I want to buy a new errand-running (comfortable) bicycle for basic things like grocery shopping and such. I browsed the bike selection at the Target and was impressed with some of the Schwinns. I want to check out Bike Barn and Bicycle World and any other outlet store with "Bicycle" in its name. My price range is $200-$350. Any recommendations and advice?
Swing through Southwest Schwinn or Northwest Schwinn, depending on where you live. Extremely good people (bicycle family owned). At that price range, test ride and pay close attention to comfort. Also ask about the wheels themselves - cheap spokes = broken spokes every couple of weeks, and that's a pain in the rear. My only other advice is to consider things like fenders - you want to keep your chain as clean as possible. Kicking up muddy puddles gets grit in the chain and you need to be vigilant about cleaning/replacing it.
Go to Blue Line Bike Lab!! Shop local. Talk to the staff there, they're really friendly and will tell you what to look for in the price range you give them. Bought my baby from them in January and love it. Admittedly my price range was higher, but I wanted different things. I bought a Jamis and love it.
Sounds good, thank you. I was hoping there would be a place I could at least get on the bike to get a feel. I have heard of this place; it sounds more like a custom-built bike shop. Am I mistaken? Since they are close by, I will hit them up when I go out shopping.
This is what I use to commute 2-3 times a week (4 miles each way) when the weather gets warm. It's a good, comfortable bike that can still hop curbs and go through potholes easily.
I don't think they make custom bikes but I could b mistaken. They specialize in selling "non-traditional" brands (as in not Huffy, schwinn, etc.).
hybrid bike for the win in houston. to many times your gonna have to ride the sidwalk, deal with rapey potholes, etc.
I'm glad someone made a thread on this. I've meaning to buy a new bike too. Mostly just for working out, riding around a bike trail here by my house. I saw a Shwinn at Academy. Are those any good? What are some things I should pay attention to when buying one?
my only additional advice is that if you're buying a bike, treat it as an investment. If you buy one good bike, you'll never have to buy another one for the rest of your life, just parts. and those of you who are bike enthusiasts, who goes to Critical Mass? I have gone a few times, enjoy it a lot.
Do not go to places like Target or Walmart. Go to a bike shop and spend a little more. Much better quality. I have one from Planetary Cycles in the Bellaire area that has lasted me 10+ years now. Taken a beating and still going strong.
If you're planning on carrying a lot of stuff (more than you can fit in a back pack) make sure it has bolt holes for a rack and fenders if you want those. I have a hybrid that I used to ride but since getting a road bike I ride it exclusively. The one I have is a "semi-touring" type so it has the connections for racks and slightly thicker tires than a normal road bike. Schwinns are good bikes, I know a few people that ride them and they don't have any problems with them. The main thing is to try out as many as possible to find out what feels best for you and can do what you want. There's a lot of local bike shops around, they tend to only carry 3-4 brands each so if you want to try out all of them you'll have to hit up a few shops.
i was going to suggest the same thing. my high school friend is the owner. he knows his stuff. i recently bought a new bike to replace my kona which i had for 9 years. i got a fuju absolute 5.0 for $330 and couldnt be happier with it.
I second the suggestion of going to a local bike shop. I recently purchased a bicycle from Sugar Cycles in Missouri City and the staff there were extremely helpful in answering all of my questions. The staff doesn't try to push or sell you anything you don't need. Plus, if you buy a bike from a local bike shop, you get the peace of mind from being fitted to the right size bicycle and a custom fit once the bike has arrived to the store (seat post adjustment, etc. depending on the LBS). Of course, you could research this information online, but I liked having it done professionally to ensure an exact ergonomic and exact biomechanical position.
