Extremely casual, recreational bikes

[Jenny]

We're looking at bikes. Not mountain bikes, just plain old ordinary ride on a paved bike path bikes. I would like to be pretty upright so there's no wrist or shoulder stress. I'd also like a great big tractor seat to sit on, although that seems not likely.

We've looked at a couple places, but I have no idea about good brands, overpriced brands, crappy quality brands or anything like that.

Any guidelines? So far I’ve seen Trek, Electra, Cannondale, and Benno.

 

[SallyCat]

I think you might find this overview helpful.

Trek and Cannondale are both good brands. Check out KHS and Liv bikes, too; they both have good lineups of hybrid/comfort bikes.

Whatever you decide, try it out before you buy it and make sure it fits you and that you're comfortable with the way it shifts and brakes.

You can get a good deal on this type of bike at Performance and other big chains, but if you go that route, don't rely on the sales staff for good advice. A local bike shop with a good reputation will be able to help you find what you're looking for, you'll get a good-quality bike/brand, and they will also be able to make small adjustments for you that can increase comfort. The downside is that some LBSs specialize in road/mountain bikes and may not carry many recreational bikes, so you may have to shop around for a shop with the right inventory.

Good luck and happy biking!

 

[ski diva]

I have a Trek FX 7.2, which is a really nice, well priced hybrid perfect for the type of riding you describe. I love it.

 

[SallyCat]

I have a Trek FX 7.2, which is a really nice, well priced hybrid perfect for the type of riding you describe. I love it.

Small world; a former colleague has a very similar Trek hybrid and really likes it. English teacher; rides it to work in mild weather wearing a brown corduroy blazer with leather elbow patches. Very Catcher in the Rye. The boy who runs the school bike repair club does the maintenance on it. The student-mechanic is a discerning fellow when it comes to bikes and he was impressed with the Trek.

 

[Jenny]

In the article - the comfort bikes. Does the pedal placement change the muscles you use for pedaling? DH has a knee issue when we bike, and I was wondering if that might be helped by it.

 

[Christy]

Consider a hybrid like Wendy mentioned. Maybe there are comfort bikes or cruisers that aren't horrible heavy clunkers, but every time I've done a bike rental when on vacation they are comfort or cruisers, and they are just miserable things. So heavy, so much work.

 

[SallyCat]

Plus you can put a big ol’ comfort seat on a hybrid if you want to.

 

[Little Lightning]

I bought a Liv road bike in January. I'm in love with it. Liv is a made by Giant but it is strictly the women's division so all bike designs are geared toward women.
In the past I steered clear of stock frames due to the fitting issues I had with bikes back in the 80's and 90's. That said Liv really dialed in the fit for smaller riders. I would think the same would apply to all women riders.

One thing I read about the Giant brand is they make frames for many brands of bikes which makes more money for them. Therefore the Giant company can offer higher quality at a good price over many other brands.

Think about what you plan to do with the bikes. Many bike trails can go for miles. How far do you plan to ride? A few miles or lots of miles. Some bike trails can be hilly. If your trails are hilly you'll need better gearing.

Saddles are extremely important. Big cushy saddles may or may not be comfortable, it all depends on the width of your sit bones. Some shops have a measuring device that can measure your sit bones and put you in the correct width saddle. Even with the right size saddle you might experience some discomfort until your saddle and bottom breaks in.
My advice would be to buy a good pair of bike shorts. Go to as many shops as you can and ride each bike your looking at. Learn about components (bike parts). On the Liv website there's lots of information about bikes. Finally, don't buy from a shop that doesn't have a good bike fitter. Retul is a bike fitting method that is often used. Pay for it if you have to. It's worth the extra money to get the right fit and avoid discomfort. BTW you might have to switch out the saddle that comes with the bike for a better fitting one. I tried with the saddle that came on my bike and finally gave up, got my regular brand and size saddle and I'm now a happy cyclist.

 

[Little Lightning]

In the article - the comfort bikes. Does the pedal placement change the muscles you use for pedaling? DH has a knee issue when we bike, and I was wondering if that might be helped by it.

Yes, if the bike doesn't fit properly it could change the pedal position. For example the saddle could be too far forward or too far back. The crank arm length could be to short or too long. Top tube length could be too long or too short putting the rider in the wrong position over the center of the frame. A good bike fitter will identify your needs.

 

[SallyCat]

In the article - the comfort bikes. Does the pedal placement change the muscles you use for pedaling? DH has a knee issue when we bike, and I was wondering if that might be helped by it.

A knee issue is all the more reason to buy from a shop that can fit you properly. As @Little Lightning says, you can tinker with some aspects of a bike's fit, but only if it is a fundamentally correct size and geometry for you. I had a dropper post installed on my bike recently, and the shop put the seat back on any old way. My next ride, I must have stopped a dozen times to tinker with the seat location and height to get it where I could ride efficiently without knee or back pain. Forward, forward, back, ugh, no... higher, little lower, wait, now back a bit....all of the adjustments in millimeters. (Yes, I've marked the positions now! ).

