Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

f1ngers
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2015 1:53 pm

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby f1ngers » Mon Jan 19, 2015 1:21 pm

Thank you Mrlinderman.

Any advice on which bike, they both look like they have similar specs so maybe it will just come down to personal choice.

User avatar
Mrlinderman
Posts: 119
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2014 3:30 pm
Location: Melbourne, VIC

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby Mrlinderman » Mon Jan 19, 2015 2:14 pm

I'm afraid i'm not knowledgeable enough when it comes to specs and what gear is better than another, I have only just started back into MTB riding so a bit behind the times.

I'm sure someone else here can help though

Either way you go I think base don your budget, if you stick with any of the known brands, Trek, Giant, Specialized, Avanti, Cannondale, Scott etc you can't go wrong really. and as they are for your kids they may prefer the scheme or style of one over another and if the gear is roughly the same then might be better for them to choose.
"Hope is not a strategy"
Trek Superfly 21.5 2015 29er

f1ngers
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2015 1:53 pm

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby f1ngers » Mon Jan 19, 2015 8:09 pm

Cheers mate. I think I'll end up going with the Giant unless someone posts a good reason to go with one of the others. I'm looking at buying in the next couple of days so I need to make up my mind shortly.

User avatar
Mrlinderman
Posts: 119
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2014 3:30 pm
Location: Melbourne, VIC

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby Mrlinderman » Tue Jan 20, 2015 8:57 am

Giant is a great brand f1ngers, and if your LBS are a rep for them and offer a free first service and setup then i'd right ahead and get them, plus getting two bikes you might be able to wrangle a few extras with a discount in the store, make sure you get your kids good fitting helmets, if your planning on taking them to trails far from home think about getting some basics for on-field repairs so you are not out of action if you have a puncture etc (multi tool, spare tubes, pump) apart from that a bottle carrier and your set :)

If your LBS seems way overpriced then you try places like Wiggle for all the little extras
"Hope is not a strategy"
Trek Superfly 21.5 2015 29er

qranked
Posts: 15
Joined: Fri Oct 18, 2013 3:21 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby qranked » Wed Jan 21, 2015 4:08 am

I would echo what some have said and perhaps look for 2nd hand bikes in great condition. You can spend the extra you save on servicing.

One thing I would heartily suggest though, is to look at full 26" wheels/equivalent frame size (probably S or XS). I'm sure your boys will outgrow 24" wheels in no time (137cm isn't so short!), and 26" bikes are much more plentiful on the 2nd hand market (and therefore cheaper). 26" bikes are very standard, and parts can be easily adapted to suit them as they grow and/or break.

But speaking of the links below, one giant has a single ring up front, the other has 3. Both of the rear derailleurs are 7 speed, so the JR2 is 7x1=7 total useable gears, and the JR1 is 7x3=21 total useable gears. I imagine the one you choose would depend on the terrain you're riding - if it's hilly the extra gears would help for climbing, but kids tend to go all out with however many gears they have regardless. 21 gears are also more maintenance than 7 (some may argue marginally).

The Trek is better spec'd than the other 3, but you do pay extra (if you can get the Trek at the same price as the Giants then go with that). However, the Giants come with little things that make riding for kids that much easier, like the rear derailleur bash guard and the front crankset bashguard. They prevent the moving parts getting prematurely mashed when falling/going over obstacles/general abuse that kids are prone to subject their equipment to.

Hope that helps!
f1ngers wrote:Hi all,

Another first timer. I'm about to buy my 8yo and 10yo boys a new bike each. They are both the same height (137cm) and both bikes will be used for road/path and forest type riding.

We are in a regional area so there aren't any of the big brand shops here, however out of the 2 shops they seem to cover most of the reputable brands.

I'm looking at about $400 per bike and have a few in mind. I'd be very grateful for any forum advice regarding any of the bikes as I really am quite green when it comes to bike buying.

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/bik ... /#overview" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/bik ... /#overview" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not really sure about the difference between the two above.

http://www.bicycle-centre.com.au/produc ... ki1500794/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Same price as the xtc.jr.1.24 above

http://www.trekbikes.com/au/en/collecti ... perfly_24/#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As mentioned my budget is really $400 per bike, so this one comes in a bit over but thought I would include it as I could be swayed if it's heads and shoulders over the others.

