A bicycle or a lawn tractor?

[bcp]

Many would be better off to lose rider pounds instead of bike pounds.



Bruce

 

[dodge man]

I agree, I’m not going to worry about a couple of pounds on my bike when I could lose a lot more of that around my middle.

 

[bigtiller]

Buy a second-hand bike at a garage sale. Don't spend real money on a pair of bikes until you both find out if you enjoy bicycling as much as you did years ago.

Muscles and joints age faster than brains.

 

[ning]

Buy a second-hand bike at a garage sale. Don't spend real money on a pair of bikes until you both find out if you enjoy bicycling as much as you did years ago.

Muscles and joints age faster than brains.

Another thing to consider on the anti- side is, where are you going to ride?

We have fairly narrow roads around here and some people drive really fast, which can make it scary to ride on roads. Riding off-road, if you've got a convenient spot to go to, doesn't have these issues (depending on if there's motorcycles & ATVs on the same trails I suppose), and if you've got bike lanes, that can give more separation from traffic.
I usually ride on roads just because I'll go for a quick loop from my house, and it's more of a production for me to go to local trails of any length that are ok to have bikes on them.

If you're going to be riding on the road at all, get a high-vis jersey, vest, or jacket. Also consider getting a handlebar-end or helmet-mounted mirror so that you quickly and often glance back and better anticipate traffic.

Something that irks me when riding a bike: people who slow WAY down and follow you before passing, and end up passing at a slow speed. You're better off making a quick higher speed pass (with good distance from the rider of course) so that you're not outside of the right lane very long; the slow people are typically hugging the left shoulder for a long time and just increasing the likelihood that someone coming fast in the opposite direction will have a problem... and possibly swerve into your lane to avoid the slowpoke driving on the wrong side of the road. I often try to wave people by as they come up behind me to get them to just GO but they probably don't want to be rude.. which makes them more of a danger than someone that just zips by.

 

[fruitcakesa]

Another thing to consider on the anti- side is, where are you going to ride?

We have fairly narrow roads around here and some people drive really fast, which can make it scary to ride on roads. Riding off-road, if you've got a convenient spot to go to, doesn't have these issues (depending on if there's motorcycles & ATVs on the same trails I suppose), and if you've got bike lanes, that can give more separation from traffic.
I usually ride on roads just because I'll go for a quick loop from my house, and it's more of a production for me to go to local trails of any length that are ok to have bikes on them.

If you're going to be riding on the road at all, get a high-vis jersey, vest, or jacket. Also consider getting a handlebar-end or helmet-mounted mirror so that you quickly and often glance back and better anticipate traffic.

Something that irks me when riding a bike: people who slow WAY down and follow you before passing, and end up passing at a slow speed. You're better off making a quick higher speed pass (with good distance from the rider of course) so that you're not outside of the right lane very long; the slow people are typically hugging the left shoulder for a long time and just increasing the likelihood that someone coming fast in the opposite direction will have a problem... and possibly swerve into your lane to avoid the slowpoke driving on the wrong side of the road. I often try to wave people by as they come up behind me to get them to just GO but they probably don't want to be rude.. which makes them more of a danger than someone that just zips by.

Yes, this is a bother. I make an effort to pull as far to the road edge as possible, sometimes onto the gravel shoulder so they have plenty of room to safely pass. It still takes a while for them to get the message.

 

[RalphVa]

I was hipped on "Related Topics" recently - LOL. So I thought I'd throw out a question here. As empty nesters now, the wife and I were thinking about getting into biking and other types of exercise activities. I still play other sports, but I'm looking for something that she can do with me. So I thought biking might be good. It was recommended that I go to a bike shop versus the "big-box" stores. When I walked into one and started looking at prices, it was a rude awakening. I saw prices ranging from $1K to $5K and above. Seemed to me you could easily spend more on biking equipment than a law tractor; another one of those things that make you go hmmm...

What makes bicycles so expensive? They're not even powered by gasoline engines. Whatever the case, I guess it works because I see plenty of people buying them complete with the uniforms that make them look like tour de france racers.

Same thing here. Wife suggested I look at getting a bike. I was awed by the prices!

 

[dodge man]

I just got done with a ride. I paid $357 for mine 18 years ago that included a helmet and tax but it was used, very lightly used. the wife’s was about $400 or a little less. It appears prices have shot up like a lot of things.

A couple of pics, mine is the first, I’m a little over 6 feet tall. I believe I have shorter legs for my height I wear a 32” inseam in jeans. It says it’s a 20” bike, I think that is the frame size. As you can see I have the seat pretty high. The second pic is the wife’s bike in front of mine. One thing to look at is gearing. My wife runs out of gearing to soon on the down grades where I don’t.

 

[Torvy]

I will rise in opposition to a bike shop unless or until you are ready to ride at least 100 miles a week, enter competition, or just have more money than sense. It sounds like you and she are not experienced riders, get the used as suggested earlier or buy at the dreaded if box store. If you spend a year or more building up to 100 a week or more or entering competition, then think about a serious bike. If the bike is just to spend time together, get a cruiser...built for comfort.

It would be like getting a custom Ferrari as your first car. Are they faster than a basic sedan, sure...do you need that horsepower? Unlikely.

I used to be a more serious biker when I was young I spent 400 in 1985 for a Fuji Espree. That would be about a $1000 bike today. I only made about 12k a year at the time.

 

[ning]

I will rise in opposition to a bike shop unless or until you are ready to ride at least 100 miles a week, enter competition, or just have more money than sense. It sounds like you and she are not experienced riders, get the used as suggested earlier or buy at the dreaded if box store. If you spend a year or more building up to 100 a week or more or entering competition, then think about a serious bike. If the bike is just to spend time together, get a cruiser...built for comfort.

It would be like getting a custom Ferrari as your first car. Are they faster than a basic sedan, sure...do you need that horsepower? Unlikely.

I used to be a more serious biker when I was young I spent 400 in 1985 for a Fuji Espree. That would be about a $1000 bike today. I only made about 12k a year at the time.

Don't buy at a box store, they sell the lowest of the low. Good luck having the gearing ever be in sync and enjoy the brakes, and upgrade your tractor so you can be sure the FEL has the capacity to lift the bikes into your truck.

 

[ning]

One thing to look at is gearing. My wife runs out of gearing to soon on the down grades where I don’t.

I'm curious about this - most similar bikes have pretty similar gearing.
Have you counted the teeth on the rear cogs or chain rings (specs on the bike usually tell you this too)?
Perhaps she just doesn't like going downhill as fast as you do!
(I've crashed too many times at speed on pavement and no longer push it going downhill personally, and pedaling downhill doesn't do a lot for the heart rate - especially compared to the adrenaline.)