Your first Bike
Its always exciting for anyone who is buying their first bicycle, bear in mind that your 4 wheeler and the bike that you have used to cycle to school is not anywhere near to what a real mountain bike can do. As buying a bicycle can be a big investment for most of us, I have outlined a simple buying guide to assist you in making the right decision. Moreover, cycling is something that is considered rather elite and not many actually have enough knowledge, therefore a lot of sellers would try to get the best deal out of beginners.
By following this guide, I hope that incidents of beginners getting cheated could be minimized.
Rule #1 : Decide first the type of bike that interests you and its usage
There are many different types of bikes. There are road bikes which ranges from road bike racing, urban bicycles and cycloscross racing. While mountain bikes are also not short of categories, there are down hill bikes( DH) cross country (XC), Free ride and Dirt Jump mountain bikes. All bicycles on sale are made specifically for its intended purpose. The design geometry and components are engineered to suit the biking style of the purchaser. So, before you make a decision find out what your real interest is and then start searching. Don't simply follow the Bicycle sellers advice as they might convince you to buy a bike which does not suit your needs.
Rule #2 : Visit more than one shop
Different shops always have different offers and different pricing style, sometimes a seller marks up the price really high just to provide the impression that he or she is willing to give a huge discount. Don't be tempted by the discount alone, go and visit several shops and find out the offering price so that you could calculate an average price that is reasonable.
Rule #3 : Dont Rush
It is important that you don't rush into the first store that you see and be convinced immediately that the seller is offering you a good deal. Its important that you sleep over it before making a decision to purchase. Take your time, it always pays to wait.
Rule #4 : Bring a more experienced friend
As mountain bikers enjoy sharing advice with everyone, they might sometimes be useful. When you intend to make a purchase it is best to bring an experienced cyclist to the shop with you. Your friend will be able to ensure that you get the right specs and that you wont get cheated. You could also log on to forums online to gain more information about a particular bike that you want.
Rule #5 : Conduct research
Major bicycle brands like Scott, Kona, Bianchi, Giant, Merida and etc all have website, look if the product that you actually see is the latest model. Look at the specifications as well, if possible print out the list of specifications and compare it to the unit that the shop is selling. This is to avoid from being shortchanged.
Another way is also to search the model that interests you in forums like www.mtbr.com for reviews, sometimes there would be official reviews and most of the times other users would provide their review. This would assist you in making the right purchase.
Another way of using internet research is to find the right price, Log on to bicyclebuysell.com to find out the price of the bike that you are interested in, you could also google the model number and find out the price of the bike overseas. Usually the price of the bike overseas and here would be somewhat similar.
Rule #6 : Set a budget and stick to it
Before you scout around for a bike that fits you, always set a budget. This would make it easier for you to decide on what bike to choose. If you walk in to a shop without setting a limit, making the decision would be very tricky as you would be spoilt for choice. This is true especially when you don't really know what you need and the knowledge that you have is minimal. The lack of knowledge might lead you into making a decision solely based on aesthetics, bear in mind that bicycle manufacturers on purpose make the expensive bikes more appealing. Well, its marketing.
Rule #7 : Expensive components would not offset lack of skills
If you have read rule #6 walk in to a store and look for bicycles that are within your budget. Most of the time you will be tempted to add in more money to get better specification. If you walk in to a shop with a budget of $3000, stick to it. Sometimes you would see a bike with Shimano Deore XT instead of a Deore, or 9 gears instead of 8 gears, or hydraulic disk brakes instead of normal disc brakes, all for only and additional $250. At the end the bike that you've purchased would cost you $4000. Bear in mind that you are only a beginner, why jump directly to 9 gears if you haven't experienced 8 gears, why get a soft tail if you haven't experienced a hard tail. After all, you can always come back and upgrade if your tired with your components. Besides when you're finally ready to purchase a better bike, you are going to enjoy all the extras and improvements even more. Bottom line is, you are a beginner, face it.
Rule #8: Buy at the right time
The bicycle market is constantly updated with newer products annually, the best time to buy bicycles is between November and February, this is because sellers would normally try to get rid of old bicycles. If you happen to find last years model in the middle of the year, this might be a great opportunity for a huge discount, if the seller does not budge, than just walk off as he is simply not worth it. The difference between a 2009 and 2010 model is often minimal, they may also be cosmetic at times. As beginners you would not feel much difference.
Rule #9 : Bargain
Most shops would always hide the real price. As this hobby is rather new in Malaysia as well as other countries, sellers practice price discrimination. Try to bargain as much as possible. If you are still not pleased with the price you can also try to cramp in some freebies. Freebies can range from helmets, lights, bottles and bike stands. Its often that sellers would not decrease their price but would rather offer freebies.
Rule #10 : Always be prepared to walk away
If you feel that the sellers offer is not pleasing enough, or you are not getting a reasonable deal, always be prepared to use your most powerful tool, "the walk away" trick. After all, nobody is forcing you to rush the first purchase. Besides, "the walkaway" is a trick, it may work in your favor. If all else fails, there are tons of other shops that might offer you a better deal.
Happy Shopping !!
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