A few questions re buying tips:

1: Does a LBS typically assemble the bike?
2: Do most LBS include a first service?

Many thanks for looking.

sherlokk
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2015 1:45 pm

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby sherlokk » Fri Feb 13, 2015 2:06 pm

Hey there ladies and gents,

I am a beginner and in the market to buy a new bike. My primary intention is to use the bike for commuting to uni (using roads and pavement) and weekend fitness (along paved bike tracks). My budget is not a penny more than $800AUS (I'm a poor student and just sold my car). I have found two bikes online that I really like, but I can't understand the specs on either of them. I would really appreciate it if somebody with technical knowledge could shed some light on which of these would be the better option for their respective price points?

The first bike ($649) is the 2015 Polygon Helios F3.0 as listed here: http://www.bicyclesonline.com.au/2015-p ... mano-sora/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
However, I could possibly stretch it to the end of my budget and get the Polygon Helios F5.0 listed here: http://www.bicyclesonline.com.au/2015-p ... rbon-fork/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ($799)

The second bike ($699) is the Cell X2 Hybrid as listed here: http://www.this link is broken/Cell-X2-Hyb ... quantity=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Any feedback on the quality of these options would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards
Sam

User avatar
rodneycc
Posts: 2879
Joined: Mon Oct 14, 2013 1:50 pm
Location: Melbourne Eastern Suburbs, Victoria

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby rodneycc » Fri Feb 13, 2015 9:43 pm

I'd go the Helios F5.0 if you are sticking to the pave/road
2013 BMC TM SLR01;2013/14 Bianchi Inf CV
2013 Lynskey Helix;2013 XACD Ti Di2
2013 Giant TCR Adv SL1;2014 Giant Defy Adv SL

pedrojunqueira
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2015 10:11 pm
Location: Adelaide

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby pedrojunqueira » Sun May 10, 2015 10:31 pm

Hi All,

Researching to buy my first road bike and still undecided.

I read a lot on this forum and my conclusion is. NOT BUY an expensive branded NEW bike. Buy a good frame, good warranty with a reasonable good group set. Think that a 105 would be good.

My intention is to use for racing sprint distance triathlons (10-20 Km distances).

I am a beginner and currently I have a hybrid I use to commute to work.

Here are my decision matrix

Brand Price Model Web Address
Reid 999 Falco Elite Road Bike http://www.reidcycles.com.au/falco-elite-road-bike.html
Polygon 1199 Helios A5.0 http://www.bicyclesonline.com.au/2015-p ... -bike-shim
Cell 1299 Cell Akuna 1.1 http://www.this link is broken/Cell-Akuna-1-1
Wheeler 1399 WHEELER ROUTE http://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/buy/2015- ... i/CGRT15MC
Cannondale 899 Caad 10

All bikes are new and price include delivery. The Cannondale is the only USED option. All come on 105 groupset.

I am more inclined to buy the Reid as I can buy online and pick up locally and git it assembled and fitter to me.

Any light to shed?

Cheers

Pedro

User avatar
rodneycc
Posts: 2879
Joined: Mon Oct 14, 2013 1:50 pm
Location: Melbourne Eastern Suburbs, Victoria

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby rodneycc » Wed May 20, 2015 5:26 pm

You might get a few more responses if you stick it in its own thread rather than here... Would really depend on what condition the CAAD10 is like but I'd have a close look at that one first, especially for Tri...
2013 BMC TM SLR01;2013/14 Bianchi Inf CV
2013 Lynskey Helix;2013 XACD Ti Di2
2013 Giant TCR Adv SL1;2014 Giant Defy Adv SL

Calvin27
Posts: 2435
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2013 5:45 pm

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby Calvin27 » Wed May 20, 2015 6:08 pm

+1 for the caad. post it here and we'll do a quick forum assessment haha.

