Well, this summer I had a bad experience with my bike. I had to ride 15 mi. on a crappy mountain bike. It was hot and the bike was just about to fall apart and it was extremely difficult to ride. My friend (who has better skills on a bike than I do) offered to trade his bike for mine for the last 5 mi. of the 20 mile trip. It was a Trek. I barely felt the last 5 miles because the bike was so easy and smooth to ride. So now I am convinced that a high quality bike is a good investment over a crappier bike and less expensive than a car for small town usage and the occasional climbs.


I am looking into Trek bikes on eBay... but I have no idea where to start. Basically I only have one limitation which is money. Probably under $500 is good. Obviously don't have much more than that so probably ruling out those full carbon fiber full suspension ones

Does anyone have any ideas about Trek bikes? I remember there being a bike thread here with Chaz and Brant

 

And Ninh too, he can tell you everything you need to know about bikes.

Oh, Alex too, he has all these really cool bikes.

 

Trek, Giant, Diamond Back, Raleigh...there are actually LOTS of good companies out there. First decision is steel or aluminum for the frame. Steel rides smoother (particularly at your price point), but tends to be somewhat heavier unless you are looking at a higher end steel bike. Aluminum is lighter, but also tends to be somewhat stiff.

The next step is components. I, personally, wouldn't shop a bike that had anything less than Shimano Deore components...but that's just me. For totally casual riding, you could step down in components and probably not suffer TOO much...but I always err on the side of being more abusive to my stuff...and Deore and above will last better (and they're lighter).

If you're riding more dirt...go with some knobby tires. If you're doing only pavement...get slicks. If you mix the two, but are mostly on the roads and/or hard-packed and dusty trails (rather than mud)...go with semi-slicks. They look like knobbies that someone took a razor blade to an cut down the tread. Most decent shops will trade straight across on a new bike for only the cost difference between the tires.

If you're shopping for the first time and aren't sure about your size and such, don't shop e-bay. Deals are better...but the service and support from a local shop is hard to beat!

 

what Blunt says.
Don't get a carbon bike for mountain riding. You'll crash and carbon bikes don't fare well. Get Steel or Aluminum. Titanium is nice but mucho dinero.
Go to your local bike shop if you're starting to ride. they'll give you good advices. I'd go to the shop with your friend. If you're in socal, there's some good trail in south county.
Enjoy your ride.

 

thanks guys. i'll check out the bike shop. the nearest one to me only carries schwinn and diamond back... they do carry shimano brakes but i'm pretty set on getting a trek so i'm off to the next city. i'll be doing a mix of street and mountain terrain... but mostly street. semi-slicks? i'll check that out too. i probably need a decent helmet too.

 

<--still lovin my Grateful Dead Gary Fisher I need ot get some good pics of it.

 

Some bastard stole my banana seat Schwinn!!!

 

I have to ask...why are you set on a Trek? You should shop a variety of brands...you might find that one fits you better than another. That way you're not only stuck shopping price point...but you have more options. Schwinn has made some pretty good bikes over the years.

 

And, yes, you NEED a helmet!

 

Try out a few frames. . . I'm still partial to Specialized for the geometry, but at this point (not having ridden in 10+ years) would be open for anything. . .