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A heavier bike may not handle as well as a lighter bike, and can be less enjoyable to ride. It's more fun to ride farther and faster, so a lighter bike is probably more likely to be used. Also, you can make a bike heavier by hauling stuff on it, it's hard to make a bike lighter! I'd suggest that someone who wanted to get in shape pedal further and faster ...

To a large extent the comment by @wdypdx22 is correct. The primary exception being if you are working out in a hilly area. The weight or mass of the bike and rider makes a big difference in the initial acceleration, but once moving on flat ground inertial effects take over. While most riders do all they can to keep from starting and stopping frequently, ...

This goes against accepted wisdom, but I think test rides are overrated. Not useless, but overrated. You're going to own the bike for a long time presumably. You're going to be able to play with the tire pressure, the handlebar position, the seat height and fore/aft, the seat itself, the pedals, the cranks. As you develop cycling muscles, your position on ...

It's all about having the right tool for the job. Road and touring bikes are designed for long rides on roads. In contrast, mountain bikes are designed to go off road, and hybrids are designed mostly for casual riding. If you're doing 200 km per week, you're serious enough about cycling to notice a serious difference when you switch to a road bike. I ...

It's a legit company. Many of the bikes they sell are not really name-brand bikes—they're house brands. As I understand it, Mercier and Windsor are old bike marques that went defunct, and BD bought the names and sell their bikes under those names. There is a certain misplaced snootiness about this, since almost all these name-brand companies outsource their ...

You will want to be sitting in a postion that has your weight mostly on your sit bones. You also want to make sure that with your saddle in the correct position, your knee is over the axle of the pedal when the crank is in the front-most part of it's circle. Too far off and it can put a strain on your knee. If the saddle can't be adjusted to allow this to ...

There's already a cacophony of answers, but their detail obscures the simple response to your question: no, a heavier bike will not help you get fit easier than a light bike. Simply put, you will output the same amount of power independent of the weight of the bike you are riding. On a heavier bike, you will just go slower than you would have otherwise on a ...

Echoing what others have said, anything that gets you riding trumps all else. If you would ride to work, but not in the wet, fenders will help you get fit. If that's what it takes to get you riding, that's the most important thing to do. Do you wear a suit at work? Drive your car 1 day / week, so you can keep fresh clothes at the office. Suddenly driving ...

A person might burn more calories per km with a heavy bike, but the lighter and possibly more fun bike will make the ride enjoyable. If the person has fun, it will help for developing an active life-style which will be better in the end. And burning calories is nice, but you want to get that heart pumping. The same person might reach his target bpm at 15 ...

A factor that is as important as the bike you purchase is the store you purchase it from. Do you feel comfortable talking to the mechanics about problems on your bike or asking for advice with changes to the bike? Do they offer a fitting service that includes measuring your body and putting you up on a trainer (as opposed to eye-balling it)? A good bike ...

@Baltimark asked, "Let use know what you end up getting". I ended up getting: A "Kona Dr. Dew" (with a $200 markdown because it's one of last year's model and now is just before the spring bike show) Hydraulic disc brakes (my first non-rim brakes; they're 'wow' compared to rim brakes) Derailleurs (adjustable travel, and needed to be adjusted by one of the ...

Someone wanting to get fit by cycling should just get on a bike and start cycling. Heavier or lighter doesn't make a difference with the getting fit part. The reason for the lightness part is: If you compete in races and want to be competitive, your bike has to be as light as possible. You go faster while spending the same amount of energy, thus, if ...

You need the bike that you will ride. You should make your choice based upon how much of an impact it will have in how often you ride. If you are heavy (220lbs or more), you might want a heavier, more solid bike. Something that you can feel a bit more secure on and something which will creak less. You don't mention what types of rides you like. I rode ...

Although this should be a given, ride the bike before you buy it. Not for 5 minutes in a parking lot, but for a real, decent ride. Any shop specializing in 'bents will understand that if you are making your first recumbent purchase, it's a leap of faith, and will be accommodating. That is also a reason to buy your recumbent from a specialty shop. Credit for ...

