Finding a Bike, Part 1

Getting a new or new-to-you bike is exciting. I still drool over bikes, new and used, online even though my actual purchases are rare (my wife may beg to differ on that point). However, you can end up spending way too much money on a bike that doesn’t really do what you need to to…worse, you may end up with a bike that could injure you due to bad fit. This post is to help you find a bike that 1) fits you, 2) doesn’t break the bank, and 3) makes sense for the type of riding you’ll be doing, which will make your rides a lot more enjoyable.

I’ll start in reverse order on the above list. Before you start doing a bunch of searches on bikes (and definitely before setting foot in any store), you should have at least an idea of what kind of riding you’ll be doing this first season. The first thing is to identify where you will be riding primarily. Choose the one or two letters that most accurately describe where you will ride (or want to ride):

A. Singletrack or other natural trails (or no trail). The more rocks, logs, drops, hills, dirt, mud, etc., the better.

B. Maybe some of the stuff above, but mostly gravel or rough paved roads, with probably some smooth pavement mixed in. Hill climbing will happen, whether I like it or not.

C. Mostly in town, and my town has lots of hills and rough road.

D. Mostly in town, for short (under 20 mile) trips, without too many hills or much rough road.

E. Pavement, whether in town or out in the country, and I’ll be doing long rides that will likely involve hill climbing.

If you answered A or A-B, you probably want a mountain bike. You probably knew this already, and don’t need much of my help, so I’m going to skip this one for now.

If you answered B or B-C, you may be in the market for a gravel bike. A gravel bike is basically a road bike that is beefed up to handle the sub-optimal roads and conditions that are pretty common in the Pacific NW. A lot of folks use gravel bikes for year-round commuting in all kinds of weather.

If you answered C or C-D, you might consider a hybrid bike instead of a gravel bike. A hybrid bike is kind of in between a mountain bike and a cruiser, with sort of big tires, a strong but fairly light frame, and flat handlebars. Hybrid bikes are great for all around riding, and are pretty comfortable, so if you’re not sure what kind of riding you’ll be doing, I’d call a hybrid bike a safe choice.

If you answered a solid D, you probably want a cruiser or “town bike”, at least to start with. They tend to be on the heavy side (so not great for hills unless you have awesomely strong legs), but are strong and comfortable. And the good news is they’re typically cheaper than other kinds of bikes.

If you answered E or some combination of C-D-E, you may want a road bike. Road bikes are the general type you see in the Tour De France (except most people can’t afford those exact bikes), with light frames and wheels, drop handlebars, and small tires. Built more for speed and climbing than comfort, you should only consider this type of bike if you’re fairly sure you will be getting into riding. Road bikes can be super spendy, but they don’t have to be expensive to be decent.

There are many other types of bikes out there, but they tend to have very specific purposes, and I’m writing this for folks who are pretty much getting started, so I’ll stick with the basics here.

If you want a good bike but don’t want to drop loads of cash, I will have some tips for you on my next post. Some basics for now: Mountain bikes (good ones) command big bucks, so don’t get one unless you know you’ll be mountain riding. A good gravel bike can be found used for $500-1000. Cruisers can often be bought used (or even new) under $500 for a good one. Hybrid bikes are about like gravel bikes (there truthfully isn’t any difference other than the handlebars and tires which are easily changed out). For used road bikes the cutoff is right around $1000-1200 in the Pacific NW. If you pay less, you might still be getting a good bike but more likely there is a reason the seller is taking less for that bike.

Finally, the most important part: what size frame to buy. Road and gravel bike frames (and some hybrids) are sized in cm. Your optimal size will depend on your height and your inseam, and there are plenty of good websites out there to help you measure yourself and determine your size. I’m 5’7″ with a 30-inch inseam, and optimally I ride a 53 cm frame. But a 52 cm frame or 54 cm frame can be perfect for me, depending on the brand…bikes are like clothes in that each maker tends to build a little big or a little small. This usually isn’t worth stressing about though, because most people can go 1 cm either way from their optimum size without trouble.

