OK, bike-a-holics, here's your chance

to share your knowledge.

Thanks to a suggestion by my good friend and fellow coffee freak Ducky, I have been reading this:

http://www.amazon.com/Heft-Wheels-Field-Guide-Doing/dp/1400052416/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221242102&sr=8-2

Now, there's no way I do what this guy did. He had a background of cycling. I don't.
But my knees can't take another running program, I fear. My neighborhood has grown and expanded and stretched and reached to the point where I can ride and ride and ride on wide, safe streets - some flat, some hilly, some very hilly - and never go near a major roadway.

I don't want a mega-bike, something that costs more than my car. What's a good, solid, safe, easy bike for someone who wants some exercise?

 

I have a Trek. Love it. Cost me around $300 and isn't one of those insane speed street racing bikes, but isn't just a regular ole Huffy either.

 

That sounds like exactly my speed. I can do that price.

 

Thanks.
There will be no serious racing.

 

Moddy, Like everything, you sort of get what you pay for, but if it is just going to be for around the neighborhood you should be able to get by in the $300 to $500 range. It won't be a superbike and the components will be scaled down, but the technology has gotten so good that you really will only be riding the equivalent of what was top of the line 10 or 15 years ago and those bikes were light years ahead of the bikes we grew up on. They mostly have figured out ways to make components lighter and less complicated. You will be getting heavier and more bulky in that price range, which makes you work harder because you have to pull along a heavier bike with you.

You have to decide what kind of bike you want. A road bike, hybrid or mountain bike. If it is going to be a combo of riding the streets and on paths, I'd recommend the hybrid. I can't make a great recommendation, though, because I have never owned one. I have only ever owned road bikes. A road bike is going to be hard on you -- they are build for speed more than comfort, depending on the bike you get. A good road bike can be uncomfortable until you get used to riding. Look for a hybrid that is road biased. It will have a modified road frame, but rims that are wider and more durable than the wheels on a road bike. It can handle a trail or rough surfaces better because of the thicker wheels.

In that price range, don't get too caught up in components. You'll get what you get for that price. Test out aluminum and steel bikes to get a feel for how the frames differ (you won't be able to afford titanium or carbon). The aluminum bike is lighter and has a bouncier ride. I personally can't stand aluminum bikes, but some people love them. The steel frame will be heavier (although if you pay, you can get an incredibly light steel frame) and will hug the road better. I personally love steel-framed bikes, and I took an old steel road bike I used to live on and converted it into a fixed gear this year that I am not afraid to ride through Manhattan's pothole-filled roads--even though it is this tiny, light, road frame.

As for make, you really have to find a few good bikes shops (they'll all deal in different brands) and try out a lot of different bikes to see who makes a frame that fits your build and the way you ride. The geometry is a function of the head and seat tube angles and how big a wheel base there is. I have personally done well with LeMond bikes, because they have really relaxed angles that fit my body and keep my weight evenly between the saddle and my hands. They probably won't work for you and most of those bikes aren't cheap, although you can go new with an older model if you can find it and save a lot off of sticker price.

If you upgrade anything, look at the fork if the one on your bike is subpar (although this might be too pricey an upgrade, depending on what you get) and the saddle (usual cheaper upgrade that can make a big difference). I'm a huge fan of some of the Terry Saddles, such as the Terry Fly, which has a cutout in the middle to relieve pressure. You can find similar saddles online at performancebike.com, nashbar.com. among others.

Good luck.