Any of you guys still ride bikes? I haven’t use a bicycle since I was a teenager. My gf is asking me if I want to ride a bike around with her. I gave my bike away along time ago. I love riding the bike as a kid with my friends. I looked online and was surprise to see the different types of bicycles. The price on these new bikes are astronomical. Im leaning towards a hybrid bike or a mountain bike.
There are actually pretty much two types of bikes, Wal-Mart bikes and not Wal-Mart bikes.... What I mean by that is big box store bikes that come pre assembled or in a box.... Academy, Target, Wal-Mart and they are cheap. Anywhere from $80.00 to $150.00. These bikes are fine for casual riding but don't expect being able to get into it and go on trails. You can't really upgrade them and they are pretty cheap so won't last long and the guys working at the store probably won't build them very well... If you are just going to casually ride these are fine, I have one of these and an expensive one. Then there are good bikes with good gear but they are costly, $550 and up. Like Trek bikes, they are bad ass and they hold their value. Currently I have a GT bike. Got it from Dick's so its technically still a big box store bike but it has pretty good gear and GT makes great bikes. Its pretty much a name brand being sold at a big box store. This one is $599 but I got mine at $499 I think... https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/...B1HShNAWdPidK7un5pIaApq0EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
yeah that’s what I was looking at the trek or specialized brand. Do you think a mountain bike is better as a commuter in Houston? I have an f150 v8 and I want to use the bike to ride around just for fun for short trips.
I love Trek, specialized are a bit too pricey for me. You can't go wrong with either of those. Mountain bikes are pretty versatile, they have a lot of gearing so going uphill wont suck as much. However if you are looking to commute and not just for sport you may want to consider an electric bike. They are pricey but its probably worth the investment, some have throttles and basically become scooters without having to pedal.
i have a specialized bike and from what i know people that actually know bikes usually dont recommend trek. my bike is about 8 years old and never had a problem with it. mountain bike that has never been on a mountain but plenty of trails haha
Messing around a lot with bikes right now for me and my wife (she races). Unless you're doing a lot of technical mountain bike stuff, you don't really need a mountain bike. The "commuter" bikes on the other hand are fine if you're just on pavement, they will come with road tires and perhaps a more modest range of shifting. What are called gravel bikes now are a sort of mix between hybrid, cyclocross, and mountain bikes, and they're pretty ideal if you want a single bike that can do dirt roads, some pavement, some off-road stuff. Wider tires help with that when off-pavement. Bikes are astronomical now in part because the components are expensive but also because of covid. But the shortage of bikes is starting to ease up. I'd stay away from Wal Mart bikes and the like. You pretty much get what you pay for. That said you can get decent used bikes for $1000. I have a Trek Crossrip that is perfectly fine that you could buy for $500 if you could find one. People are always selling bikes on Facebook bike forums, that would be a place to start. Another good place to see what's out there is Pro's Closet in Colorado, their inventory is huge and they ship all over the world. My wife has gotten several bikes that way, and I have a fat tire bike we got from them. They've got plenty of bikes under $1000 in different categories, and they have bike mechanics go over everything to ensure you can ride them right away. Sample search at Pro's Closet: https://www.theproscloset.com/colle...locross?page=1&minPrice=0.00&maxPrice=1050.00
What did you ride as a kid? If you're just riding for fun, many of the old school bike companies make 24", 26" and 29" versions of their old bikes. They're nostalgic, fun, and usually well-built. https://www.gtbicycles.com/usa_en/bikes/bmx/heritage https://harobikes.com/collections/big-wheel-bmx https://www.sebikes.com/collections/retro-series
I got a mountain bike from Goodwill a few years ago for $50. I looked it up and it was a $300 bike, which is now more. I ride it around town like a little kid, hopping curbs and doing wheelies. This stuff isn't rocket chemistry. Just get a cheap bike and have fun.
I figure a mountain bike will be more versatile in Houston because I can ride on the grass as well. So specialized and Trek are from the same company as Giant. I was thinking of a hybrid or mountain bike. People were saying a hybrid is more of an old person bike. I just need something that is comfortable and stable. Don't really need to race or go that fast. Majority will be on pavement but then I read that its illegal to ride on sidewalks in Houston? I do see people riding on sidewalks all the time. I don't really want to ride on the road with vehicles. Got into an accident on my pickup truck a few months back and can't imagine the damage between a truck and a bike.
put aside the fact that he's talking in front of a $4k bike, the discussion he provides is what you care about
I read enough about it. Giant is not the same company as Trek and Speacialized. Giant has manufactured/assembled their bikes before and use(d) the same components. From I read though and as far as i can tell they are all 3 different companies.
Whatever you decide buy something you are going to actually ride. I got a Trek hardtail in 2020 because I hadn't really been on a bike in a decade at least and wanted something I could feel safe on until my skills improved. I recently got a gravel bike and its really a totally different kind of bike. Things you should ask yourself What kind of riding are you going to do? Are you going to go long distances or just spin around the neighborhood ?
...yeah, but can you freestyle bike-dance like Cru and Aunt Becky at prom while old drunk weirdos watch?
Buy an el cheapo from Academy or Walmart or a pawn shop, if you like biking and want to stick with it after a bit, then upgrade.
Every time I see this (wonderful post) I like to reply with the cool near-shot-for-shot video remake (albeit with a Ministry song remake)
I want this one -- Skyway was always one of the elite rare bikes like seeing a Lamborghini at the track.