Then next would be the Akuna.
Heavy road bike
Cushy dirt bike
Very cushy dirt bike
Bike crushed by car (RIP)
No brakes bike
Ebike

Praz
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon May 18, 2015 8:08 pm
Location: Western Sydney

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby Praz » Thu May 21, 2015 2:39 pm

Hi All,
Love this thread. Some really helpful tips. Thank you.

pedrojunqueira
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2015 10:11 pm
Location: Adelaide

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby pedrojunqueira » Wed May 27, 2015 8:46 pm

Hi all after lots of research and thought I had decided for the Reid and it was matter of waiting a couple of months to give more time and make a very conscious purchase.
Deep inside I wanted to buy the Caad 10 after reading so many good reviews on the arguably the best aluminium frame in the Market.
I found a used one in very good condition only 6 months old for under 1000. 995 to be exact and I bought it. I going to pick up the bike tomorrow morning and fingers crossed the seller will show up. Let you guys know tomorrow. Cheers. Pedro

pedrojunqueira
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2015 10:11 pm
Location: Adelaide

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby pedrojunqueira » Thu May 28, 2015 12:01 pm

Image

pedrojunqueira
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2015 10:11 pm
Location: Adelaide

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby pedrojunqueira » Thu May 28, 2015 12:02 pm

There it goes my first baby. Thanks for the help

User avatar
rodneycc
Posts: 2879
Joined: Mon Oct 14, 2013 1:50 pm
Location: Melbourne Eastern Suburbs, Victoria

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby rodneycc » Thu May 28, 2015 3:24 pm

Nice choice mate. Enjoy it!
2013 BMC TM SLR01;2013/14 Bianchi Inf CV
2013 Lynskey Helix;2013 XACD Ti Di2
2013 Giant TCR Adv SL1;2014 Giant Defy Adv SL

User avatar
jasontan
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2015 9:23 pm

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby jasontan » Sun Jul 05, 2015 12:11 pm

pedrojunqueira wrote:Hi all after lots of research and thought I had decided for the Reid and it was matter of waiting a couple of months to give more time and make a very conscious purchase.
Deep inside I wanted to buy the Caad 10 after reading so many good reviews on the arguably the best aluminium frame in the Market.
I found a used one in very good condition only 6 months old for under 1000. 995 to be exact and I bought it. I going to pick up the bike tomorrow morning and fingers crossed the seller will show up. Let you guys know tomorrow. Cheers. Pedro
That seems to be a pretty good deal. How did you go with the bike?

pedrojunqueira
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2015 10:11 pm
Location: Adelaide

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby pedrojunqueira » Sun Jul 05, 2015 3:12 pm

Fantastic Bike. Very light. The best and lightest aluminium on the market. Enjoying a lot.

User avatar
jasontan
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2015 9:23 pm

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby jasontan » Mon Jul 06, 2015 9:50 pm

pedrojunqueira wrote:Fantastic Bike. Very light. The best and lightest aluminium on the market. Enjoying a lot.
Oh yeah....I am toasting between CAAD10 or Fat Bike or may be mountain bike

I can already foresee someone telling me to get all three! :lol:

User avatar
bychosis
Posts: 7250
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:10 pm
Location: Lake Macquarie

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby bychosis » Mon Jul 06, 2015 9:54 pm

jasontan wrote:
pedrojunqueira wrote:Fantastic Bike. Very light. The best and lightest aluminium on the market. Enjoying a lot.
Oh yeah....I am toasting between CAAD10 or Fat Bike or may be mountain bike

I can already foresee someone telling me to get all three! :lol:
You need all three, and a fixie and a CX bike and a...
bychosis (bahy-koh-sis): A mental disorder of delusions indicating impaired contact with a reality of no bicycles.

User avatar
jasontan
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2015 9:23 pm

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby jasontan » Tue Jul 07, 2015 10:17 pm

bychosis wrote:
jasontan wrote:
pedrojunqueira wrote:Fantastic Bike. Very light. The best and lightest aluminium on the market. Enjoying a lot.
Oh yeah....I am toasting between CAAD10 or Fat Bike or may be mountain bike

I can already foresee someone telling me to get all three! :lol:
You need all three, and a fixie and a CX bike and a...

One at a time!!!! May be a fat bike first but that means I will need to get whole new gears like shoes and etc.... :cry:

mastahpumba
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Aug 08, 2015 11:23 pm

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby mastahpumba » Sat Aug 08, 2015 11:58 pm

Hi All,

I've been researching the purchase of my first bike and came across this forum, which has been quite helpful and informative! Kudos to you guys :)
I'm after a bit of advice/recommendations on what I should buy.

