<p>I saw it at the store. It was the right size for me - I’m 5’7".</p>
<p>Don’t buy a bike at Costco. Just don’t. Also, don’t buy a bike without test riding it.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine what the suspension fork on that bike is for, other than to add weight, complexity and something else to break. A bike like that has no need for front suspension. </p>
<p>Here is the manufacturer’s page for that bike:
<a href=“http://www.diamondback.com/bikes-pavement-womens-hybrid-vital-2”>http://www.diamondback.com/bikes-pavement-womens-hybrid-vital-2</a></p>
<p>Note that the 15" size is listed as size small. It would most likely be too short for most women who are 5’7".</p>
<p>I bought a helmet at Costco, so I dont get cooties when I go to test drive the bikes.
Rei is also having a sale this weekend.</p>
<p>I need a bike that fits me, cause I dont want to stress my knee anymore, but Im not going to be riding long distances. Probably not more than a few miles at a time, for a while anyway…
So many things to consider besides frame & tire size.
I also want a step through- although that isnt as important as being able to put it on my trailer hitch bike rack.
My legs are long for my height, but my arms are short.
I remember dropped handlebars being really uncomfortable.
I dont think I will be riding enough at first to need a custom bike, but I sure dont want to exacerbate any issues.</p>
<p>This is bordering on way too much info, but interesting.
<a href=“650c vs 700c | Rodriguez Bike News”>http://www.rodbikes.com/blog/650c-vs-700c/</a></p>
<p>EK. Go to a bike shop. They will help you choose a bike that has all the right dimensions. They can adjust the seat and handlebars for your size and comfort. Most bike shops have a range of costs. But the service is well worth the cost of buying there. Plus, many of these are locally owned businesses which I like to support.</p>
<p>I have gone to bike shops before and we do have good ones, but I notice that there are So Many, kinds of bikes that they carry brands that others dont, so it is hard to compare.</p>
<p>I dont want it to be harder than buying a car.</p>
<p>Go to Gregg’s. They have the best selection in Seattle. Try all the bikes in your budget that meet your description. One of them will feel good. Maybe even more than one.</p>
<p>I even know one of the longtime staff at Greggs cause he is married to one of Ds teachers from grade school.
But last time I almost ended up buying a bike that was double the price of my first car!
( that was my fault, not that they were trying to push me into something)
But they are all so pretty!</p>
<p>I agree with dmd and CF - go to a bike shop and work with the pros to select the best bike for you. I would not buy that $200 Costco bike for myself. For a kid who is going to use it over one summer and then leave behind… could be a good option.</p>
<p>I’m amused by the bike that is “double your first car”–since my first car cost $500 (ten years old and heavily used) and my second car cost $200 (even more used)–that means my current bike cost about double the price of my first two cars combined. The bike is way more reliable, though.</p>
<p>Actually CF, the step thru technology is quite different today. The Electra is also pedal forward , flat foot riding which is quite comfortable compared to other bikes that are similar. You still get full extension , but sit lower and it’s a ride that others have since copied. Great for people with hip , knee or back problems or just someone that feels more confident being able to " touch " the ground without jumping off the bike. Biria is great for someone who cannot lift their leg over the bar of a regular bike…the frame dips down so low, it requires very little stepping.</p>
<p>Bike shops will give you the support that you need….not a box store , not craigslist , not a yard sale, not ebay ( unless it’s an actual bike shop selling ) And never, and I mean NEVER buy a bike from the " marts " or Target …it’s worse than buying a used bike from an unknown source</p>
<p>It’s not so helpful to me when someone says " don’t do something", without stating why.
I can buy a bike at a garage sale and get it tuned up at a bike shop, just as I can buy a used car and take it to the dealer when there is a recall.
