I've been seriously considering adding cycling to my fitness routine. Currently I'm rowing (on a machine), weight lifting, and doing bodyweight HIIT, all in my home with a personal trainer. I'm bored to death with rowing (and really bored working out at home since March) and we have some great bike paths in Fort Worth. I think I would really enjoy cycling, but I have NO idea where to start. I do know that I'm not likely to ever go "off road" whatever I get; mostly plan to ride on paved trails and roads.

I was looking at bikes online today and became overwhelmed very quickly. Would appreciate any guidance on what a beginner needs and doesn't need, and what I should expect to spend. If anyone local to Fort Worth has specific suggestions for retailers that I should visit, that is appreciated too.

There's some good advice in this thread: https://texags.com/forums/48/topics/3124338/

Just my opinion, start with a cheap used bike. Bad timing, I know, but I've been riding the same used Specialized I bought over a decade ago for around $100. It's a MTB and it's served me will. That said, I plan to replace it once things start to normalize and bike shops start getting stock back. Either way, my next will likely stay under $1k. I just don't quite get people's take on bikes now and what is more or less considered necessities now and what people are willing to spend. I suppose if your competing in races, maybe that's a tad different. But if it's simply recreational riding and whatnot...just get a basic bike to start with.

jtraggie99 said:

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Just my opinion, start with a cheap used bike. Bad timing, I know, but I've been riding the same used Specialized I bought over a decade ago for around $100. It's a MTB and it's served me will. That said, I plan to replace it once things start to normalize and bike shops start getting stock back. Either way, my next will likely stay under $1k. I just don't quite get people's take on bikes now and what is more or less considered necessities now and what people are willing to spend. I suppose if your competing in races, maybe that's a tad different. But if it's simply recreational riding and whatnot...just get a basic bike to start with.

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its b/c the components and fit typically suck on cheap bikes. If you aren't comfortable and you are constantly having to adjust things on the bike, you are less likely to stick with it.

it also depends on an individual's idea of "cycling." If you are going to ride around the block, ride with your kid to the park down the road, or ride to the mailbox to get your mail and come home, then most anything with two wheels will do. If you are someone who is going to try and ride 30 or 50+ miles at a time, a crappy bike won't cut it.

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it also depends on an individual's idea of "cycling." If you are going to ride around the block, ride with your kid to the park down the road, or ride to the mailbox to get your mail and come home, then most anything with two wheels will do. If you are someone who is going to try and ride 30 or 50+ miles at a time, a crappy bike won't cut it.

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This is a very important point. Try and figure out what you're going to do long term. I got into cycling three years ago with the goal of riding the MS150 and similar events. With that in mind I knew I needed a bike I'd be able to ride for several hours at a time and that's not going to be a $300 MTB. Conversely if I'd gone the trail riding route then a $4000 road bike is wrong as well.

Figure out what "cycling" is likely to mean and let's go from there. On a bad week I ride about 50 miles over two rides. On a good week it's 100 miles over 3-4. Each of those rides is about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Road cycling events are 70-150 miles over 1-2 days. That's a long time in the saddle of a bike that's not well suited for you and for that kind of riding.

LOYAL AG said:

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it also depends on an individual's idea of "cycling." If you are going to ride around the block, ride with your kid to the park down the road, or ride to the mailbox to get your mail and come home, then most anything with two wheels will do. If you are someone who is going to try and ride 30 or 50+ miles at a time, a crappy bike won't cut it.

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This is a very important point. Try and figure out what you're going to do long term. I got into cycling three years ago with the goal of riding the MS150 and similar events. With that in mind I knew I needed a bike I'd be able to ride for several hours at a time and that's not going to be a $300 MTB. Conversely if I'd gone the trail riding route then a $4000 road bike is wrong as well.

Figure out what "cycling" is likely to mean and let's go from there. On a bad week I ride about 50 miles over two rides. On a good week it's 100 miles over 3-4. Each of those rides is about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Road cycling events are 70-150 miles over 1-2 days. That's a long time in the saddle of a bike that's not well suited for you and for that kind of riding.

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Thank you. My ultimate goal would be to ride in some of those long distance events like the M150. We have a good friend who does a 2000 mile cross country fundraiser every year and eventually I would like to do a few days with him. I have no idea what a realistic timeline is for me to prepared for that, but I definitely want a bike conducive to that type of training.

