As a recent shopper of bicycles myself ( https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...-my-journey-into-indiana-mountain-biking.html ), here is my noob opinion on the matter.
A $250 Performance Bicycle gift card isn't anything to sneer at, but it's not enough IMO to sway you into a bike purchase there. The $250 could quickly and easily be spent on ancillary gear. The "issue" I have with PB is that they didn't carry what I felt were the bigger/better brands of bicycles. I also wasn't impressed with their sales staff or business model.
You could explain to the wife that they simply don't carry Brand X that is a better value, so you went to another shop that carried Brand X and then spent your gift card on gear. Of course all this is moot if your budget is tight. But I'm with gregkl that skimping on the bike is less-than-ideal.
As for bike style, you may be disappointed in a "jack of all trades". It'll end up sucking at everything. Keep in mind that a MTB can be pressed into service on the road with minimal effort, while a road bike will never be trail capable. An entry-level 29er MTB with an extra set of slick tires might be the way to go in terms of versatility.
The best piece of advice that I got when looking was to try, try, try everything. Test ride every bike you're interested in, regardless of brand. Fit should be your #1 priority. From there you can then consider things like component quality, warranty, etc. The cure for paralysis by analysis is test riding.
As your search continues, I'll say I've been very impressed with the staff at Gray Goat Sports at 135/Stop11. They've been more than helpful, even after my initial purchase. And their 5-years of free tune-ups is awesome for someone who would rather ride than wrench.
A $250 Performance Bicycle gift card isn't anything to sneer at, but it's not enough IMO to sway you into a bike purchase there. The $250 could quickly and easily be spent on ancillary gear. The "issue" I have with PB is that they didn't carry what I felt were the bigger/better brands of bicycles. I also wasn't impressed with their sales staff or business model.
You could explain to the wife that they simply don't carry Brand X that is a better value, so you went to another shop that carried Brand X and then spent your gift card on gear. Of course all this is moot if your budget is tight. But I'm with gregkl that skimping on the bike is less-than-ideal.
As for bike style, you may be disappointed in a "jack of all trades". It'll end up sucking at everything. Keep in mind that a MTB can be pressed into service on the road with minimal effort, while a road bike will never be trail capable. An entry-level 29er MTB with an extra set of slick tires might be the way to go in terms of versatility.
The best piece of advice that I got when looking was to try, try, try everything. Test ride every bike you're interested in, regardless of brand. Fit should be your #1 priority. From there you can then consider things like component quality, warranty, etc. The cure for paralysis by analysis is test riding.
As your search continues, I'll say I've been very impressed with the staff at Gray Goat Sports at 135/Stop11. They've been more than helpful, even after my initial purchase. And their 5-years of free tune-ups is awesome for someone who would rather ride than wrench.
