Tons of people ask me what kind of bike they should buy, then tell me three days later that they bought the bike from Walmart I told them not to bother with, because "the price was right."
Please stop doing this! Granted, if you only want a bike to ride a few times a year down the sidewalk or a rails to trails system, go for it. You aren't serious about buying a bike anyway. But if you want to buy a bike that might be useful to you at all in the future, look on craigslist.
Step one: Figure out what size bike you need.
Mountain bikes are sized in inches, and road bikes are sized in centimeters. You night want to swing by your local bike shop and try out a new bike or two just to find out what size fits you best.
Step two: Determine what type of riding you intend to do.
Mountain bikes are great for the single track, but really heavy and cumbersome for most other situations. Know where you are hoping to ride.
Step three: Do your research. Learn which namebrands are quality, and look for those models first.
Step four: Look on craigslist in your local area. Know that there are no guarantees on anything, but also know that you should save at least $100-$200 on the good quality bike that is just a couple years old. Also, make an offer. Barter. The price is only what someone is willing to pay.
Step five: Sell your old bike on craigslist. Everybody's garbage is someone else's treasure. I have bought quite a few treasures along the way!
Disclaimer: I love being able to buy bikes this way. Out of the 8-9 kids and adults bikes in my garage, only one was bought brand new. We looked though... for a solid month. Sometimes the right bike just doesn't surface. But 8 out of nine isn't too bad!
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