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BY JOE SURKIEWICZ
a bike that works from the moment they
get it home. With limited time for recre-
ation, they don't have time to spend
working on a bike."
There's another reason for buying
your new bicycle from a dealer who spe-
cializes in bikes: service. "If you buy a
bike from Kmart and there's a problem,
all they'll do is replace it with another
poorly assembled bike," says Eric Fish-
er, a technician at Tom Nell Bicycles Ltd.
in Waterford. A good bike shop, he adds,
will fix the problem.
Next question: How much should
you expect to spend on the bike of your
dreams?
If you're a fitness-conscious adult who
plans to ride regularly, expect to pay a
minimum of $300 for a new bike, and
possibly a lot more. That way, you're
sure to get a bike that's lightweight and
equipped with components such as
brakes, shifters and gears that work well.
Or, the experts say, spend less — and
end up with a heavy, permanently out-
of-tune bike that's so little fun to ride
you rarely take it out of the garage.
Why are quality bikes so expensive?
"A good bike pur- Opposite page:
chased from a bike Despite their
shop is an invest- chunky look,
ment, not a pur- mountain bikes
chase," responds Mr. started a bicycle
Fisher. "By spending boom that is con-
$350, you get expert tinuing today.
help in choosing the Below: The rac-
bike that's right for ing bike is what
you, that's assembled most people pic-
ture when they
think of bicycles.
PHOTOS BY DENNIS COELLO
Step into a bike store
these days and you're
faced with a bewildering
selection of styles of
mountain bikes, racing
bikes, hybrid (or city) bikes, and sport/-
touring bikes, just to name the most
popular.
Confusing? You bet. But local cycling
experts can advise you on the ins and
outs of selecting a new bike.
First things first: Where should you
shop for a new bike?
"Anyone serious about getting into
cycling should shop in a specialized bike
shop," advises Keith Riege, manager of
MGM Bicycles and Fitness Equipment
in Birmingham. "That way you get a bike
that's properly assembled so it rolls and
shifts properly. Nowadays, people want
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