Bicycle Preferences

[troutchasers]

The DW and I are considering buying two bikes for the back of the rig. Neither one of us have spent any time riding. Anyone care to share what they like and where they got them from? We are looking for bikes that are built for comfort (seat) and utility rather than excercise and speed. Somehow walking into Wallyworld doesn't seem the route to go. Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

Robert & Kerri

[swanny]

Wife and I bought cruiser bikes, you know one speed big seat and fat tires. Got them cheap at WM. These are good for flat ground. Just today we got our foldup bike from CW, 6 speeds and really solid. Now, I will tell you what happened. to make a long story short we crashed. Why, my wife was tired from going up a hill with no gears. So I grabbed her hand and peddled for both of us. Good so far right. well our handle bars got tangled up and it got ugly pretty quick. We both fell, and I can remember thinking on the way down, I hope this doesn't hurt to bad. Anyway it did hurt. the reason I tell you this is we didn't have helmets, get helmets! Oh and gears.

kevin

[CORattler]

YES! We highly recommend comfort bikes made by Specialized. We take them with us all the time. Best, most comfortable bicycles we've ever owned.
No, you can't get them at Wally World.
I recommend the expedition series. Look for them in your local bicycle shop. There is a dealer locator at the top of the webpage where you enter your zipcode.
Go to http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/....jsp?scid=1102
Enjoy!!

[seahunter]

For a comfortable ride you might look for "cruiser" bicycles. These are the kind that usually have generous seats, raised handlebars, etc. built for just cruising around town.

example:

http://worksmancycles.com/shopsite_s.../cruisers.html

[mhs4771]

We have a pair of Trek Navigator 1.0 bikes. Seven speed, nothing real fancy. Go to a good bike shop and explain just exactly what you want to do with the bikes and see what they have to offer. That's how we got ours.

[kylec2]

We purchased a matching pair of Schwinn City Series bikes from Wal-Mart. We wanted something of reasonable quality that would not break the bank or attract thieves looking for a good deal. These come with wide seats, upright handle bars, and 15 speeds...~$135 each.

[tim43]

Have a pair of Schwinn crossover type 21 speed bikes. Nice, but sure wish they were made in a country with the initials "USA"! As a kid growing up had a one speed bike that never was under any type cover and the chrome never flaked or rusted. Can't say that about today's chrome handlebars. Whatever type you get, make sure the height is right for you in terms of getting on and off and stabilization when stopped.

[bncinwv]

We have his and hers Cadillac 24 speed comfort bikes. All alloy, disc stainless brakes, gel seats, and I would guess they weigh about 30 pounds apiece which is a light load on the rear of the rig. They are a little on the pricey side (we got ours on sale for $199 each, (one at Sears and one at Amazon). They are by far the best bikes we have ever had, but that could be because we graduated from Wal-Mart bikes . Their web-site is:
http://cadillacbikestore.com/ if you want to take a look at the options.
Bingo

[travelbug260]

Have you ever heard of the Day Six bikes. Made for comfort but very expensive. www.day6bicycles.com/

[cdaniels]

We have to second the navigators and they are in the cruiser catagory as previous moc member mentioned. We have a 2.0 mens and 3.0 womens. The reason we went with the 3.0 was color as the 2.0 served us well. Wife wanted purple and only came in the 3.0. They are by far the best bikes we have ever had. They have wider tires and makes them more stable. Are they expensive yes, but to us worth every dollar paid. We have had them for years and not a minutes trouble. Comfortable and stable. Yes with gears... Would buy them again in a heart beat. Obtained at a bike store not WM. Good luck. When your peddling your little hearts content away you will be glad you bought something top of the line. It makes the difference on effort and more enjoyable. Good luck on your search.

[kdeiss]

I have a Electra Townie 7 speed check them out.
www.electrabike.com

[bear]

We have peddle assist electric bikes, love them peddle when you want cruise up to 20 mph, distance 20 miles on one battery 40 miles on two
If you want to use as a regular bike.

[CORattler]

Some interesting recommendations. Bicycles have come a long ways. A good thread!

[Chasnracin]

I would suggest spending a little more and getting a good quality bike such as the Trek, Specialized, or Giant. Test ride, test ride, test ride. You might pay a little more up front, but getting something of quality will help you enjoy the ride. Yes, a bike from Wal Mart will get you there, but after a few rides, you will be tired of pushing that heavy, hard shifting cheap thing and it will end up in the garage, or the back corner of the yard. With six quality bikes in the stable (road, mountain and tandem) I can speak from experience. Do it right the first time and enjoy it. Did I mention to test ride them first?

[washley1]

We went with the CW folding bikes. Got a pair of them for $300 over 3 years ago. Just had them in the shop for the first time this week, and all they needed was a little adjustment to the gear cables. We replaced the stock seats right away and went with fuller, more cushy ones. Also sprang for storage bags for each. Takes up some room in the basement, but worth it.

[DarMar]

We have two of the Giant bikes, Sedona models which were recommended by a real bike store. These models fall under their "comfort" series of bicycles which they really are. Light weight, wide tires and multi-way adjustable handle bars allow one to run in the more upright position. We will never go back to the box store bike, our old used up bodies simply won't allow it!!!

[buckeye]

We have the Trek Pure Sport bikes. The pedals are approx. 6" further to the front than regular bikes. They're 21 speed and we just love them and are so much more comfortable than regular bikes with the position of the pedals, comparable to the Towne bikes. Pricey, but to us, we ride 15 - 20 miles some days, well worth the price.

[BB_TX]

We bought ours from WM. Actually they (and Target) have quite a varied selection. They all have circular banners in the front wheel denoting the type. "Comfort" bikes have large seats mounted on a shock absorber type mount with handle bars that let you sit more or less upright. "Hybrid" bikes have somewhat larger seats (without the shock absorber) and also upright handle bars. Both have multiple speeds. "Cruiser" bikes have large seats with swept back handle bars for really upright riding, but often with only one speed. They typically have fenders (good for wet roads) and sometimes carrying racks or baskets. And then there are the road bikes made for long road trips and racing with low handle bars and skinny seats that hurt me just to look at them.
I would suggest multiple speeds if you plan on any hills at all. It does not take much hill to become difficult without lower gears. And likely most RV parks are going to have some hills.
How much to spend depends on what your intent is. If you plan only on occasional rides thru and around the RV parks, it doesn't make much sense to spend several hundred dollars or more on a top line bike. But if you intend to spend a lot of time in the saddle, then it may.

[MIMF]

Gail and I have the 6 speed folding bikes from Camping World, also. They store very nicely in the front bulkhead compartment, reight between the LP tanks on off door side and the hydraulic pump and batteries on the door side. Also, have room in that compartment for other neccessities such as, fishing rods and tackle.

[mobilcastle]

My wife and I are happy with this bike. I bought two of them on eBay. Six speeds-they fold up. Good luck