Agoodlittleag04 said:

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LOYAL AG said:

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it also depends on an individual's idea of "cycling." If you are going to ride around the block, ride with your kid to the park down the road, or ride to the mailbox to get your mail and come home, then most anything with two wheels will do. If you are someone who is going to try and ride 30 or 50+ miles at a time, a crappy bike won't cut it.

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This is a very important point. Try and figure out what you're going to do long term. I got into cycling three years ago with the goal of riding the MS150 and similar events. With that in mind I knew I needed a bike I'd be able to ride for several hours at a time and that's not going to be a $300 MTB. Conversely if I'd gone the trail riding route then a $4000 road bike is wrong as well.

Figure out what "cycling" is likely to mean and let's go from there. On a bad week I ride about 50 miles over two rides. On a good week it's 100 miles over 3-4. Each of those rides is about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Road cycling events are 70-150 miles over 1-2 days. That's a long time in the saddle of a bike that's not well suited for you and for that kind of riding.

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Thank you. My ultimate goal would be to ride in some of those long distance events like the M150. We have a good friend who does a 2000 mile cross country fundraiser every year and eventually I would like to do a few days with him. I have no idea what a realistic timeline is for me to prepared for that, but I definitely want a bike conducive to that type of training.

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He has a good point and not something I can argue with. My original point, though, is that most people don't NEED a $1.5k+ bike (sort of arbitrary number, I know), especially right off the bat. Any entry-level bike shop bike will do (I do agree any department store bikes are junk for anyone outside of the most casual bike rider). If you find you actually ride that much and progress to those types of rides, and you need a little more, then upgrade.

That other bike thread where people were discussing buying more expensive bikes and how it allows them to ride faster. Well, ok. The bike is faster. Great. You haven't changed, you haven't gotten faster, or stronger, or in better shape. Your bike just has. Unless you actually compete in races, what does it matter. Just my random 2 cents, but to each their own.

jtraggie99 said:

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Agoodlittleag04 said:

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LOYAL AG said:

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it also depends on an individual's idea of "cycling." If you are going to ride around the block, ride with your kid to the park down the road, or ride to the mailbox to get your mail and come home, then most anything with two wheels will do. If you are someone who is going to try and ride 30 or 50+ miles at a time, a crappy bike won't cut it.

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This is a very important point. Try and figure out what you're going to do long term. I got into cycling three years ago with the goal of riding the MS150 and similar events. With that in mind I knew I needed a bike I'd be able to ride for several hours at a time and that's not going to be a $300 MTB. Conversely if I'd gone the trail riding route then a $4000 road bike is wrong as well.

Figure out what "cycling" is likely to mean and let's go from there. On a bad week I ride about 50 miles over two rides. On a good week it's 100 miles over 3-4. Each of those rides is about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Road cycling events are 70-150 miles over 1-2 days. That's a long time in the saddle of a bike that's not well suited for you and for that kind of riding.

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Thank you. My ultimate goal would be to ride in some of those long distance events like the M150. We have a good friend who does a 2000 mile cross country fundraiser every year and eventually I would like to do a few days with him. I have no idea what a realistic timeline is for me to prepared for that, but I definitely want a bike conducive to that type of training.

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He has a good point and not something I can argue with. My original point, though, is that most people don't NEED a $1.5k+ bike (sort of arbitrary number, I know), especially right off the bat. Any entry-level bike shop bike will do (I do agree any department store bikes are junk for anyone outside of the most casual bike rider). If you find you actually ride that much and progress to those types of rides, and you need a little more, then upgrade.

That other bike thread where people were discussing buying more expensive bikes and how it allows them to ride faster. Well, ok. The bike is faster. Great. You haven't changed, you haven't gotten faster, or stronger, or in better shape. Your bike just has. Unless you actually compete in races, what does it matter. Just my random 2 cents, but to each their own.

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Seeing as how the OP stated the goal is to do longer rides, and potentially multi-day rides, having a faster bike would allow for a faster completion those faster. If you are doing multiple days, getting off the saddle sooner allows for more recovery time. I also believe that a better bike has more benefits than just riding quicker...less maintenance, more efficiency (which can argue faster riding), more comfort, etc.

