A beginner's guide to bikes

If the last bike you had was adorned with streamers and had a cute little horn, then you're probably in for a shock at the bike store. Ten-speeds and cruisers? No way. Today there's a bike for every kind of riding style.

“Now we have road bikes, mountain, hybrids, comfort trail, urban lifestyles -- different things designed for targeted groups of customers,” said Dave Reinarz, store manager of Bike Masters at 129th and Fort Streets.

That's why stores will ask how often you want to ride, how far you'll go, where you'll ride and more before they start showing you bikes, so they can match a customer's riding style.

“The perfect bike is the one you ride,” said Steve Herbermann, store manager at the Bike Rack near 144th Street and West Maple Road.

Here's their advice on getting started:

IF YOU'RE....

Just out for fresh air, a little exercise, or accompanying the kids around the block or down a trail.

Then you're probably looking for: A comfort trail bike or hybrid bike

These bikes offer a relatively upright seating position, lower to medium gear ranges, and are designed to offer comfort, control and ease of operation.

Where you see people riding them:

On the Keystone or Papio Trails. Most people in Omaha probably fall into this class.

Expect to spend: $300 to $800

IF YOU'RE....

Serious about riding and getting fit, and you want to go faster and farther (as in, 30 to 60 miles or more).

Then you're probably looking for: A road bike

These are the ones with the skinny wheels and the curved, or drop, handlebars. They're lightweight and geared for faster riding.

Where you see people riding them:

On paved county roads or state highways on the outskirts of Omaha in places like Elkhorn, Waterloo or Gretna.

You can expect to spend: $700 on up

IF YOU'RE....

Looking to go off road and explore rugged terrain.

Then you're probably looking for: A mountain bike

These bikes have fat, knobby tires to handle unpaved surfaces. They're the ones with the straight handlebars.

Where you see people riding them:

This is a fairly small group in Omaha due to a limited amount of area trails. Mountain biking is extremely popular in places like Colorado, where there are forest and mountain trails.

You can expect to spend: $300 on up

Other things you'll need

A helmet. Expect to spend $30 to $35.

A way to fix a flat. If you're more than a casual rider, this is something you'll probably want to be able to do yourself. You'll need a patch kit or an inner tube, and something to reinflate the tire.

Maintain your bike. Keep the tires pumped up and the chains lubed. If your tires aren't properly inflated, they'll offer more rolling resistance and be more prone to damage. Failing to keep chains greased will decrease shifting performance. Bikes should be inspected at a bike shop annually to flag other issues.

Water bottle carrier. You start getting dehydrated after 20 minutes, Reinarz said, so it's important to be able to take water or a sports drink with you.

For more information

Activate Omaha www.activateomaha.org offers lots of information on area trails, clubs and events.

« Living

Share