bikers/bikes

[rainbowmoon]

After a visit to my doctor, we determined that biking would be a better physical activity for me than running, because I have a good deal of foot problems and I am overweight. Although I have a greater interest in running, it does hurt me terribly. Does anyone have any links to informational sites about biking/bikes? I need to buy a cheap but sturdy and reliable bike- I plan to be riding mostly paved back roads, although if I could find a reasonably priced bike that could go off-road too, that would be great. I also wanted to find a website like runnersworld or coolrunning, but was unable to. So if anyone has any information, it would be great, because I know nothing!!! :sunny:
lovenlight,
Linz

[shethatisnau]

I don't have any websites and I don't know much about bikes, but I do know that it's a really really good workout for your legs, especially if you ride around hills. I always rode mine around my town- lots of paved streets and lots of hills. It's fun and once you get into shape you can go really far. I had the best thighs when I rode my bike daily...of course, now I don't like to ride it so much. Then again, there's also the fact that now we live in the middle of a steep hill and I'd have to ride up the hill if I wanted to go anywhere interesting. :brood:

[freemouse]

I have a cool tiny bike which I ride around a lot. I hate those fancy bikes that you have to switch gears because I mess up :rolleyes:

simple little tough bikes rule the rooads!!!! (can't drive, heh)

[LadyFaile]

if your town has a bike shop go there. don't count on department stores unless they carry the well known brands.
tell them what sort of terrain you'd like to bike on, how often you'd go, that sort of thing, and that you're on a fixed budget. they may have a good used one that will suit you well. you don't need something really expensive for what you'll be using it for but a better quality from a well known brand is definately the better way to go, you'll have less problems with the bike in the long run and will have a more comfortable ride.

i think Giant tends to have a lot of high and low scale models for all different needs, and it's the brand most of my biking friends go with, or else KHS which i think might be a little more advanced than what you need.

but a used one would probably do you nicely and some bike shops offer a warranty even on used models.

fyi biking is also very good cardiovascular excercise which is why it's good for losing weight. you can build muscle, burn calories and strengthen your heart and lungs all at once (i find if you get a really good speed going and remember to watch your breathing it's really a workout for the lungs also and the increased air you get gives you a bit of a high). and offroading is just as tough on the arms as on the legs i find.
make sure you get a good helmet and you're all set :)

[WonderRandy]

I went to my local used bike shop, told him what I needed and how much I could spend. he hooked me up with a sweet bike for $130. It's a Haro. I love my bike and I ride it everywhere (no car).

I also ride a Specialized from time to time. And I have 3 WalMart bikes that I'm embarrassed to take in to be fixed. 2 of em were given to me. the third I actually paid money for :dunce:

[Draekyn]

Here are some good links:
http://library.thinkquest.org/10333/?tqskip1=1&tqtime=0813
www.teamestrogen.com
www.terrybicycles.com

Team Estrogen has a great message board - lots of seasoned riders can answer your questions.

[rainbowmoon]

Thanks, everyone!!! :) I will check out those links, Drae.
I probably won't be buying a bike for a little while...now I just have to find a bike shop.

[VeggieBiker]

rainbowmoon, glad to hear you're interested in biking!
I agree, a local bike shop shop is the best place to find a bike. After riding a Walmart machine for years that got smashed (with me), I went to a local shop and got myself a beautiful new set of wheels. Unfortunately, my first "good" bike was too big for me and I really hurt my back riding it long distances. Lesson learned: test drive your bike. What looks great in the store may not be a good fit for you which means you'll be less likely to ride. My last two bikes (I have a miniature fleet of bikes) I had custom built for me since I'm very small with weird proportions. What they have on the floor at the bikestore is *not* everything that they have. Most bike stores have tons of bike frames and components and are happy to make you a bike at no extra charge.
Oh, and right now is the best time to buy a bike if it's at all warm enough to ride. The business is so slow in bike shops in northern climates so a lot of bike shops have big discounts on bikes. At this time of year, you can pick up a discount on last year's models since bike stores are trying to make room for 200r models.

Feel free to PM me, I know way too much about biking. :)

[kirkjobsluder]

Oh, get a good book on bike safety and how to ride in urban and suburban environments. Some of the best things for safety are counter-intuitive, like riding with the flow of traffic on less busy streets. Remember that you have to obey all of the same traffic laws as other vehicles on the road. If you are on the sidewalk, get off and walk. If you are on the street, ride with the flow of traffic, stay visible, and obey all stop signs and signals.

Also, go easy.

[rainbowmoon]

Thanks, guys!!!

[Keeganisafish]

one word: GARAGE SALE!! I get all my bikes from gs, but then again, I got one for christmas from walmart from my parents. So who knows... I like the 50$ one I got from walmart. Nice. Hope everything goes well.

[punkmommy]

I have a cool tiny bike which I ride around a lot. I hate those fancy bikes that you have to switch gears because I mess up :rolleyes:

simple little tough bikes rule the rooads!!!! (can't drive, heh)

Feemouse, can I join your tough bike gang? Please? I use to ride a BMX all the time :yes:

[misq17]

I bought my bike for $30 at walmart :) It suprisingly works incredibly well and I haven't had any problems with it yet (but maybe thats just because I don't ride it much).

