Hi! I’m not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I’m a total beginner (like haven’t ridden a bike since childhood), but I’ve been meaning to get into it. I need a physical hobby, and I’ve always been drawn to biking. I don’t want to ride it on the street, I mostly plan to stick to parks/neighbourhoods, and to treat it like a starter bike for fitness purposes.
I visited a local shop and was recommended this (it’s a roll bike, low-entry). I think it’s a hybrid? I know nothing about bikes, and I’m not sure if I’d be better off buying one secondhand. This one’s in the $700-900 range, so it’s definitely a little steep, but the shop does have a 30-day refund guarantee.
Any advice would be appreciated!
by raisingtoads
1 Comment
In some ways this could be considered a hybrid, but it’s probably more of a “cruiser” style bike. These can be good for people who have a hard time learning to ride in the first place, as it’s easier to reach the ground with the saddle at the right height. And the more upright seating position can be good if you have any back or flexibility issues. The trade off is that these bikes aren’t exactly great for doing “workouts”, they’re not really for putting a lot of physical effort into and aren’t best suited for longer rides.
To a degree I think it depends what level of fitness you’re starting from. These can be alright to get back into it, to start pushing the boundaries and to get around your local area. But I’d also say that if you don’t have much fitness currently, ebikes with pedal assist can be great for letting you do a lot more a lot sooner on your cycling journey. You may be looking second hand for that sort of money, but it can be a good option.
Otherwise, if you have none of the issues I’ve mentioned and do want to train for better fitness, going on longer rides or even events in the future, you might be better off with a more “normal” hybrid. Something like a Trek FX, Specialized Sirrus, Giant Escape.