I know a woman in Alaska who wants to buy her first bike. In her own words, this is was she said to me:
My budget is <$500. My husband's budget for me on this is <$200, but what he doesn't know won't hurt him . Is this unrealistic? What are some decent budget bike brands? What am I sacrificing by spending less? What should I look for to get the best bang for the buck in that price range? Bike brands available up here are listed at: http://www.arcticbike.org/abc_lbs.htm
What she doesn't mention here, but told me in a different message, is that she is trying her first tri this May (sprint), but doesn't want to get a tri bike yet because she has no idea if she even likes our sport. She currently swims and runs, and wants to buy a bike and start biking.
I've already given her the "support your local LBS" pitch, and convinced her that fit is everything. But I've never even thought about trying to buy a bike for <$500, so ran out of advice.
How would you all steer this person in terms of:
Thanks!
--
~~Bob
Quote:
My intended use for a bike is primarily summer recreational & fitness short to middle-distance riding (5-20 mi), on road & paved path with occasional diversions to very well groomed trails (i.e, a hybrid bike). What's most important to me is seat comfort, variable frame size for my height and reach, and decent shock absorption. My budget is <$500. My husband's budget for me on this is <$200, but what he doesn't know won't hurt him . Is this unrealistic? What are some decent budget bike brands? What am I sacrificing by spending less? What should I look for to get the best bang for the buck in that price range? Bike brands available up here are listed at: http://www.arcticbike.org/abc_lbs.htm
What she doesn't mention here, but told me in a different message, is that she is trying her first tri this May (sprint), but doesn't want to get a tri bike yet because she has no idea if she even likes our sport. She currently swims and runs, and wants to buy a bike and start biking.
I've already given her the "support your local LBS" pitch, and convinced her that fit is everything. But I've never even thought about trying to buy a bike for <$500, so ran out of advice.
How would you all steer this person in terms of:
- What bike brand or model to at least investigate?
- Can she get into a bike worth riding for that price?
- Do any of those shops listed on the webpage have a good reputation for properly fitting a novice for new bike?
Thanks!
--
~~Bob