[Mskedi]

Rainbowmoon--

Good to see you! :) I'm bike shopping too. Today I went to a local bike shop and soaked up an hour of some poor guy's time (who will end up making tons of commission off me, so it'll be okay), but I learned a lot. Basically I told him exactly what I was going to use the bike for, how often, etc... and he found a bike that was right for me. Then after we made sure it was the right size, he sent it to the mechanic for a quick check to make sure the air was okay and all that, and I went for a test ride. I'm in love with this bike. I think I'll be buying it tomorrow. :)

And this bike shop does repairs and tune ups for free on bikes that you buy from their store, and I know not every shop in my town does that, so I would suggest you ask around at your local bike shops to see what kind of services they provide.

Also, to second what veggiebiker said, there were a ton of things on sale and on clearance, and the guy mentioned that this was the slow time of the year sales-wise, so maybe now is a good time to go shopping... even if you're not going to buy yet, you could at least get a ton of information because the clerks won't be too busy with anything else. :)

I really can't help you with specifics, though. I don't know much about bikes. Yet.

[rainbowmoon]

Biking will probably be a good exercise for you too, Mskedi, with your knee issue and all. I found out where a bike store is in my area, I just have to go in and talk to somewhere there. I'll have to bring my Mom or Dad with....no one really takes a teenager making a purchase over say, $50...lol.
I don't know how much money I'm going to need to get a bike, and I certainly don't have an unlimited supply of it!! SO it will probably be a little while before I buy one, as much as I'd like to rush out and do it!!
Its good to see you too, Mskedi!! How are you doing?!

[Mskedi]

Things are going fairly well. I've started running again recently, and that has greatly improved my mood. :) My knee isn't perfect, but it's way better than it was. One of the reasons I want the bike is so I can cross train and avoid further injury, but mostly I need it for transportation. I don't know if you know about my car, um, exploding (yes, I'm exaggerating a bit...), but I haven't had a car for about 3 1/2 months now, and while walking and the bus are fabulous, I really should have something faster than walking and more versatile than the bus. And it'll be fabulous exercise.

I really think I'm going to buy that bike today. I have a tax return coming, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. The main problem financially is that my sister still hasn't paid me back for our trip to London, and I don't think she's ever going to. I don't mind, but it makes my spending a little tight. I think I won't make it to Chicago because of that, actually. Thppt.

I got a book about 4 years ago called The Essential Bicycle Commuter by Trudy Bell. It's pretty useful, actually. I just looked at it again, and everything the bike salesguy told me matches what's in there, so I feel more secure about my purchase now. Yay. :)

So.. how are things going with you? I'm sorry to hear that you're still having foot problems, but hopefully biking will give you a similar rush.

:sunny:

[vegansurfer]

After dealing with crappy bikes for most of my life (yard sale scrores of the WalMart/Kmart variety) I got a nice one for my 14th birthday. Definately get a bike from a local store. The ones where I live generally throw in a free warrenty or free check ups. The bike I got is a Trek 800 and I love it. It is one of the lower models that isn't for hard core biking, but can handle quite a bit of thrashing around. I was definately in the best shape when I rode my bike 3 miles home from school every day. Biking gets addicting and is extremely fun. Out of the 12 years I have been biking, I have only injured myself badly once. Can't really say the same about running. I tend to come home from track hobbeling.

[CaptainSwab]

I bought my bike at Target for 50 bucks 6 years ago. It got me through college just fine and I rode it everywhere. Now though, it is falling apart. UCSB is on the ocean an all that salt water air really rusted the chains and the brakes don't work anymore....I had a mountain biking accident a couple of months ago and broke the brakes (oops)

What I am planning to do since we are short on money is to look in the recycler (a magazine put out around here where people advertise stuff they want to sell). I know that I can get a good deal on a decent bike through there. People always buy good stuff, use it once or twice, and then end up selling it for a lot cheaper than they bought it.

Maybe you have something like that in your area?

[freemouse]

Hey gang, ready to take off? I think we have collect enough BIKERS to make those Harley beardy guys look like dwarf :D right?

punkmommy bring your lil one too!! :bobo:

Spring is here, let's take off ! :rockon:

[Mskedi]

I got my bike today! :hamster:

[ebola]

there is an upside to those expensive bikes with lotsa gears. namely, I can breach 20 mph.

[Draekyn]

Rainbowmoon - No one's mentioned this yet, so I thought I would. Be sure to get a good sturdy lock for your bike, especially if you plan on taking it to MSU. (I saw you were coming here in another thread). Bike theft is pretty common here (unfortunately). There are lots of good places to ride in East Lansing, and a bike makes getting around campus alot easier (and much faster).

[IamJen]

A good local bike shop is a great source of information - a good place to start your search for "the perfect bike".

I've been *seriously* biking for a few years now with a knee injury and it hasn't caused any problems. You do have to be sure to stretch/take care of your back if you ride long periods of time, and guys have some *special* concerns they need to be aware of. :) Generally, though, biking is great for all fitness levels, you can go as fast/slow as you need to.

My sister has had two bikes stolen (one from her garage in Boringville, USA), so ditto again to getting a good bike lock.

Rainbowmoon - are you in Michigan already, or just heading this way for school? Just curious, as the veg. community is pretty darn small in my neck of the woods (Grand Rapids)

[rainbowmoon]

IamJen- I live in Southwest Michigan currently, and I'm going to MSU in the fall. I'm probably about...2 hours from Grand Rapids. You should go to the Michigan thread if you're interested in talking to some Michiganders, me included- I'm pretty sure there are a few from Grand Rapids.
Drae- Yes! I will definatley have to get a bike. I'm not going to have a car, especially since I'm going to be a freshman. How are you liking MSU?

[Draekyn]

RBM - I've been at MSU for 8 years now :dizzy: As far as Michigan cities go, it's alright. MSU itself is a great place, IMO. If you have any questions, need any info, feel free to PM me.