 

[Tvan]

We have Specialized (that’s the brand name) hybrid bikes and love them. +1 on the comments about going to a reputable bike shop and getting fitted correctly. It will make all the difference in comfort and performance!

 

[Jenny]

We’re going to actual bike shops - I just have no way of knowing if they're good or not! Found two more around here that carry different brands than what we've seen so far, so going to do an initial scouting trip to them and then figure out where we might want to concentrate. All I’ve done so far is sit on a few.

If I were to buy on impulse, there's one I’ve seen already that I'd get. It's purple, and if it had a banana seat and high handlebars with streamers it would be just like my first purple Schwinn I had when I was 5.

 

[SallyCat]

We’re going to actual bike shops - I just have no way of knowing if they're good or not! Found two more around here that carry different brands than what we've seen so far, so going to do an initial scouting trip to them and then figure out where we might want to concentrate. All I’ve done so far is sit on a few.

If I were to buy on impulse, there's one I’ve seen already that I'd get. It's purple, and if it had a banana seat and high handlebars with streamers it would be just like my first purple Schwinn I had when I was 5.

@Jenny: if you would be willing to share the region where you live, you might get some recommendations for shops, or clubs or groups that can point you to good shops.

I had that Schwinn, too, btw! My friends called it the "Purple People Eater" and it was rad. Funnily enough, I literally yesterday bought a new mountain bike, and it's purple! But I'm even more psyched that my favorite pedals came in THIS color!!

 

[Little Lightning]

We’re going to actual bike shops - I just have no way of knowing if they're good or not! Found two more around here that carry different brands than what we've seen so far, so going to do an initial scouting trip to them and then figure out where we might want to concentrate. All I’ve done so far is sit on a few.

If I were to buy on impulse, there's one I’ve seen already that I'd get. It's purple, and if it had a banana seat and high handlebars with streamers it would be just like my first purple Schwinn I had when I was 5.

Generally bike shops will let you take the bike out and ride it. In the olden days some sales people would go outside and watch you ride. They can adjust the saddle height, maybe move it fore/aft but not much else. When I bought my Liv I had already worked with the fitter and knew the Liv would fit me pretty well. He had the demo bike set up to my specs. When my bike arrived we went through a fitting. Because he knew Liv would fit me well we only changed the stem and the saddle. He also adjusted the reach to the shifters/brakes for my small hands.
Shops that have professional fitters will mention fitting on their websites. Sometimes they will list the fitters qualifications. They will often list prices for their services. Initally I emailed my fitter. It started as a refit for my mountain bike and ended up with a new mountain bike and road bike.

 

[snowski/swimmouse]

Mine is a Cannondale Hybrid after our ski club had a program from a bike shop. The presenter brought 10 or 12 such bikes and I "volunteered" to help him bring them from the parking lot, which meant riding them down two long halls! The selling point on the one I bought is the shock absorbers! Friends who bought without them like mine better... just my 2 cents to add to the great comments above...

 

[volklgirl]

Go to Alger Cycle on 28th street. They should treat you well and they carry quality equipment.

For a quality bike that will last for years, plan to spend AT LEAST $500.

 

[Jenny]

I'm in West Michigan. And please don't anyone take this the wrong way because I really, really appreciate you taking the time to post here, but I am so seriously casual about this that I don't want to learn anything more than it takes to get a decent bike for a reasonable price. I already don't know enough about ski gear and

Go to Alger Cycle on 28th street. They should treat you well and they carry quality equipment.

For a quality bike that will last for years, plan to spend AT LEAST $500.

That's the first place we went. Then two places in Holland. There's another on East Paris, closer to Bill & Paul's, and then one out in Ada, too.

Of course, all this may be totally moot depending on MRI results, but in the meantime . . .

 

[Jenny]

And speaking of injuries, how are you doing @volklgirl?

 

[Jenny]

I'm in West Michigan. And please don't anyone take this the wrong way because I really, really appreciate you taking the time to post here, but I am so seriously casual about this that I don't want to learn anything more than it takes to get a decent bike for a reasonable price. I already don't know enough about ski gear and

That's the first place we went. Then two places in Holland. There's another on East Paris, closer to Bill & Paul's, and then one out in Ada, too.

Of course, all this may be totally moot depending on MRI results, but in the meantime . . .

Oh wait, we didn't go to Alger yet! Good thing I checked the address. They're now on the list.

 

[Jenny]

I'm in West Michigan. And please don't anyone take this the wrong way because I really, really appreciate you taking the time to post here, but I am so seriously casual about this that I don't want to learn anything more than it takes to get a decent bike for a reasonable price. I already don't know enough about ski gear and

Whoops - thought I erased the beginning of that post. I mean, it's true, but I was worried about how it would sound. Honestly if I could get one of you who knows something about this to just tell me what to buy, I'd probably be happy. But I know it doesn't quite work that way