do you guys think that the only way to get exercise while bike riding is to go with a mountain bike and not a cruiser?

good question and my thought would be it depends on the level of exercise that you are wanting. I am looking for something mild for the evenings and/or weekends.

Probably the best as far as exercise is whatever gets you to ride it more often or further;). A bike with no gears is going to be fun, but with gears, it makes it easier to ride esp if you have a hill (and you wait....you THINK there's no hills.....when you're on a bike, you'll wonder where that dang incline IS b/c all of a sudden, you're having a harder time pedaling and you're going slower and slower, LOL).

I think for just casual, bebopping around (I mean, if you're talking about taking a dog on the bike with you, you're probably not going to be going for a 40 mile ride and you probably don't want to be going 28 mph) the bike she's looking at is fine; I say a mountain bike b/c I personally would rather have one that's more versatile if I've only got one bike(like what if you find that you really LOVE riding a bike and want to go further or faster sometimes when you're by yourself???) and also, the tires are a lot less prone to flats, and they have more traction than slick, skinny tires.

If you're looking for exercise, you want to get the one that you really enjoy riding.
One thing you can do is go to a bike store (a real bike store that sells only bikes and bike equipment) and test ride a few. Most bike stores are happy to have you do that...that way you can see a different range of types of bikes and what feels best to you. It's no good to get a bike and then have it sit in the garage (or wherever you keep your bikes).

Great Advice.. I am so glad this thread was started! I too love bikes and I think like you said ... whichever one will be used most.. and some moving is better than laying on the couch watching HGTV right:p .. lol... thanks for this great post! I am sure it will be helpful for alot of people!!:thumbup::thumbup:

Well... HGTV .. .switch it to TLC but GET UP to change it, thats exercise right???

Im asking around at work to for any used bikes. I really would like a vintage looking one and yes, Sam would be with on our rides. We may ride out to $ GEneral or Sonic which is about a mile or so away.

Still looking for any and all suggestions if anyone has any:D

You should try hitting some garage sales. It seems like a lot of people buy a bike and then don't ride it...or ..other things happen. My mom has one sitting in her garage (a nice Schwinn 10 or 12 speed) that's hardly been used...it was my brother's and he had a stroke when he was 37.....14 yrs ago:(....that's how long it's been sitting there "waiting" for him....not going to happen, so I know there's got to be kids who outgrow their bikes or leave home and the parents just want to get rid of them. You should be able to find one for a good price that way.
Do you ever look at Perez Hilton's website? He's got (what I think is) a goofy looking kinda vintage "cruiser bike" ...I think it's actually new, but it looks like an old bike....don't know who makes them, but I've seen a few around now and then....maybe do a search for cruiser bikes:confused:. Good luck!!! And have fun:)

Wow! How fun. Hopefully you will find one that you like and that fits you well.

My husband is really really into bikes...he has about 7 of them...all kinds. Don't ask me what the difference is...must be like my 10 pairs of black shoes...lol. I hated (HATED) riding my bike with him until he finally bought me an Electra. Now I LOVE going! The seat is comfortable, it rides really well, it fits me perfectly, and it looks good...really vintagey. And it has an ADORABLE wicker basket on the front...love it!

If you plan to ride a lot this summer, I would honestly suggest that you get one that you really love and that fits you really well. I never understood the value of that until I found one that was the right fit.

Carrie

great thread. Learning about bikes. I have been thinking about getting one just to ride around the neighborhood for exercise. This may just help me in figuring out what to get. Good luck with your search.

I am going to be getting an adult tricycle for my birthday!! I will be the crazy woman with the 3 little dogs in the basket in the back!! Here's a photo of it, the photo is in blue but mine will be cotton candy pink!

Oh! I love this! Pink will be really cute! :)

OMG Nanci I love this bike and even with one Yorkie I could use the back for groceries, etc. :D Your babies will look so cute in this.;)

I have a Giant and it's ok, but I don't like the seat, it makes me feel like I'm falling downwards.

I tested a Trek and did not like that either.

so I bought a bike yesterday hubby and I did... my butt is hurting.. I am taking it back and getting the other one I was debating on.. we went around the block once to test it out, you can't really do that in the store... anyhoo... it hurt my butt....and it is soooooo noisy.....

:eek: That is a great deal for a new bike!! Have fun!!:D

You can tilt the seat back to some degree. There's a bracket that holds the seat onto the bike...loosen that, tilt it to where you think you want it and hold it there while you tighten it back....check it to see how it feels (sometimes you have to ride it for a bit before you can tell)and readjust it if you need to. Sometimes the seat is just set too far forward so it feels like you're sliding downward too...you can move that too if you need to.