|   How to by my 1st mtn bike -- resources? | gnew
Jan 7, 2004 3:31 PM | | Hi I kayak and run, and I'm going to start mtn biking for some adventure racing that's down the road, but I have no clue about bikes or what I need in my 1st bike or how to go about figuring out what all the specs mean. Any ideas of how I can learn more and what I should look for in my 1st bike that I won't outgrow too fast. Wide-open question but I'm just looking for some direction to get me started. I'm a petite woman at about 5 ft. who hasn't been on a bike in a quite a while. Thanks!! |
| Sources | EricTheRed
Jan 7, 2004 3:55 PM | | Lots a places to get info:
Local Bike Shop (LBS) if you can find a shop you like and trust that is a great place to start up a conversations. Also some shops will have ladies only rides and other gatherings. Some shops might even have a program to learn basic bike mechanics.
MTBR, browsing through the piles of info on this site is good. Also check out the general discussion and what bike to buy forums. There should also be a link above the this thread titled how to choose a hardtail (or something like that). and or course don't be afraid to ask.
Sheldon brown www.sheldonbrown.com is good too. |
| basic stuff... | JimC.
Jan 7, 2004 4:34 PM | | I'll stick to basics to add to Eric's post...
1) THE BIKE HAS TO FIT YOU!!! That's number one above all other things.
2) Like Eric says, maybe find a shop you feel you can trust, and work with them
3) You're looking for the best combination per PERFORMANCE, VALUE, AND SERVICE.
You can roughly check out sizing of bikes at http://www.wrenchscience.com, it's a bit tedious but necessary. I always compare fit to shoes...get the wrong size and well, you know, pain, suffering, and stuff them in the closet (garage).
There are adventure bikes made just for that purpose but I'm not familiar with them except to know they exist...check with fellow adventure racers and pump them for info on their bikes?
Lastly, here's some women-specific stuff from Titus, they make great bikes, and I wish the one here wasn't' pink...please don't let that throw you off, they make really good stuff.
http://www.titusti.com/womenfit.html
Good luck, come back and ask more Q's if you have them, Jim |
| Ditto on the prior responses | wg
Jan 7, 2004 9:00 PM | | Also test ride many many bikes. Get a "feel" for what fits you. Fit is going to be one of the most important things. You may end up going back to re-try a couple of bikes. Take some time if you're looking for something that'll be with you a while.
I can't say enough good stuff about Titus. I know several folks who have them (myself included). They make good women's specific frames.
Another one to look at is the Santa Cruz Juliana (I think)
Also, take a look at the "What Bike to Buy" forum and search for women's bikes. There have been several threads there over the past year discussing this.
Oh yeah, the adventure racing thing... BIKE magazine did a review of these type of bikes some point last year. Maybe their site has some links to that article. I think its www.bikemag.com.
Good luck!
Werner |
| also | DT
Jan 8, 2004 8:29 AM | | You also might check into getting a custom frame built. At 5' you might have trouble finding a bike that will fit you well and have enough stand over height to quickly get on/off the bike. Not sure how much your looking to spend or whether you are looking for a hardtail or full suspension, but I know there are a great deal of good custom frame builders out there for under $1000. The bonus with that is they will ask you questions about your riding style, what you plan on using the bike for, and get all your proper measurements to build the bike around you.
I will say like the others that the fit of the bike to you is most important, but a bike that just fits and doesn't handle how you want it to because it doesn't match your style of riding can be a huge deal.
DT |
| re: How to by my 1st mtn bike -- resources? | khill
Jan 8, 2004 9:06 AM | | Bike fit is the most important thing. A close second is finding a good bike shop which will work with you and support you through many years of biking.
Here's some good starter information:
http://guysbicycles.com/site/page.cfm?PageID=66 |
| re: How to by my 1st mtn bike -- resources? THANKS!!! | gnew
Jan 8, 2004 2:27 PM | | Thanks for all the information! It's all very helpful & now I just need to go exploring it sounds like. |
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