Bicycle Shopping in Central Florida

By happenstance, it started at Target when I saw a nice Schwinn bike on display that was moderately priced. I guess I had a new bike in the back burner of my mind since I gave my youngest daughter’s bike away to charity. She after a few wobbly attempts took over her sister’s bike who then took over mine. So, I realized, I was in the market for a bike.

My Diamondback Wildwood mountain bike was 14 years old with only one major upgrade halfway through that tenure. My wife has an excellent Schwinn bought in Miami 10 years ago and my daughter had a cheapo Wal-Mart Road master that cost approximately $75 but need $110 in upgrades less than two years later. Following the Target eye opener. I ended up in Sports Authority in the Winter Garden Village and saw brand new Diamondbacks! Only this time, I was shopping for weight (lighter bikes, more dinero) and decided hybrids were the way to go for me since I ride sidewalks, streets, and a little off road and mountain bikes are heavier and rougher on pavement.

They had a sale going at Sports Authority and they had a couple of Diamondbacks. Mind you, I was not shopping for brand names (Schwinn is no longer a “Schwinn” especially since you can now buy them at Wal-Mart and Target. I test drove the Diamondbacks (forgot the model name) and these felt very nice. BTW, The Sports Authority on West Colonial Drive no longer allows test rides due to liability issues I presume and, the rule of bike shopping anywhere: (YOU MUST TEST RIDE before buying; it is more important than brands in my opinion). The store at Winter Garden also has a bike shop with a very knowledgeable bike expert (who also plays in a band). But, I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to spend and the bikes still felt as heavy as my old Diamondback.

I waited a few days and ended up at the Bike Works shop on Hiawassee and test rode a Giant Cypress and a Specialized Cirrus. Wow. What a difference! They were more than I expected to spend, but it was a huge upgrade. I was undecided since the Specialized was more of a road bike than a hybrid and thus has thinner tires. The personnel at Bike Works were very informative and helpful. I returned a few days later to test drive another Giant Cypress DX bike which was also very nice. But, I wasn’t sure what to get.

I waited a couple of weeks and went to Orange Cycle bike shop on Edgewater and thought I was in bike heaven. Wow. I test drove a Cannondale Swift and a Specialized Cross trail. Amazing bikes and already had forgotten about the Giant and Specialized at Cirrus. The personnel was superb and the selection of bikes excellent. But, I was still undecided since I was creeping up and out of my budget here. It was nice that they had a 10% discount on all accessories the day you buy a bike there; which Bike Works improved on with a 15% discount on the same but they don’t have nearly as many accessories.

A few weeks later I saw a young lady with a Trek bike at Little Dog Eats, a nice, quaint sandwich shop in Gotha with 1960s-1970s flair in Gotha. (You should try it with a local brew). The young lady mentioned another bike shop on Edgewater Drive where she had bought a previous year model at a big discount. I researched it and it was called David’s Cycle World. So, I went and test drove a Trek 7200 and a Trek 7700. I had a feeling I was getting in trouble since these were the best bikes I had tried and the latter was doublet my budgeted expense for a bike. I asked they bring over a Trek 7500 from another store which they did a few days later. Nice, but the 7700 was nicer. So I asked them to bring a 7300, which again, they did, and I test drove it a few days later. Wonderful bike as well. Now, the personnel at David’s Cycle World seem to know everything about bicycling, etc., but weren’t as amiable and pleasant as the Bike Work’s and Orange Cycle folks. The advantage they had was that I liked the Treks the best and everything was supposedly on sale. (BTW, the same shop in Claremont is much smaller and they were not as helpful).

So, what did I do? I followed the example of our esteemed President and spent a small fortune one 2008 Trek 7700, double my budget allowance for a new bike. Why? It was very light, it had the top of the line shifters, detailers, etc., it was super comfortable and a good value given the $238 discount. I won’t have to upgrade anything on it and I can’t second guess myself whether the “other” bike would have been better. Finally, I also test rode the Trek 7.2 FX but it felt stiffer like my old bike and I was moving towards more comfort than performance.

Summary:

1) Think about the type of riding you are going to do (pavement and sidewalks, racing, off-road, commuting, etc.).
2) TRY to set a budget and stick to it! A friend of mine told me after the Giant test ride, “You think you are on the best bike ever, until, you ride a better one”. So, TEST RIDE, TEST RIDE, and TEST RIDE.
3) Target and Wal-Mart: nice bikes but with cheap components. For low budget, low frequency use. I am not going there again to buy a bike.
4) Bike Works: Giant, Specialized, Raleigh? Friendly personnel. Good service.
5) Orange Cycle: Cannondale, Specialized, Others? Friendly personnel. Huge store. Good service.
6) David’s Cycle World: Trek, Gary Fisher. Businesslike personnel. Good service.
7) Mountain bikes are sturdy and can get a beating. Having a spare set of slicks my make road biking more easygoing and smooth.
Hybrids are for the average Joe like me. Commuting, biking on pavement and dirt paths and the like. Shock absorbers are nice but add weight.
9) Bike Works, Orange Cycle, David’s Cycle World can all sell you $10,000 bikes whether it’s racing, mountain biking, commuting, etc!!
10) I learned that the shorts that bikers use make a world of a difference in comfort!! Definitely a must buy along with biking gloves and a good, high quality helmet.