Hey y'all

I'm thinking of purchasing a bike soon. I'm trying to make myself more active and keep from getting bored. That's when I usually head for the fridge.

I'm hoping y'all can tell me things to look for/ask about when I go to the bike store. Any lingo I should know so that I won't make a fool of myself? Any tips offered will be greatly appreciated.

Hi Kutia,

I haven't bought a bike in years, but I found a couple of sites that might help you...

Click here: How To Buy a Bike

Click here: National Bicycle Dealers Association - Shopping for a Bicycle?

These will at least let you ask the right questions.

Good luck!

Jo Ann

Hey guys, thanks for the help.

Jahair, I checked out both of those links, extremely informative. Just the kind of stuff I was looking for.

And thanks Jack, your suggestion was awesome too. I hadn't even thought of that. (Plus it made me laugh)

What kind of bike are you looking for. I would suspect most of your questions could be answered here.

I'm just looking for a regular, comfy road bike. I'm not an "off-road" kind of girl. I actually went to my nearby bike shop a day or two ago. The guy recommended either a hybrid or a comfort bike. I still don't know which would be better. The comfort bike had wider tires. Does that have any effect on stabilty? I'd really like to not fall on my ass if I can help it. I can't remember if the bike he showed me had gears. If so, I'm gonna need someone to explain them to me. My last bike had 5 gears and I had no idea how to use them.

I'm going back to the shop tomorrow. If anyone has any last minute advice I'd love to hear it. Read it, whatever.

Ride both and see what you like the best. I have a hybrid bike and LOVE it!! You can ride mine and see what you think- then we can meet and ride bikes!!

Ride both and see what you like the best.

That's a good idea. I wonder if the bike shop would let me take them for a spin around the parking lot.

I know I said I was going back to the shop today, but I didn't get around to it. I have a real problem in that area. I'll definitely go somethime this week.

I just recently bought a new bicycle. It's a Trek and it is awesome! It has shock absorbers and a very comfortable seat. It has gears and hand breaks and a nifty little bell device on the handlebar. I found that the gears just help you get to a comfortable pedaling level for you on any given day and once your gear is set, it's fine to just ride in that gear. Also, I saved about $100 by purchasing the last year's model, which is identical to this year's model; they are exactly the same bike. I had owned a 'comfort' bike, but this is actually much more fun to ride. I hope this helps.....good luck!

I went out and bought my new bike today. The salesdude let me take it for a spin around the parking lot. I was grinning like an idiot. I forgot how much fun it was. Here's some pics. (I hope they're not too big, I tried to resize them.)