Buying a bike: Some general advice for new riders

[Jeune]

Hi all,
I just threaded my right crank arm (loose pedal) and need some advice on buying a replacement crank set. I'm pretty new to this so I don't know what to look for on eBay etc re size. Are they quite generic ie one type fits several or are they very specific from bike to bike. On a quick check before leaving for work they look to be around 195mm from top of crank to pedal hole centre, or about 200 from top to bottom. I just want to know what to look for so I can get back out there quickly.

Cheers!
Jeune

[SouthWest]

This is a basic calculator which I have used before:
http://www.ebicycles.com/bicycle-tools/frame-sizer (select cm rather than inches)

50cm however is really too small for your height - in these forums you could try a trade however the chances of getting a match are slow (it is a small frame and a specific style of bike).
I assume that you would end up selling this bike - and if it is still in good condition you may be able to sell it for the same price (or at only a small loss).

Cheers
Christopher

Hi,

I'm interested in purchasing a flat bar road bike. I'm at 174cm, ~ 78-79cm inseam. So I guess my ideal frame size would be 54cm but would it still be alright going for a 55cm bike?

If you would have to choose between one, would you go with one size smaller or one size larger?

Thanks.

[AUbicycles]

Good question, sometimes some frames skip a few CM - so 51cm, 53cm, 55cm and 57cm, so this may decided for you.

[maxknott]

if your really unsure or confused about what type of bike you want, you could always buy something cheap from gumtree/ebay, then after riding for a while you might have a better idea of what you want

[mssndependant]

Hi, not sure if this is the right thread for this query but I'll ask anyway!! I'm buying a road bike for my 15 year old son, I have to go 2nd hand due to budget. He will only use it maybe 4 to 6 times a year as an addition to his usual training (he plays junior footy and does karate). I have done some research on brands, to try and make sure I wasn't getting ripped off. I also put my son's measurements into the Fit Calculator on competitivecyclist.com and got some info on what size I should get him. I bought a Shogun (model Sport I think) second hand (without the ability to have him try it for size) and I thought I had a bit more flexibility in the frame size than I did, so the bike is too big (should prob be ok in a year though) so now I'm trying to get him one that he can ride now. My question is should I get a much older good brand like Shogun or Giant or even Apollo, or a second hand although much newer but not as good brand like a Triax. He won't ride it very often, and rides probably won't be longer than 40 to 60 minutes and unfortunately I am very limited by budget. I am looking on ebay, gumtree, and cash converters. I have also checked bike exchange.com.au but most of theirs are out of my price range.

Thanks for any advice!!

[fatdudeonabike]

I have no idea about ladies bikes... mainly on account of the fact that I'm a dude.
However, it only took 2 weeks of seeing less of me than my bike does for my gf to decide that she wants to get a bike so we can do the lake rides around Canberra. (She doesn't have a car, and she says she'll also use it to come to my house so I dont have to drive her all the time, or ride to her place - but I know this wont happen.)

She's not going to want to spend a lot - in fact, she was planning just to go to Kmart until I told her that I wouldnt ride with her if she's on a Kmart bike.

So what I need is some advice on the cheapest non-rubbish bike for a lady who will ride it, probably very slowly, for maybe 20km on a weekend. The only one I could find was the Giant Boulder 4 W, but at $379, I dont even know if she's going to want to spend that much. Although a mtb or maybe a hybrid is probably what she's after.
Does anyone know of anything cheaper?

(I'm crossing my fingers that if I go to the place that I got my bike 2 weeks ago, they'll do the right thing and knock it down a fair bit - I think if she could get bike and helmet for 360ish, she'll probably do it.)

edit: Its probably worth adding that she's got super long legs and is quite athletic - really, she's out of my league in so many ways, but she doesnt seem to have noticed yet...

But back on topic - would she be better off with a "unisex" (ie. mens) bike? At least I know where to go to get them at a good price.

[Dezza]

Are there particular types of road bikes that are less crouched than others?

Specialized Sectur/Roubaix, Giant Defy, Trek Domane or Madone in H3 are the bikes that come to mind when someone asks me for a relaxed bike. There are PLENTY "sportive" geometry bikes out there. I'd say go around to a few shops and ask for bikes with a more upright/relaxed geometry.

Somewhere on BNA forums (or maybe the BNV forums) there's a thread comparing these, but after a lot of searching, dang if I can find it again now.

Can anyone point me to it?

[tugga]

Hey is it worth buying a brand name bike like giant or will I get better value buying a cell bike. I was looking at the boulder 1 or the cell m29. I'm a biginner rider and both these bikes are as much as I want to spend.

Thanks

[Riddley]

The only one I could find was the Giant Boulder 4 W, but at $379, I dont even know if she's going to want to spend that much. Although a mtb or maybe a hybrid is probably what she's after....

edit: Its probably worth adding that she's got super long legs and is quite athletic - really, she's out of my league in so many ways, but she doesnt seem to have noticed yet...

Sounds like you ought to ante up and buy that gal a nice bike

[FatBoyWannaBeThin]

Thanks for this great thread it was very helpful and allowed me to make a "lot more informed" decision today and I bought a Specialized Sirrus Elite 2012 for $599 from my LBS. I felt a lot more confident when talking to the sales staff even though I admitted I was n00b. Planet Cycles were incredibly helpful and overall a good experience in buying my entry level flatbar.