Hey hey
Looking to start cycling with the kids. New to the game and have no idea about bicycles. I'm a big fella too so will need something good but cheap. Any ideas where to start?
Good to hear from you folks.
Mens bicycle for a newbie
alz on 13/10/2019 - 18:55
Comments
Cycling or paved things? or tracks?
Big tall? Or big heavy? Bikes are generally sized by height, not weight.
big fella
I think means tall and heavy set.
If you have enough moolah to buy a quality bike new, I'd like to suggest scoping a couple of nearby bike shops, that look well organised and well stocked. Then ask them advice. There is science behind picking a suitable bike.
Get a strong bike, with strong wheels, and shimano derailleur and parts, that's a brand name (check internet). Then let the pros (bikeshop) size and adjust it for you. Hopefully $300 to $600 is max spend. $1200+ for first recreational bike is not good idea. Cheap lets you replace later when you want to try something else.If you want to keep it cheapish, research your leg length, and type of bike and buy from classifieds or even a hock shop.
Bikes are tons of fun. Avoid Bigw/kmart < $100 bikes, they work but you get what u pay for.
Facebook Marketplace
I'm a big fella too so will need something good but cheap.
2nd hand bike from gumtree.
Check tyres and make sure it's not leaking air, enough tread and no holes.
Check the brakes, make sure the lever works and the brake pads aren't too worn out.
Check the chain to see if it's excessively worn, the links should not be too stretched out.You can try a big w, kmart or target bike. I still have mine from 12 year ago and with good care, there's minimal issues.
What is your budget? Don’t get suckered in to spending up big in a bike shop and then not use the bike to its potential.
Second hand mountain bike. Maybe up to $300. Look for something valued around $1-1.5k when new. Prepare to spend a few coins on tyres and maybe a chain.
Please don’t buy a new bike from Kmart etc. they are rubbish. Not well built, heavy and not all that strong, cheapest parts possible. Sure they can be serviceable but you need to be competent as a bike mechanic to keep them in check.
Then again, another strategy is to buy a Kmart bicycle, ride it for 6 months then you know if you are going to ride more.
I started out that way. (actually it was Aldi) Where as friends spent hundreds and some still ride others aren't. My second better bike was bought s/hand from a friend who gave riding away. BTW the Aldi special is still here for visitors to ride.
All that said, the better bikes are just that, much better and more pleasant to ride.
People I know get their bikes serviced at a Bike shop, new tyres etc and they pay more for the service, than the Kmart special. I learnt how to repair and service my own bike and close friends (otherwise I would be inundated). Thank heavens for great Utube videos on bike servicing.
And buying secondhand before knowing the basics of bike riding and what to look for isnt that great unless you have friends with some bike knowledge.
I disagree with buying a Kmart bike at any time. They are cheap junk. You are significantly better off buying second hand. That way you end up with something worth selling at the end, very often for almost what you paid for it. Kmart bikes are near impossible to sell, the second hand market treats then as the junk they are. Lately I note that the scrap metal guys don’t even pick them up from the council kerbside collection.
I have bought and sold dozens of bikes and it is not too hard to find a decent one for $150. You can get a great bike for $300.
Learning to service yourself is very important. Bike shops often turn their nose up at a Kmart bike and won’t service it for you becuase hey know they’ll have difficulty getting it running to a reasonable standard. I
Giant, Trek, Specialized, Scott, Merida via Gumntree/Ebay/Facebook marketplace, about $350 should get you a decent one/used
Or:
new Decathlon Triban or Aldi (when on offer) or Polygon (same thing) will get you started.Disc brakes are more uniform in stopping power in the wet but V pull's are cheaper to replace pads and easier to service etc. Also lighter in general, although for a solid 29'er type hybrid/mtb they'l not be light and who cares about weight unless you're weak/time trialing!
Stick some schwalbe marathon/duranop on for commuting/roads or stick with original knobbly's if you and kids are fire trailing, avoid rear suspension.
Accept buying tools (chain reaction/wiggle) and googling servicing or spend $$$ getting a bike properly serviced, they're not hard to look after and will pay dividends.Budget for a helmet that's comfy, teach your kids how not to end up as vegetables come the inevitable fall from the bike.
If you decide it's not for you, a decent used bike can be resold, a Big W, out for the scrappy!
