Good online place to purchase a Bicycle?
- Thread starter Tom
- Start date
Here's where I get most of my cycling gear:
http://www.excelsports.com/
I try to support the local bike shops, but when I need big ticket items, it's hard to justify paying double at the local shops.
You looking for a road or mountain bike?
http://www.excelsports.com/
I try to support the local bike shops, but when I need big ticket items, it's hard to justify paying double at the local shops.
You looking for a road or mountain bike?
If you're looking for a mountain bike, I reccomend Giant (who actually owns/builds "Specailized" bikes)
http://www.giant-bicycle.com/us/000.000.000/000.000.000.asp
http://www.giant-bicycle.com/us/000.000.000/000.000.000.asp
Cannondales are going to be pricier than the Giants for the most part, but are probably better bikes. I had a Giant Rincon for years - I got it just as the company was starting to get off the ground. Nice bike. A year and a half ago I got a Trek 4100 aluminum bike. Awesome bike for daily use - very well-built. I almost got a Specialized, but the Trek fit me better and had a better riding position.
It all depends on what you are going to use it for.
It all depends on what you are going to use it for.
TREK is a really great mountain bike company as well. I still have one of their mountain bikes that I purchased years ago. They are incredibly light, very well-built, and they perform great.
What you want to look for is a mountain bike featuring Shimano components. The Shimano XT and XTR series are really great components and are available on the more expensive TREK bikes.
There is also the owner of the TREK company...I forgot the company name, but it is named after the designer of the bikes...I think it's called Gary something, but I'm not sure, I don't remember so well.
What you want to look for is a mountain bike featuring Shimano components. The Shimano XT and XTR series are really great components and are available on the more expensive TREK bikes.
There is also the owner of the TREK company...I forgot the company name, but it is named after the designer of the bikes...I think it's called Gary something, but I'm not sure, I don't remember so well.
I hate to be a post whore about this, but I just wanna be more specific into what you can look into.
I mentioned the Shimano XT and XTR components without really explaining them. Shimano makes the brakes, gears, and other "parts" that makeup the bike (pretty much everything but the frame and the wheels). The XT/XTR series are the top of the line components from Shimano. The only difference between the XT and XTR series is that the XTR series' parts are all lighter than the XT series. I don't know what your price range is, so the whole XT/XTR series might be out of your price range, but you should definitely try to find a bike packing these components. Also, frame is really important. You want to find a frame that is really strong and really light...fortunately, any good brand-name mountain bike sports a strong and light frame.
You guys should checkout the Fisher Bikes web site...you can custom design your own mountain bike...I configured my own and it came out to $6,000!!!!![[hatchet]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_hatchet.gif "Hatchet [hatchet]")
I mentioned the Shimano XT and XTR components without really explaining them. Shimano makes the brakes, gears, and other "parts" that makeup the bike (pretty much everything but the frame and the wheels). The XT/XTR series are the top of the line components from Shimano. The only difference between the XT and XTR series is that the XTR series' parts are all lighter than the XT series. I don't know what your price range is, so the whole XT/XTR series might be out of your price range, but you should definitely try to find a bike packing these components. Also, frame is really important. You want to find a frame that is really strong and really light...fortunately, any good brand-name mountain bike sports a strong and light frame.
You guys should checkout the Fisher Bikes web site...you can custom design your own mountain bike...I configured my own and it came out to $6,000!!!!
Here's some other sites.
http://www.performancebike.com/index.cfm
http://www.supergo.com/index.cfm
http://www.jensonusa.com/
For info
http://www.bicycling.com/
I'm more into racers, but Trek are making a name for themselves as great value. In Aus (not sure elsewhere) they offer a lifetime guarantee on their frame, no one else does. Otherwise the other names mentioned are great.
Have fun
James
http://www.performancebike.com/index.cfm
http://www.supergo.com/index.cfm
http://www.jensonusa.com/
For info
http://www.bicycling.com/
I'm more into racers, but Trek are making a name for themselves as great value. In Aus (not sure elsewhere) they offer a lifetime guarantee on their frame, no one else does. Otherwise the other names mentioned are great.
