Recently I've been thinking about getting a bike. Not necessarily to ride long distances or even daily, but for casual evening rides with the boys (also want a bike trailer...).
Now... I know nothing about bikes. The last bike I had was a Murrey that I got in late elementary school (or whenever I was able to ride a 26" bike) and I had it all the way through college until I sold it at a garage sale about 3 years ago for $10. I'm sure it was a $70 bike or so and it lasted, what, 15 years?
So, of course when I think of "getting a bike" I think... Target... WalMart... Cheap. Under $150 or so (and to me that sounds high). However I've been seeig a lot of people on FB and blogs and such talk about buying bikes... And they mention the prices upwards of $500 and more and my flipping jaw drops because uhm... That's almost half my mortgage payment and hello... I could buy a nice new lens for Big Kahuna.
So, I wondered if I'm missing something... What's he deal with bikes... Pricey bikes to be exact. Are they more for daily riding as transportation or for sports/races? Or are cheap bikes for the birds? What's wrong with a $150 Schwinn or hell, a $80 Huffy?
So my questions to you...
Do you have a bike?
How much was it?
How much did it cost?
Do you have a good reason for spending more or less on your bike or do you just prefer top-of-the-line (or prefer a bargain)?
Ready... Set... Go!
Sent from my iPhone
Nic,
ReplyDeleteWe just got a bike for myself at Target, it was $125 I think. Definitely less than 150. I hadn't had a bike in a long time and just want it to go around the neighborhood, etc. We also got the bike trailer from there ($80) as well so Evan can go along too! :) I don't see the reason for getting a $500 bike unless you are using it for triathlons or major biking.
Agreed. No sense in spending hundreds unless you plan on training for tris or duathalons with it. Otherwise, go with Target or Meijer or whatever is cheapest. Craigslist, as you know, always works too. Good luck! I'm sure you'll have fun riding with the boys :)
ReplyDeleteWe got our beach cruiser bikes from Walmart for less than $100 a piece. Also got the trailer from there for around $60 and got a hook up for the back of my hubby's bike for my 8 year old for around $100 from Target (it has one wheel and attaches to the back of his bike...she can pedal and hold onto her own steering wheel but he does all the actual steering).
ReplyDeleteI agree that you don't need an expensive bike unless you are really serious about biking. For me, a casual stroll around the neighborhood only required an el cheapo bike from Walmart!
I got Ryan a bike last summer from Target... it was on sale for $100 and it's a great bike for tooling around with the kids and the longer distance daddy-only occasional bike ride. I have one too, an older one that our neighbor actually gave us when they saw Ryan and the kids riding around and me with no bike! :)
ReplyDeleteI have been keeping my eye out on Craigslist for a good deal on a trailer, but I'm in no rush. With both my kids able to ride themselves, we're only looking for it for future use with a new baby/toddler whenever we end up with that!
You'd have fun with a bike! You really don't have to spend much on it or get carried away with something fancy shmancy... get something sturdy, kinda cute and for as little $$ as you can get! Walmart and Target have perfectly good bikes for the average rider.
Jade and I both have bikes. His bike was VERY expensive, but his parents purchased it a while ago. I think it was around 500-800 buckaroos. Yeah, crazy. My bike was around 250. I think, anyway. I honestly don't know the differnce. I think if you were going to get into heavy/ long distance riding, I would invest in something more expensive, but if you are going to just do an occasional ride, I wouldn't spend anymore than 100-150. My opinion? Getting a top of the line seat that is super comfy is more important than anything. It makes a huge difference.
ReplyDeleteI have a bike (a Specialized mtn. bike) and I think we paid around $350-400 for it. I paid more for that bike because I come from a family of cyclists and I would be disowned if I bought one from Target or Walmart (seriously). It's not top of the line by any means but not the worst either. It should last me until I die.
ReplyDeleteLike Denise, I also have a Specialized Mtn Bike. It cost me around $425, which I thought was EXPENSIVE! I had always only had Huffy/Murray bikes from a chain store. I love my bike. For casual riding you should be alright with a Target bike, but I would suggest going a little higher if you think you would ever do much trail riding. I now wish I had spent a little extra to get some upgrades (and am also looking at a $$$ road bike) Trail riding is one of the best workouts ever!!!
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