.

 

If I do go to a local shop anyone ever had any experience with Fridrich's in Ohio City or any places near Old Brooklyn?

Thanks everyone for the advice so far.

 

If I do go to a local shop anyone ever had any experience with Fridrich's in Ohio City or any places near Old Brooklyn?

No personal experience, but I've heard good things about Fridrich's.

 

To echo everyone else, avoid the big box stores. The quality will be lower and parts are impossible to find when something does break.

I use an old 90's Bridgestone MB-4 mountain bike that's been converted to a commuter bike with fat city slicks and rack.  I've put over 1500 miles commuting on it over the last two summers.  It's not light, but it very dependable.  The tires/wheels and frame can take rough sides of the street if I don't have room to maneuver.  The Cantilever brakes help stop hard.  And the Friction Shifters are "infinitely" adjustable.

 

After unsuccessfully shopping for a used one, I bought a new mountain bicycle from a bike shop. I also bought a large luggage rack, fenders, lights, and smooth tires. I had the bike shop assemble all of it at the time I purchased it. I paid $850 for the whole lot. I think the bicycle was $650 and the accessories were $200.

 

The plastic pedals broke, so I replaced them with metal ones, for another $80 or so. I opted for pedals with clips on one side and treads on the other. I never felt the need to get bicycle shoes, and always use the tread side, since most of my trips are for shopping, etc, and I don't want to carry two pairs of shoes. I added bags to the luggage rack, and bought a new cable lock and helmet.

 

After patching the tire several times one month, I bought a new tire and tube, only to discover a piece of glass embedded in the old tire. At about the ten year mark, I had a tune up with cables and some other components replaced for about $150. My original headlight with rechargable batteries quit working, so I bought a new one with replacable batteries.

 

It is heavy and rather slow, but it has held up well. I use it most often for trips of 10 miles or less, with an occasional longer ride. I find that it becomes uncomfortable at about 25 miles, since it has an aluminum frame and fork, straight handlebars, hard seat, and no shock absorbers. I use the bags on almost every trip.

 

I also have a more expensive, fast road bike that I can use for long bike rides, but I use the commuter bike much more often.

I really recommend going to a bike shop to make sure you get the right size frame. I bought a nice used '90s GT mountain (for only $48!) a couple years ago that's a bit tall for me and don't like taking it over really bumpy stuff. Even standing up the seat tries to go straight up my butt.

Get toe clips.  Most people ride a bike pushing the pedals with the arches of their foot.  Don't do that.  You want the pedals under the front of your foot.  Toe clips force you to do this plus they put you in much better control of the bike.  Riding a bike without toe clips is like riding around on a horse with no stirrups.  When you're coasting put your weight on your toes and off the seat. 

 

Safe and comfortable riding is basically not possible without toe clips. 

^I don't think he has to worry about carbon anything in his price range. 

 

His first link, a Mercier, has carbon forks.

Thanks everyone for the advice so far.

 

If I do go to a local shop anyone ever had any experience with Fridrich's in Ohio City or any places near Old Brooklyn?

 

Fridrich's selection is ok, I looked there when I bought my road bike- they have a lot of Raleigh stuff.  They were really restrictive on the test riding, though, which is a very important part of buying a bike.

 

I bought my bike at Joy Machine, though.  Service was good, they did a one year tune up included in the price.  The bike's a Torker Interurban, which at $650 is close to your price range.  I recommend it- it's a held up to some serious potholes.  It does have drop handlebars, which I recommend you giving a try- you can ride with them like flat handlebars (albeit skinny ones), in the drops themselves, or like most people you can ride up on the shifter hoods, which isn't too much more of a crouched position than riding with flat bars.  It takes a day or so to get used to, but in the long run it's nice to be able to change hand positions.  I think they have a similar bike that has flat handlebars, if you're adamantly opposed. 

 

I also know that 216 Cycles on Detroit had a bike that I looked at that was similar to mine, but a little less money.  Can't remember the name, but if you ask for their least expensive road bike, that's the one. 

 

Whatever route you go, spend plenty of time test riding the bike.  Fit is the most important thing, and you won't know how it fits till you ride it.  Ask to adjust the seat if need be.

Trecking bars are another popular option.  They seem to offer a lot of decent hand positions.... But are so ugly.  Handlebars are as personal as saddles.  You just need to find what suits you best.  For what it's worth, I rode my flat bar mountain bike from Canton to Akron and swore I would never do it again.  It really made me sore and I was dying to change my position.

One thing worth looking into is the Ohio City Bike Coop, down in the Flats on Columbus Road.  They have a lot of bikes, used, fixed up by volunteers.  They have a large selection, though obviously it can be hit or miss, but less hit or miss than buying off Craigslist.  They also have a "library" of pedals and saddles that you can try on your bike, which is a good way to get an idea of how those feel to you.  They do classes so that you can learn to fix your own bike and a workshop for members.

Thanks again for the advice so far everyone its been helpful.

 

I'm pretty sure at this point I'll go to a local bike shop. I'll check the ones out around Ohio City / Tremont.

