Bicycle Recommendations for a Recreational Rider

• 

  GG57 on 14/12/2022 - 10:55

  I can ride sit up and not lean forward

  This is probably going to be your hardest get. I'd go to those bike shops and see what is available first.

  • 

    Nugs on 14/12/2022 - 11:26

    +1

    Old school ape hangers, maybe not like this though
    https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=qVfK6n…
    .

  • 

    ForkSnorter on 14/12/2022 - 11:44

    +1

    There are 4 things you can do to get the handlebars higher: choose flat bar instead of drop bar, turn the handlebars upside down, add rings, then add extra long bar ends. This has allowed me to get my hand position way higher than a typical bike. Much more comfortable ride.

• 

  Bartemaus on 14/12/2022 - 12:00

  +7

  At that price point I would be hesitant buying a bike with suspension. My experience is that low end suspension forks are no better than a rigid fork. Better off saving weight and opting for higher quality tyres. A flat bar hybrid bike is probably your best option. Both shops should be able to point you in the right direction if you advise on what you've listed above.

  • 

    Pelicannn on 14/12/2022 - 12:14

    +2

    Agreed. $500 doesn’t get you much in a bike these days that’s built to last so skip the suspension.

    I’d look at a Merida Speeder 20 (club price is about $600-700 usually) or the Norco Yorkville (under $500) and combine with discount giftcards for 99 bikes.

    For the suspension just get a comfortable seat with a wider body and padding to help, and put the lower end of pressure in the tyres for your recommended weight.

  • 

    huggsymersh on 14/12/2022 - 12:24

    Agree on the suspension as well.

    To the OP, Just don't pump your tyres up to the maximum pressure and you will have a lot more comfort without giving up too much efficiency. The psi min and max are just min and max, and your own optimum pressure should take into account the terrain you are riding on as well as your weight (heavier rider means higher pressure). If you experiment you'll probably be able to find a nice comfortable pressure that gets you going efficiently, but isn't too low that it's inviting pinch flats.

• 

  huggsymersh on 14/12/2022 - 12:38

  +1

  I was going to say you don't get much bike for $500 but this Norco looks okay.

  https://www.99bikes.com.au/norco-xfr-3-hybrid-bike-green-bla…

  I'd usually avoid a front suspension, and at this price point I'd also probably avoid disc breaks, but they have them. Why would I avoid? Not much better functionality from either, but greater cost of maintenance in the long run. Disk brakes are better in the wet….but how many recreational riders find themselves riding when it's wet that disc brakes are that much better.

  Lowest end of the Shimano named groupset categories (tourney) but probably good enough for recreational use.

  Others may have input on this particular bike.

  Just on pricing, the lower end bikes at $500 tend to increase features but fall short in quality and durability, as more features tend to appeal more to people than less tangible characteristics like quality. . There's no need to spend excessive amounts on bikes, but spending a bit more on quality components can mean longer life and easier maintenance. Trying to adjust lower quality components can be frustrating.

  Looking on 99 bikes they seem to have quite a few options from the $500 to $1000 range.

  The other key thing is that you can look at bikes on the internet forever, but best to go in the shop and try them. If it's set up for you then how it feels is a very important factor to consider when choosing a bike.

  • 

    justanick on 14/12/2022 - 12:49

    Great response. Are you able to give me some few links with a budget increase around $800 or $1000. I would like to buy something that will last as I won’t bike much but it will not fail on me.

    • 

      huggsymersh on 14/12/2022 - 18:43

      I quite like the look of this bike, but I did a stock check and it's out of stock. It's a bit frustrating browsing the website only to find things aren't in stock.

      https://www.99bikes.com.au/norco-indie-4-hybrid-bike-grey-bl…

      The reason I like it is because it has no front suspension and it only has one chain ring at the front (so only 7 gears in total). My guiding principle with choosing bikes is striving for simplicity.

      There's a trend with mountain bikes to only have one gear up front as you reduce weight and complexity and you don't really need massive top speeds or really high climbing gears. I think this approach is well suited for recreational riders.

      With the lack of front suspension, note that suspension is a must have for very bumpy, rough, technical mountain bike trails. For other purposes it's just a nuisance. Most front suspension forks have a thing called a 'lock out' where you twist a knob and it locks the suspension to make the fork rigid. This is so that you can ride on flat roads or gentle trails without your front fork feeling like a sloppy noodle. If you are hoping to do gnarly trails and such, yes prioritise suspension. But if you are doing urban rec paths, it's best avoided. But y'know, if you like having that spring up front and it gives you incentive to go off road for a bit, then why not?!

