Do you Bike? Need your input please!

Hi Fellow Bikers

As I progress in my journey (OK, OK getting old) I find things I use to do is not doable any longer. Not if I want to keep walking and

When I got back on track, I pulled out my old bike and fell in love with biking again. The problem is my bike is over 15 years old and I keep wiping out due to needing new tires and other fixes. It would be better to just get a new bike the bike store said.

Any suggestions on what brand/type of bike you use would be appreciated. I find I like trails, paved trails. I wipe out a lot so I stay away from street/traffic but that may change if my new bike eliminates wipe outs.

Thank you for any suggestions. I have been looking at TREK brand? I can't spend a lot

Kathy

NOT

I Wish!

I like my trek 7.2 hybrid. I'm thinking of getting a road bike next for the longer rides I've been doing lately. There are some nice bikes out theses days. I'm sure you'll find something that works.

Thanks IWANT2BEHEALTHY

If balance is an issue, I'd suggest going with a mountain bike or hybrid since they have wider tires. You can get a mountain bike and add "road slick" tires (these are what I have on my MTB), they're smoother and are easier to use when you're riding on pavement. Knobby tires are 2" wide, the slick ones are often 1.5" but fit on the same rims, and they're a good choice for paved trails. This is the hybrid I ride, I got it at Sports Authority with a half-off coupon and it's held up nicely.

The downside of a hybrid is that the frames tend to be a bit heavier, which makes it a bit more sluggish when you're riding on pavement. A road bike will be lighter, and the skinny tires give less road resistance. That lets you go faster, and the more momentum you have, the less likely you are to fall. If you find one with drop handlebars (the curly ones), you'll be leaning forward a bit more, and some folks find that once they learn to shift their balance, it's a fair bit more stable.

I actually ordered my road bike online, sight unseen, since I found a good deal and I've got cyclist friends who could help me figure out what size to order. This is very similar to what I ended up with, though my model has been retired (same website).

Trek bikes are great, but there are plenty of other brands that are good as well, especially if you're just riding for recreation and exercise. Diamondback and Fuji are great brands, and Schwinn makes some pretty good entry-level stuff.

I'd suggest checking out Craigslist for used bicycles. You can very often find good deals from people who're upgrading and need to sell their old bikes. I've seen fancy $1000 bikes for $200 or less!

Great information! Thanks for taking the time to share. I have wiped out twice and it's when my tire**** dirt/sand. Its bone dry out here in CA. The bike shop said my tires need to be replaced and also the old bike is really heavy and I want something I can carry with me on the BART so I can do things like bike the Golden Gate bridge.

If I get a new bike and continue to "wipe" out then I know it's the old lady

Thanks again Julie

If you're running into sand on your rides, then you'd probably have more trouble with a road bike. Sounds like a mountain bike would be a good choice! And changing tires is pretty easy one you learn how, so you could always try that if you don't bite the dust, lol!

You should see my knee pads I have now LOL I really love riding! Especially early in the morning....

Oh heck yes! Here in Arizona, you're doomed if you're out much after 10 for half the year, so a nice early morning ride is the best :)

Well I do luv to ride my Trek 7.3 hybrid bike, but its mostly for paved roads, although I did upgrade to a different tire to handle the crap, i.e cracked roads,potholes, some glass, etc etc on the road. It's a more heavy duty tire, so you might be able to get away with a lighter/hybrid bike, but still hit the trails.

I have a mountain bike, its a Nishiki bike & can handle pretty much anything, but it is heavy, which is why I changed over to a Trek, which is much lighter & more enjoyable. I will probably upgrade to a different bike, & it'll have the drop handle bars. I noticed on long rides my hand will get a little numb, good gloves helps alleviate the problem, but lack of handle position is really the problem, most hybrid bikes have the straight handlebars. I didn't know I had this problem till well after I had the bike for a few months.