Details
Budget: $1000 max (can stretch to maybe $1200 if it's a good deal)
Intended use: Commuting approximately 18 km return, mostly on pavement / bike paths (for those in Brisbane, I ride the V1 veloway from Stones Corner down towards Griffith Uni Nathan) with the tiniest amount of road riding
Upgrading from: Trek 7.0 (700x35C, 17.5" frame, inherited from an old housemate so it wasn't fitted for me, but I am ~174 cm with 78 cm leg in-seam so a 17.5" size / 53 cm frame with 170 mm crank should fit me reasonably well according to the calculators I've used)
Interested in: Either hybrid/commuter bike or entry level road bike. Disc breaks would be nice (but are they necessary?)

I want to upgrade as my current bike is showing a fair bit of wear. I've had to get spokes replaced on 2 occasions so far, with different spokes breaking within a month of getting the wheel repaired each time. I've just put my rear wheel into the LBS to swap the cassette/tyre/tube swapped to a new rear wheel, after multiple spokes have broken for the third time :!:. I also run a bit and am keen on getting into triathlons so I want a bike that is more reliable.

I'm relatively new to riding, having only clocked up 2000 km this year (which is nothing when I see the stats of other cyclists on Strava in my area :shock:), so consider me very newbie! I've got Shimano M088 shoes with PDM324 hybrid pedals on my current bike so I think I could handle a road bike, but if $1k isn't enough for a decent entry level roadie then I'm happy enough to stick with a hybrid for now. One worry I do have is with how careful I'd have to be with 700x23 / 25c wheels - for example can I drop off the pavement to the road (a drop of curb height), or mount a curb? What about speed bumps?

I visited 3-4 LBS in my area today, and two models piqued my interest: Trek 7.4 FX Disc for ~$1000 (can be found for $900 on bikeexchange) and a Norco Threshold A3 2015 for ~$1000 (discounted from $1300). What are peoples opinions on Trek and Norco as a brand? Reliable? Of course I'm open to other suggestions too.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers guys :)

keefy
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2015 8:10 am

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby keefy » Sun Aug 09, 2015 8:35 am

Hi everyone,

My girlfriend and I are both looking to get back into cycling (been about 10 years since we've both ridden a bike) and we've been to a few LBS and were recommended a few bikes. Not knowing much about bicycles, I thought I'd join this forum and get some advice!

Our budget is no more than $500 per bike, but can stretch a little bit more if there is a great deal. We already have helmets and bike locks as Reid had a 50% off sale when we visited yesterday. We currently plan on riding weekly/fortnightly on safe cycle paths like those in Sydney Olympic Park, and may ride on roads when I get a bit more confident.

So we've been to the Bike Barn (Parramatta), Blackmans (Parramatta) and Reid Cycles (Glebe) and these were their suggestions for us.

Bike Barn - Malvern Star Escape 2 for $629. Over my budget but if it is by far the best then I would consider it. Got to try this bike in their car park and my impression was 'meh'. Can't quite describe it but just wasn't overly comfortable on it.

Blackman - Giant Roam 3 for $599 and Giant Liv Roam 3 for $599. Still over budget, but from my Googling so far, it seems Giant are well regarded so may consider stretching my budget.

Reid - MTB Pro for $299 and Reid X-Trail 29er for $479. Both bikes are well within budget and we actually got to test ride these yesterday. I was on the MTB Pro and was quite comfortable. Reviews seem to be a bit hard to find for this brand so I'm not sure about its quality. They do have 12 months of free servicing though which might be useful?

Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!

User avatar
jasontan
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2015 9:23 pm

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby jasontan » Mon Aug 10, 2015 7:52 pm

mastahpumba wrote:Hi All,

I've been researching the purchase of my first bike and came across this forum, which has been quite helpful and informative! Kudos to you guys :)
I'm after a bit of advice/recommendations on what I should buy.

Details
Budget: $1000 max (can stretch to maybe $1200 if it's a good deal)
Intended use: Commuting approximately 18 km return, mostly on pavement / bike paths (for those in Brisbane, I ride the V1 veloway from Stones Corner down towards Griffith Uni Nathan) with the tiniest amount of road riding
Upgrading from: Trek 7.0 (700x35C, 17.5" frame, inherited from an old housemate so it wasn't fitted for me, but I am ~174 cm with 78 cm leg in-seam so a 17.5" size / 53 cm frame with 170 mm crank should fit me reasonably well according to the calculators I've used)
Interested in: Either hybrid/commuter bike or entry level road bike. Disc breaks would be nice (but are they necessary?)