      I would strongly suggest you take some time and go into a store and have a chat to the staff. Bike shop guys can sometimes be overwhelming with technical jargon, but they mean well. Most of them really just love riding and enjoy getting someone else onto a bike. If they aren't friendly and helpful just go to another store.

      It's hard to make recommendations that are too specific. Most of these bikes at the $500 - $700 will do paved recreational riding really well. There's no point spending too much because if you really get into it, then you may well find you might want to upgrade but your requirements become clearer. But $500-$700 for a bike that gets you out and puts a smile on your face is a pretty good bargain.

      • 

        Euphemistic on 14/12/2022 - 20:25

        +1

        and it only has one chain ring at the front (so only 7 gears in total). My guiding principle with choosing bikes is striving for simplicity.

        There's a trend with mountain bikes to only have one gear up front as you reduce weight and complexity and you don't really need massive top speeds or really high climbing gears. I think this approach is well suited for recreational riders.

        While I agree in principle that simpler is better I’m not sure a 1x7 (1 front, 7 rear gears) drivetrain is a great idea unless you only ride quite flat terrain.

        Mountain bikes with 1x will have 11 or 12 rear gears and a very wide range. More gears means less gaps between gears so you can maintain a good cadence. My MTB has a cassette with cogs from 10-42 teeth, some are as much as 11-50. Plenty of range.

        7speed will be limited in range, likely 14-32 teeth. When riding on paths it makes it harder to maintain an efficient cadence (pedal speed) because you often find you can’t get the right gear for your speed. I ran 1x9 on road for a while and was often ‘between gears’ meaning pedalling was off my natural cadence a lot more.

        Also if there are any decent hills where you ride a 1x7 setup will likely not have any easy gears for the hills. I rode a fat bike that had 1x7 gears. Not low enough for hills, not high enough for flat roads.

        • 

          huggsymersh on 14/12/2022 - 23:51

          @Euphemistic: Yes good points.

          My outlook may be skewed by my fondness of single speeds and fixed. I guess I've assumed rider who are recreational are generally leisurely in their pace, and tend to avoid hilly terrain (taking the longer flatter routes, rather than hills) but perhaps that's not an assumption I should make.

          That norco I linked to seemed to be tapping a fun-nish utility / overgrown bmx with gears type approach to bike.

          • 

            justanick on 15/12/2022 - 01:34

            @huggsymersh: Thanks mate. But that bike is out of stock. Whenever I pick in 99 bikes it’s out of stock.

            • 

              huggsymersh on 15/12/2022 - 15:25

              @justanick: Yes I noted that it was out of stock in my post. But I thought it was worth sharing as it looked like a decent model to compare others against.

• 

  justanick on 14/12/2022 - 12:45

  +1

  Wow thank you so much for the lovely responses. I’m a bit overweight now and got a tennis elbow my e-bike doesn’t have suspension so hurts my arms while riding.

  1) so I’m looking for flat bar hybrid bike, right? Sorry for my previous post i meant I don’t like drop bars. I have to lean forward but not too much.
  2) Do I get bikes with fat tyres or thin?
  3) if I try getting suspension bike what would be an ideal recommendation some names would help in 99bikes or Decathlon?
  4) Having suspension does that add a lot of weight?

  • 

    frondono on 14/12/2022 - 12:48

    What type of surfaces do you ride on?

• 

  frondono on 14/12/2022 - 12:47

  have a look at bikes online. some of the best value around. they had some pretty good deals with the black friday sales. probably have some good deals with boxing day and selling whatever 2022 models they have.

  • 

    justanick on 14/12/2022 - 12:52

    I ride on parks for example centennial park sometimes off-road in the grass and mud. I try not go ride on the road as I get scared of cars.

• 

  Seraphin7 on 14/12/2022 - 13:16

  At that price point, I'd get into 99 Bikes and see what's available and how far your money (and budget) will stretch.

  Something along these lines might be useful.

• 

  justanick on 14/12/2022 - 14:12

  From the previous poster I checked this one one but it’s out of stock in all stores.

  https://www.99bikes.com.au/norco-xfr-3-hybrid-bike-green-bla…

  I’m on the shorter end in terms of height. I’m 5 feet 7inch. Which size SM, MD, LG should I opt in for?

