Cheap Bikes

[Jason Borzych]

Thanks guys great info seems like there is a huge consensus and craigslist looks like its going to be my spot.

[Matt DeMinico]

yeah just look on craigslist, and if you've got a local cycling club in your area (there may actually be some from our sports club, Wolverine Sports Club), ask the cycling club members if they've got an old complete road bike for sale in the $100 - $200 range. Or if you want to find it yourself, I'd find a person or two in the cycling club that you could ask questions about bikes you find on craigslist.

[Duane Bennett]

Not sure exactly what you are looking for (mountain, road, singlespeed, etc.), but I have a Cannondale Bad Boy that might interest you. Cannondale markets it as an urban assault bike. Aluminum frame, flat handle bars, black matte paint with kind of gothic details, no suspension so little maintenance. I bought it new in 2005 for $700, but got another bike in 2006, so the Cannondale hasn't seen as much use lately. I'm in Grayslake so getting it to you would be easy.

If this doesn't interest you I would recommend looking into a single speed. The Chicago area has few hills to worry about, so gears aren't a necessity, and the single speed means less maintenance. One example is a Schwinn Madison (around $500 with a retro look). Also, I think Uptown Cycles in the city usually has a good supply of used bikes and single speeds.

[Frank Cheatham]

A few things to consider.
Sizing and usage.
Do you plan on riding on a paved surface or off road.
For sizing go to a bike shop and get fitted. Find frame size that's correct for you.
With that information Craigslist is a great place to start looking.
Often there isn't much price difference between a good used item and a poor new one.
As mentioned by a previous post, go to a bike shop and have it checked out and tuned.
Lastly, but most important, wear a helmet!!!

[Chris MacFarlane]

Originally Posted by Jason Borzych

Hey guys quick question.
If all I am doing is riding a bike on the street for a workout is there anything wrong with the $50-150 bike at wal-mart what do i really gain as I go up in price into the hundreds to thousands of dollar price range. Will the wal-mart bike fall apart. I understand you get what you pay for, but do you think I need to pay a lot or will one of these suit me fine

One thing to do is go visit a couple of bike shop and ask questions about bikes. Do the reseach and educating yourself while looking at Craigslist. It's like buying a used car, if you don't educate yourself you can get screwed over.

[Joseph Brown]

Im glad I searched for this before asking. I am thinking of getting a bike and had some of the same questions. I did check some local sports stores, ebay and craigslist. I dont know a thing about bikes, but for some reason, I keep coming back to the "Specialized" brand. reading the reviews online, most say they are built really tough. I know durability is a feature that I want, because, I dont know what I am doing, thus, I will probably be hard on it. I plant to ride roads and trials.
I plan to visit a bike shop this week to get sized properly.
Anyone know anything about/have any reviews on Specialized brand bikes-"Hardrock Sport" or "Stumpjumper"???
Any other reviews, advice, recommendations are requested.

Thanks!
JB

[Paul Findley]

Reviews: MTBR.COM safe

[Jared Ashley]

Originally Posted by Jason Borzych

Thanks guys great info seems like there is a huge consensus and craigslist looks like its going to be my spot.

That's a great option if you know a bit about what you're looking for.

If you're willing to spend a bit more ($200-$300), I've seen good deals if you go to a bike store and buy the least expensive or the 2nd least expensive bike they offer... they won't be as cheap as walmart, but the techs will know how to set them up and will help maintain it, plus they are way less likley to sell you something that's just junk.

Another option is www.bikesdirect.com. I got the Motobecane 300HT, and it's been great... no, it's not built like a tank and it doesn't weight 15 lbs, but I got for $270 what I couldn't find anywhere else for less than $500, and I didn't have to deal with the "used" factor of craigslist/ebay.

[Leonid Soubbotine]

I figured I'd ask here since you guys know bikes.

I'm 6'3 and looking to get a simple mountain bike to ride from home to work (a 15-20 min ride both on and off road - plus I love the offroad).

Is 29'er a good thing to get or is it overhyped and 22-23" inch frame with 26" wheels would work just fine? I like the Single Speed idea (rode that all my life as kid - fixed gears and like a ton better) -would it be expensive to convert?

[Paul Findley]

In the last 3 months, I have become a "bike mechanic". Here is my latest project. Its a 1984 Schwinn High Sierra "mountain bike" their first attempt. I am 6'2" and this frame is perfect. I got it for free from a friend and put in about $200 in parts. I am not a pro mechanic, but if you have any "dumb" questions, I may have just asked/answered them for myself. PM me for my email address if you want to chat about it.