I went to a local super chain store looking for a bike only to pull down a bike I liked and it was heavy and too tall. I happen to walk into a local bike shop (LBS), after getting no help at the chain store, and they tell me I have short legs for my height so I need a 'small' frame bike or 15" frame. It seems your inseam height is the bike 'standover height' which detirmines proper bike frame size. It will also detirmine if your foot can reach the pedal at the bottom of the pedal stroke from the seat at it's lowest setting too. I happen to search online for deals less expensive than a LBS only to find most sites don't have a small men's bike less than 16". Bikesdirect has them but 50% of the reviews in the forums say they have bad bikes with poor quality frames and components. It makes me wonder if the other 50% are getting paid for their endorsements in the forums. I found a good deal on amazon on a diamondback, but the time I got the money, the price shot up $110. Also, the last computer I bought was from Amazon and the manufacturer said they didn't cover Amazon purchases uder warranty.
So back I went to the LBS. What they offer with their price is 1) professional bike fitting 2) one year free bike maintenance 3) professional assembly and a 'fine tuning' (to include making sure all spokes are tightened just so so the rims are truely round - unlike most chain store bikes) & 4) full factory warranty for 1 year in shop. Also, their bikes are generally 10-15 pounds lighter aluminum than super chain inexpensive steel bikes. That's like freeing yourself from a 40 lb backpack up a hill to only a 25 lb backpack up a hill. So that's what you get for $150 more on average. In addition, did you know that when you get professionally fit for a bike, the front of your knee should be directly in line and even with the pedal at it's most forward position? If not, a proper bike seat can be adjusted forward or back to accomodate this. This prevents joint pain and the most efficient pedal stroke possible. Stem length is another consideration in a bike fit. For me, I'll need a longer stem since my legs are short but my torso is average for my height.
This all makes sense since I plan to be on the bike a lot of hours trying to recoup my investment. A proper fitting bike will ensure I get fit but don't get sore joints or a sore pride for buying a cheap bike that didn't fit. It'd be a shame to spend $150-$250 on an inexpensive bike only to end up using it a few times. This one, I hope to use over 500 miles on this year... or more hopefully. Hope this info helps somee considering cycling as a fitness hobby.
