dvandervelde
Premium
join:2003-02-11
Abbotsford, BC
clubs:
| Bike recomendations?
I'm looking to buy a bike (bicycle) for myself. I am not an avid cyclist. I'm just looking for something for around town, and in the parks, etc. I don't need anything special, but do want something that's good quality.
I don't want to spend a lot of money, but I'm also not looking for $99 special.
Can anyone suggest some options, suggestions, do's/don't's, budgets, etc.
Thanks, David
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"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." - Jim Elliott |
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FusionGuy
join:2001-12-06
 ·Mountain Cable
| You want something light. With less weigh comes high price. I don't know what your budget is but if you spend a little more on better quality you'll have it for a while without any problems arising. As for the manufacturers I've only dealt with Gary Fisher and Giant. Check out their website and look for something interests you. |
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jeffster1970
Whatta Ya Think About Dat?
Premium
join:2004-04-01
Kitchener, ON
clubs: 
 ·magicjack.com
 ·Acanac Inc.
·Bell Sympatico
·Vonage
| reply to dvandervelde
Would you think about getting an electric/human powered hybred type bike? Canadian Tire has one for about $499...might be out of your price range, but if your idea was to save buying gas for the car, it might be of use. Being that the weather is descent year round there...why not?
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"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943 |
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dirtyjeffer
fagetaboutit
Premium
join:2002-02-21
London, ON | reply to dvandervelde
CostCo has some nice bikes for a decent price. |
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dvandervelde
Premium
join:2003-02-11
Abbotsford, BC
clubs:
| reply to dvandervelde
I bought a Norco from a local bike shop. It was more than I was planning to spend, but after taking it for a test drive I could really feel the quality conmpared to one I was looking at at SportCheck.
I was hoping to stay under $250, but this was $360.
My wife bought the cheaper one at SportCheck, because she felt much better on it. She won't bike nearly as much as me, anyway.
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"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." - Jim Elliott |
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elwoodblues
join:2006-08-30
Toronto, ON
| reply to dvandervelde
It's interesting to see what you get for your money these days.
I have 3 Cannondale bikes at home, one for my daily commute, one for off roading and my "Winter bike"
The daily commuter and off road bikes are both in the 2K range, and the winter bike is around 1K (didn't pay that much for any of them.. I always find sweet deals)
Now neither of the 2K bikes (F900 and F800) are considered high end bikes, but somewhere in the middle when it comes to Cannondale, but the the cheap one (F400) it's like night and day..
For those of you that look at the Crappy Tire $500 bikes.. stay away.. they are overprice hunks of junk, that will be $250 come fall. |
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TI POIL
join:2006-03-05
Toronto, ON
·Bell Sympatico
| reply to dvandervelde
Giant is good. But mine got stolen a few weeks ago, I live in Toronto so no wonder. I have a Canadian Tire brand right now $139 hybrid, I think they are called Supercycle, works great for 2 months then everything falls apart slowly. It will make it to the beginning of the winter then probably will end up in the garbage. |
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The Flash
You don't win friends with salad
Premium
join:2002-10-17
Toronto, ON
·TekSavvy Solutions..
·Execulink
| reply to dvandervelde
said by dvandervelde  :I bought a Norco from a local bike shop. It was more than I was planning to spend, but after taking it for a test drive I could really feel the quality conmpared to one I was looking at at SportCheck. I was hoping to stay under $250, but this was $360. My wife bought the cheaper one at SportCheck, because she felt much better on it. She won't bike nearly as much as me, anyway. Good choice, Norco is a great brand. There's a huge difference between your local bike shops and some Canadian Tire bikes. |
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Hydraglass
join:2002-05-08
Kingston, ON
| reply to dvandervelde
I have a GT I picked up at a bike shop about 3 years ago - full suspension "all mountain style" - it has decent components all around - Shimano Deore derailleurs, Rock Shox suspension, Crank bros. pedals, hydraulic disc brakes, etc - it was equipped sufficiently from the shop I didn't do anything to it other than a new seat. I am trying to remember exactly what it set me back, but I think it was around $700 out the door with taxes paid.... the bike shop gave me 1 year of free tune-ups - good thing too - I needed my spokes adjusted twice in the first 3 months and they did courtesy brake adjustments and derailleur adjustments for me in the spring of the second year as well. I don't ride tons - but I do ride maybe once or twice a week - usually a 5k or 10k ride - on all terrains - city streets, suburban sidewalks, level park trails, light off-road, and sometimes I take it to the cottage and do some pretty rough trail rides in areas not really fit for a bicycle. All in all, it's held up nicely for me.
