bicycle shop recommendations Sussex County (2014, to buy, live)

[greg.hc225]

I am looking for a bicycle shop or store to purchase a simple bike. My needs aren't much something easy to maintain and probably ride less than 10 miles a day. Really just want something to commute to and from the beach and maybe run errand to the store occasionally. Anyone with a type of bike or brand would be greatly appreciated. Haven't rode in years just noticed a lot of bike lanes in my area and always enjoy taking my time. Thanks in advance.

[Mary2014]

Before you buy, figure out what type of bike suits you best. My neighbor had a beach cruiser she let me borrow for a week - but, warned me it was not that comfortable and it was heavy. I had to agree by the end of the week that she was right. She recommended I try a trek bike which she ended up getting to replace the beach cruiser.

I recommend you get a DE state park pass so that you can take advantage of going over to Cape Henlopen state park. They have all sorts of bikes you can borrow at zero cost to you for 2 hours - so you can ride the trails in the park. All you have to do is leave your drivers license with them while you are out riding. They even have helmets you can borrow if you don't already have one.

Take the opportunity to try out different style bikes over a period of a week or two before you go out and buy a bike. Bikes are not cheap - so you want to be sure you have one you will enjoy riding.

Mary2014

[EnjoyEveryDay]

Agree with Mary. It is best to explore different bikes and decide what best suits your needs and riding style.

My wife and I chose "comfort" bikes because we wanted to ride more upright, and are happy riding slowly on our "fat" tires and enjoying the scenery. These wider tires give more contact with the road, which is great when on stones/dirt/uneven surfaces, but requires much more effort to pedal. And you have to be okay with folks passing you.

My son has a lower profile bike with thin tires that literally weighs half as much as our bikes. Very easy to lift, and goes much faster because of the thinner tires and lighter weight. However, with the lower handle bars, you are "bent down" when riding vs. sitting more upright, which is fine if your back is still flexible. It also puts you in a more aerodynamic riding position. His bike will go at least twice as fast as mine, and is great if you are riding on smooth pavement.

Lots of folks go with a "hybird" style bike in between the two. This often involves the tires, which are thicker than racing tires but not as wide as comfort bikes, and sometimes the weight. If we wind up on smooth trails most often, I may convert from comfort to hybrid tires.

Of course, there are other styles of bikes including trail bikes, BMX racers, freestyle, recumbent, etc. but from your post think you are more interested in a "regular" adult bike.

One other consideration is the amount of gears (if any) you want to have. Some folks are happy with no gears at all, which work fine in flat areas like Delaware. However, most bikes will offer several options (3/10/21 speed). We have 21 speeds on our bikes, which came in handy on big hills, but we rarely shift in Delaware around the beach areas.

As to your original question - I have not yet had to use a bike shop in Delaware, but I have seen many. I'm sure someone else will have a good suggestion.

[seanlax]

I live at the beach, and have done my 13.5 mile commute several times (as well as cruise up and down Coastal and through Sussex County) on my bike. It's a Trek Verve 1. Simple commuter, relatively inexpensive, and incredibly dependable. I've done a century on it though. Plus I don't fall over from a little sand and my tires don't shred apart when I hit the pebbles along 26.

You are trying to buy a bike during the most expensive part of the season. You can save some cash if you hold out for Labor Day and/or the weekend after to purchase something that isn't a Walmart bike. Most bikes go for at least 25% off then at the shops.

[nuts2uiam]

Though on Rehoboth Ave.in Rehoboth Bikes to Go are very nice to work with and I believe quite fair.