Bike Industry Pros Give Their BEST Advice for New Cyclists 

A $600 used bike is better than a $600 new bike.

The best advice for a new cyclist is to first purchase a used bike for no more than $500 ,to then get into shape before compulsively purchasing a new bike as many people think they want to be a bicyclist but don't have the patience to develop leg strength and endurance to only give up after 2 weeks . But for those that randomly purchased a $3000+ bicycle to only ride it 50 miles , thank you as you created a highly saturated used bike market resulting in driving down used bike prices 👍

"it's ok to do bikes how you wanna do bikes" hell yeah.

Tinker, tinker and more tinker. Start with a cheap 80's or 90's mtb (as they make great "all rounders"), watch RU-vid tutorials, strip the whole thing down and re-lube, refresh, replace whats needed. Not only are you now invested in your bike, you can take pride that you can do your own maintenance. The hobby is that much sweeter when you do your own build and repairs

For me, who had 0 cycling friends, RU-vid was and is the best source to find maintainence tutorials. And to learn about the "long tail", like alternative, classic stuff besides the latest marketing campaign of bike manufactures.

Single speed gravel bike. I wish I had discovered from the start that it is what I really want

Riding wheelies! Hell yeah! It's too late for me now at 62 with new hips - it should be taught in elementary school.

Great interview. That's what makes you a great interviewer, asking the personal questions about each vendor instead of the marketing buzz.

100% agree with Poppi. Got my first mtb in 1990 but learnt how to set up correctly the cantilever brakes only more than 20 years later only thanks to Jan Heine and a Bicycle Quarterly article.

It’s funny listening to the “shoulda, coulda, woulda” answers Vs the philosophical answers. Adam’s last comment nailed it: we’ll help you do you. What any great builder should do.

A lot of bike wisdom here, very nice people !

2:30 just figured this out recently, great advice

+1 for bike vs back carry

There are many advantages to owning only one bike.

#1 “learn to ride a wheelie as a kid” #2 “it’s ok to do bikes how you want to do bikes and just do what’s fun for you” Two very solid pieces of advice.

Great topic and nice series of videos from Made. Hopefully this show grows and grows.

Great question, so many different answers to be had. I’m surprised not one mentioned getting a proper bike fitting. I completed a 12,000 mile in 12 month challenge in 2016. I was unable to find the perfect bike seat setting. Turns out one leg is slightly longer. Took a fitting to figure that one out.

Great format for a large get together. Coverage of these events is kind of predictable. These questions are refreshing. Hope the editing is easy - keep up the good work. Also, that person representing Schon Studio is on point in every clip I've seen from their booth. Btchn' gets my nomination for creative ideas from a one person builder.

Top knotch answer, these are really helpful for the a lot of bikers.

My intitial response is: "buy every Shimano 600/Deore long cage derailleur you can put your hands on and get a bunch of those Suntour bar-end shifters too".

My hill requirement at the top is I have to be able to pedal through the next gear and get started on the gear after that in order to be "over" the hill.

If you're riding and in a situation and you don't know what to do, stop.

great video. II have a Giant MTB hardtail & a Giant gravel bike and placing things ON the bikes vs ON MY BACK has been nothing short of amazing. im a casual non-competitive rider so the weight isnt that important to me right now.

There's actually some really really good Cantilever brakes out there. I got a set of CX cantilevers on my randonneur and these are so easy to set up and super stiff under braking load and they just stop so well paired with Campagnolo brifters.

Take the time to help your signifant other, wife in my case, learn how to ride a bike. Yes you will have to back off your own training for a year or two. Push or sling her up hills until her legs and mind are able to climb and ride against the wind! Teach her how to use the gears, brakes. breaks, and where she should shift to keep her rpm up. Do not cheap out on her bike, accessories, parts, and clothing. Think per pound body weight as yourself. Do not put her in dangerous or stressful situation until she can handle it. Just add a little bit at a time. Have fun be safe!!

Don’t pigeon hole yourself as a certain type of rider. Try all kinds of bikes if you can.

Always great content

I wish I had known what bike I wanted instead of going from fixed, to x-cross, to gravel to my now ATB steel stead that I love more than anything. I think new cyclists need to think of long-term bikes, rather than trends and don't fall into the instagram hype algorithm.

Importance of getting the right tyre for your needs. Not just running Schwalbe marathon plus just because you don’t like punctures. The wonder that is Japanese tyres.

Never waste $$ on a lock. Take it into establishment. if a bike is “needed” to be left outside, the establishment, isn’t worth visiting.

is this an episode of Portlandia? : )

1. When you're ready, get a good bike, new or used. Don't keep riding an inappropriate or cheapo bike. 2. Try different kinds of cycling. 3. Incorporate bicycles into your everyday life.

so many sweethearts sharing from the heart here😊

4:36 I’ve watched all 3 (?) of Russ’ bike show vids. The guy from Btchn Cycles wins ‘best fashion ensemble’ every time! 😁

Low gear,and slow u overcome all the hills,and compfy first;)

My advice: If it's comfortable for you, don't change it. On the other hand, I changed the size of my mtb tires because I was using it only for city rides. Now I have arisun metro cruiser.

I wish i knew my rear derailleur hanger could break and i can buy to carry as extra.

Should get the guy from Wren Sports to do a video with you about where the weight should be on a bike!

You don't have to spend a ton to have fun on a bike.

Ignore electronic shifting. In fact most things with a battery… shifting, power meters, cadence sensors, radars, electronic pumps. Seriously.

