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| Full Moon Vista - Rochester, NY |
Support your local bike shop (LBS) is a kind of mantra on bike blogs, message boards and websites. The idea is that you should patronize local businesses rather than shop online. I divide, or rationalize, this into two parts: bicycles and almost everything else. This post will be a sort of beginners guide to buying bikes.
The options for buying a new bike include bike shops, big-box stores and online sellers. I will try to address some of the pros and cons of each.
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| From BikeSnobNYC |
I know it is snobbish, but I see no advantages in buying a bike from an X-Mart or sporting goods store. Theses bikes are cheaper for a reason. They will be heavier and the components will be lower-level. They were probably assembled by the same person that does the patio furniture and BBQ grills. (The Target fat bike above has the fork assembled backwards.) You will be lucky if the brakes and derailleurs are adjusted properly and you will have nowhere (other than an LBS) to take the bike to be tuned after the break-in period. If you don't have the tools and knowledge to do this yourself, it will be an additional expense.
There may be a an argument that goes something like: "I don't want to spend a lot on a bike because I may not like riding and I would be wasting my money."
The problem is that if you don't spend enough to get a bike that is comfortable and reliable, you almost certainly won't enjoy riding it. If the bike is too large, or too small or is not adjusted properly you won't be comfortable. If the brakes rub, or fail to reliably stop the bike, it won't be very reassuring. A bike that doesn't shift properly won't be much fun either. All of these potential issues will be addressed by real bike shop.
Spending more for a bike that you enjoy riding is a better investment than spending less for a bike that you won't or can't ride.
I also would not recommend buying a bicycle online unless you are an experienced bike mechanic or are willing to pay one to assemble and adjust the bike. Also, most of the big name bike makers prohibit selling their bikes online. They want their bikes to be assembled, fitted and adjusted by a trained person working with the customer.
There may be some good values in online bikes. Many come with higher level component groupsets at attractive prices, but the frames are the question. While they may be made in the same Taiwanese factories as the big name bikes, the issues I have are with quality control and warranty support. If you have a warranty issue, you will have to deal with that long-distance rather than returning the bike to the shop where you bought it. I am much more comfortable buying a brand-name bike which is only sold though an authorized dealer which will also provide personal service.
So if I have convinced you to at least pay a visit to your local bike shop, what can you expect?
The starting price for bike shop bike is going to be close to $400. If it is your first bike, you can expect to spend another $50 or more for a helmet and accessories (bell, kickstand, water bottle and cage). Though often the bike will come with a kickstand and/or a bell; and water bottles are a common bike shop promotional give-away with a bike purchase. The bike shop may offer a small discount on accessories purchased with the bike. But first, the bikes.
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| Trek 7.2 FX Fitness Bike (About $500) |
Even the smallest bike shops will carry at least one of the major bicycle brands.
Giant is the largest, followed by
Trek,
Specialized,
Fuji,
Cannondale,
Raleigh,
Schwinn and a few others. (This is not your father's Schwinn; they are made in the far-east like all the other bikes that don't cost several thousand dollars.) For the reasons above, I would only buy a Schwinn from a bike shop. I would say don't get hung up about brands, but I admit I have a bias toward Trek and against Specialized (See story
here and
here).
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| Steve & Zelma Supporting Cafe Roubaix |
As an extended family, we have bought the following bikes from bike shops over the years: Nine Treks, one Specialized, one Raleigh (when they were still made in Nottingham, England), one Giant and one Sun adult trike.
The reason not to worry about brands is that for any given type of bike and price point, the major brands will have a bike similarly equipped and priced within about 5% of the others. If you want an aluminum framed road bike with Shimano Tiagra components, you will have several choices for about the same price. This also means that if you are not happy with a dealer, you can go to another one and get a very similar bike. The decision can come down to which dealer you are more comfortable with and things like bike fit and color.
So how do you find the right bike? This is another place where the LBS can play an important role. They can help you find a bike that suits your riding style and budget. You can also do at least a short test ride before buying, so wear your cycling cloths when you go shopping. It's kind of important to be honest with yourself and the salesperson about what you want to do with the bike. It's okay to be be a little bit of a Walter Mitty, because you will likely become more adventurous as you ride more and you can grow into a more aggressive style of bike. However, you probably don't want an Ironman Triathlete time trial bike to ride on the bike path with the grandkids. On the other hand, if you want to work your way up to a 50 mile charity ride, you probably don't want to be on a beach cruiser.
A good starting point is a "fitness" bike, or flat-barred road bike (see above) with fairly wide (32mm or more) tires. While we started on "comfort" bikes with suspension forks and seatposts and wide 26" tires, the majority of the miles we have done outside were ridden after we upgraded to fitness bikes. When we got road bikes, we put fenders on the fitness bikes and we ride them in wet conditions. We still have the comfort bikes mounted on trainers in the basement.
The current Trek FX lineup starts just below $400 and goes to almost $2,000, so there are plenty of options in this category. Other brands will be similar. Spend as much as you are comfortable with, or a little more, and you will have a versatile bike for many miles and years.
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| Steve being fitted for new bike at Bert's Bikes & Fitness |
The LBS will help you choose the right type of bike in the right size for you and will do adjustments to the fit of the bike before you leave the shop. The correct saddle height can make a big difference in the comfort and efficiency on a bike. Depending on the shop and the price of the bike, they may also change things like the stem to make the bike fit you better.
The bottom line is that the right bike for you is the one that you will enjoy riding. The LBS can help you find that bike.
In terms of price, it's hard to say what anyone should spend in their own situation. We have upgraded our bikes twice over the years, spending significantly more on each upgrade. However, the bikes that we had were probably the right ones for our situation at the time we bought them. I guess the only thing I would say is that you may want to spend a little more than what you think your budget is if you find a bike that looks and feels good. By the same token, if you find a great bike for you that costs less, there many ways to spend that money, and more, on cloths and accessories. If you decide to upgrade later, don't expect to get more than half of what you paid for the bike.
Besides providing warranty support, in the unlikely chance that you need it, the LBS has trained people to service and repair your bike if necessary. Most will do a free tune-up after the first 30 days or so to be sure the brakes and shifters work properly. This can be needed because the cables may stretch and/or the housings may compress during the break-in period. Some shops will do free minor adjustments for the life of the bike.
And if you are new to biking, buy a helmet when you buy your bike. Most modern helmets are fairly lightweight and well ventilated, but it is important that they fit comfortably and correctly. Be sure to try on a couple of different brands as different brands tend to fit better on differently shaped heads. The LBS can help you choose a helmet that is comfortable, if not also stylish. They will also help to adjust it so that it fits properly.
A helmet only helps if you wear it.
For information on buying parts and accessories see
Part II.
Keep Moving
