>>2307608okay so here's a few thoughts on how to go /ou/ with your bike. especially how to get into it.
so for this to work you need a bike and honestly any bike is fine to get you started, but you should take a few minutes to look into how to set it up so it fits well.
don't overcomplicate it and just make adjustments as you go but keep this in mind: a bike is not an office chair. your not supposed to sit upright with your knees bent. that doesn't mean riding a bike has to be uncomfortable, but again, a saddle is not a chair.
if you need a bike, I'd say get a sick ass 90s steel mtb. high end stuff that people used to drop serious money on can be had for very very little or sometimes even for free. you'll probably end up with a double butted cromo frame and some very old but reliable and once high quality components.
I'm personally a fan of old diamond backs or GT all terras but there are a lot of good bikes out there. If you check one out looking at the crank and shifter/ derailleur will give you a good estimation. your trying to score something with a shimano stx, lx or xt group.
once you've bought one you basically now own a bike for the rest of your life.
I tend to go for big frame sizes. these old performance mtbs run a bit long for casual touring and exploring so you probably want to put a bar on a riserbar or something that sweeps back. when picking a new bar, keep the clamping diameter in mind.
apart from that, I'd advise to slap on a new saddle and some new paddles and barends.
I also like to slap a pair of 2.2 xc tires on there. continental race kings can be had really cheap and they've never let me down.
as for saddles
>>2308199this guy knows whats up. but they are expansive and need some care.
I usually recommend a knock off specialized power saddle from aliexpress, or if you're ready to spend some money, get a brooks cambrium carved. those are the tits for long hours in the bike without the drawbacks that brooks saddles usually have.
