Look, if you’re only going to ride your bike once every 3 months and then only for a half an hour a Target cheapie will do. This is not advice you’d get from any other bike store, keep in mind. I’m a bit of an anomaly in that I think that department store bikes are good for anything other than boat anchors. In the business they’re called BSO’s, or Bike Shaped Objects. Now, this recommendation comes with provisions.

First, there’s no guarantee that a bike from Target et. all will be put together correctly or even safely. I’ve seen some of these bike come through the workshop in a state that was wholly unsafe, just the way the customer bought them. This isn’t always the case but it’s common enough to be a concern.

Second, if something goes wrong with it you’ll have trouble getting it fixed. Not only do these major stores not provide service but many bike specific stores refuse to touch department store bikes. Part of that is sour grapes and part is because the level of quality of BSO’s makes it hard to get them working properly even when all the parts are new. The bike store doesn’t want to be blamed when the return a bike they’ve done their best on and it still doesn’t work well.

Third, well, they really don’t work all that well so the experience of riding them can be very frustrating. Many people try and give up cycling as a pastime because of this. They don’t realize that many of the problems they’re having is because of the cheap bike and how it was poorly put together.

Fourth. If you do enjoy cycling the bike won’t last. The rule of thumb is that a dept store bike will last about 1000km (you do the conversion) before you’ve spent around the same amount you payed for it in repairs. Assuming you can find someone to repair it, see two above. Really cheap bikes are another case of false economy.

Ok, a couple of other points: For the love of all that’s holy (beer, chocolate, hot baths, baby hugs) don’t go to a local bike store and get measured knowing that you’re never going to buy a bike from them. We can tell when you’re doing that. Trust me, it’s obvious, and we hate it. It’s rude and in a small shop like mine it takes up time in which I could be doing something that would earn money to buy things like say, food for my child. I mean that literally, a lot of bike stores are the smallest of small business and no one in them is getting rich.

Seriously consider buying a woman’s specific bike, especially if you don’t end up getting measured. Doesn’t matter if it’s an old ladies style or something fancier. Shockingly, women are proportioned different to men. Often bike stores will try and sell a small man’s bike to women and tell them it’ll be ok. Women are only 20% of the bike market and nonsense like this is one of the reasons. Unless you’re not normally proportioned a man’s bike with the proper size for your leg length will be too long from the saddle to handlebars. You’ll end up with too much weight on your wrists and arms for comfortable riding.

That’s about it. Sorry for the ranting. If you have any questions feel free to email me.

: )

Here is a link to the bike page:

http://www.target.com/gp/search/182-3552936-5779531?field-keywords=bicycle&url=index%3Dtarget%26search-alias%3Dtgt-index&ref=sr_bx_1_1&x=0&y=0