I want to upgrade as my current bike is showing a fair bit of wear. I've had to get spokes replaced on 2 occasions so far, with different spokes breaking within a month of getting the wheel repaired each time. I've just put my rear wheel into the LBS to swap the cassette/tyre/tube swapped to a new rear wheel, after multiple spokes have broken for the third time :!:. I also run a bit and am keen on getting into triathlons so I want a bike that is more reliable.

I'm relatively new to riding, having only clocked up 2000 km this year (which is nothing when I see the stats of other cyclists on Strava in my area :shock:), so consider me very newbie! I've got Shimano M088 shoes with PDM324 hybrid pedals on my current bike so I think I could handle a road bike, but if $1k isn't enough for a decent entry level roadie then I'm happy enough to stick with a hybrid for now. One worry I do have is with how careful I'd have to be with 700x23 / 25c wheels - for example can I drop off the pavement to the road (a drop of curb height), or mount a curb? What about speed bumps?

I visited 3-4 LBS in my area today, and two models piqued my interest: Trek 7.4 FX Disc for ~$1000 (can be found for $900 on bikeexchange) and a Norco Threshold A3 2015 for ~$1000 (discounted from $1300). What are peoples opinions on Trek and Norco as a brand? Reliable? Of course I'm open to other suggestions too.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers guys :)
Capitol Bikes at Mt Gravatt is having sales right now and there is a few would fit your budget. They have Trek bikes. As for Norco, Bicycle Centre Boggo Road does stock them. Trek is probably a bit more expensive thank Norco based on my limited browsing. You may be able to get Norco at cheaper price at 99 Bikes but you want to make sure you get the right fit instead of just the cheapest bike. Not saying that 99Bikes won't sell you the right bike you need to have the right sales person. Mention to Capitol Bikes and Bicycle Centre Boggo Road that Jason from 22 Laps refer you, they will look after you.

If you are not that confident to handle a road bike, then go for hybrid as it is more agile. Go for roadie if you are comfortable and dont intend to upgrade at later stage. You probably won't get any disc breaks for that budget and it is not necessary if you are not riding at wet conditions.

2k mileages till today is a pretty good number! Don't be too hard on yourself.

User avatar
ValleyForge
Posts: 1831
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 5:37 pm
Location: Brisbane

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby ValleyForge » Wed Aug 12, 2015 11:04 am

jasontan wrote:Mention to Capitol Bikes and Bicycle Centre Boggo Road that Jason from 22 Laps refer you, they will look after you.

If you are not that confident to handle a road bike, then go for hybrid as it is more agile. Go for roadie if you are comfortable and dont intend to upgrade at later stage. You probably won't get any disc breaks for that budget and it is not necessary if you are not riding at wet conditions.
+1 for John & Matt at Boggo Rd Bicycle Centre. Family run and most importantly sensible.

My thought on road vs hybrid is based on head position. As you become more attuned to balance you will be comfortable riding head down on a road-style frame, rather than head-up (visually) on a hybrid. I found my hybrid was great in the UK for trails, potholes, crap weather with sleet & ice and carrying a big pack. Now it gathers dust as it's too sluggish for day-to-day use despite really good components. And for rail trail rides with the kids, it's not enjoyable as it's not stable enough.

I'll be honest - for what you want you'll be more efficient on a road bike, unless you need to carry a lot of weight. And discs are not necessary - you don't have big hills and gravel to contend with on a loaded bike.
Ha ha ha! Cookies on dowels.

chandu
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Sep 11, 2015 12:09 am

Re: Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

Postby chandu » Fri Sep 11, 2015 12:15 am

hi everyone

I am planning to buy a bike for commute and fitness

I am planning to spend 700 dollars and I have researched some of the bikes available on the market they are

trek fx 7.2
trek duosport 8.2
Gaint crosscity 2

please help me with which bike in the above is good to fit my purpose and if possible suggest bikes from other manufacturers in that price bracket.

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google Adsense [Bot]