  I like full black colour :)

  I have no issues going to the stores but I’m just scared to get something which the stores will push on to me like car sales man and I’ll just look dumb. If I get some feedbacks from you all that would help a lot.

  • 

    brotherfranciz on 14/12/2022 - 17:38

    Small size is most suitable, particularly as you say you want to sit upright rather than lean forward. The larger sizes means you need to reach further.

  • 

    huggsymersh on 14/12/2022 - 18:48

    soz, I posted that bike but didn't realise it was out of stock.

    I'd also join the others who suggesting buying a second hand bike. You can pick up decent ones for less than $500….but the problem is, you really do need to know what you are looking for or have a friend who does help you. It's a false economy to get a bike for $250 which may then need a $350 service. I'd encourage you to learn as much about maintenance to do your own basic servicing (change tyres, clean and lube chain), but it's hard to distinguish the good bikes from the ones that need a bit of work when you're just starting out.

• 

  tsunamisurfer on 14/12/2022 - 14:18

  1) I can ride sit up and not lean forward

  Get a flat bar bike like a Giant Cross City but any brand has one.

  2) Budget around $500

  You will likely be going for a second hand one then.

  3) I can carry the bike on the “ Allen Trunk 2 Bike Deluxe Car Rack”. My wife has a push bike as well.

  Yes as long as you don't get a step through bike which will need an attachment for the bike rack.

  4) It has some gears that will help me ride easier on some slope

  Most will unless you buy a single speed.

  5) Has to have suspensions to help uncomfortable bumps

  Do not bother with suspension, learn to ride and hop with big bumps.

• 

  apple2016 on 14/12/2022 - 14:28

  +1

  Has to have suspensions to help uncomfortable bumps

  You do not need this unless you are doing gravel/mountain bike. It also adds weight and is expensive.

• 

  justanick on 14/12/2022 - 14:29

  I did some homework and like the below. There’s only one or two stock remaking for SM size. MD size is not in stock. It’s a big above my budget but any recommendations if this is good?

  https://www.99bikes.com.au/merida21-crossway-20-silk-anthrac…

  • 

    Euphemistic on 14/12/2022 - 15:24

    That looks like the sort of thing you should be buying for your outlines usage. 40mm width tyres for comfort. Suspension is budget with coil spring and likely fairly heavy. It’ll be OK but not great. Plenty of gears. There should be similar bikes available from other brands.

• 

  Euphemistic on 14/12/2022 - 15:28

  +3

  $500 is a healthy budget for buying second hand. Should be able to get something worth around $1k. Just make sure you get the right size. If you’re not sure about what you might be buying a google search of the brand and model can usually help determine its RRP.

  Many people either upgrade from a hybrid or offload them after deciding they don’t like cycling after all. So you should be able to find a lightly used version. You could also work the budget to allow $100-200 to have it fully serviced buy buying cheaper.

• 

  tarken on 14/12/2022 - 16:43

  Best bet is to buy a second hand recent model bike from the likes of Giant, Merida, Trek etc. Have a look at the website of these manufacturer to see which model/size would suit you.

• 

  brendanm on 14/12/2022 - 18:24

  New with suspension for $500 is going to be a piece of crap. Buy a good used bike instead.

• 

  Drakesy on 14/12/2022 - 19:06

  Would strongly recommend getting a used bike off gumtree.
  Anything retailing for $500 is going to be crap.

  Remember you need to factor in retailer markup (~30%)
  freight costs
  assembly costs.

  After that you're left with a $250 bike, which tbh isn't going to be great quality to start with.

• 

  justanick on 14/12/2022 - 23:34

  Thank you guys. I understand I’ll get a better bike but don’t want to get a second hand bike. A new bike will be a motivation for me just like getting a new book. I sound silly but it’s just me.

  For 99 bikes they used to have Gold membership etc looks like they don’t anymore and for $5 one can join club member for life. Am I right?
  Someone above mentioned about stacking discounted gift cards. Where can I get them?
  I have Macq Bank rewards, NRMA blue and Bupa I get e-cards but didn’t check for 99 bikes.

• 

  bargaino on 15/12/2022 - 09:54

  1) I can ride sit up and not lean forward
  but I want to burn some fat and also enjoy the ride.

