Want to buy a bike? READ THIS FIRST

[goldy_rai]

Hi..Thanks Minkey for your reply..I have already gone through your views abt different aspects abt buying a new bike..What i am asking is simply is it a good option or not..Thanks again

[sudhindra]

You people are the Wiki's of biking....

The post is absolutely amazing and clear on what one has to look at while buying a bicycle and this makes one's decision making much more easier.

Thanks guys thanks for everything I think i got an answer for what i need buy.

[johny8]

Hey Vkalia.
This is nice information on bike for a new bike rider or even anyone new to bike world. You have covered good steps budget, technology, requirement, etc. Can you suggest me a good sports bike with features, if possible?

[arnuld]

Hi Guys, I think its useful to read 2 articles from Sheldon Brown too, it can help the newbie I guess:

http://sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html
http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html

[arnuld]

Ehm.... unable to edit the last post of mine, So I post it here, anyone looking at buying some fancy bike, please read the Paul Dorn's advice first:

http://www.runmuki.com/commute/bikesuggestions.html

[rajeshdhuddu]

Good post! It clarifies lot of things that are hazy for a beginner. Going by this...should I buy a Trek 3500 or Trek 7100? Please lemme know!!

[malQ]

Thank you people, this is very informative, however, there are some additional questions here, which I tried to search for and could not find answers to, so frank query - what should be an ideal combination for overweight 54 year olds with no delusions? Need this for street cycling, should be maintenance free as far as possible, and multi-user, which will include go to market to pick up fruit/veggies, go to Lodi Garden and secure bike while strolling, as well as weekend rides of slightly longer duration with DCC hopefully. Gearless uprights?

[vkalia]

^^ You need a hybrid bike... Trek 7100, Cannondale Bad Boy or similar. Overweight/age doesnt matter - unless you are 150kg+ or something, most modern bikes will handle your weight just fine.

As for maintenance - all you need to do is lube the bike once every week or two.

[SanjayK]

malQ:

For low maintenance: go for internal gear hub and belt drive (carbon or kevlar).
for more info: http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/hubs-internal.html

[hitanshu]

and sarkar. replace QRT hubs with nuts.

Donno what to do with securing the seat though

[beginner_prithvi]

Hope this image will help newbies to understand cycling jargons easily.

[akshay200x]

Nice work Prithvi

[nsanku]

One more website where newbies can get a lot of info with supporting images. Recommended by God!

http://www.bikewhenever.com/index.html

[ksanjeev]

Do your research - esp. if you are spending 50k+ Rs.

Don't assume Trek or Cannondale are better by default and vice versa. I have owned Trek and Cannondale in the past and currently also have a Giant Warp DS2 [6 years old] - yes they are solid brands but look deeper into what components are on it.

Today I bought a Rockrider 8.2 from decathlon after looking at Trek [6k/8k] and Cannondale mainly because of availability and value for money. The premium on cannondale was absurd - 2010 flash f3 has a price tag of 1.1 Lakh [that is 800 $ over MRP for last year's model] and has brakes two generations older than what is on RR 8.2 which is less than half its price. It has comparable drive train [derailers etc.], no option to put two water bottles etc. Yes has a unique frame [Made in the US] and looks classy and the front single sided fork is very innovative...

I would still buy a trek or a cannondale instead of RR if they did not carry that kind of premium and was available to test ride or to see...

I am not saying RR 8.2 is a great bike since I have not had a chance to ride it [just test rides] - will post a more detailed report after a few 100 kms. The Giant is a rock solid bike - heavy but I can thrash it around and not worry..

Krishna

[sachins]

Helpful post vandit. Ironically i went through a similar post by you regarding DSLRs before my first purchase 5-6 years back.