Also if a 'big fella' (self honesty time, are you big or just overweight?) Get decent tyres/tubes over 37mm width, lower pressure and more comfortable ride than thin tyres and able to handle the compresion better, tall, (over 1.85m) get a larger frame (try a real bike shop for fitting first) so you don't hunch over/extend too much and end up with a sore back/neck etc. Have fun.
How old are the kids?
Thanks everyone for your thoughts. Bates Bikes is down the road so will pop in for some advice. I'll also look at Gumtree for second hand bikes.
Had no idea some bikes are worth 2k+You might get a shock when you get to the bike shop then. They are likely to recommend $1-1.5k budget. It’s a sweet spot for value and quality.
You might be shocked to hear that electric assist mountain bikes are flying out the door at around $6k then.
Hi all. Thought I'd jump on this thread rather then start my own.
I'm in a similar boat ( smaller guy - 180cm, 80kg) and want something to ride around with the kids/take camping etc) but also needs to be decent enough that I MAY want to go riding by myself for fitness.
Budget up to $500, happy to buy second hand but bear in mind I have no interest it fixng/servicing anything myself so would take it somewhere to get done if necessary…have looked at new bikes at Reid's, anaconda, decathlon etc but not sure what to look for really. Any suggestions? I'm in Melbourne btwWas looking at something like a cannondale quick 8 second hand but not sure if this is overkill?
You should be able to get a great bike for $3-400. Brand name in good condition and then allow for $150 for a new service, just in case. Good quality bikes, particularly little used ones will generally be completely rideable and stay that way unless you treat them very rough
Cannondale sounds good, but would depend on what you want to do for fitness riding. Great for in road or bicycle paths, not designed for gravel riding or off road. Taking the bike camping indicates to me you should probably get a mountain bike.
I take it the quick 8 is an internal gear hub, great for low maintenance - but derailleurs arent very high maintenance either.
I assumed that hybrids are still fine for 'loose' terrain over short distances..? The VAST majority will be sealed paths/roads
@JuryWheel: Of course hybrids are fine for short off Rd distances. A very quick search showed the current quick 8 to have 35mm tyres which would suit gravel paths just fine. Also saw it is an entry level hybrid with derailleur gears. A second hand on should be around $200. You should be able to find a $1k bike second hand for your budget fairly easily.
@Euphemistic: any suggestions as to some "$1000 bikes" that i might spot? Even brands etc. The quick 8 i saw was less then a yr old, but they still wanted $400 for it…
@JuryWheel: The big brands are Giant, Specialized, Merida, Scott, Trek, Avanti, Cannondale (and probably more). Can’t really comment on particular models as there are too many. Easiest thing to do is to search your local online classifieds (gumtree, Facebook marketplace etc) and if you find something in your budget have a quick google to see what the RRP was. It’s what I do when searching for bargains to play with or flip.
You should be able to get a good near new used bike for 50-60% RRP.
@Euphemistic: Thanks for that, I'll have a look. Re the tyres, is 35mm likely to be standard? Which thickness is likely to be too skinny?
i wouldn't recommend cannondales anymore. They don't build their bottom brackets like they used to. Their new tech lead increased their manufacturing tolerances. They're known to creak on their high bikes.
I would recommend the new genre of gravel bikes.
You can use it for endurance off roading and road
such as this:
https://www.reidcycles.com.au/granite-1-0.html?gclid=CjwKCAi…or this as an idea of what you could get:
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/revolt-advanced-2-2020Are they substantially different to 'hybrids'? I assumed this was what they were for?
ok, looking to compare the following….
Reid Granite 1.0 – https://www.reidcycles.com.au/granite-1-0.html?gclid=CjwKCAi…
Giant Roam XR2- https://www.giant-bicycles.com/au/roam-xr-2-2013
Merida Speeder 200 – http://www.bikeroar.com/products/merida/speeder-200-2015/40-…
Any major pros or cons…?
Thanks!
The Reid is a drop bar gravel bike, quite different to the other two flat bar bikes. The Merida shown is a 2015 model which if the price listed is current is overpriced at $1k. I rode a giant roam for a little while, was a good bike and with hydraulic brakes stopping is fantastic, even in the wet. Only reason I didn’t keep riding it was that I bought it for parts with a damaged frame, still using most of the parts.
Thanks for the reply. Second two bikes were able for a few hundred second hand so I thought they might be worth a stab. The granite is on special and I have a discount code so it would only be around $450 which seemed like a good deal but I'm not really keen on drop bar..
Second hand for the giant or merida would be a good bet. $300 would probably be a good price, $400 would want them to be immaculate.
Just how 'big' are you?