Bike Buying Tips

Be absolutely and completely honest with yourself about what type of riding you will be doing. Take this information to a few bicycle shops that you like and see what they suggest. Ask questions. Listen to the answers. Ask more questions. Put your dollars into a bike that addresses your cycling needs. And have fun!

Fit.
Think of your bicycle as a large, very specific article of clothing. You will "wear" it for, oh, an hour at a time (if you end up enjoying cycling ;-). So how do you tell if something fits?
Talk to friends of yours who cycle. Especially those who pedal in the manner you imagine yourself pedalling.
For example, I am never going to be a "bike racer". So I do not want drop bars. So I look for other folks who ride bikes that do not have drop bars, and I talk to them.
Remember, an inexpensive bicycle that fits will be more fun to ride than an expensive bicycle that doesn't fit.
Gerhardt in west slope

Don't let them intimidate you! My friend was sold a bike that did not fit her. She went to the Community Cycling Center in Portland and she is very tall. She rode it a couple times, btu EVERYONE told her "that bike does not fit you." she was so frustrated because it was her first bike since being a teen and she was all ready to use it to get to work. Plus she has knee problems so it just wasn't an option (and it is her right to have a bike that is comfortable).

When she went to return it, the restocking fee went into effect and she couldn't get all of her money back even though there had been a sales person who spent time with her and gave her advice and sold her a bike that was obviously too small because they were out of tall road bikes. That's really not okay.

Take time, ask questions, and don't be afraid to leave and come back later.

Ride all your friends' bikes! At least all of the ones that even remotely fit you. Really, experience with different kinds of bikes is the only way to get a grasp of what the different options mean. I'm always borrowing peoples' bikes for a quick ride around the block to see what they're all about. Get to know the feeling of riding a MTB versus a road bike versus an upright bike. Try different frame sizes, especially ones that people say "don't fit." Notice what feels better or worse between different bikes: how does your butt feel? Do your wrists hurt? Can you breathe? Can you see? How's the steering? Does your body feel too cramped or overextended? When you stop, do you fall over?

Do this long enough and at some point you'll find something you really like. Then you've got something to talk to a bike shop about.

My mom needs a new bike because the one she has, a hybrid from the 90's, is no longer comfortable for her. I told her a lot of the suggestions here, which is really nice, thank you.

But do any of you have a suggestion for what she might ride because she wants something more upright. I mean, the hybrid is pretty upright, but she really likes all the photos she sees of the european-styled bikes, but I'm concerned about her being able to trek up hills because where we live it is hilly and she likes to ride her bike to the grocery.