I have been lurking here for a few weeks now. I used to be in excellent shape.......but after a series of injuries forced me to stop lifting ........I am looking for something i can do several days a week to help me get back in to "reasonable" shape. (whatever that is LOL)
I have been wanting to get a bike and do some riding and figured I could check this NG out for a few tips. I am looking for something very basic, to do a fair amount of street riding, with some occaisional trips on some local trails. Unfortunately, the only place I can see anything I might be remotely interested in buying is my local Wal-Mart. Now I know thats going to stir up some attacks on their bikes, but I am only wanting something to kind of "break into" this with. If I find I want to ride more and do more serious "trail or mountain" riding then I would get something more expensive in the next few months. But for now, I am not looking to spend a ton on a decent bike. Anyone here have any suggestions......? P.S. I know there are some bike shops around here in Richmond VA. and if i wanted to, I could spend a small fortune on a bike. Thats not what I'm really looking for now though. Any help is appreciated...... Scott
I have been lurking here for a few weeks now. I used to be in excellent shape.......but after a series of injuries forced me to stop lifting ........I am looking for something i can do several days a week to help me get back in to "reasonable" shape. (whatever that is LOL)
I have been wanting to get a bike and do some riding and figured I could check this NG out for a few tips. I am looking for something very basic, to do a fair amount of street riding, with some occaisional trips on some local trails. Unfortunately, the only place I can see anything I might be remotely interested in buying is my local Wal-Mart. Now I know thats going to stir up some attacks on their bikes, but I am only wanting something to kind of "break into" this with. If I find I want to ride more and do more serious "trail or mountain" riding then I would get something more expensive in the next few months. But for now, I am not looking to spend a ton on a decent bike. Anyone here have any suggestions......? P.S. I know there are some bike shops around here in Richmond VA. and if i wanted to, I could spend a small fortune on a bike. Thats not what I'm really looking for now though. Any help is appreciated...... Scott
You'd probably be better off getting a used bike from your LBS than going to Wal-Mart. I had one of those bikes and of course it worked but it wasn't exactl fun to ride. The next bike I bought was a decent Gary Fisher hybrid. This is when it dawned upon me how much fun it was to ride a bike. All of a sudden my 8 km commute started turning into 50 k rides and now I've bought two more bikes. A roadbike and an MTB.
Check for Bike Swaps in your area. I used to work around Richmond and there are serveral good LBS that run bike swaps a few times during the year. You could ultimately get a fantastic deal on a decent bike. You could also try eBay. I bought a used GT iDrive 3.0 in fairly decent condition for $350 once upon a time.
"EA Pissant" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
I have been lurking here for a few weeks now. I used to be in excellent shape.......but after a series of injuries
forced
Quoted message said:
me to stop lifting ........I am looking for something i can do several
days a
Quoted message said:
week to help me get back in to "reasonable" shape. (whatever that is
LOL)
Quoted message said:
I have been wanting to get a bike and do some riding and figured I could check this NG out for a few tips. I am looking for something very basic, to do a fair amount of street
riding,
Quoted message said:
with some occaisional trips on some local trails. Unfortunately, the only place I can see anything I might be remotely interested in buying is my local Wal-Mart. Now I know thats going to stir up some attacks on their bikes, but I am
only
Quoted message said:
wanting something to kind of "break into" this with. If I find I want to ride more and do more serious "trail or mountain"
riding
Quoted message said:
then I would get something more expensive in the next few months. But for now, I am not looking to spend a ton on a decent bike. Anyone here have any suggestions......? P.S. I know there are some bike shops around here in Richmond VA. and
if i
Quoted message said:
wanted to, I could spend a small fortune on a bike. Thats not what I'm really looking for now though. Any help is appreciated...... Scott
"EA Pissant" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
I have been lurking here for a few weeks now. I used to be in excellent shape.......but after a series of injuries
forced
Quoted message said:
me to stop lifting ........I am looking for something i can do several
days a
Quoted message said:
week to help me get back in to "reasonable" shape. (whatever that is
LOL)
Quoted message said:
I have been wanting to get a bike and do some riding and figured I could check this NG out for a few tips. I am looking for something very basic, to do a fair amount of street
riding,
Quoted message said:
with some occaisional trips on some local trails. Unfortunately, the only place I can see anything I might be remotely interested in buying is my local Wal-Mart. Now I know thats going to stir up some attacks on their bikes, but I am
only
Quoted message said:
wanting something to kind of "break into" this with. If I find I want to ride more and do more serious "trail or mountain"
riding
Quoted message said:
then I would get something more expensive in the next few months. But for now, I am not looking to spend a ton on a decent bike. Anyone here have any suggestions......? P.S. I know there are some bike shops around here in Richmond VA. and
if i
Quoted message said:
wanted to, I could spend a small fortune on a bike. Thats not what I'm really looking for now though. Any help is appreciated...... Scott
Hey, I live in Richmond VA too and sad to say most of the bike shops in Richmond aren't too far from Walmart's level. (My friends and I call it 'mountain bike hell'😉 But if you know what you're looking for some good deals can be had at Goodly or Agee's which would give you a better bike than what you would get at Walmart (at least set up better). I understand you wanting to get a 'break in' bike, I started on a $250 Costco Motiv, but there are some very fun trails in the CVA area and you will get hooked. The Motiv would've been $250 (plus repairs) towards a better bike. Drop me an email if you want to go bike shopping.
[email hidden] (EA Pissant) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...
Quoted message said:
I have been lurking here for a few weeks now. I used to be in excellent shape.......but after a series of injuries forced me to stop lifting ........I am looking for something i can do several days a week to help me get back in to "reasonable" shape. (whatever that is LOL)
I have been wanting to get a bike and do some riding and figured I could check this NG out for a few tips. I am looking for something very basic, to do a fair amount of street riding, with some occaisional trips on some local trails. Unfortunately, the only place I can see anything I might be remotely interested in buying is my local Wal-Mart. Now I know thats going to stir up some attacks on their bikes, but I am only wanting something to kind of "break into" this with.
You did use the correct word: "break."
As the former owner of a POS department store bike, my advice to you is to stay away from those bikes, if for no other reason than your personal safety.
A used bike from an LBS is the best way to go. Don't buy one of those shiny bike-shaped toys. If you're going to rade up in a couple of months anyway, might as well save that money instead of throwing it down the toilet on a piece of [censored] bike. [pun intended]
"EA Pissant" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
I am looking for something very basic, to do a fair amount of street
riding,
Quoted message said:
with some occaisional trips on some local trails. Unfortunately, the only place I can see anything I might be remotely interested in buying is my local Wal-Mart.
I live a couple hours from you in Lynchburg and work part time at the local bike shop. You can get on a bike for a couple dollars more than the Wallyworld stuff that won't explode on you out on the trail. In fact send me an email, I may be able to get you a deal from one of the mechanics at my shop.