BIKE BUYING TIPS From Bicycling magazine (www.bicycling ...

BIKE BUYING TIPS

From Bicycling magazine () Editor in Chief Loren Mooney, on The Early Show on Wednesday, May 27, 2009 -- pointers on what to look for and what to spend on a bike this summer. She looked at commuter, kids, mountain and road bikes:

Loren recommends going to a bike shop instead of a big box store: The quality is better in a bike shop and the bikes will assembled by professionals. Cheap bikes will fall apart quickly and the repairs will more than offset the savings. Anything under $200 will not be found in bike shops.

She says if you can't afford to get a good quality bike, it's better to start saving your money and fix up the old bike you have in the garage.

Commuter: The one Loren showed sells for $365 and has a suspension saddle, wide tires for stability and adjustable handlebars for a proper fit. They are general purpose compromise.

Kids: The one Loren showed is $160 and is made of sturdy steel and should last long enough to pass it on to other siblings. Cheaper versions can also potentially be unsafe because of shoddy components.

Mountain: This is a specialty bike that will let you get off the streets and on to the trails. The one Loren showed has disc brakes for great stopping power, good suspension to get you over the bumps, a light weight aluminum frame and and a quality gear system. It's a lot of bike for $560. If you pay much less than that your bang for the bang starts trailing off in a big way.

Road: These are expensive hi-tech bikes that are super light-weight and built for speed. They are usually made of composite material, a super soft sable and ergonomically correct handlebars. Loren's demo bike sells for almost $900 but the technology has gotten better and cheaper. The same bike just a few years ago would have sold for twice that amount.

Finding A Bargain: Bikes in bike shops don't have a lot profit margin built into the price. However, you should ask the dealer for a good deal on last year's models, if any are left, or to at least toss in a free accessory or two.

But more importantly: Ask for a discount on a helmet. No matter what bike you get, you should never ride without one.

Look for a used bike but don't buy it sight-unseen. Have it tuned up at a local bike shop.

Price is no object: Loren had a bike that costs $5,500 just for the frame and forks. The complete bike sells for $10,000. Made of aerospace-grade carbon fiber composite designed to be stiff and efficient, yet compliant enough to absorb fatiguing road vibrations.

Best Bargain Shopping Tips

? Bikes are like cars-new models come out each fall. If your bike shop had a slow winter, they may still have some '08 bikes in stock and on sale.

? Margins on bike sales are slim, especially for these value bikes. Instead of asking for a discount on the bike, ask if the shop will toss in any extras with your bike purchase-a helmet (which you'll need, obviously) or a tire pump.

? Ask the shop's service policy. It's common for a shop to offer a year of free adjustments on a bike you buy there.

Bike Buying Dos and Don'ts

* DO shop at your local bike shop instead of a bit box store like WalMart or Kmart. Bike shops tend not to offer many bikes for less than $200, but there's a reason for that: Below that price bikes tend to be made of shoddy materials, with low-quality fittings (so that when you do try to adjust for fix them, bolts strip and parts break). Another key safety point: Bikes from shops tend to be better assembled-they're built by a professional bike mechanic. In a big box store, the guy who built your bike may be off stacking soup cans or socks.

If the price of bikes at the bike shop is too high for you, you're better off dragging your old Schwinn from the garage and having it fixed up at the bike shop. Ride it and save your money until you can invest in a good bike.

* If it's your fist bike in a while, DON'T shop online. You can find bargains, but it's very hard to find a bike that fits you site unseen-it's like shopping online for a pair of fitted pants. In person, you'll get a bike much better tailored to you.

Why To Buy A Bike Now

? May is National Bike Month, but June offers better weather...

? Biking can make you rich and thin (well, sort of): If you bike just 4 miles per day to replace car trips (40% of the car trips Americans take are 2 miles or less, according to federal stats), in one year you'll save $814 in gas, maintenance and depreciation. And you'll burn 19 pounds worth of calories!

City/bike path/get started

Jamis Commuter 1 $365



Has a suspension seatpost to make the ride easy on your rear, and an adjustable handlebar for the right fit. Stable, wider tires for beginners and casual riders.

Official bike of Bicycling's 2009 BikeTown program.

Kids

Specialized Hot Rock (in pink!), $160



You see sturdy steel throughout here-from the frame to the spokes in the wheels-a sign that the bike will be safe and last long enough to be passed down to siblings or other neighborhood kids.

Mountain

Cannondale F7, $560



Spend more and you'll get a bike that is much lighter weight, and has better shock absorption for big hits on the trails. But if you're just looking to get off the road and onto the trails, the 3900 Disc has-you guessed it-disc brakes for improved stopping power, especially in wet conditions. The aluminum frame is outfitted with a quality Shimano drivetrain and a suspension front fork that has about 3 inches of travel to take on small bumps.

4. Road

Specialized Allez $880



Road bikes aren't cheap, but they are high-performance, lightweight machines built for speed. There's a lot of technology trickle-down from what's on top race bikes. Here, there is a carbonfiber fork, which is better at absorbing road vibrations-no numb hands. The handlebar also has ergonomic shaping and soft gel bar tape. And there is as much comfort technology in the saddle too.

5. For Fun

For those who won the lottery

Pinarello Prince, $5,500 for the frame and fork alone (complete bike for $10k and up)

Made of aerospace-grade carbon fiber composit designed to be stiff and efficient, yet compliant enough to absorb fatiguing road vibrations.



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