i want to buy a bike and need your help

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hi,
im from new zealand,
i catch the bus to work,
its about 12km away.
i want to bike to work,
but i dont want a road bike, (even tho its a road trip)
because i want to ride up and down ditches, stairs, maybe do some ollies,
take the bike up and down hills, dirt hills etc.
i want an all purpose bike, with front and back suspension,

but at the same time i dont want a bike with lots of gears, who needs 24 gears? why do bikes have 24 gears? to me thats too many options, too much little bits of metal piecies working and turning, cant i have a bike with 3 maybe 4 maybe 5 gears? and not 2 x 2, or 3 x 2, im talking 3 x 1, or 4 x 1, or 5 x 1,

do they make good bikes that have 7 gears? 3 gears? 6 gears? 5 gears?

please help me :), ill be buying my bike off

www.trademe.co.nz (http://www.trademe.co.nz) OR a bike shop in nz, if any1 can direct me to a specific model... MUCH APPRECIATED :)

Your best option then would be to buy a bike with hub gear. These typically have 3-8 speeds.

Your best option then would be to buy a bike with hub gear. These typically have 3-8 speeds.
whats hub gear?
ive just had a conversation with my dad, who has just been to a bike shop, and he has been told by this guy, that it has to be a road bike for this jounrey, where i live to wellington,

now im wondering about road bikes, can they ride down steps? just 1 or steps? how strong r they?? i mean, i know moutain bikes can fly down steps. but road bikes? how strong r they?

A Flat Bar Road Bike will suit you, look at the Avanti Blade range. :cool:

Time to loose the school boy riding habits
If you can work as a man then ride a bike as one. ;)

A Flat Bar Road Bike will suit you, look at the Avanti Blade range. :cool:

Time to loose the school boy riding habits
If you can work as a man then ride a bike as one. ;)
yeah i just bought a road bike from avanti just now without reading ya reply, then i biked home from the hutt to petone, tired. lol, i plan to bike to welly tommorrow. i work in thorndon so its nice and close... lol

yeah i just bought a road bike from avanti just now without reading ya reply, then i biked home from the hutt to petone, tired. lol, i plan to bike to welly tommorrow. i work in thorndon so its nice and close... lol
What did you get?