# Recommend a bicycle for me **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 26, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-bicycle-for-me/537428 "2010-04-26T18:29:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![spazurek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@spazurek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spazurek)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-bicycle-for-me/537428/1 "2010-04-26T18:29:11Z")
I’m in the market for a bicycle, and the options seem overwhelming, so I was hoping you all could narrow the field down for me somewhat. Here’s what I’m looking for: (1) A hybrid bike, I think, is best for me – a good balance between ride smoothness and bike durability. (2) Intended terrain: A mixture of roads and well-maintained, non-paved urban trails. (3) Budget – fairly flexible, but middle-of-the-road. I don’t want a heavy hunk of junk, but I’m not looking for anything technical. Reliability is the main priority, with rideability/low weight also being fairly important. (4) Not sure if this matters, but I will frequently use it with a kid’s trailer bike ([Wikipedia link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trailer_bike)). Thanks in advance! ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-bicycle-for-me/537428/2 "2010-04-26T19:59:28Z")
I’d probably look to spend $320-$400 on a name brand hybrid bicycle. Raleigh, Trek, Giant, Specialized. You’ll get the reliability you’re looking for along with a lightweight aluminum frame. You can go cheaper but you probably won’t get aluminum. Hybrids sit a bit more upright, have comfortable seats, and tires that roll easily on smooth pavement but are rugged enough for a gravel/dirt path. Google Trek 7000 for example. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-bicycle-for-me/537428/3 "2010-04-26T20:41:08Z")
I think decent hybrid bikes are more in the $400-$600 range these days, at least from a “real” bike shop. It would be cheaper if you buy from mail order or big-box stores, but unless you know how to maintain your bike, it’s probably better to buy from a local shop. Any decent local bike shop should give you a free first tuneup (generally recommended after 30 days or 100 miles), and usually other minor adjustments if necessary. Bikes are highly standardized, and there’s very little difference between different brands. (It’s like PCs - there are many brands but it’s all standard components inside.) So whichever brand your local shop sells is fine. Everything in this price range would probably have 3x8 gears, usually using Shimano derailleurs (possibly SRAM, both are good). ---
**Author:** ![davey77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@davey77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davey77)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-bicycle-for-me/537428/4 "2010-04-26T22:28:52Z")
> [@spazurek](#): > > I’m in the market for a bicycle, and the options seem overwhelming, so I was hoping you all could narrow the field down for me somewhat. > > Here’s what I’m looking for: > (1) A hybrid bike, I think, is best for me – a good balance between ride smoothness and bike durability. > > (2) Intended terrain: A mixture of roads and well-maintained, non-paved urban trails. > > (3) Budget – fairly flexible, but middle-of-the-road. I don’t want a heavy hunk of junk, but I’m not looking for anything technical. Reliability is the main priority, with rideability/low weight also being fairly important. You might want to check out Trek’s FX line of bikes. I ride a 2005 7300 FX (now called 7.3 FX, although it’s not the same bike). These are hybrids with aluminum frames. They do not have overpriced crummy suspension forks, so you save money and weight at the same time. My FX is _pounds_ lighter than my old Specialized Crossroads. My FX came with name brand WTB wheels that are capable of having 38 centimeter tires mounted on them (that’s fat for 700c wheeled bikes, which is what hybrids are). The best advice I can give you is to avoid suspension forks. There are many excellent ones out there but they cost as much as a nice hybrid all by themselves. The cheap forks they slap on sub $700 bikes will make your ride harder rather than easier. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-bicycle-for-me/537428/5 "2010-04-26T23:03:46Z")
Moved Cafe Society --\> IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Necros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/necros/32/11086_2.png) [@Necros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necros)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-bicycle-for-me/537428/6 "2010-04-26T23:15:38Z")
Very good advice to avoid suspension forks. And, in general, I would not spend less than $400-$500 on a bike unless it is on sale. Your best best, honestly, is to visit your LBS (local bike shop) and tell them what you are looking for. They are experts in this sort of thing, and normally love to work with new customers. Repeat business for bike buyers is huge, so if they treat you right the first time, chances are you will be a lifelong customer. As a note, the biggest advantage of buying a bike from an LBS is that the bike will be built correctly, and the shop will stand behind the build. For lower end bikes, build quality is a major differentiator, and one of the big reasons not to buy from a big box store. If you do have to buy from a nationwide retailer, go to REI. ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-bicycle-for-me/537428/7 "2010-04-26T23:46:33Z")
Kona makes a few good city bikes that should fit the bill. I have an earlier version of the [Smoke](http://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=smoke); it’s something of a rugged steel beast of a city bike. But it works great for commuting through heavy traffic and potholes; nothing fancy but decent components. There’s also the [Dew](http://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=dew) and its variants, same basic idea but with a lighter aluminum frame and thinner wheels. Both are solid, affordable city bikes. I paid $350 for the Smoke, the Dew is a bit more. ---
**Author:** ![spazurek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@spazurek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spazurek)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-bicycle-for-me/537428/8 "2010-04-27T02:42:18Z")
Thanks for all the tips, esp. the advice to avoid suspension forks, which seem to have become the norm. There’s a pleasant local bike shop that I dropped into earlier today and I expect I’ll be purchasing from them. Of course, they _did_ talk up suspension forks there, at least front ones…but I suppose they need to move product. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-bicycle-for-me/537428/9 "2010-04-27T14:52:07Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > Bikes are highly standardized, and there’s very little difference between different brands. (It’s like PCs - there are many brands but it’s all standard components inside.) So whichever brand your local shop sells is fine. Everything in this price range would probably have 3x8 gears, usually using Shimano derailleurs (possibly SRAM, both are good). This is true _for this price point_. But there are cheap POS bikes (often at big box stores) that really are worse with crappy substandard components. I agree with all the other advice-- go to a local shop, and suspension forks are probably not worth the cost, weight and drag.