Hi,
I'm looking for a bicycle to ride to and from the gym. I'm 177cm tall so I have no idea about frame sizes etc. Should I be looking at a mountain bike or hybrid bike? I'm on a tight budget so hopefully can get it around $200 mark.
Any help appreciated.
Pete
You're going to want a road bike or hybrid bike. Here is a listing of the different types of bikes and the terrain they are suited for. Obviously, if you live in metro areas you'd pick either a hybrid or roadie.
To see what kind of frame size you require, you can use this online tool to see which frame suits you best:
http://www.ebicycles.com/bicycle-tools/frame-sizer/road-bike
Some tips about buying bikies (note: I'm not an expert)
The cheaper bikes use steel instead of alloys which results in heavier frames — unless you have legs of steel, pedalling uphill with a heavy bike can be a great challenge. Spending more money will get you a lighter bike.
When you go into a shop, ask around for bikes that are lighter (or lift the bikes yourself to compare the weight).
Bike accessories can be bought very cheaply via eBAY (shipped from China, it will take 2 weeks to arrive).
Anaconda sells bike accessories too, but I find they are usually of fairly standard quality anyway and they sell at RRP.
Bottle Holder: $1.78, Sunding bike computer $10, Cree bike torch, LED lights and battery with charger kit $24, Bike helmet from ALDI $19.99. Bike computers are really optional, as a casual rider I don't pay much attention to speed anyway.
A good amount to spend on a bike is $200+ onwards, any less and you're probably compromising on quality and weight.
Here is more information on choosing bikes (courtesy of the transport authority of WA)
http://www.transport.wa.gov.au/activetransport/25170.asp
Every manufacturer is slightly different so your best bet is to get onto a bike and see how it feels. Your height's only half of it - also need to know your leg inseam (crotch to floor). That'll give you an indication of the frame size. At 177cm I'd say you'd be going for a Medium or Medium/Large but not all bikes come in S/M/L (e.g. my racer is 59.5cm). Frame sizing can be confusing and inconsistent, so you really need to go and try some bikes and see how they feel.
As Scrimshaw says, if you want any pleasure in your riding, avoid a steel frame. They look OK but they're heavy as sin. Cheap bikes also tend to fall apart quicker - the components will be of lower quality, but the extra weight of the thing is going to stress the other parts (e.g. crank, chain, groupset) even more.
Why not something like this?
http://www.reidcycles.com.au/bicycles/road-bikes/2012-reid-c…
Go to a bike shop to try lots of brands/sizes/types. Once u know what u want (chances are that it will be out of ur budget) so u may consider buying 2nd hand.
http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/92551#comment-1255477
i'm no expert but with an intention to keep fit, bought a southern star from kmart for Xmas $79, mountain bike 18 speed, front forks have suspension, i'm the same height, so far so good, first couple of rides brakes where noisy but i adjusted them and once bedded in all good, while you are there helmets $10, bike computer $10, dont get the bottle holder though, seen thicker metal in a ring pull, anaconda currently have a sale which incldes bikes and and accesories too, ok i am going to get bagged for buying and recomending a cheap chinese bike, but for $79, you think i care ?