Have fun
James
I think my Trek 4100 was about $400 when I bought it. I see on their website that it is like $340 now. Trek prices are comparable to Specialized, but Cannondales are more expensive. My mom has a Cannondale bike - it's a nice bike, but more expensive with less equipment. The Specialized I was looking at was a steel bike, and I decided I preferred preferred aluminum over steel (a little lighter and corrosion resistance) plus the better riding position of the Trek for me.
In my opinion, you probably don't need the top of the line XT / XTR Shimano components if you are using the bike casually for exercise. You will pay dearly for a bike with the top of the line components. If you stick with a Trek, Specialized, Cannondale, Giant, or Gary Fisher bike, it is going to have Shimano components (at least as far as gear components go). My bike has the lower end Shimano Altus components on it, and they work absolutely fine (the new 4100s have higher end components on them now). As long as you have Shimano components and they are adjusted properly, that's all you should need - you probably don't need to spend hundreds or thousands more to get higher end Shimano components. That's my take.
In my opinion, you probably don't need the top of the line XT / XTR Shimano components if you are using the bike casually for exercise. You will pay dearly for a bike with the top of the line components. If you stick with a Trek, Specialized, Cannondale, Giant, or Gary Fisher bike, it is going to have Shimano components (at least as far as gear components go). My bike has the lower end Shimano Altus components on it, and they work absolutely fine (the new 4100s have higher end components on them now). As long as you have Shimano components and they are adjusted properly, that's all you should need - you probably don't need to spend hundreds or thousands more to get higher end Shimano components. That's my take.
The frame geometry on Gary Fischer bikes is a little odd, so you either love them, or hate them (I'm very average build 5'9, 160 lbs so they fit me well).
I've been riding road and mountain bikes for about 10 years (local amatuer competion, mostly triathlon), and I think all of the brands mentioned are good. Aluminum frames are light, good for climbing, but tend to flex, not so good for climbing. Steel frames are very stiff, great for climbing, but heavy not so good for climbing. Unless you are competing at an elite level, you won't notice the performance difference, but you'll probably like the feel of one more than the other.
More importantnly, find a bike that fits your body properly, a good local bike shop should take plenty of time adjusting each bike for you as you test ride it. Get decent components, you'll hate it if your bike skips gears or is hard to shift. Droping the chain frequently also sucks, and if it happens at the wrong time, can be dangerous.
A lot of my cycling buddies spend thousands of dollars on ultra light, exotic alloy, components just to save a couple ounces. My theory is, I'm carrying at least 10 pounds of fat. If I really cared that much about the few seconds I'd save, I'd put in a few extra miles a week, drop the fat, and be even leaner and faster.
I've been riding road and mountain bikes for about 10 years (local amatuer competion, mostly triathlon), and I think all of the brands mentioned are good. Aluminum frames are light, good for climbing, but tend to flex, not so good for climbing. Steel frames are very stiff, great for climbing, but heavy not so good for climbing. Unless you are competing at an elite level, you won't notice the performance difference, but you'll probably like the feel of one more than the other.
More importantnly, find a bike that fits your body properly, a good local bike shop should take plenty of time adjusting each bike for you as you test ride it. Get decent components, you'll hate it if your bike skips gears or is hard to shift. Droping the chain frequently also sucks, and if it happens at the wrong time, can be dangerous.
A lot of my cycling buddies spend thousands of dollars on ultra light, exotic alloy, components just to save a couple ounces. My theory is, I'm carrying at least 10 pounds of fat. If I really cared that much about the few seconds I'd save, I'd put in a few extra miles a week, drop the fat, and be even leaner and faster.
My personal favorites are Marin (lower end) and Santa Cruz (higher end) bikes.
Kona is another good brand that wasn't mentioned. If it's just for recreational/exercise use, you prolly don't need much. A $400-$500 hardtail bike should be enough. Check eBay's completed auctions for a good idea of current market price. Your local bike shop's clearance sales of last year's items are good. There's no need for the current year's item for the non-pro cuz we won't be able to notice the difference enough for the price to be worth it.
Kona is another good brand that wasn't mentioned. If it's just for recreational/exercise use, you prolly don't need much. A $400-$500 hardtail bike should be enough. Check eBay's completed auctions for a good idea of current market price. Your local bike shop's clearance sales of last year's items are good. There's no need for the current year's item for the non-pro cuz we won't be able to notice the difference enough for the price to be worth it.
