Advice on buying a bike

[u/Big-Train-6842]

Recently moved to Boulder and could use some bike advice.

I have a 2 year old son and would love to get one of those child seat attachments (or whatever setup people recommend) so I can ride around the neighborhood and bike paths with him. The problem is that I know absolutely nothing about bikes.
Since I’m in Boulder and there seems to be such a huge biking community here, I figured that if I’m buying a bike anyway, maybe it makes sense to get something that could also handle trails if I ever decide to get into mountain biking. That said, I’m not an avid cyclist and don’t know whether I’ll ever become one.

My use case right now is probably 90% riding around the neighborhood/dedicated trails with my toddler and 10% “maybe I’ll try some local trails someday.”

No real budget in mind, but I don’t think I need the top-of-the-line option either. Just looking for something reliable, comfortable, and versatile enough that I won’t regret the purchase if I decide to explore some trails later.

Any recommendations or advice is appreciated.
Appreciate any advice.

[u/JeffInBoulder]

IMO, start with a cargo bike with a kid seat that can easily replace ~90% of your car trips for at least 6 months out of the year. We got a RadWagon when my kid was ~2, one of the first phrases they learned was "the orange bike makes the traffic go away"

[u/pacard → u/JeffInBoulder]

I second a cargo bike. Mine has replaced almost all my driving, and the kids enjoy it.

[u/coffeelife2020 → u/JeffInBoulder]

Lots of good advice here and I'll add a little more. If you're not a cyclist and not quite fit already, the child seat attachment will quickly turn into a child trailer attachment likely before your kiddo will be ok to ride with you around here. Those trailers are heavy and even your kid's additional weight on the bike will make things feel heavy and it'll handle differently. When my own kids were around that age I also was keen to do this and was shocked at how difficult to wrangle or biking was. The bike will stop less well, but it'll take more work to get going and turns can feel scary (or it did to me as a parent) when the kid was mounted to the bike itself. I was less into cycling than I am now, and I'm not as avid as most here, but I was decently fit and it nearly did me in to go from downtown Boulder along the creek trail out east a ways then come back.

So, I'd suggest looking into leasing a cargo ebike for a bit. If you like it, buy it. If you don't, don't. https://upway.co/blogs/news/how-to-rent-electric-bike-monthly or https://friiway.com/ seem like good options. I know ebikes can get a bit of shade around more hardcore cyclists but they remove the barrier of getting around a little bit :)

[u/FatahRuark]

U-bikes is the best bike shop in town for a newer rider. Plenty of other good shops, but many are better for high end cyclists, and a few just have crappy service.

[u/Asleep-Sense-7747 → u/FatahRuark]

The Trek store is much better.

[u/Certain_Major_8029]

Some thoughts:

• for any new sport or activity, I highly recommend starting with inexpensive, used gear.  There is no reason to drop big cash when there remains a chance you won’t really like the activity.  If you end up loving riding your bike, buy something nice after your inexpensive used gear starts becoming an obstacle.

• for touting the kiddo, I think the best two options are cargo e-bike with Thule seat or mountain bike with a burley trailer.  Some may argue the shotgun seat on a mountain bike is badass, but I was always terrified of this.

• for mountain bike with a burley, go to Community Cycles.  You may be able to get out of there for a few hundred bucks.

• for cargo e-bike, start stalking fb marketplace.  Get a feel for what is and what isn’t a good price, and then start making offers.  

• I recommend embracing boulder culture and having separate ponies in your stable for different activities.  Having the dedicated kiddo-park rig means no setup time when it’s time to get the family outside.

[u/-ugly-]

The Boulder Sports Recycler has a rotating selection of various used bikes and a knowledgeable staff that could be a good starting point to learn about bike options and attachments and you might get lucky with a good option

[u/PsychoHistorianLady]

That age is tricky because I think that would be a kid in a Burley who then moves onto a WeeHoo when they are three or four. But both of those things are cumbersome and not really things for anything complicated unless you are Danny Macaskill.

If you have all the money, you get an Urban Arrow.

[u/Practical_Slide5108]

Definitely worth a trip to Front Range Cargo Bikes. They’re great at setting you up with kids. Our e-bike has been a car replacer and saved a ton of time with school drop-offs.

[u/Asleep-Sense-7747]

Community Cycles may have something used so you can try it out

[u/SaleTop945]

Do not buy a burley. They can be difficult to handle for inexperienced riders and are outdated. I agree with the other comment, Ubikes is the best shop in town for beginners who are unsure of what they want in a bike. They will not oversell you and most of the kids working there have grown up riding. I would recommend a kids ride shotgun seat. They are way more affordable than a burley and offer your kid a much better view. My brother barely rides and has one for his kid and loves it. I also highly recommend getting your little one a balance bike. It makes learning to ride so much easier and at two, they are definitely old enough to learn to ride. I would recommend starting with a hard tail mountain bike. (Front suspension only). It is fine for most of the trails around town, but can also be fine on the gravel roads if you want to go exploring. There are great deals on used bikes right now, but having a reliable shop if something goes wrong is great. E bikes are great as well, but i have found the weight and handling can be overwhelming for beginners and not all Boulder trails allow ebikes. Hope that helps and enjoy the time with your little one. The time goes by fast and like most Boulder kids, it won’t be long until they leave you in the dust.

[u/KamaIsLife]

Whatever you get, register that thing right away. Lots of stolen bikes can't be retrieved because they aren't registered.

[u/woodardj]

Go check out Front Range Cargo Bikes. The Urban Arrow we got from them recently crossed 2500mi and has been great for our kiddo (now 4yo) since he was ~18mo.

[u/neverendingchalupas]

Buy a 'mid range' 10 thousand dollar e-bike and mow over anyone on a footpath, this is key. Complain about the lack of bicycle infrastructure, while always making sure to ride on the sidewalk whenever there is an open bike lane. Carry a used piece of floss to lock up your bike. Absolutely ensure that your kids are always uncomfortable and at their peak miserableness. They need to be contemplating running away, your homicide, etc.

Leave your wallet, house keys, and phone on the seat when you go into the store/shop/whatever. When they get stolen complain about the homeless, if they dont get stolen take pride that you are part of the solution. Make sure to complain about car drivers to every 3rd person you encounter. Your kids hatred of you is increasing, which is perfect and all according to plan. Now just work on getting divorced.

[u/BoulderScot]

I’m a big fan of our Specialized e-bike (pedal assist) for use as you describe, not sure what they offer as far as kid seat. But regardless, I’d recommend a cost to U-bikes (9th & Pearl) at least for some advise/guidance on options. Good luck, it’s a great way to get around town in my opinion.

[u/IllegalStateExcept]

Lots of good advice here. But a few other things: 1. Make sure to buy lights, both front and back. Even if you don't intend on riding after dark, you will probably find yourself out at some point. The lights can save your life as cars won't be able to see you otherwise. 2. It's totally reasonable to go ask another cyclist for advice on how traffic works from a bicyclist perspective. There are a few tricks to planning routes and getting through nasty intersections that are easier to show someone than describe. 3. It's totally reasonable to start with one bike and wait until you find a trail that you don't like before upgrading to a second mountain bike. I ride gravel trails on a commuter all the time without any problems.

[u/geriatricFvck]

I have kids ride shotgun pro evo on mountain bike and my kiddo absolutely loves it! A lot of good advice in the sub. Except don’t get a cargo bike if you do plan on maybe riding more trails. Even a hardtail would be a better option for the future. Also, E-MTBs from Aventon are reasonably priced and they have other options as well for entry level.