  Sorry, but these goals are in conflict. The "sit up and beg" position is for when your legs are doing no more effort than walking. Like a Dutchman riding to the local shop.
  If you do any sort of calorie-burning exercise, that will be less comfortable. You will want to be leaning forward, so you can put weight on your feet. The weight should only be on your hands when you are not pedalling.
  Try exercising in an upright position, and you will find your hands pulling on the handlebars so you don't fall over backwards.

  You need to decide whether you want this bike for exercise or not.
  Many "hybrid" bikes have a special stem that gives more adjustable handlebar height and reach, so you can start out high, but lower it if you want to ride harder.
  HTH.
  https://www.amazon.com.au/TRIWONDER-Adjustable-Mountain-Hand…

  p.s. I notice none of the bikes suggested above are upright, all lean-forward types.

• 

  justanick on 15/12/2022 - 11:13

  Wow thank you so much. I never knew all these which I have learnt from you all. Sit up and lose calories is now not an option for me anymore. The flat bar seems okay as long as it’s not a drop bar.

  I was looking at Decathlon and since it’s so close to me I can just ride the bike home. They have the bikes in stock. Do you think they are good compared to the 99 bikes?

  https://decathlon.com.au/products/rockrider-st-520-sport-tra…

  https://decathlon.com.au/products/riverside-900-hybrid-bike-…

  • 

    Euphemistic on 15/12/2022 - 13:00

    +1

    These are ‘store brand’ bike, think homebrand groceries - pretty good but budget. They’ve got reasonable equipment but will have corners cut somewhere to keep the price down.

    Of the two the second one has 10spd plus hydraulic brake. A good upgrade, but doesn’t have a front derailleur so it won’t have a great range of gears, but it’s reasonable for relatively flat riding. The first one is a mountain bike so not designed to be efficient on the roads.

    • 

      justanick on 15/12/2022 - 17:10

      Thanks a lot mate. The hybrid bike In Decathlon looks good it’s cheap but the weird thing is the black and charcoal one is $899 and the white one is only $270. Does the black/charcoal has something different? Can they price match it to the white one?

      99bikes has a lot of options. Unfortunately most are either too expensive or not in stock. The ones that are recommended here are not in stock.

      • 

        Euphemistic on 15/12/2022 - 17:32

        There doesn’t seem to be any difference other than the colour. The specs don’t seem to change when you change the picture. Maybe the cheaper one is last year’s?

        • 

          justanick on 15/12/2022 - 17:50

          @Euphemistic: Ya probably. Maybe I’ll go to the store to check it out tomorrow. Could you please do me a favour and recommend a hybrid bike from 99bikes which is available near Tempe, NSW? If there’s nothing then do you recommend me to get the one in Decathlon?

• 

  justanick on 16/12/2022 - 01:58

  Hi all I have decided to get this bike from 99bikes. It’s above my budget but has good reviews. Got hydraulic brakes and front/rear derailleur.
  There’s only one in stock for S size. I’m 167cm and according to their size chart S is ok but or M fits me. Should I opt in for the S for more comfort?
  Let me know your thoughts.

  https://www.99bikes.com.au/merida21-crossway-20-silk-anthrac…

  • 

    Euphemistic on 16/12/2022 - 15:39

    Looks like a pretty decent bike, will serve you well.

    As for sizing, the best thing is to actually try it. Generally I’d say for road riding pick the larger if you are between sizes. Mountain bikes pick smaller if between.

    Do you have kids/partner that might also use the bike? Consider getting the size that suits them as well.

• 

  justanick on 16/12/2022 - 16:57

  Thank you everyone and @Euphemistic I went to 99 bikes this arvo and bought the Merida Crossway 20 Hybrid Bike in SM size. I did a test run on few bikes and really enjoyed riding this one. The guy in the store was super nice and friendly. He explained everything to me. Even helped taking out the front wheel to fit into my car and showed me how to set it up again. There’s a clip that goes inside the break which is important and I would never know if I didn’t go to the store.

  Thank you all.

  • 

    Euphemistic on 17/12/2022 - 10:08

    +1

    Excellent. Now get out there and enjoy it!

    As for the clip thing in the brakes, it helps prevent the brake pads from closing up while the disc is not there. I very rarely use one and as long as you don’t push the brake levers while the wheel is out it’s generally not a problem. If you are putting the bike in the car it’s a good idea to use it though.