• Montra Trance pro (cool looks, good brakes and good ride but I have to bend a little to hold the handle)
• Rockrider 340 (looks awesome and fits well and I can hold it at comfortable upright position but i read its gear system isn't good in reviews and it uses a very old gearset model)
• Firefox Rapide (fantastic and once I've ridden it, I felt it's the best one - but tyres are way thin like a road bike and for my overweight I'm not sure how it's gonna last on our mediocre roads)

Re: How to select a bicycle according to your needs and budget?

lol..nobody seems to see this section at all..

what kind of bicycle i should buy

Hello friends
This is my first post in xBhp , so please excuse for any errors.

Due to my work lifestyle and less physical activity I am completely out of fitness and has a waist size I am not proud of.
Recently I came to know that I have cervical spondylosis in beginning stage .Doctor said due to my condition I can take cycling for fitness and forget about to join gym for next few months

After a gap of 10 years I want to get back to cycling, I am 5’7” height and 70 kgs weight and 30 years of age.

i am OK with Hybrid or Mountain Bike and ill be riding on the tarmac road ,less off-road at this moment

Please suggest what kind of bicycle should I get?

1. Full suspension
2. Hardtail
3. NO suspension

and what wheel size should I go for

a. 26 inch
b. 27.5 inch
c. 29 inch

Thank you all in advance

Re: what kind of bicycle i should buy

A hybrid with no suspension and 700c hybrid tyres with a 35mm width would serve your purpose. Comfortable, light and easy to use.

What's your budget?

And once you do start riding, do get in touch asap with your doc if you feel any pain anywhere.

Re: what kind of bicycle i should buy


Thank you for your quick reply The Monk

i forgot to mention the budget earlier ,my budget is not more than 12k/14k . i know the more i spend the more i get ,but then there will be no control on spending .

i am novice to this many categories and specifications ,i mentioned the options given to me by the shops from their inventory

the shops i visited offered me following options close to my budget

hero rover 29
hero wayfarer 27.5
hero rummage 26
montra helicon 2016
hercules hardliner
machcity iBike


i welcome your suggestions ,thank you

Re: what kind of bicycle i should buy

If you have a Decathlon in your city then visit it. You will find decent options in your price range. Else the MachCity is okay for the price.

Re: what kind of bicycle i should buy

BTW even I'm now looking for a Commuter bike, & thought maybe my post will help others with their purchases as well.

Since all my bikes are proper Roadies the tyres it can accommodate is 28c max, which for the kind of roads here in bombay during commute is a bit uncomfortable . On regular rides I'd go with 700c 23-28c eyes closed but on commutes esp during the night on way back from a hard day at office You'd want a bit more relaxed & carefree riding.

Hence I'm too looking for either an MTB or a Hybrid which can accommodate at-least 35mm if not more ! But I'm a tilting a bit towards MTB since the 26" tyres offer a much wider range of "Fat Tyres" along with immediate availability even at local shops. So I'm currently in a Fix - Hybrid 700c or MTB 26".

One thing is for sure that the bike could be from the Mach-City range, since I found these bikes to be quite well made & reasonably priced too. But I'm now experienced enough to know that as these things go, almost always you end up with a bike beyond your budget .

The current shortlists are
- Mach-City iBike 7spd - 26" (Rigid MTB)
- Mach-City Munich 21spd - 700c
Other two I've on my mind
- Dodge Hybrid (don't really know the model name) but this one is for 16k odd.
- Scott Metrix (don't really need this high specced bike for commutes & I hate Disc Brakes on Bicycles) for 33k - But I really liked this bike a lot!

Anyway I'll finalise probably by weekend! Lets see.

Re: what kind of bicycle i should buy

That is why i have a one bike does it all with 35mm tyres Though from a commuting point of view, parking is a very important aspect. If you have secure parking, then its perfectly fine. But if you plan to use the bike to park outside grocery stores etc, then something really basic is better. Which attracts least amount of attention.

Don't you already have a fixie? There was the Firefox Flipflop which looked decent, single speed. For commuting the simplicity of a single speed is very tempting, especially since it does not give fiddlers gear levers to mess around with in the parking lot.

If you haven't ridden an MTB in a long time, then it will take some time to get used to the ridiculously boring riding posture

Re: How to select a bicycle according to your needs and budget?

Sir I do have a Fixe but it accommodates nothing more than 28mm tyres. And it's great for regular riding but commutes it's a bit harsh, doesn't take rear-carrier and mudguards too.

Currently the road from Saki-Naka to office is like moon's surface, hence I was more inclined towards fatty tyre bikes - I'm not regretting selling my Trek3700 & my Surly Cross Check! esp the Cross Check... it was a beautiful bike!

Re: How to select a bicycle according to your needs and budget?


That is a pretty bike indeed. Update us about your commuter purchase, am interested in seeing what you end up buying!

Re: How to select a bicycle according to your needs and budget?

I was actually trying to buy back my surly, but the current owner was happy with it & would'nt let go of it, it was a bit of a put off . Anyway after the failed attempt & trying to figure out if I could again commute on the Fixe I finally pulled the trigger on my Birthday 27th Dec!

I went to the shop with the intention of buying the Mach iBike 7s but then one sitting on the Munich made me feel much more at home than on the the iBike. The only sense I can make of this is Geometry, I think I just don't feel right about the way MTB feels. Probably many many years of just road riding has made a muscle memory such that MTB just feels different even though if I size it right.

Anyway so the Machcity Munich it is. It was only after buying I realized that there was a single speed version as well!! Anyway I'm not really regretting, since the 21s version has semi-horizontal drops which means it can be converted when required .

A pic is in order but don't have my phone with me now.

Re: How to select a bicycle according to your needs and budget?

Belated birthday wishes! The current Surly owner clearly learnt from your mistake

Yes, riding an MTB after a long time does feel weird, experienced it a couple of months back, when i took out my Trek 4300 after 2 years.

Waiting for pictures of your new bike and more importantly your experience of riding it. Most people upgrade and therefore the new bike feels way better than the old. Not very often people go from top notch bikes to entry level cycles.

Re: How to select a bicycle according to your needs and budget?

hi guys

please suggest whether should i avoid cycle with disc brakes and go for v-brakes

i was thinking to buy hero wayfarer 27.5 [URL]http://www.herocycles.com/sprint-pro?product_id=367#.WGfVqX1Zrcc [URL]

or hero rover 29 [URL]http://www.herocycles.com/sprint-pro?product_id=368#.WGfVvX1Zrcc [URL]

but they both come with dual discs

please clarify because i have no clear idea on the issues of discs vs v-brakes

thanks

Re: How to select a bicycle according to your needs and budget?

In general, on lower priced bikes, it is better to go with V-brakes. The quality of the disc brakes is suspect at this price point. Also, V's are far easier to tinker with, adjust and maintain for the average owner.

Re: How to select a bicycle according to your needs and budget?

Am looking for a hybrid bicycle in budget of 16-17 k with alloy frame. Few well known brands like Firefox and montra are the favourites, but then any other brand which is a good vfm in this budget?