Bike recommendations? page

[ryan54]

Looking for a bicycle for the summer.. nothing crazy. Anyone have any recommendations? Thanks a lot!

- Ryan

[sbhikes]

Check garage sales. Get a used bike. The best bike I've ever had is my old mountain bike that I bought in the early 90s. I put smooth tires on it and bolted a Jandd grocery bag on the rear rack (so it won't fall off and nobody will steal it.) I put a shorter neck on it so I don't hurt my privates as I ride. The thing is indestructible and I can use it for bike commuting. When I bought it I chose it because it felt responsive, which means when I pedal I can feel the forward motion with each stroke. This was way more important to me than the bike being light and fast. It may not be fast in absolute terms, but the responsive feeling makes it feel fast.

With a bike like this, I don't worry about theft, I can ride it everywhere and use it for any purpose, with the exception perhaps of super gnarly trails, but I'm not into that.

If you really want a new bike, look into what they call a cyclo-cross bike. They're versatile like mountain bikes but a little more like road bikes. You might find one used, too.

[tplank]

Just depends on what kind of biking you want to do. Need more info. General all around utility, the Trek 700 has been popular for a long time for good reasons. But if you can be more specific...use, price, ect... you can get some good input here.

[not on the rug]

depends on what you plan on using it for and what your budget is. so ???

[palebluedots]

We love our Breezers

[ryan54]

Thanks for the responses guys! Looking for a casual, recreational bike to ride around the neighborhood.

[ryan54]

Budget is definitely less than $500.

[springnr]

Crank Forward

[not on the rug]

you can get a pretty decent bike with a $500 budget. i strongly recommend going to your local shop and taking a few different bikes for a test ride. i'm a huge fan of specialized bikes, but trek has made great improvements recently. since you aren't planning on thrashing singletrack or doing crazy downhill, buy something you feel comfortable riding. and don't let the shop oversell you on something you don't need. if you are in the nj/pa area, i can recommend 2-3 good shops.

[ryan54]

Yes, I'm in north/central NJ.