Looking for a recommendation/advice for purchasing my first (used) bike

[mnaqvi1]

Okay total noob here, I am moving out to the suburbs DC in the coming weeks and wanted to start biking with getting back in shape as my top priority. I would like purchase a used bike for about ~$500-$600. I have quite a few friends who consistently but casually ride for fun in a groups, mostly beginner Mountain biking trails and occasionally road biking in DC with bikes in my price range. So not knowing anything about bikes I was wondering which type of bike (MTB, road, cyclocross, hybrid, etc) I should look for or any other advice with my priority being getting back in shape year round and second joining my friends if possible. I don’t think I will be riding far but would like to start a regimen of an 30-60min drive every morning.

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[Emm]

I strongly suggest trying out tons of bikes at the bike shop. Go to a few shops, and try both new and used models. Try road bikes, hybrids, and everything else they have.

I have come to realize that one bike might not be the answer every bike-need a person has though. I love my trek hybrid and wouldn’t use anything else to commute to work, but for long, faster rides on the weekend, my hybrid is too heavy and slow. I got the hybrid because I did not feel safe riding in DC traffic on a road bike (I like being upright in traffic), and also because I know that at 7am when I am sleep deprived and biking to work, I need something a little more stable and able to handle gravel and uneven pavement. Either end of this season or early next (whenever I can find a good sale and have money), I plan to buy a decent road bike for weekend use. But as a commuter bike and for rides under 30 miles, the hybrid is awesome.

Also, ask your friends what type of bikes they have if you plan to ride with them. One influence on my purchase choice was that all of my friends have hybrids or similar models. It means we all go the same speed and are wary of the same type of obstacles in the path, which makes group riding easier and more fun.

[mnaqvi1]

@americancyclo 82674 wrote:

Can you find out the names of the trails they ride on MTB? Might one of them indicate how much bike you might need? Or have a look at the bikes they use for these rides. If they are truly beginner trails, a CX bike might be enough with knobby tires and a set of slick tires for road/commute riding.

you need to move past it by pedaling faster!

They usually ride on Patapsco park,Schaeffer’s Farm, and Rockburn Branch Trail. Not sure about what exactly they are riding but its definitely not anything high end.

[Author]

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