To bike lovers,
let this be a post that brings back memories of buying your first bike, and a little tip post for those who want to start cycling. I'd like to point out that taking up a hobby like cycling is quite costly to start in our country. Making a good plan and coming up with long-term solutions should be the starting point.
It's my habit to plan, to think things through and weigh lots of possibilities before getting into something. I did intense research for a while before buying a bike too. Everything was variable, but the bike I'd buy had to be a city bike. The information seems scattered and confusing at the start, and I wanted to share this post to sort out that confusion.
The Trek FX series city bike became my choice because in my research it stood out with features like being very light, its lifetime frame warranty and riding comfort. But I strongly recommend that, if possible, you try the bike before you buy it. I recommend you set the brand aside, focus on the bike and its features, and read the other details in the rest of the post that are often skipped in choosing a bike but are very important.
Let's start with frame size: to determine it, you need to work out your personal frame size by looking at the relevant chart. You can look at this here and find the most suitable frame size for you. For someone about 1.80 tall, the frame size should be 20 inches.
HANDLEBAR
Another element that will give riding comfort is the handlebar, the stem and the grips. As well as the Bontrager Satellite Plus handlebar being ergonomic, using Bontrager Satellite IsoZone Plus grips takes comfort while riding to the highest levels, and you hardly need gloves. This comfort while riding may not be easy to find on other bikes.
FRAME
For those who say the look of my bike matters too: another feature of the Trek FX that attracted me is that the frame is Alpha Gold Aluminum, and the gear and brake cabling is routed through the inside of the frame, which adds to function and looks.
To talk about the two basic concepts almost everyone knows in choosing a bike in general, city and mountain bikes: the mountain bike (Mountain Terrain Bike or MTB) is made for use on trails and rough roads (off road). As can be understood from the name MTB, today All Terrain Bikes, ATB, are also made as bikes for all terrains and for every purpose. For this reason it's now possible to often see ATBs on asphalt and in the city too; still, if you're only thinking of using it in the city and on flat roads, my suggestion will be bikes with 28 rims and thin tyres.
By the way, if you're buying a bike for the first time and live in a city, in the mountain bike or city bike dilemma I definitely recommend a hybrid bike. The city bike, also known as the hybrid bike, suited me better because I spend most of my cycling time on asphalt in Istanbul and in seaside towns. These bikes aim to give the performance of Road Racing Bikes together with the comfort of Mountain Bikes. Especially over long distances, with its thin tyres and upright handlebar, it's very comfortable to use on a long road. Its difference from road bikes is that, with thicker tyres and a more comfortable saddle, it also gets close to ideal on rough surfaces.
One of the features I like most is that the frame's left rear fork has a slot for a sensor that measures speed and cadence. This way it gives you quite an advantage in terms of technology without spoiling the bike's originality and look. Of course the sensor used here is the DuoTrap S digital sensor from Bontrager, the brand that makes Trek's accessories and equipment. I bought this sensor from Germany quite cheaply (23€). It was a price that can't be compared with Turkey.
BIKE COMPUTER
Besides this, the sensor can integrate wirelessly with a phone. But your phone or tablet needs to have ANT + technology. When I realised using the phone was hard, I bought the Node 2.1 bike computer for 80$, the price of the Node 1.1 in Turkey, and I'm very happy with it. I can list its features like this;It has features like cadence, speed information, heart rate information (heart rate kit included), temperature, altitude, calorie calculation, backlight, battery indicator and odometer.
But what's this: the Trek FX 7.3 series had been chosen all right, but prices in Turkey were quite high. So I set my sights abroad. There were two places I could buy from in terms of price: Germany or America! Germany was on my holiday route. We had to use the advantage of travelling often. With the return tickets bought from Stuttgart, I decided to look for a bike shop there. But how would I bring it back? By talking to Pegasus in advance, I made the required bike carriage booking. I also emailed with
Stuttgart Bikes&Boards and ordered the bike in advance. During the emailing, asking the man for a gift and persuading him about the tax refund paperwork took quite a long time. That way, by the time I got there my bike would have arrived.
In the shop in Germany the price was 599€, and considering I'd get a tax refund of about 95€ on it, it was a price at which I could have bought the Trek FX 0 series in Turkey, shipping included. I must admit that you can find a bike with the same features from a local brand for less, but I doubt it will give the same comfort.
BRINGING A BIKE BY PLANE
Bringing a bike as cargo is quite easy. You don't have to worry about getting stuck at customs either; I learned that Pegasus has a bike carriage service for 42€. After my check-in and bag drop, you fill in a form for the bike at Pegasus ground services and pay. All you need to do is hand it over to the Bulk Cargo section with the barcode you got for the bike from the Pegasus desk. The bike needs to be disassembled in a suitable box; parts like the front wheel, handlebar, pedals and seat need to be removed and the tyres deflated.
Finally, it's time to assemble the bike, do the necessary brake and gear adjustments and enjoy the ride!!