Even if it’s a craigslist bike that originally came from a big box store.</p>
<p>EK4: some bikes are built so badly and so cheaply that they can’t be repaired. Others have non-standard parts. A cheap bike from WalMart might not be fixable when (not if) it breaks. Half of all bikes bought in the US are used so rarely and so little that the tires are never replaced. Think of buying a cheap bike as like buying a new Yugo the year after they stopped being imported. </p>
<p>As for Craigslist bikes: there are a bunch of problems with Craigslist, not the least of which is that the bike is like to be a stolen bike. If you are an experienced cyclist and know what common problems to look for, you might get a good deal. My daughter bought a $75 CL bike some years back; turned out that the bottom bracket was so badly rusted internally that it was dangerous to ride. She should have noticed that the tires were cracked–also dangerous.</p>
<p>My husband is an avid bicyclist with his own repair shop in our basement. He has ridden thousands of miles and many on century rides. He has built his own bikes from the frame up. He has every bike repair tool one could think of…and the knowledge to know what can and can’t be fixed.</p>
<p>When it was time for me to get a new bike, he sent me to the nearest good bike shops…a couple of them…to try bikes. No craigslist, no target, no tag sales. (Although I will say, he got an awesome Trek out of a trading times kind of paper for himself a long while ago for $100…but he knew what he was looking for).</p>
<p>So…even though I have the knowledge bank and resources in this house for buying used NOT from a bike shop…I would still recommend going to one.</p>
<p>Hey, you never know…you could luck out like I did! I went in to buy that Electra Townie for $550, and instead got a one year old specialized cruiser style for $200 (and they threw in a basket and a bell).</p>
<p>Echoing what dmd says, the bikes sold at big box stores are not the same as the bikes sold at bike shops. Big-box bikes are bad, badly designed frames with bad, hard-to-adjust parts prone to breakage. Oh, and they are badly assembled. </p>
<p>Think of buying a big-box bike as like buying one of those comically terrible domestic Soviet cars. </p>
<p>If possible, take a cyclist friend with you when shopping for a bike. </p>
<p>And if you are buying a bike to ride on bike paths and quiet roads around town, you do not need a front suspension, a rear suspension or a suspension seatpost. All the suspension you need is provided by your tires. That’s why they invented pneumatic tires.</p>
<p>Not to hijack thread but I would like to get a bike that could be rode on the road but also on an open space area near my house that is mainly flat but the soil is a mix of clay in parts and sand in others. It also can be wet. </p>
<p>Regarding Craigslist- my D had her beloved mountain bike stolen from her back porch. She found her bike listed for sale on Craigslist. She contacted the police but they didn’t do anything beyond giving her a police report for her renters insurance. The bike was old but she loved it. It was her dream bike that she got when she was 11 yrs old and held sentimental value. One perk of being short that at 19 her bike still fit her. She got the insurance money but what she really wanted was her bike back. By doing a Craigslist search she found 4 other bikes for sale with the same phone number. </p>
<p>Did she reply to the ad? </p>
<p>mom60, I suggest that you get a bike with wide tires. If the area is mostly flat, and the surface is clay and sand, you certainly have no need for any suspension. </p>
<p>If the sand is deep and loose (like sand dunes) then you could buy one of these fatbike fun machines:
<a href=“http://surlybikes.com/bikes/pugsley”>http://surlybikes.com/bikes/pugsley</a>
You can ride those babies on snow, too. And on the beach. Pretty much anywhere, really.</p>
<p>But most likely a fatbike is way overkill for your purposes, and a bike with 2" wide tires will suit you perfectly. Even a bike with 1.75" or 1.9" tires would probably be fine. Don’t pump up the tires hard.</p>
<p>CF, the roads around town are not in the bestest shape.
From a recent study.
This recent report is published by a non-profit national transportation research group called TRIP. According to the report, 44 percent of the roads in Washington state are in poor or mediocre condition and 75 percent of the roads in Seattle are in poor or mediocre condition.
That’s why I have a Jeep, so I don’t have holes in my undercarriage. But I wont likely ride this bike on hilly trails, although I do plan and bring it when we go camping and ride it at the beach and in the mts.
Im pretty excited!</p>