Hi guys,
I’m 69 years old and live in southeastern PA.
My Doc. said I should lose some weight. So, I started walking the trails around here and found out that I like it.
I am playing around with the idea of getting a off-road bicycle and would like to talk to someone who knows more than me. That would be almost everyone. My experience with bicycles goes back to 50 some years ago when I was a kid.
When you mention ‘off-road’ - how off road do you mean?
Are we talking of gnarly downhill runs, cross country tracks, or well made pathways?
If you are taking to the lumpier stuff then you might be looking at some suspension both ends with maybe large wheels 29’s.
If you are looking at cross country then you’d be looking at 27.5 inch wheels, you could get away with just suspension forks.
If you are looking at well made pathways then something like a gravel bike might work - more like a mix between a road bike and off-road usually has drop handlebars fairly narrow tyres and no suspension and generally easier to maintain pace, or you could go for a ‘fatty’ which has very wide tyres and works on very loose and deep stuff like snow and beaches but will easily deal with moderate trails these are surprisingly good on the road where you might have thought that those wide tyres would be an awful drag- no suspension. You’re last option would be a MtB with no suspension.
Question is how much use it will get, where will you ride it? and what sort of pace you want and of course how much you want to spend.
Look up the Giant range to see what sorts of styles there are, they do examples of all the machines I’ve mentioned - that should give you an idea, then its a case of looking around at other makes, Trek has fantastic warranties, other makes might include Specialised or Cube.
Personally I would keep my eye on Giants because you get a good spec for your money.
Given your age, I would also consider a e-bike. The type that it still takes peddling, the motor just gives it a boost. I think you will find that recovery period will be longer then you remember, so in order to go out there more often you might want to lighten the load.
Those e-bikes and dirt bikes are relatively heavy (can be fun, though). I have a light weight mountain bicycle I enjoy riding around off-road; I put regular (non-super-fat) knobby tires on it and a front suspension fork. Steep hills are easily dealt with using gear ratio and sweat.
If you at all can, find a decent local bike shop and get a bike there. If you can find one that sells refurbished/used bikes, that’s usually a good sign and a good bargain.
If you buy new from a bike shop, it will be a fair amount more than the cheapest thing from a big box store (Walmart, etc.), but that’s because the big box one will be cheap junk that will break easily and be hard or impossible to adjust to fit you.
Whereas the bike shop will set up the bike correctly, adjust it to fit you, and be there for your yearly tune-ups or other work you need (the best ones will have classes or other ways for you to learn the work yourself, if you’re so inclined).
Right now might be a tough time to find an open bike shop, but you can look around and try and find one anyway.
Bike repair shops around here (Massachusetts) are open - support for essential workers who bike commute, especially as an alternative to public transportation. I don’t know if they’re doing new sales or bike fittings.
Another advantage of a local bike shop will be that you’ll probably be able to tell them “I want to ride the riverside trail at Greenwoods Park”, or whatever, and they’ll know exactly what sort of surface you mean.
For hilly terrain get a bike with plenty of gears.
If you’re so inclined.
mmm
[Moderating]
Oh, and since this is asking for advice, let’s move it over to IMHO.
Here’s a non-recommendation: don’t get a Trek Dual Sport 1. I’ve had many bikes of many brands in my life but I’ve never had one with more issues than the Trek I got as a retirement gift. After taking it in multiple times for various problems (bad bottom bracket, disc brake problems, plastic seat cracked, derailleur won’t stay adjusted) I went back to my trusty 20 year-old Specialized Rockhopper. (In fact I recently saw a near-mint vintage Rockhopper on eBay that I considered, but the shipping cost was too much)
I have a Specialized Crosstrail that is about ten years old. Not sure if they are still making them but I’ve been super happy with mine. It has front suspension and bigger tires that can handle gravel and grass pretty well.
I’d imagine considering his age, it’s likely to be cross-country, well maintained trails, and concrete bike paths. I’d think a lower-end hardtail from a reputable manufacturer might be a good choice- like a Specialized Rockhopper, Trek Marlin 5, or maybe a GT Aggressor Sport.
It may be worth looking at fat bikes as well. Giant, Scott and a pretty much all the big bike makers have a version of one. This one from Norco can be had for less than $1k.
The trails are pretty flat. They are paved, crushed stone or dirt. Most are wide enough for a small car or pick-up.
I am not a hard core type hiker and I won’t be a hard core biker.
I live in an apartment and drive a Subaru forester.
I drive for meals on wheels, so a bike rack for the car might be a problem. I was kinda thinking of something that folds up so I can get it in the back of my car when I want to go out.
I looked at some of the prices on the internet and almost lost my breath.
I don’t want to do the tour de France or go on the northwest passage. I just want a good reliable bike that won’t break down 6 miles from my car.
I will have to try to find a bike shop around here that I can get an honest opinion at.
I live in your area, there are many miles of multi-use trails.My favorite is the Schuylkill River Trail, more specifically the John B. Bartram Section. I have a 30 a year old vintage mountain bike with narrow tires (1.25) which is perfect for these trails. I also have a fat bike with 4 inch wide tires, a beast to pedal. I plan to electrify this one.
If you just want to dip your toes in, I would get a used mountain bike or even a big box bike, just don’t expect too much ruggedness off-road. Oh! and I love disc brakes on bikes too.
I would recommend a rear carrier, or at least quick-release front wheel hubs so you can put the bike in the back. Cheap bikes are heavy, and difficult to get on a roof rack.
I’m 63 with kidney and heart issues. The older I get the easier and more fun I want it, like a toddler.
Ok, I’ll suggest the Kona Dew.
Here’s why: first, that price point is probably the lowest you can go and get a bike that is not a toy. It’s certainly not equipped with the highest quality parts, but they are sturdy and serviceable, and upgradable if you need to do that. Second, the 650x47 tires are going to be comfortable on your trails. Third, that bike comes with pedals. Believe it or not, when you start looking at higher end bikes that cost a few thousand, pedals are extra. There’s a good reason for that (there are different types of pedals, and it’s a personal preference), but some people don’t expect that.
If your budget is higher than that, the Kona Rove or Dr Dew are worth looking at, as is the Salsa Journeyman. The good news is that what you likely need is a gravel bike, and they are the hot item now, with plenty to choose from from: gravel bikes for racing, bikes for bikepacking, and bikes for comfort. A bike on the comfort side is likely what you want, and there are many to choose from.
Echoing the advice of going to a local bike shop. They have the expertise to get you fitted properly to your bike. Comfort is going to be a primary motivator - the best bike for you is going to be the one you want to ride all the time.
I ,also, like the Schuylkill river trail and the Union canal trail. I never realized how many trails there are in this area ( Reading PA).
Thanks for the advice.
I will look into it.
Like I said, I’m not real hard core. When I walk, I don’t set a limit on distance or time. I just go until I feel like stopping.
You should play around with the Strava heat map. It shows the tracks of Strava users, so you will see where people are walking, running, and riding at. It’s a great way to see where all the trails are at in an area.
In order to zoom in close on an area, you need a Strava account. I don’t use Strava, but have a free account just for the heat maps.
If you have a trailer hitch on the Subaru there are bike racks that attach to the trailer hitch. Mine can pivot down to about 45 degrees to allow somewhat better access to the rear hatch. In my case I had the bike rack on a pickup with a cap. With the bike on the bike rack I could pivot the rack down enough to get the tailgate down.
Here’s some info.