Bike Recommendation for a 43 Year Old Male

LMasterCheif on 11/11/2022 - 11:22
Last edited 11/11/2022 - 11:22

Hi everyone,

I'm a 43 year old male, and would like to start cycling, absolutely clueless about the options.

Budget ~ $600, but could stretch to ~$800 for the right bike.

Height 176cm, Weight 83 kg.

I tend to like lighter bikes (aluminum frame vs steel frames) and bikes with suspension. Never tried dual suspension though, but I have slightly bad back and I think a dual suspensoin bike makes the ride smoother… (correct?)

I will not ride in mountains, trecks etc. Just normal fllat-ish roads around where I live.

Wouldn't mind buying 2nd hand, but not sure how to accertain it's not stolen.

Thanks a lot

Sean

Sports & Outdoors Bicycle

Comments

  • MS Paint on 11/11/2022 - 11:24
    +12

    I will not ride in mountains, trecks etc. Just normal fllat-ish roads around where I live.

    Then don't get a bike with suspension. Energy is absorbed and wasted by the suspension with minimal comfort benefit in return.

    Definitely aim for a quality second hand bike but get the right sized bike and fitted correctly (see YouTube for setup videos) to avoid irritating your back issues.

    Don't forget to budget for Lycra 😉

  • Drakesy on 11/11/2022 - 11:32
    +1

    Apologies all my recommendations are for a 42 year old male so may not be relevant

    If you're not riding on tracks or mountain bikes do what @Muzeeb suggested and don't get one with suspension.

    Pick up a hybrid from Trek, Giant, Merida, Polygon etc and you'll be fine.
    Otherwise anything from the last 5 or so years off gumtree/marketplace will give you great bang for your buck.
    Just do a bit of reading on the groupsets and wheels and you'll go in pretty well educated.

    • tsunamisurfer on 11/11/2022 - 12:58
      +4

      Can you then kindly stop wasting the OP's time?

      When you hit 43 (I've been there) the needs are just different, something 42 and younger just won't understand.

      • Drakesy on 11/11/2022 - 13:07
        +1

        Apologies
        Understood
        XD

    • goingDHfast on 13/11/2022 - 10:02

      Polygon is made in Indonesia FYI stick with Taiwan at this price point IMO. Add Norco in its place, Giant is usually good value on sale OP. Check bike exchange for these brands, sort by Sale for larger discount.

      • Drakesy on 13/11/2022 - 11:10

        They may be built in indonesia but theyre up there with the best when it comes to quality.
        Theyre ridden by the pros

      • Euphemistic on 13/11/2022 - 13:29

        There’s nothing wrong with polygon. They are regarded as very good value bikes.

  • Euphemistic on 11/11/2022 - 12:34
    +2

    Dual suspension is well outside your budget and not required for your usage case.

    You want a light bike but front suspension? The two do not compute. The difference between alloy and steel will be less than the weight of the forks. End of the day, focussing on ‘light weight’ is not the right approach. Pick your budget, and find something that fits you well, then lose the minor difference in weight by taking a trip to the bathroom before you go for a ride. Most bikes in a similar price range will weigh much the same. If you want to avoid ‘heavy’ bikes just stay away from Kmart etc.

    If you want comfort, the biggest difference for on road riding will be tyre size. Aim for 40mm width

    For a bad back you’ll want an upright style bike so a hybrid would likely fit the bill, but they usually come with suspension forks.

  • AndyC1 on 11/11/2022 - 12:41
    -1

    Once you figure out what you want get a second hand bike on gumtree for $100 to $150. You are best to get a mountain bike as you will be riding over small bumps and potentially nice wet weather pot holes (okay going around the edges).

