It sounds from your posts like you’re trying to get into fitness. Probably the best bike for you is a “hybrid” so ask if thye have any used hybrids.
As Chairman Pow said, a “hybrid” is neither a great trail bike nor a great road bike. And when you find out how you really want to ride, you can get either a mountain bike or a road bike.
But, it’s a comfortable bike. It’s perfect for bike-paths, fine for roads and perfectly safe if you need to ride over the occasional patch of grass or loose dirt or gravel.
And, IMO, a $50 used bike that is 10 years old is probably going to be better than a $50 Walmart bike.
I recently bought a $100 used road bike that I love. I’d say it’s only drawback over a modern roadbike is a little weight.
I agree that someone who is just getting back into biking should get a cheap bike on sale. After all we’ve all known people who bought expensive fitness equipment and then realized they weren’t going to stick with it. Once you’ve proven to yourself that you are a bicycling enthusiast at heart, you’ll be ready to start thinking about a better bike.
One caveat, however: If you have a cheap Huffy-or-worse type of bike and it breaks down, do not go to a bike shop for parts and help. I own a Huffy that I got for free because it was thrashed, and I rebuilt it. Everytime I went to a shop for something and the people there found out what it was for, I got such condescension I could barely stand it. If your bike isn’t Italian, those jerks will actually laugh in your face. It wasn’t just one shop, either.
I have a very good friend that bought a $100 (or so) full suspension mountain bike from Costco.
This bike was so bad, she found it easier to get off the bike and run up the hill pushing it, then it was to try and ride it!
She then bit the bullet and bought a Trek Women’s specific hardtail (Probably about $600) I visited her and used her old bike, so we could ride together. I couldn’t ride that piece of shit up even a small hill. This bike must have weighed almost 50 lbs. (FTR I ride a mountain bike regulary and have for the last 8 years)
I would strongly suggest that you stay away from Wal-mart (et al) bikes. You will either have to throw the damn thing away in a year, or it will break, and you will find that the bike maker used non-standard parts, and the bike store will have nothing to repair it with, or it will such a POS that it will be parked in the corner of the garage and never get used. The best bike is the one that you ride.
You can probably get a lowline hybrid for about $200 at a bke shop. Since the bike shop is interested in keeping you as a customer, they won’t sell the absolute garbage that a mass marketer will. (FYI bike shops don’t make much money on the bike. Accessories, and repairs is where the money is)
some bike shops sell used bikes, some don’t. Ask around. Also in many towns there are people that buy used bikes refirbish them and resell them for a song. This is done as both garage capitolism, and as a way to get more bikes on the street. I know of a guy in Portland that used to buy old road bikes (quality ones) for less then less than $10 at garage sales, put on the average about $20-30 in them and sell them for $50-60. Again ask around, check the local papers etc.
If your SO used to race, does he have, or can he borrow a bike for you to ride for a week or two so you can get the feel of it? This would be the best of all worlds. You could find out if you like riding, and you will get to feel what a quality bike feels like. Then when you go to try out another bike you have something to compare it to. As my friend found out there is a huge difference between a $100 bike and a $600 bike (a lot bigger difference than there would be between a $600 bike and a $1800 bike)
Oh and one last thing WEAR A HELMET. WEAR IT CORRECTLY
sorry didn’t mean to yell
I’m gonna go against every post made thus far, and advise you to listen to your husband’s advice. Save your money until you can afford to to spend a few hundred dollars on a used bike, or $700 or so on a new bike.
If your gonna be riding for fitness, I recommend riding on roads–it’s much easier to get a high-quality and consistent aerobic on the road then on trails. And if your gonna be riding on the road, I think you’ll have a lot more fun on a serious road bike. You’ll go significantly faster, and if you’re riding for a reasonable length of time (more then a half hour or so), a well-fitted road bike is far more ergonomic and comfortable then something with flat handle bars, like a hybrid or a mountain bike.
I used to race road bikes (and mountain, and dabbled in track…) in college, so I probably have some of the same biases as your husband…
Some of the posts here give you the impression that a cheapo bike will explode beneath you the first time you sit on it. I have owned $300 road bikes and I currently own a $100 Walmart bike. The $300 bike was much better than the Walmart bike, but not five times as good as it. The gearing was not as good, and the Walmart bike was heavier, but not the 50-pound monster that has been described elsewhere.
The major difference between WalMart bikes and the $300 bike was that the gearing was not as good and the bike as a whole was better adjusted – you could spin the wheels and they’d go on forever. Climbing hills is a bitch on ANY bike – moderately easier on a good bike, but there’s no bike so good that it’ll keep you from noticing you’re fighting gravity every inch of the way on a steep grade.
The most important thing if you get a cheapo bike is, adjust it carefully. It will not be properly adjusted when you get it. Make sure the seat is properly aligned and at the right height to give you full power as you ride. Check the brake pads to make sure they’re properly adjusted. Keep it properly oiled, and you’re OK.
As for buying a $300 or $700 bike, like I said, they’re better, go with it if you can afford it – it is YOUR money you are spending here.