My wife has a "semi bargain" bike, a Columbia she bought at Sport Mart for $299 - she's had it for 2 years now - it treats her well enough. The shifters aren't as accurate as mine, the tires are only suitable for road and "gentle gravel" at worse, we took the fenders and package rack off when we brought it home as they looked a little silly. It seems to be holding up nicely - she rides a 5k or 10k ride, about once every 2 weeks - mind you it's never spent even one night outside -- where as mine has probably spent close to a month of days where it was outside in the elements since I picked it up - without one drop of rust on it anywhere. |
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shaner
Premium
join:2000-10-04
Calgary, AB | reply to dvandervelde
Ahh Norco. Made right here in Calgary just down the street from me. Good bikes. |
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SK
The member formerly known as Cow
Premium
join:2001-05-18
Toronto
clubs:
·Rogers Hi-Speed
| reply to dvandervelde
In that price range, check out Canadian Tire.
If you want quality, I'd suggest spending at least $400. These are more expensive, but I have my eyes on one of these: »www.devinci.com/10996_an.html |
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Garvaon
Premium
join:2004-05-27
Toronto, ON
·TekSavvy Solutions..
edit:
July 21st, @06:21PM
| reply to dvandervelde
What type of bike are you looking to buy? Road, mountain, hybrid, other?
The big box stores (Canadian tire, etc) generally sell low end bikes in the $400 or less range, and there's not a lot to pick and choose here. Nothing wrong with a $400 bike for a casual cyclist, just don't expect a precision machine.
Bike shops generally sell mid-high range bikes. If you are looking for a mid-range bike ($400-$1000), there is really not that much difference between different bike makes for a given price point at this range. It's only at the high end ($1000+) that different bike manufacturers start to distinguish themselves. There are only a handful of manufacturers that make part groups (brakes, derailers, etc), and mid range frames don't tend to differ much in quality, so it's just a matter of getting a bike that fits you well. Some bikes may offer different trade-offs. Ex. bike A may have better wheels, but bike B may have a better part set. Which is better depends on the rider, so always test ride.
If you intend to buy a road bike or hybrid the material the frame is made from may be important to you. Aluminum is common because it's light and can be inexpensive depending on the alloy, but some people hate aluminum frames because you get plenty of road feel with them, and some don't like the harsh ride. Steel and Carbon make for a smoother ride, but you gain extra weight with steel, and extra price with carbon. Some bikes will have aluminum for the main frame tubes, but use carbon for the stays and/or forks. This results (in theory) in a bike that rides smoother than a pure aluminum bike but is cheaper than full carbon. Aluminum mountain bikes on the other hand should not be a problem. The wider tires absorb bumps better, and some mountain bikes have shocks which make an aluminum frame even less of an issue.
There are websites that will tell you what to look for in bike fit. Some bike manufactures have their bike manuals available for download in PDF format, which also usually give recommendations on what to look for in terms of bike fit. It's best to get a little knowledge in this area before going shopping, as a sales person can't always be relied on to be knowledgeable.
As others have said, Norco makes some good under $1000 bikes, and as a bonus you're supporting a Canadian company. If you are looking to go over $1000, there are better options than Norco IMO.
Here's a couple website to check out. Both Norco and Trek make a wide range of good bikes at the $400+ price range.
www.norco.com
www.trekbikes.com
EDIT: Just noticed you went with a Norco. good choice at that price range. |
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