Finnjävel's Guide To Buying A Bike

[Finnjävel]

1. If you already have ridden a lot, skip this guide and get what you know you want/need. If not, proceed to point 2.
   
2. Think about where you'd like to ride. On the roads? Get a road bike. Trails and other offroad stuff? Get a MTB. On the roads, but in crappy conditions? Maybe a cyclocross. Don't get too hung up on this phase, though. Any bike is nice to ride, and most are a lot more versatile than most people think. Proceed to point 3.
   
3. Find one that fits. This is where your bike-buying can really eat dirt. You need to find a good bike shop with staff that know their business. Proceed to point 4.
   
4. Can you afford it? If not, find a cheaper one (and make sure that it fits). If yes, proceed to point 5.
   
5. Do you like what it looks like? If not, find another one. Can't be riding ugly bikes. If yes, buy it.
6. Ride a lot.
7. When buying the next bike, you know better (see point 1) and can make a more accurate decision. And maybe still keep the first one.

Steel? Alu? Carbon? Italian? British? Sora? Campy? Shimano? Don't worry. It's all good. The important thing is to get on a bike and ride, after a while you know what you want to ride and don't need to ask strangers on the internet. If you buy a bike from a good shop, it's going to be a pretty good bike and you can ride it.

 

[Big Nick]

No help to me whatsoever as I'm not buying any more bikes............................this month

 

[Finnjävel]

The really hard part about getting the N+1 when N is starting to get out of hand is how to rationalize the purchase. That's when the frame materials and whatnot come in handy, as in "but honey, I don't have a carbon bike" or in final stages of the disease, "I don't have a steel MTB in singlespeed".

 

[Cyclist33]

1. If you already have ridden a lot, skip this guide and get what you know you want/need. If not, proceed to point 2.
   
2. Think about where you'd like to ride. On the roads? Get a road bike. Trails and other offroad stuff? Get a MTB. On the roads, but in crappy conditions? Maybe a cyclocross. Don't get too hung up on this phase, though. Any bike is nice to ride, and most are a lot more versatile than most people think. Proceed to point 3.
   
3. Find one that fits. This is where your bike-buying can really eat dirt. You need to find a good bike shop with staff that know their business. Proceed to point 4.
   
4. Can you afford it? If not, find a cheaper one (and make sure that it fits). If yes, proceed to point 5.
   
5. Do you like what it looks like? If not, find another one. Can't be riding ugly bikes. If yes, buy it.
6. Ride a lot.
7. When buying the next bike, you know better (see point 1) and can make a more accurate decision. And maybe still keep the first one.

Steel? Alu? Carbon? Italian? British? Sora? Campy? Shimano? Don't worry. It's all good. The important thing is to get on a bike and ride, after a while you know what you want to ride and don't need to ask strangers on the internet. If you buy a bike from a good shop, it's going to be a pretty good bike and you can ride it.

Here endeth Cyclechat!