I’ve always had Mountain Bikes growing up and looking to switch more towards a road bike. My current bike is a specialized cross trail sport and I’ve just been having too many issues with it.
I’m looking for a bike to ride on city bike trails moving forward with roughly 20-30 mile trips. I’m not exactly sure what I need to be looking for when trying to purchase a bike here.
I am 6’1 so I believe I need to be looking for a larger bike. Do any of the options provided look like a good deal?
Thank you in advance for any assistance.
by DetroitVideos
2 Comments
you should get your size down first. based on your height alone, suggests a 58cm or xl, but that be bumped up to a 60cm XXL or possibly a 56cm L depending on if you have extremely long legs or torso respectively.
that will change for hybrids bike.
based on the bike, some are large, some are xl, some look medium or smaller.
Hey! That’s awesome that you’re looking for a road bike. Road bikes are usually sized by centimeters. I’m 5’11’’ and ride a 58cm. When sizing a bike, reach is very important and people don’t think about it as much. When you have your hands on the hoods, you want your elbows to be slightly bent. Also consider the height of the handlebars: you want to be able to ride with your hands on the hoods and in the drops at what feels like a natural angle. Lowering the handlebars, or “slamming the stem” does make a bike more aerodynamic however it is not worth making the bike uncomfortable. The bikes that you posted are a variety of sizes. I would not purchase a bicycle without trying it first.
The most important things to look for are fit/comfort, smooth shifting, and effective breaking. Also look at the chain ring, which is the big gear attached to the pedal and see if the teeth are symmetric or shark fin shaped. if they are symmetric, there is still a lot of life left in the drive train.
When looking at bikes under two $300, I would not worry too much about the weight. All of these bikes are budget bikes, and the other factors listed above will matter significantly more for ride quality. also consider that you are a larger fellow and the weight of your bicycle is less important than for a very petite rider as overall it will be lighter relative to you (larger bike frames aren’t much heavier usually as much of the weight is in wheels, drive train, other components which do not change with size). With that said, newer welded steel bikes are often extremely cheaply constructed and ridiculously heavy.
Because all of these bikes are budget bikes, it is difficult to say from these pictures which is the best bike for you. Consider that aluminum bicycles will be lighter and stiffer and steel in general, but will be a little less comfortable. at this price point. I would never consider a carbon fiber bicycle. Any carbon fiber bicycle at this price is either extremely old, damaged, extremely worn out, stolen, or most likely all four.
My best guess is that out of these bikes, the trek 1400 would fit you the best and will be the highest quality bicycle.