Bike for fitness recommnedations

[migo33]

Hi all,
I am in the market for a new bike mostly for fitness, recreation, and commuting. I am 186cm tall and not that flexible so I flat bar seems like a better option than drop bars.
What would you recommend or what should I look for at up to or around $1500+?
Cheers
Mike

[Nobody]

They do have bikes in categories of fitness and/or commuting. Have a look at some manufacturers' websites. The big problem at the moment is finding much in stock. So consequently it is difficult to recommend anything specific. Flat bar sounds like a reasonable option. You may want to look for flat bar road bikes too.

[Retrobyte]

Drop bars have flat sections too - you can ride a drop bar bike without ever going onto the drops. Even not venturing onto the drops there are more hand positions available on drop bars than a flat bar bike. Having different hand positions you can use will reduce fatigue on longer rides.

So I wouldn't discount a drop bar bike for commuting and general fitness riding. It will likely be lighter than a hybrid bike so will be more fun to ride, which will encourage you to ride more, which means you will get fitter faster.

[migo33]

Thanks for the feedback.
I will look into drop bars as well. The issue is stock levels for both new and used. I prefer to spend on the right fit than high-end components.
I am just confused between brand names and 'supermarket' brands at the lower end of the price range. They all seem more or less the same and all manufactured in the same place.

[Warnesy]

I would suggest on here you will find that the general consensus is bottom end brand bikes are far superior to supermarket brand bikes. Even just the skill of the person putting them together will make some difference. At $1500 you will get a very nice bike. I’d lean towards drop bars for the reasons mentioned above.

[Nobody]

The reasoning you might want to stay with the original decision to stay with flat bars are they are cheaper for the same spec of bike. That is because the brifters are often some of the most expensive components on a bike. They are also exposed to being damaged in a crash and even more expensive to replace. I rode on drop bars for over 10 years. It really comes down do whether as a commuter you will really benefit from them versus the extra cost and hassle of ownership. If you are heavier and get numb hands on your commute, then they may be of benefit. When I was about 20 kg heavier than I am now I used to benefit from the different hand positions, but these days it doesn't seem to make much difference to me. Flat bars also give you more leverage and are more stable. I've actually crashed on my drop bar bike, on a path because I wasn't hanging on well to the bars (which drops encourage) and hit an irregularity in the path I didn't see coming. Another disadvantage of riding on the hoods of a drop bar bike (which is what most people do) is that it reduces your braking leverage. Drop bar levers are really designed to work best on the drops. Bar tape doesn't last that long compared with most bar grips. It absorbs sweat and so can get smelly, dirty looking and promote corrosion underneath the tape.



Do whatever you choose. However best to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of each type of bar before making a choice. Also keep in mind that forums tend to be places of elitism, so you're going to get answered skewed that way from us.

[migo33]

Thanks guys, great comments.
I am happy to spend 1k+ on a bike it's just that it's hard for me to understand the big leap in price between a Specialized or Trek and something like Dechathalon brand, Polygon or Marlin. Reviews show that the less-known brands are as good if not better overall than expensive brands often having a better support system and warrenty. Anyhow, I will probably end up buying two. Cheers.

[Nobody]

Specialized and Trek are both bike shop brands. You buy through a bike shop, you'll usually get better support if things go wrong. You're also more likely to get a bike that rolls out of the shop actually working. When it comes to warranty, Giant and Trek in particular are known for honouring their warranties well. You get what you pay for. There is no point pitting online brands against shop brands. Especially if you are less experienced.

If you buy online, you're more likely to make a sizing mistake which you'll probably then have to live with. I suspect a lot of people don't even know they bought the wrong sized bike. My example is in regard to MTBs. But I was considering a Polygon Xtrada recently until I realised that they call the Xtrada an XC bike, but their sizing was more like trail sizing than XC. And although my old XC medium size Avanti fits me well, it's smaller than their Xtrada small size for what mattered. I realized that the Rider Area Distance (R.A.D) was going to be too big for me on the Xtrada small. Same with the Reach. The only way I really knew that was that I made up a geometry spreadsheet which gives me not only the R.A.D, but the saddle top (in line with the seatpost) to handlebar reach. Which is the most handy measurement to know if you have a bike that fits well already. If I didn't have the experience and the spreadsheet, I would have made an expensive mistake. Having said that I have since started looking at various shop brand XC bike geometry charts to find that most modern XC small sizes are slightly bigger than my old medium size. But if I walk into a good bike shop, they would likely point that out. Or at least it would become obvious when I sit on one.

I would argue that if you need to ask such questions here, then you may not be experienced enough with bikes and geometry charts - and possibly your own measurements - to make the best online sizing choices. You often can't trust their height recommendations. You'll probably end up with a better outcome if you find a good bike shop.

[Andy01]

I would second what Nobody has said about sizing. I started doing research months ago, and eventually ordered a GIant Roam 1 (which I will hopefully get tomorrow after a 4 months wait). I was only looking at bike shop bikes with the exception of Polygon.

In my research the standover distance (which is important to me as I am only 165cm with relatively short legs) of Small size bikes varied from 612mm for a Merida Matts 7.70 Small to 757mm for a Merida Crossway 500 Small - a difference of 145mm which is huge (the difference between squashed family jewels or not). As far as I can tell the actual real-life differences are not that big, but the measurements are taken in different ways. So the result is that based on the stated measurement for standover you really have no idea at all what you are actually going to get unless you try one.

As mentioned the problem is that many shops are stock limited. Giant called today saying that they have just received 40 bikes in this delivery which is their first in months, so some stock is starting to dribble in.

Colin

[migo33]

I would argue that if you need to ask such questions here, then you may not be experienced enough with bikes and geometry charts - and possibly your own measurements - to make the best online sizing choices. You often can't trust their height recommendations. You'll probably end up with a better outcome if you find a good bike shop.

Yes, you are right. I don't have much experience when it comes to sizing. I always rode on second-hand bikes and never considered fitment. Since we are in lockdown, going online and doing some research is the only way for me to know what to look for. I think I will wait until we can revisit stores.