Buying a new bike?

About a month ago i bought a new bike from one of the bike shop in town here.  It was the Jamis Commuter 3 with a Shimano Nexus 7 speed internal, 700c tires, and chocolate brown.  I liked how it looked, and i think that's what attracted me to it.  Don't get me wrong it rode nice to, but internal gearing is different then external geared bikes.  With external geared bikes you have more gearing range then internal does.  I had to trade the Jamis in for something different, it was killing my knees, plus i need something that goes off road as well.  I didn't think everything over before i bought my bike; What terrain am i going to be riding over, what conditions, what size tire do i want/need, and is it the overall right bike for me. 

1. What terrain are you riding over;
1. Road
2. dirt
3. sand
4. ???
2. What conditions are you going to be riding in:
1. Is it mostly dry
2. wet ( are you going to need disc brakes?)
3. snow
4. or are you riding all year 'round?
3. What size tire are you needing or wanting?
1. 24"
2. 26"
3. 27"
4. 700c
5. 29"
4. Is the bike right for me overall, or am i buying it just for one thing?

What Terrain?

If you are riding on only the road back and forth to work or school, i would recommend getting a road bike. With a road bike they have skinnier tires and a bit smoother so that it has less drag then say knobby tires.  If you are doing just sand and dirt, a mountain bike will do you just fine, but if you are going to be riding on both road and dirt, i would recommend getting a newer mountain bike with urban style tires.  The mtn bike will have wider tires for going off road, but you can also pump up the tires to be road worthy and still feel like a road bike.

What conditions are you riding on?

If your riding on mostly dry surfaces and conditions, regular cantilever brakes will work just fine for you, but if you are going to be riding in the rain, snow, or anything else, i would recommend getting a bike equip with disc brakes.  Disc brakes are in my opinion easier to work on, and also the brake pads hit on the disc rather than the rim which will have mud, dirt, water, ice, etc...  the disc will not as much, and you'll have better braking power as well.

What size tire is right for you?

The bigger the tire the more tread area hits the road.  26" vs. 29ers:  A 26" tire will have an inch or two or area on the ground, and a 29er will have more like two to three inches or tire area hitting the ground (all depends on amount of PSI pressure that you have in the tire at the time).

Is the bike right for you?

Or are you buying it just cause it looks pretty.  If that's why your buying the bike, then don't do it, unless you wanna have it as a garage ornament cause that's all it will end up being after a few times of riding.  When you buy a bike keep all the info mentioned above in mind, but also keep in mind that you need to feel comfortable on the bike.  If you don't like how it rides, gears, seat height etc...  When your buying a bike from a bike shop they will go over this with you and make sure you like the bike.  If they don't, don't buy from them.  Also Walmart, Target, Kmart, or any other big box store will not help you with saddle sizing, frame size, whether or not you are comfortable on the bike or not.  Their goal is to sell, sell, sell...    If you can't afford to buy a bike from bike shop, go to a bike shop and have them help you get sized for a bike so you know what kind of bike you can fit onto, then from there you can pick which one is comfortable to you.

When you buy a bike, a lot goes into consideration before you roll out onto the trails.  Just be careful before you buy.  Don't regret you buy like i did.

Keep on Biking....