So I've decided I'd like to start biking to add to my exercise routine and I'm wondering where to start. I haven't owned a bike in almost 15 years since college.

My hope is to keep it around $500 or less since it will be a first 'nice' bike for me. Live in the Houston Heights and will mostly be on the road and the bike trails. Would be interested in possibly buying one off of someone here that might not be using one of theirs as often too if available.

TIA

Bike trails, i assume you mean paved bike paths?

AggieOO said:

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Bike trails, i assume you mean paved bike paths?

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Yes. Habit to call the paths 'trails' because that is how they are labeled in the area

Go over to Blue Line on Yale at15th. They'll fix you up. Good shop

$500 is pretty cheap for a "nice" bike….just fyi. May need to double that.

JBLHAG03 said:

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$500 is pretty cheap for a "nice" bike….just fyi. May need to double that.

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I have 'nice' in quotations because it would be the first bike not purchased from a Walmart/Target type thing. Have no problem going over the $500.

$500 your best bet will be Craigslist or Facebook. Would still go to a bike shop to get an idea of fit, etc.

If you do buy used, I'd recommend having them meet you at bike barn. They'll do a pre purchase inspection for free.

$1,500-$2,000 is going to be your entry-level "good" bike range.

If you can find a nice used entry level for $500, go for it. But you should consider an aluminum new bike for around $1200, such as a Specialized Allez or equivalent. You won't be disappointed.

An Allez may be a bit much for bike paths. OP, do you want a flat bar bike or a drop bar (road) bike?

Id recommend a drop bar. Several posters on here just got into cycling for casual exercise and most regretted a flat bar and eventually upgraded.

htxag09 said:

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Id recommend a drop bar. Several posters on here just got into cycling for casual exercise and most regretted a flat bar and eventually upgraded.

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Agreed, if its just trails around suburb type communities no need to go for anything fancy that will cost you a dime. Or if you know your size you can look for used, I bought a decent Marin years ago for a good price and most people don't need the heavier duty components.

Just don't get used to the nice stuff, going from a bike setup that cost close to $10k to off the shelf stuff sucks.

Are you wanting a road bike wjth skinny tires or was your last bike a "mountain" bike with a little fatter ones? If the latter I'd recommend a gravel bike.

If OP is just looking to go around Heights bike paths casually, I don't get the point of getting something with a drop bar, especially if cost is a factor. Get the flat bar hybrid or fitness bike for $1-1.5k. They are great to just get around with anyway. Initially, you aren't going to be going for performance or looking to go for really long rides anyway probably.

Then, if you get the bug, go get a bike with a drop bar and the performance components on it.

That's my take.

Comfort. Everyone I know who made the switch did so because their wrists bothered them on their flat bar bikes. They didn't make the switch for performance. They just wanted to be comfortable

I bought a carbon cannondale off Facebook marketplace for $800. Search around, join a few biking marketplace groups, you can get a gravel bike for $500

htxag09 said:

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Comfort. Everyone I know who made the switch did so because their wrists bothered them on their flat bar bikes. They didn't make the switch for performance. They just wanted to be comfortable

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I get that but they generally aren't that comfortable for new riders. They can be hell on your neck and back and arms if you've not cycled for a while. You can get end grips for pretty cheap on a flat bar for grip variance or ergonomic friendly handles that work really well for wrist and hand strain.

I have bikes with both for what it is worth and tend to not use the road bike unless I'm going for more than 45 minutes or so.

My thing is if you catch the bug, you'll start cycling now and probably want bikes for different uses anyway so just buy the easy one to see if you catch it. That's what I did and I don't look at the flat bar as a waste of money.

I got my daughter's Kia 4 years ago for $3500, and it's still going strong. My son's basketball chair was $4300. Prices really go up when you take away the drive train, I guess.

Don't get a flat bar, get a drop bar road bike (or gravel bike). You will thank yourself a year from now.

If canyon ever actually releases the speed max cf 8 and I buy one you can buy my specialized Alex road bike. Might be 6 months though.

For my first bike I went on a similar route, winding up with a $600 hybrid because I wanted to make sure I'd get into riding enough… a year later I got a 2500 road bike.

So I would maybe urge to wait and save up for a proper "good" bike unless you find a steal on Craigslist's for 1-2K

My opinion is the return diminishes dramatically once you have a good brand, and carbon fork. No need to get all carbon or electronic shifters. Your training program and how often you ride will have 1000x the impact another $500 of bike will give you.

What I DO recommend is a Wahoo Kickr smart trainer or something like it that can run Zwift. Training on Zwift will boost your power faster than anything else I've tried. That WILL make a difference on how fast you can ride.

JDL 96 said:

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My opinion is the return diminishes dramatically once you have a good brand, and carbon fork. No need to get all carbon or electronic shifters. Your training program and how often you ride will have 1000x the impact another $500 of bike will give you.

What I DO recommend is a Wahoo Kickr smart trainer or something like it that can run Zwift. Training on Zwift will boost your power faster than anything else I've tried. That WILL make a difference on how fast you can ride.

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I'm on my second Kickr and recently made level 50. Gearing up for another Zwift Academy workout program next week

Salsa Journeyman, Marin Nicasio, Cannondale Haanjo models will be in the 1000 dollar ballpark and be great entry level bikes that will be versatile enough to ride paved and gravel type roads. If you "stick" with it for at least a year or so then upgrade as you see fit. That's what I would do at least.

I have a journeyman with a flat bar and it's awesome. Carbon fork and light weight for the price point. Gearing and brakes could be better for what you pay (some similar priced Trek bikes have hydraulic brakes) but all in all a reliable bike.

A Poseidon might be a good option. Surly is a great city/commuter/exercise bike. Surly's kind of do everything.

BigOil said:

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JDL 96 said:

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My opinion is the return diminishes dramatically once you have a good brand, and carbon fork. No need to get all carbon or electronic shifters. Your training program and how often you ride will have 1000x the impact another $500 of bike will give you.

What I DO recommend is a Wahoo Kickr smart trainer or something like it that can run Zwift. Training on Zwift will boost your power faster than anything else I've tried. That WILL make a difference on how fast you can ride.

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I'm on my second Kickr and recently made level 50. Gearing up for another Zwift Academy workout program next week

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Zwift Hub just dropped: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2022/09/zwift-hub-499-smart-trainer-hands-on-a-competition-killer.html.

I'm a 47 on Zwift with 33 days and change logged. I loathe it, but it's a necessity as a parent/W2 employee that still wants 10+ hours of semi-structured training a week.

I disagree with electronic drivetrain and carbon wheels. But I'm also into this hobby for the tech. By all means, ride anything that rolls with two pedals. If you're puttering around the Heights, sure a Poseidon X probably works. My average hour lunch ride alone has 3,000'+ of elevation (weekend long rides are 8,000'+ usually). I'm not doing that without DI2 - and I'm really not descending all that without discs. But that's my use case - I self-mechanic (electronic is so, so, so much easier than mech to work on), disc > rim for maintenance & better braking (especially when wet), and I go up a lot of hills (so grams matter). But that's my use case! Just spin what you got at the end of the day!