Entry bike for newcomer advice

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 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 http://bbs.eatprotein.com/ubb/wink.gif . 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!

As I believe you already know, you can’t get a tri-bike for <$500. Used, yes. But you can only guess what you’re getting in to. The problem is this–the sport of triathlon is addictive. Once she tries it, her desire for a hybrid bike will probably fade. If she is anything like the rest of us, trying to spend only a little now will only cost more in the future when she decides to get a bike that is fit for her and doesn’t weigh 30 pounds. I started the sport on an old, cheap mountain bike that I already had in order to see if the sport appealed to me. It only took two events before I stepped up to a Cannondale Multisport. Maybe she should train on a borrowed bike, if possible, until she has done her first sprint. Then she’ll have a better idea of what her real passion is. Check out reviews and “tri vs. road bike” information on www.bikesportmichigan.com

I’ve told newbies on several occassions to ALWAYS get a road bike first. Never even think about a tri bike until you’re completely committed to the sport. Buy the road bike and start going on group rides with roadies to learn the basic skills of cycling. Let’s be honest, tri-geeks have earned a reputation as being poor bike handlers compared to roadies. Lots of people with running or swim backgrounds come into the sport and at the same time make a move from a $300. Wal-Mart mountain bike to a tri bike. That’s too huge a step. Sure some of these people can be very fast in a strait line but would you want to group ride with them a few inches off your rear wheel. I sure wouldn’t.

Her situation is unique in as much as that she is thinking of a hybrid. Chances are if she falls in love with tri after her first attempt as most do, she’ll be putting the hybrid up for sale immediately. If she insists upon a hybrid, then she should look second hand so if she does end up selling it she won’t lose anything.

If she goes to road bike $500. buys a lot more on the second hand market than new these days. The most important thing is that she gets something that fits properly. Any of the older higher end steel road bikes from a decade ago are great buys and still excellent bikes. Also consider a few year old Giant OCR-3/OCR-2 on the second hand market. Set them all up with shorter Profile Jammer GT aero bars(designed for a road bike) and she’s ready to have fun on her first tri.