Have you purchased a bicycle in the last year?

[votered2012]

I'm especially interested if you bought it for losing a lot of weight. I'm looking for weight limits to different bike models and some websites will tell you but others like Schwinn won't commit a specific limit to what their bike can take.

What kind did you buy?
What advice would you give someone about to buy a bike?

Thanks.

 

[Jordin]

I took delivery on one on New Year's Eve does that count. I bought it for a particular discipline in cycling/triathlon i.e. time-trials. I bought a Caloi Strada Pro it's aluminum with a Futura carbon fork the aero set up is Profile Design. Drive train is Shimano 105. Not entry level but not that great either.

If you've got the bucks go ahead and buy something other than an entry level bike. You'll get a better bang for your buck what I mean is the components on the bike will be better quality, lighter, etc. Then all you'll have to do is upgrade your wheels and you are set to go.

Most bikes even the more expensive ones assume that you already have a set of decent wheels. So if you're buying a better quality bike you're going to get a nice set of wheels that can take the beating of regular training and then all you have to do is buy a set of nice wheels to go with it and there won't be much difference between you and Joe Blow next to you.

If money is an issue see if you can bum/buy/borrow until you know enough about the sport to buy/make decisions for yourself. This is the route I took. I came from running so I started with a mountain bike bought used at a pawn shop. Once I had my legs then I upgraded my old 10 speed, still used, but better quality components and wheels. I weigh over 200 pounds so my used chromolly didn't last three years. Then I upgraded to an aluminum entry level bike that didn't last. Within a couple of years the frame failed at the bottom bracket. So then I bought a titanium frame and transfered all the stuff from the old bike to the new to me bike. Once I got that one set then I set up my Time Trial bike also. I'm cheap so one of the bikes has my trainer set of wheels and the other has the nice set of wheels. Depending on the event and what I need I'll switch the wheels to the bike that needs the good wheels. My mountain bike is now being used as a commuter or when I take the kids on easy trails. I've moved away from mountain biking all together because I got injured way too easily.

 

[Zoë]

I bought an entry level road bike 3 months ago. I'm not trying to lose weight, just keep fit, and I was fed up with running. I was fortunate that a friend loaned me their road bike for a month while I learned to ride, [ I had not ridden before, not even as a kid]. When their bike had to go back I went looking for a hybrid bike which I thought would be easy to handle. But when I found how heavy they were, I decided to buy a road bike and persevere with the slicks and lighter handling. I'm glad I did as it has only taken a few weeks to improve my riding. I would have had to upgrade if I'd bought a hybrid. I try to ride every day.

 

[B S]

I took delivery on one on New Year's Eve does that count. I bought it for a particular discipline in cycling/triathlon i.e. time-trials. I bought a Caloi Strada Pro it's aluminum with a Futura carbon fork the aero set up is Profile Design. Drive train is Shimano 105. Not entry level but not that great either.

If you've got the bucks go ahead and buy something other than an entry level bike. You'll get a better bang for your buck what I mean is the components on the bike will be better quality, lighter, etc. Then all you'll have to do is upgrade your wheels and you are set to go.

Most bikes even the more expensive ones assume that you already have a set of decent wheels. So if you're buying a better quality bike you're going to get a nice set of wheels that can take the beating of regular training and then all you have to do is buy a set of nice wheels to go with it and there won't be much difference between you and Joe Blow next to you.

If money is an issue see if you can bum/buy/borrow until you know enough about the sport to buy/make decisions for yourself. This is the route I took. I came from running so I started with a mountain bike bought used at a pawn shop. Once I had my legs then I upgraded my old 10 speed, still used, but better quality components and wheels. I weigh over 200 pounds so my used chromolly didn't last three years. Then I upgraded to an aluminum entry level bike that didn't last. Within a couple of years the frame failed at the bottom bracket. So then I bought a titanium frame and transfered all the stuff from the old bike to the new to me bike. Once I got that one set then I set up my Time Trial bike also. I'm cheap so one of the bikes has my trainer set of wheels and the other has the nice set of wheels. Depending on the event and what I need I'll switch the wheels to the bike that needs the good wheels. My mountain bike is now being used as a commuter or when I take the kids on easy trails. I've moved away from mountain biking all together because I got injured way too easily.

 

[Grillparzer]

A friend of mine bought a Giant OCR3 after his doctor told him to lose weight or die. At the time he weighed almost four hundred pounds. Within three months he had lost more then a hundred pounds by riding twenty-five to fifty miles a day. He also bought a new bike because he had worn the gears down on the first one. I don't recommend taking his approach to losing weight, but it does show it is possible.

Avoid department store bicycles, they are made from the cheapest materials and put together by high school students. Nothing against students but when they build a bike they will leave you walking. Go to a bike store and buy the best bike you can afford within your budget. Lots of stores sell used bikes that they've taken in on trade. Make sure the store mechanic has checked it over before you buy it. Some good brands are Giant, Trek, Specialized, and Raleigh, but there are other good brands out there too. Raleigh's are my favorite, there a little bit heavier then other bikes but they ride very smoothly. They've been building them for about a hundred and twenty years now so they know what their doing. Buy a bike pump or a CO2 charger, a tube patch kit, tire levers, a helmet, and gloves. Gloves absorb road shock and make riding easier. Bike shorts are nice too, but if you buy a comfort bike with a soft saddle probably not necessary.

Bicycles are vehicles and are recognized as such by all fifty states. Ride like it like a vehicle, some states and cities have laws and ordinances that prohibit bicycle riding on sidewalks. Make sure the car drivers know what you are going to do, point which way you are going to turn. Don't surprise them and hopefully they won't surprise you. Good luck and enjoy it.