Bike Recommendations
 

I want to get a bike, but I don't have a lot to spend. I don't need anything fancy, just thought it might be nice to start biking a little. The trail I run on is pretty flat and only 1.3 miles down the road. I thought some days I could bike down for my run and bike back.

So, my question is, what kind of bike should I get? I really want something inexpensive. Wal-mart seems to have a lot for not much. Considering I won't be using it a ton, I don't need anything extremely durable. What do you all suggest? What is the difference between a mountain bike and a 7-speed "comfort" bike? There is a bike trail down the road, so I guess I might go on that sometimes, maybe a mountain bike would be best? I live in Indiana, so it is hilly (might want at least a few speeds). If I get a mountain bike, would it work for just general biking too?

I really don't know anything about bikes, so any help would be greatly appreciated!

The best advice I've ever had on bikes was from a friend who spent his whole adult life selling them: get what feels best to you. Basically don't try to anticipate every scenario you'd be biking in for your first bike, you'll end up overspending. Get something nice and comfortable for your body. Don't look to spend a lot of money on a first bike, but do go to a cycling store so you can have a proper fitting and test-ride.

From your description it sounds like a comfort bike would be a good bike for you. It will keep your body in a more upright position when cycling and thus keep you more comfortable. And the more comfortable you are the more likely you are to ride. If you really think the majority of your riding will be off-road on semi-rough trails then you might want to try a mountain bike. Be sure to get one with a decent shock absorbtion system so you're not jarring yourself when you go over bumps. But it definitely won't be quite as comfortable for regular road cycling as a comfort bike would be.

Just remember that you'll only ride it if it's comfortable so give every bike at least a test-sit.

Margaret has some very good advice. I'd recommend going to your local bike shop (LBS) to find a bike. They will be a little more expensive than Walmart (probably) but they will also help you find the right bike so you'll be more likely to ride, help you learn to operate your bike (shifters, brakes, etc), help you learn to take care of your bike so that it stays in riding shape, and help you fix it at a reasonable cost (often for free if it is minor) if something goes wrong--at Walmart you are on your own for all of that. Even for light riding, chains gum up, brake cables stretch, and tires get punctured and go flat, and if you don't have a resource for help, no more biking! The LBS will also know about nice trails, riding clubs, things like that in your area.

Anne

Thanks for your help everyone!!!