ATB, short crank, supple tires, hydraulic disc brakes

Love it! ❤ 🚲

I do enjoy Ronnie's Romance character but I enjoy him genuinely talking and being funny with Russ way more.

I wish I had learned to countersteer much earlier. I had to learn to ride a motorcycle to have it explained to me; then I was able to take tighter, cleaner turns on my bicycle. Every Motorcycle Safety Foundation novice rider course teaches countersteering from the beginning. On any weekend, a bunch of MC newbies are consciously practicing it. "Look right, press right, go right". Meanwhile, people on bikes are swinging wide on turns, into traffic, because they have never learned to countersteer.

Great video.

Mountain bikes -- ha - no! I completely skipped over that phase and I don't regret it. To each his own, absolutely! It's great that there are so many different types of bikes and ways to ride, there's something for everyone!

I wish I knew the bigger the wheel the better

To the guy who said, if you ride a wheelie as a kid you will have it all your life. Oh, no. Wheelies are a thing for kids. I used to ride a wheelie on any bike and could hold it forever. That was then. This is now. I can’t even pop a decent wheelie now.

wholesome

By a used bike and have fun

I love how the guy slaps the microphone while explaining how you need to be aware of your surroundings 5:05 :-)

I got to meet Russ and Laura! 🥳 It's not every day you meet a celebrity 😎

Emotionally strong climber....I like that.

Oh man, properly setting up cantilever brakes! We lived in dark times before helpful youtube videos. Little folded up paper technical directions with line drawings, plus whatever info could be gleaned from magazines and your buddies, with lots of endless futzing.

You can also walk your bike up a hill. Don't let a small part of a trip ruin the whole trip

I wish I had learned to ride BMX or MTB as a kid. The people I know that did are just naturally talented when it comes to getting air and riding trails. I can barely do a bunny hop. Thankfully there are other ways to enjoy cycling, but I do get a little FOMO watching my friends getting rad on the jumps.

Of course Russ has met Ronnie

Don't be a weight-weeny! If you are a competitive racer, then fine - weight is important to your competitiveness. For me (and most of you) worrying about component weight is stupid. I have 15-20 lbs of extra weight around my middle. Once I get rid of that THEN I can worry about shaving grams off my gear. Until then I will continue to ride with 3-5 bags on my bike filled with whatever I need, and that's just fine!

What’s up with the upgraded brakes coming onto the market ?

I'm 66 and just getting back into cycling after 45+ years. It seems there are no bikes made for older 'new' cyclist. And for that matter no videos either. I made a mistake and bought a 3 x 8 37.5 pound bike. It said lightweight, lol. The Trek fx 1 is a 2 x 8 and about 12 pounds lighter but 2 x 8 does not sound like a step up. The Trek fx 2 is 2 x 9 and it might be what I need but I don't really know. The Trek fx 3 at first glance looks fantastic but it is only 1 x 10. I was screaming at Trek through my monitor, "why in hades would you put fewer gears on a higher spec bike". If it was a 2 x 10 I would have taken a chance and bought one. If I did buy one could I convert it to a 2 x 10? My next unanswered question is about endurance bikes. Would I really be able to set up straight enough to be comfortable at my age? Or is it just hype? My dream bike if I knew what I was talking about. . 20 lbs or less (no more than 25 lbs, hard limit) . 28 to 32 mm fast road tires. Should I upgrade to carbon wheels at some point? . drop handlebars for the different positions but upright posture enough for me. Otherwise just flat bars will do. . 2 x 11 gearing (105) with low enough gears for my 66 year old legs . no more than about $1500.00 There are no flat roads here. It's almost all either uphill or downhill where I live. Just road, no gravel. I want to do 50 mile round trips. I already did 21 miles on my 37.5 pound bike. It about killed me. On a flat large parking lot I can do laps for 2 miles at avg 10.5 mph, 6 miles at avg 9.6 (maybe later today I'll try 8 miles) What bike is right for me? Or should I build. No videos that I have seen so far have answered these questions.

Ultraromance!

maybe it is better to suffer with pain then suffer with poor taste in (corporate mandated) fashion.

🎉

I have the shitty shimano cantilevers on my bike. I can skid the front wheel quite easily. Best brakes I've ever had. Silent and powerful.

ride your happy pace, if there are diks out there, they are still diks at 25mph or at 2

Dont obsess over having the best components, or the exact model or brand, especially if your poor buy used do research, find someone experienced to aid you, cut out the outrageous bike shop fees and get you a good set of tools. Dont ride Walmart bikes, ide really rather walk, its a waste of a few hundred dollars supporting a garbage industry

Todays bike community is the same as when “high wheelers” dissed “comfort bikes” which are now virtually all bikes. E bikes are here and they’re not queer. 😄

Beautiful faces. Those are my brothers and sisters in biking adventure.

Get a used bike for around £200-300, refurbish it with the help of RU-vid videos. I.e. replace all the brake and gear cables, replace the chain if necessary, straighten the wheels if they wobble, put new grips on handlebars, replace the saddle if worn. Buy replacement parts in fun colours, you can even colour match :) And you'll end up with a cheap, reliable, unique looking bike. None of that crazy expensive hipster fashion nonsense that they sell in this video, but something you've done with your hands, and no one else has

The best coverage. Really inspired!

What is "Type 2 fun?"

Path Less Pedaled . Your channel is a breath of fresh air that speaks to the keep it simple , it's just a bike ! If it has 2 wheels , 2 pedals and it's road / trail ready , Go Ride !!🚴🏜️ Bikes are way cheaper than therapy or Prozac 🍻