 

Just a couple questions:

 

1. The suggestion to get toe clips - Is it easy to get your foot out of those incase you needed to for any reason?

 

2. Do most bike shops assist with fittings / measurements and do they actually let you test bikes out? Thanks for the suggestion X for testing the Bike but I didnt know if all these bike shops allow you to do that.

 

3. I know my budget is on the cheaper end but is there anything specific I should look for? Size of wheel / material / etc.

 

 

I hate toe clips and stirrups.  I have been doing heavy city riding for 5 years now and find that riding without them far outweighs any benefit.  If I was road biking on the towpath and wanted a steady speed for 20+ miles, I might want clips.  But for jaunting around town, no way.  I've only had one time where I ripped up my shin on the pedal teeth by my foot slipping off the pedal, but that was more due to the type of shoe I was wearing and it happened when I was hopping back on my bike while crossing a major street.

 

All bike shops help with fittings.  They all should let you test ride.

 

Like I said before, I prefer a tire thicker than a 28.  Most road bikes are 28 or thinner.  Most mountain bikes are 48.  The bike I currently ride has 38's and it strikes a nice balance.  I would consider 32's, as well.  The nice thing about having a thicker tire is obviously pot-hole protection, but also the ability to jump on a curb in an instant if necessary.  Especially in your price range, I would be worried that the rims which came with any 28's could be problematic on Cleveland's roads..... especially after this last winter.  As for diameter, you probably want to be looking for 700, which is fairly standard.

toe clips are harder to get into than out of.

Yeah, if you're going distance in the country, they are nice. Riding in the city with a lot of stops & starts, they are just a PITA.

It's pretty easy to swap pedals. The left side screws in backwards.

I agree.  No Toe clips on my commuter bike.  If I clip into a bike that is hard to clip into and out of, I will take more chances and not stop when I should or have trouble starting off when I need to go.  If your bike is fitted properly, your toes should naturally fine the right spot on the pedals and you won't push with your arches. 

 

I use clips on my road bike, but they are Crank Brothers Egg Beater style designed for mountain bikes.  They are easy to get in and out of.  If you must clip in, you should try these. 

The left side screws in backwards.

 

Meaning..... right tighty, left loosey doesn't apply.  I nearly stripped the threads on my crank before I realized this.

I've ridden with toe clips for over 20 years, including thousands of miles of city riding and have never had an accident (the time I got mugged while biking doesn't count).  They're critical for getting your weight off the seat and hands and onto the pedals themselves, which is how you avoid falling off the bike and flipping over the handlebars.  Climb with more power, go downhill and brake with much more control (again because your weight is on the balls of your feet, not your butt and the handlebars). 

Jmecklingborg, you are basically stating that it is important to pedal using the ball of your foot, not the arch, correct?  I totally agree with that.  That being said, I find with the proper saddle height I cannot only pedal with the ball of my foot, my arch doesnt quite reach. 

 

They make these things called half-clips.  They are basically just the front of a toe clip with no straps.  They are good for positioning you foot, but probably not much else.

 

My own preference is to ride clip less or toe clips for long distances, and plain pedals for city commuting or leisure riding.

My own preference is to ride clip less or toe clips for long distances, and plain pedals for city commuting or leisure riding.

 

I agree with this.

 

 

I'll be going tomorrow to some local bike shops now that I have a better idea of what to look for thanks to everyone here. Hopefully between the advice and a fitting I can get something I will feel comfortable with.

So I went to a couple places including Fridrich's in ohio city.

 

I have decided I don't want a true road bike but I like the hybrids but still not sure on which one. I tested a couple of them and sort of liked the Diamondback Insight 2.

 

It just felt comfortable while I rode it and it seems like would be able to get to places with ease but then again all I had previously was a mountain bike which I haven't ridden in a while. I also tried a couple others I dont remember the name other then it being by Raleigh but they didn't feel as comfortable or smooth.

 

I guess my question now is would the insight 2 be an okay bike for the price? Is the quality decent for the price point? Can I get something similar that is better for about the same price?

 

http://www.rei.com/product/867327/?cm_mmc=cse_PLA-_-pla-_-product-_-8673270002&diamondback-insight-2-bike-2014,-red,-medium&preferredSku=8673270002&mr:trackingCode=E33CDDB7-B28E-E311-90E9-BC305BF82162&mr:referralID=NA&mr:device=c&mr:adType=pla&mr:ad=44322751120&mr:keyword=&mr:match=&mr:filter=61471052680&msid=H8CMC37K_dc|pcrid|44322751120|#specsTab

^It seems like a decent bike.  I have nothing against Diamondback in general..... rather, only when you buy one from one of the box stores, for the reasons stated above with poor assembly.  The component on that bike (shimano gears, kenda tires, etc) are what you will find on most any bike in that price range.  The 'fit' of the frame for you is a highly subjective thing.

$45,000 can get you a bike that flies.

http://www.hammacher.com/Product/Default.aspx?sku=12187&promo=FathersDay2014