Better yet, look at a 29'er. Like this one.from Kona, Single speed, rigid, fat tire MTB. Run fat tire slicks, and it's a great commuter. The lack of shifting works well on flat ground, with the right gear choice (very personal decision), and the fat large tires roll well and comfortably. MTB durability means rough roads might as well not exist. There are ...

A light bike is so much more fun to ride than a heavy one that you'll be more likely to ride the light one. Also, I find that on my lighter bike, since it's easier to go faster, I'm always pushing to go as fast as I can (because fast is fun). On the heavy bike, it's so much work that I end up going slow and ultimately not working as hard. An hour on the ...

Depends on the person. Answer: what do you like most on the gym? If your answer is aerobics, get the lightest bike and increase the commute ride each day. if your answer is weights, get the heaviest bike and add cargo/pedal faster each day. I was 10Kg above my regular weight. i loath cardio. and love weight lifting. So i got a 12yr old mountain bike, ...

You don't need a heavier bike to get fit, you need to ride the right technique and observe the right discipline (well designed workout plan) and commitment. I think the wrong argument around bike weight lies in ignoring inertia. Obviously, it takes more energy to accelerate a 32 lb bike from 0 to 20 mph than to accelerate a 15 lb bike to the same speed. ...

Late to this party but some good reading here! There are a couple of jewels in this thread. The math guy proving the weight of the bike might help 2-3% is priceless. As an overweight cyclist, when someone passes me going up a hill and they do frequently, a 10% increase in my speed wouldn't help me keep up. I'm doing 7, their doing 12, you figure it out. ...

I'm late to this thread, sorry, but ...I've tested out all the folding bikes at my local bike shop, Dahon and schwinns mostly and ended up buying the Citizen Gotham Large frame. It's a 7 speed 22lb street cruiser, aluminum frame, with all the bells and whistles. I got the seat upgrade for $29 and makes a huge difference for long distance riding. All in I ...

If you are committed and serious about your biking, which sounds like you are if you already ride 120 a week, I think a road bike would have more pros than cons. Keep your other bike for the coffee shop and errands. I have a commuter hybrid bike that i dont mind locking up, getting groceries with, and such. I put on a chain guard and flat pedals and love ...

I vote for a used hardtail mountain bike with 700c wheels and a rigid steel fork. If you put thin/ fast rolling city tires on there you'll be left with a quick bike that can handle some abuse and the upright geometry may make avoiding potholes and other obstacles easier. This is what I ride. I consider the 700c a poor mans 29er.

Aluminum vs Steel? I've read that aluminum is less shock absorbing than steel, yet my known options below are all aluminum. I read that too. I eventually bought an Alu bike with no suspension (and no 'carbon seat post', etc.). I'm riding on paved roads: not hopping or flying or dropping; when coasting over (small) pot-holes and frost-crazed pavement I ...

I've worked on a number of Marin bikes and they are impressive IMO. Simple, straightforward design. Here's the bottom line. In this price range, regardless of what you get, you are looking at a Chinese-made frame built to "spec" (what the company wants). Then, various major-manufacturer components are bolted on and the bike is shipped. They are all ...

My personal recommendation is to think about wheel base and where you want the steering. I hear that long wheel base is more stable and faster, but I chose short wheel base so I could load it on the bus rack sometimes. Above seat steering is more common and I think it's easier to learn, but I chose below seat steering because it seemed like a more relaxed ...

Look at the Scott SUB line. The prices vary depending on components, but you should be able to get an excellent road hybrid commuter for $500 approximately. (Keeping in mind than I'm in Dubai, and prices are not the same here.) On the SUB line, you would ride a XXL, FYI, assuming accurate height and inseam. Also, consider asking your wife if she would ...

Nice bikes like that quality Marin and that affordable Fuji are nowhere near as exciting as getting a 'Bicycle Shaped Object' ('BSO')... Instead of getting one of those quality numbers you cannot fully decide on, why not get a 'BSO'? Key advantages: Get to learn lots of mechanics with components that need to be setup totally precisely or else they do not ...

Fenders and racks can be added to most conventional "diamond frame" bikes (though it's nice to have a frame with the mounting bosses already present). However, fenders are problematical on skinny-tire (less than 28mm or so) road bikes and both fenders and racks can be a problem on bikes with "suspensions". For those you need to have some assurance from a ...