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-   -   Which cycle for a newbie? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/bicycles/253043-cycle-newbie.html)

Hi Team-BHP,

I am about 35 years old and planning to pick a new bicycle. If things work out, I am planning to get rid of my motorcycle, replace it with a scooter that everyone in the family can use and get a bicycle for myself. However, I have no idea about bicycles. The only ones that I know are from my childhood ( Hero/Hercules )

My primary concerns are

a. It should be simple, rugged machine. Preference is for non-geared MTB/ATB, although I am not sure how practical that would be.
b. Needs to have a decent suspension to combat challenging roads.

I took a look at couple of Trek bikes and the cost gave me a mild shock. :Shockked: Visited other sites and I am more confused then before.

Are there any good beginner bikes that meet the criteria?

Hi,

Welcome to the world of cycling. It's a brilliant sport and one can easily get hooked on to it.

You really don't need suspension on city roads. All those cheap suspensions are useless anyway and only added weight to the bike, which make you less efficient. An MTB with an acceptable Rockshox / SR Suntour (XCM and above) suspension will not be cheap.

Anyone coming to cycling after being disconnected from it for a long time is bound to get a shock looking at the prices. Bikes from reputed international brands cost a bomb. But, the difference between these bikes and cheap ones such as Hero / Hercules is evident after just one ride.

If you are really looking to pay the amount required for a Trek / Scott / Fuji , etc. look at the Decathlon range of bikes. The RC100 Flatbar is a great choice. It is fairly light and has a simple frame and drivetrain. It has 32 mm tyres, which is exactly what you need. Read the review by BHPian brt_mhn.

Another bike you can consider is the Firefox Rapide.

If you are open to the idea of purchasing a used bicycle, go through the marketplace section of websites like Cyclop. You'll find some good deals there.

Whatever bike you go for, be sure to get the right size and a bike fit.

I would not recommend non-geared bikes.

Riverside 120 from Decathlon could be a good choice as a beginner geared bike for you.

A friend bought one last year when he was in a similar situation, and has been very happy with his purchase.

Check if you can borrow a cycle or two from friends, and ride them a couple of days each. There are different models, and you may like one model over the other. Trials at decathlon etc arent practical since you wont have the space or freedom to check your comfort on each model. Once you have decided on the type, then look for options in that.

I have seen people, including myself, who picked up a cycle and then havent used it much. Recently, my BiL mentioned about a cycle for his son. I asked him to pick mine for at least a trial use. My nephew used it 1-2 days, that too just a bit, and it's sitting there. It is a BTwin 7x3.

Wasn't sure about the suspension bit. The cost, however, I thought as much.

Thanks, I will check this out.

Unfortunately, this isn't an option right now. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

Thanks for the recommendation. I will check this out as well. :thumbs up

Mod Note - Please use the MultiQuote function.

I am not in expert, but I can whole heartedly vouch for Decathlon's range, especially the Rockriders if you want to try a MTB, I myself own a Rockrider 520 and it has been used quite a lot without a single problem.

Also have recommended decathlon to my friends and haven't heard any problem from thier side as well.

Basic single speed hybrid - Btwin mybike
Slightly better geared hybrid - Riverside 100/120
Good option hybrid for a serous entry level- Riverside 500

You can try all at the nearest Decathlon and decide

The firefox flip-flop is a great simple bike. Do check it out.

If you are planning to use it mainly on roads, you should consider a road bike over MTB, which feels lighter and faster to ride vs MTB.
Long time back I had got a decathlon MTB, but I changed to road tyres, and could feel a lot of improvement over the stock MTB tyres.

For most city roads - A flat bar bike without suspension and ~35mm tyres would suffice. Having some form of gearing adds a bit of complexity but your legs will thank you on those flyovers.

Irrespective of the bike - make sure to pick one that fits your height properly. You might have to make some adjustments to your seat/handlebar/stem to find that perfect fit - and this is one thing I wish I knew when I started cycling again.

At the budget end - my pick will be the RC100 flat bar. Pretty lightweight bike with some robust components that should give you a rather relaxed riding position. Kit it out with a pannier rack if you plan to carry some luggage around and you should be all set for a few years at least.

Welcome to the beautiful world of cycling,
Even though not as experienced as some members here, I have had my fair share of cycles, from starting on Hero to now riding Bianchi and Montra.
I would strongly recommend a geared bike if riding in a city, Also if possible give “track and trail” showroom a look , it has some of the most reputed international brands of bicycles. Even though at a higher price point there is considerable quality difference between local and international brands, also for city riding get a hybrid or city bike, as MTBs are tiring over long distance. Do give the Bianchi range a look, it has the best city bikes, after seeing the prices first time it made my jaw drop but now after using it for 3 years, I can assure you the bike is worth it. Montra also has some great bikes give Montra blue a look.

Wishing you a great time riding….
Cheers
W16Rocks

If I may ask, are you going to primarily use this in the city, off-road trails or long range cycling?

For city use, I would suggest go for a hybrid cycle. I made this mistake of buying an MTB for city use/short weekend rides couple of years back and the ride quality was not great even with dual suspension. Tyres wear out quickly too. After that I changed both tyres to hybrid ones and that hit the sweet spot.

Go to the nearest decathlon and try them for yourself before you make a decision. As an alternative, there are companies like Firefox, Montra, Kross, WaltX and UT which offer VFM cycles. Get a cycle with gears, don't skip on them as you might need it eventually. Ensure that you get the Shimano gear kit as it's more reliable than the offbeat ones offered on the lower end cycles as per my experience.

Hello 21,

Our current situations are closer than you can imagine.

If only Decathlon could have them in stock. The stock situation is unchanged since months. Those are really the ideal bikes to restart. My nephew found a Riverside 100 at a store just by chance late last year (it was not even showing online) and grabbed it. I have ridden it for about 100 odd km in total and that is all the bike I intend to have but alas it is not available anywhere.

Our best chance as beginners is the RC100 Flatbar or the Riverside 500 at Decathlon.

I was toying with the idea of renting a bicycle from rentomojo for a couple of months to check if I even end up riding it. If I do, I can choose to dive head first with something nicer. You could try that as well.

Try https://gro.club. It's a bicycle subscription service in Bangalore only. Bicycles seem to fit your criteria. If you like them maybe buy one later.

According to the Decathlon website, the 100 is a discontinued product. The Riverside 120 is not discontinued, but out of stock in all Pune stores at least.:D