Well I figured this is a good place to start since I remember some folks were on here and talking about cycling and stuff.

I basically want to get the right measurements and get a bike under $500. I'm not a bike enthusiast yet, but the cycling culture is growing and my fiancé got one so I figured I might as well start. Plus I want the cardio without being a boring jog.

I obviously don't want to get ripped off either and I don't know how much I can get for what.

Here are some things To take into account, but remember this is like for a noob, so it doesn't need to have all the bells and whistles.

-Gears? Doesn't matter to me, could just be 1 or 10 or whatever ya guys recommend as a good starting point.
-Road/off road: well I don't want to limit myself. So one that can do both. But I tend to believe I'll be on smooth roads more than 95% of the time unless I find some awesome trails. Possibly going up and down hills
-Don't know if I need front shocks or not
-Can't think of any other things... Recommend any water holder things like those race guys? How about locks? Stores? Helmet? Sunglasses? Brands?
-Brakes?

 

What are your goals with bike riding. Thats going to narrow it down quite a bit.....

Mountain bike road bike bmx bike lol. Twin two seater bike?

You will want a decent mountain bike if yoy want to tackle everything.

Ill give some advice if a mountain bike is what you are after. Lmk

 

Goal: lose weight and ride something comfortable

I can see myself riding a while on roads around town just to lose weight. Single person. Not doing any tricks on it. Ride through Lake Elizabeth.

Not sure, but I like to think I could do some town riding for speed to burn weight like those cool Tour de France/Cali peoples.

 

If you're never going to ride trails then don't bother with a mountain bike. If you want something comfortable don't bother with a road bike.

One of those 2 things can be purchased down the road if you find out you're in to this.


My advice is to get something like this...
FX - Trek Bicycle

 

Agreed. Look for bikes categorized as "flat-bar hybrid" or something like that. The riding position allows for some comfortable cruising around town.

 

Not a cyclist... But I'll tell you Oakley m frames are very comfortable and great performing sunglasses. Plus they look great.

Just my experience through baseball,
Radars are good too

 

Flat bar hybrid is a good compromise for a general purpose/city bike. I haven't bought a bike in a while and was surprised what $500 could get me. I have a cyclo-cross LeMond and a downhill 26" Fuji and didn't care to beat either of them for city riding.

If you shop around you can find models with front shocks (with/without lock out) and front disk brakes. If you can, I would strongly recommend latter if you plan on doing a lot of city/metro area cruising because you can stop faster and safer in variety of conditions. Former can make life easier for light trail riding.

I strongly recommend going to a professional bike shop to get fitted for a bike. Do not go to Walmart or online and wing it. Proper riding position and geometry will make or break your foray into cycling. Improperly sized or set up bike will kill your lower back.

Another thing to consider, with your budget you will likely need to decide whether to get a good frame or good components. Both cannot be had for $500. If you do really get into cycling, you call always update all the individual components, but there is nothing you can do if the build/frame of the bike is poor.

If I had to list MUST accessories...

(1) Good quality seat. Most quality cycling shops will recommend and let you try different styles of seats to see what's comfortable.

(2) Proper pair of padded cycling shorts. Do not cheap out on this.

You can do without a good seat and shorts for brief sprints (like my 10-15 minute ride to BART and then work), but if are seriously considering using cycling as excercise, you will need these for prolonged/frequent use. You will keep cycling only as long as you are comfortable on the bike! Nothing will discourange you more from riding than numb/sore ********* and groin area.

(3) The most obnoxiously bright/noticably cycling jacket. Because majority of Bay Area drivers are self centered blind stuck up *******s that don't pay attention or considerate to cyclists.