I don't disagree with you that most people don't need a $1500 bike immediately. My first road bike was a $1200 MSRP Trek that I rode from texas to alaska in summer of 2004. I still ride that thing 16 years later. a $1200 bike now is probably light years ahead of that road bike, so at 1000 or maybe even less you have something that can handle A LOT of miles. From a components standpoint, general agreement is that you want Shimano 105 or higher quality, which is likely going to be around a $1000 bike. 105 is generally where you move away from a lot of plastic in the components. The lower end components have gotten better, but if you ask around, most people will still suggest 105 or higher.

Agoodlittleag04 said:

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LOYAL AG said:

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it also depends on an individual's idea of "cycling." If you are going to ride around the block, ride with your kid to the park down the road, or ride to the mailbox to get your mail and come home, then most anything with two wheels will do. If you are someone who is going to try and ride 30 or 50+ miles at a time, a crappy bike won't cut it.

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This is a very important point. Try and figure out what you're going to do long term. I got into cycling three years ago with the goal of riding the MS150 and similar events. With that in mind I knew I needed a bike I'd be able to ride for several hours at a time and that's not going to be a $300 MTB. Conversely if I'd gone the trail riding route then a $4000 road bike is wrong as well.

Figure out what "cycling" is likely to mean and let's go from there. On a bad week I ride about 50 miles over two rides. On a good week it's 100 miles over 3-4. Each of those rides is about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Road cycling events are 70-150 miles over 1-2 days. That's a long time in the saddle of a bike that's not well suited for you and for that kind of riding.

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Thank you. My ultimate goal would be to ride in some of those long distance events like the M150. We have a good friend who does a 2000 mile cross country fundraiser every year and eventually I would like to do a few days with him. I have no idea what a realistic timeline is for me to prepared for that, but I definitely want a bike conducive to that type of training.

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my first road bike was a new $930 Trek with aluminum frame and Sora gears. I rode it for about a year including my first MS150. It was great and I might still have it had my stepdad not given up the sport and given me his hand built all carbon bike with Ultegra gears and Mavic wheels. My first one was nice, this one is light years better including weighing about 2/3 of the Trek.

jtraggie99 is right in that you don't need $2500 (my edit of his number because that's a good price for a bike with all carbon and 105 gears) to get started. At that price and configuration I'd expect you to keep it for a long time. The worse thing that could happen is you spend that much and a year later you're not riding anymore. Given your goals I think I'd go to a shop and look for a budget of <$1000. Get an aluminum frame and Sora or Tiagra gears. It'll weigh more and it'll wear out faster but it'll get you started and if you really get into it then look to upgrade a couple of years down the road. Had I not gotten this gift from my stepdad my plan was to upgrade to about a $2500 bike with 105 which is a more durable gear set.

Another thing to be aware of is that bigger bike shops often have a good selection of used bikes. Give that a look as it's a good way to get more than you might otherwise be willing to pay for. I don't know where you live but Richardson Bike Mart in the DFW area has some nice deals. My dad got a bike similar to mine for a good price about a year ago. It was two years old and in great shape.

Anyway, hope that helps.

Thanks, y'all. I really appreciate the advice. I don't feel quite so overwhelmed now.

Also remember that if it's not on Strava, it never happened

My 1st road bike in 2016 was a 2004 Trek which cost me about $1100. It was carbon and older ultegra components. I just recently upgraded after i had completed a few triathlons and realized how much i love cycling. I spent about $2800 on the upgrade, but still went the used route. My recommendation is to go used and get more bike.

First bike was a $400 2004 Klein. Have put about 12,000 miles on an upgrade after spending a while learning on that one.

Find a good one used and save a bundle. Limited downside. Meet the person at a bike shop and pay them $20 to check it out.

agcivengineer said:

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My 1st road bike in 2016 was a 2004 Trek which cost me about $1100. It was carbon and older ultegra components. I just recently upgraded after i had completed a few triathlons and realized how much i love cycling. I spent about $2800 on the upgrade, but still went the used route. My recommendation is to go used and get more bike.

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I've been doing a ton of research, and although I can't speak directly to it, many people say that today's 105 is superior to the previous generation Ultegra. The tech gets passed down with each generation. Or so "they" say.

To piggyback off this, I bought a bike a couple months ago and I'm looking for a bike trainer stand for the winter months. Any recommendations?

Less expensive end - Kinetic RoadMachine
More expensive - Wahoo