Mountain bikes, and increasingly other types of bikes, are going to a S, M, L, XL sizing system. No worries…bike makers are good about posting online the exact measurements of their sizes for each model online, so you can find the size that best fits you if you know your size in cm.

BEFORE you answer that Craigslist ad or walk into that store, at bare minimum you should know the type of bike you want, your frame size, and the maximum amount of money you’re willing to spend on this bike. Once you know these things, happy shopping, and I’ll put some of my hard-learned lessons on the next post.

Why Bicycle (or not)?

I started this blog for a lot of other reasons (which will likely be subjects for future posts), but one reason is to hopefully encourage anyone that might be on the bubble about whether or not to start biking regularly. If you are thinking about it, as I was around 9 years ago, my advice is to try it, and try it with a realistic set of expectations.

After 9 years of frequent biking, here is my take on some of the reasons to bike/not to bike (that is the question…for this post at least):

1. Health benefits. This will vary greatly depending on you…both your genetic makeup and level of activity. But in general, if you start biking a lot, expect to get in better shape, but don’t expect biking to transform you completely. Even if you get to where you are cresting mountains and/or clearing 150+ miles in a day, there’s at least a fair chance that you won’t look drastically different from your current body shape. But in the ways that matter (blood pressure, resting heart rate, etc.) your body will be different in a positive way.

2. A hobby. Again, this can vary greatly. You can spend a lot of time customizing and babying your own personal fleet of bikes if you want to…but if that’s not your thing or you just don’t have time, basic maintenance on a bike can be very quick and simple. If you’re like me, you will loathe bicycle maintenance when you first start, but over the years you’ll grow to actually enjoy working on your bike (especially once you get the right tools for the job). Also, biking doesn’t have to be an expensive hobby…thanks to Craigslist and other sites, a patient person who knows what they’re looking for can get a decent used bike for a fraction of a new bike’s cost.

3. The community or camaraderie. This can also–you guessed it–vary greatly. If you are looking for an extended family that will love you unconditionally, know that all humans form cliques, do harm to other humans, disregard rules of courtesy, etc….and bicyclists are no exception. That said, in my experience bicyclists are nicer on average than enthusiasts of other outdoor activities…and way nicer on average than people you will just meet in everyday life. If you are something of a loner (like me) bicyclists are usually respectful of that, and won’t get up in your business unless you are stranded on the roadside (or appear to be).

4. Something the whole family can do. Yes, this is true, but knowing the limits of your family members as well as your own is important, as it turns out (I learned this the hard way, as I have most of my lessons in this life). Most bicyclists with families that I know will go on different kinds of rides, each with a different aim/purpose: family rides are much different from grownup friends rides, which are both different from training rides. It should go without saying that small children shouldn’t be expected to go much further than a mile or two in a day, but you’d be surprised how many parents I see out on 20-mile or more event rides, with their tiny tots struggling behind them on their own little bikes. Don’t be them.

5. That feeling. I’ll be the first to admit cycling isn’t for everyone. And it is “for” people to different degrees…although in my opinion there is a clear line separating the “for” versus “not for” people. What is that line, you may ask? I have a fairly easy test: if you go cycling five different times, for at least an hour each time in good conditions, and don’t experience “the feeling” at least once, then chances are cycling is not for you. By “the feeling”, I mean something similar to what they call “runner’s high”, but from what I can figure it lasts longer and there isn’t much of a “crash” afterward. Anyway, you will know it if you feel it! This in my opinion is the best reason to get into cycling. The best part of it is that most people, if they stay in it, can keep getting “the feeling” by cycling well into their golden years. As Rick James once said about cocaine, “It’s a hell of a drug.”

A car is for getting you somewhere, but too fast and insulated to enjoy the trip. Walking or running just takes forever, and the scenery changes very slowly. Bicycling is the happy medium…you can go places, and actually experience all the places on the way. — Anonymous Bicyclist, to me, 2008