    I would make sure it is an alloy frame. Lookup google to find out the wen sites where you put in your height and it tells you what size frame you need as you need to get the right frame.
    If the bike has disc brakes then even better, but not a deal breaker.
    On flatish roads and small bumps any suspension is not a deal breaker. If you jump gutters and want to do tricks and go where the kids jump things then you will need it, but I would leve this for a few years.
    The biggest NO No IMHO is make sure the gears are lever and not twist mechanism as twist are a PITA and need to be setup perfectly to work. Lever gear changes are allot easier to change gears and are allot easier to adjust.

    If you get a second hand bike then check :
    * the wheels do not wobble from side to side
    * the fame is rust free (wheels and spokes may have surface rust)
    * check how bad the chain is w.r.t. rust and wear.
    * check the gear cogs are not rounded and none are snapped off.
    * check the breaks work or work 80% as you do not want to have to buy new break pads before you use the bike
    * check that if you lift the bike by the handle bars that there is no movement up and down in the frame.
    * check you can change gears on the bike
    * 90% of second hand bikes have rust and you just need to check it's surface rust and if it's the chain that is rusted then you need to ensure the chain links ar not rusted together,

    Be aware that you will need to adjust things on a second hand bike. Be aware that on a new bike screws and bolts will need to be tightened after usage (after first week then the first month and then after 6 months IMHO).

    • Euphemistic on 11/11/2022 - 12:43

      Additionally, before you inspect a second hand bike google the RRP for the brand and model you are looking at. It’ll give a good idea for what quality it is.

  • benderz on 11/11/2022 - 13:27

    Same age, same weight and I ride regularly for fun.

    You want a flat bar road bike. It's more of an upright position so less strain on the back. Forget about suspension unless you are going mountain biking. Hybrids are an in between bike so if it's for road and sealed bike path, go the road bike.

    Something like this is in your price range:

    https://www.reidcycles.com.au/products/osprey-flatbar-road-b…

  • sharkyoz on 11/11/2022 - 13:30

    go to Cash converters or any local pawn shop

  • Downvoter on 11/11/2022 - 13:37

    Flat bar road bike /thread

    • Euphemistic on 11/11/2022 - 15:34

      Just make sure it’ll take at least 35mm tyres.

      • MS Paint on 11/11/2022 - 15:54

        Aim for 40mm width

        • Euphemistic on 11/11/2022 - 16:00

          Yeah, 40 on a hybrid. A flat bar roadie is often designed to be faster and may not take tyres that are as large as a hybrid will take. Some won’t take more than 28mm.

          • Downvoter on 11/11/2022 - 18:52

            @Euphemistic: He’s riding paths not gravel. 32 is fine

            • Euphemistic on 11/11/2022 - 21:48

              @Downvoter: Bigger tyre with a little less pressure will give more cushioning was my thoughts.

  • jizmo on 11/11/2022 - 16:38
    -2

    Friend bought a bike with an energy calculator on board. If I remember him saying right something like. Rode 20 Klm in an hour 200 calories burned. Then looks at 1 can of beer = 280 calories.
    Bike went up for sale after a couple weeks what was the point.

    • Euphemistic on 11/11/2022 - 16:47
      +2

      Bikes are too efficient. Reality is they are a brilliant form of transport, but not so good at burning calories because of that.

    • Downvoter on 11/11/2022 - 18:53
      +2

      Low impact fitness if you’ve got dodgy knees etc

      • jizmo on 11/11/2022 - 22:35

        swimming is best for all

        • Downvoter on 11/11/2022 - 23:13

          Love a good swim in the middle of winter

          • jizmo on 11/11/2022 - 23:34

            @Downvoter: Makes your balls look massive after a hot shower

  • goingDHfast on 13/11/2022 - 18:40

    As others have suggested try a flat bar roadbike but I would also consider a gravel bike too OP. It's almost impossible to upgrade an FBR but a gravel bike can be significantly optimised for riding style by changing tyre style/width.

    Not much in your price range but consider something like this:

    https://www.bikeexchange.com.au/a/gravel-bikes/malvern-star/…

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