Buying a bicycle after 20 years: Need a comfortable bike for daily use

Have a Rs 75,000 budget and plan to use it for fitness runs and a few odd chores as well.

BHPian pradster recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi All,

Posting at Team-BHP after god knows how many years. When it comes to driving I guess I now prefer being driven around.

I have been focusing on health and fitness recently, to add to it, the local traffic even for small chores makes driving just not fun anymore.

I have thus made up my mind to get back into cycling and buy a proper bike some 20 years after I last owned a bicycle! (whoopsy daisies I AM turning old!)

My budget is 75K (stretchable if it makes sense) and in addition to fitness runs and the odd chores I may also consider a commute to work (20 odd km)

Now the question is what bike?

Key factors for me are:

• Looks
• Low Maintenance
• Comfort
• The ability to accomplish my chosen objectives (short hops, long rides) without killing my back.

Look forward to your advice guys (and Gals!) thanks a bunch.

Here's what BHPian amol4184 had to say on the matter:

I am assuming you are looking at something with a straight bar, as opposed to dropping bars? If that is the case then Marin Fairfax 3 is squarely in your budget or Fuji Absolut 1.7. We have Fuji and it is a great hybrid bike. If I was in the market again for a relaxed geometry bike, it would be Fairfax for its minimalist, clean looks.

Almost all the bikes at that budget level come with disc brakes of different varieties and are higher maintenance compared to a simple rim brake. They don't necessarily need a lot of maintenance but something to keep in mind.

If you absolutely need rim brakes, you will have to drop them down in the hierarchy and look for something even simpler like Trek FX1. If you are okay with discs, Trek also makes FX3 which is almost exactly the same price as Marin FF3. Can't go wrong with any of these brands really. I think ultimately it will come down to the availability of each bike. Bike supply is still short just like cars so finding one in your size, your colour might be a task.

Many of these hybrid bikes also come with front suspension which I personally would avoid on that budget.

However, if it is not a flat bar/hybrid bike but rather a drop bar bike then it opens up even more avenues and a lot of further discussions.

Here's what BHPian Sebring had to say on the matter:

I have tried the bikes on your list, but I suggest he consider Scott Aspect. Using this for 10 years and consider it the best bike ever. Specialized has a few great bikes too. Have a look at their catalogue. A 'surprise recommendation' would be SURLY which two of my friends just picked up (HappyEarth.in). These are straight bars but, ultimately everyone comes back to 'road bikes' (Drop bar). The advantages are; lightweight and easy usage.

Here's what BHPian srgntpepper had to say on the matter:

Unless you are planning on racing, you don't need drop bar handles. Flat bars will do just fine. There's Firefox flip flop which is a great commuter bike.

My dad rides 100-120km a week. On an RC100 Triban. Cheap, and utterly reliable. In fact, since you are starting after ages, get started with maybe a second-hand bike. Then once you know you are really into it and figure out your usage. Then do a major upgrade.

If you think about it, zipping past a Scott on a Triban is an even cooler way to show off.

And before I forget, there's this whole gravel bike thing that is picking up. A hybrid on the roadside of the spectrum.

Check them out before deciding on a high-priced specialist

Here's what BHPian Aditya had to say on the matter:

With a budget of 75K, you should explore some of the better brands out there - Fuji, Giant, Scott and even Trek. You can not only get good hybrids from these brands but also some aluminium road bikes. Don't look too much into the drivetrain bit. Anything with an Altus / Acera or Claris / Sora drivetrain will get you along nicely.

What matters most is the weight of the bike, the wheels, tyres and pedals. Sort these out and you won't have a reason to complain. Take my own case for instance. I bought my Fuji Sportif 2.3 back in 2016. I thought I'll use it as a start to road biking and shift to a more advanced bike in a couple of years. Nothing like that happened. With just some minor upgrades over the years, it's gotten better and better. I've even raced it at the city level.

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