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June 19, 2009 11:49 p.m. JohnGalt Reader

I know we have some members who bike so a need some one to help me out with a little advice. Next semester i am moving to an apartment about a mile away from campus and am planing on getting a bicycle to ride to and from school a few days out of the week. The problem is that i haven't bought a bike since i was 12. Can anyone give me some recommendations. Doubt i will be able to afford any featherweight super antigrav carbon fiber wunder bike. Just something that is reasonably decent and will last.

Any models/brands i should look for? Used is good too.

I just know nothing about bicycles.
June 20, 2009 12:46 a.m. skierd Dork

For a mile, just about anything will do. Check out craigslist for local deals, Treks are always good bikes, but basically make it cheap enough that you won't care if/when someone steals it, it breaks, etc.

Hell, for a mile or less just walk.
June 20, 2009 1:57 a.m. wherethefmi Dork

Or run, should take about 6 mins that way. But yeah for a mile or less, anything should do. One thing to think about if you plan on getting serious about biking is make sure the bike fits you. Wally world should have some super cheap bikes that will be brand new. Free is also good, try to see if there's a local freecycle where you are at.
June 20, 2009 12:53 p.m. JohnGalt Reader

Well i am not apposed to walking however i am sort of looking for a new hobby as well and this is as good an excuse as any. I would like something a little more akin to a mountain bike. Something that can handle mud rocks dirt and the occasional jump.
June 20, 2009 3:07 p.m. billy3esq Dork

While it's true that almost anything will work for your application, my advice if you have any intention about getting into biking semi-seriously is to go to a bike shop. If you're new to biking, the help will be well worth it. My opinion is that the price difference between a Wal-Mart bike and an entry-level bike shop bike is not worth the difference in quality and the chance of ending up with a bike that isn't right for what you intend to use it for.

Not everything bike shops sell is 5-figure carbon and unobtainium. An entry level bike should be around $300.

That said, not everyone at a bike shop is all that helpful. They should ask you a lot of questions about you and your intended use before they recommend anything. If they don't, or can't explain why you need X instead of Y, find another bike shop.

While you can find deals on used bikes, you have to either know what you're looking at or have a friend who does to keep from paying too much for someone else's junk. I know a bit about bicycles (raced BMX as a kid and have ridden off and on for the last 15 years) and don't consider myself expert enough to buy a used bike without help.

Full Disclosure: I just dropped my 15-yo hybrid off at the shop for a new chain, front shifter rebuild, and general tune up. It's been sitting for about 5 years, and I'm going to start riding again.
June 20, 2009 8:49 p.m. stuart in mn Dork

When I was in school, the important thing about the bike you commuted on is that it needed to be as cheap and nasty as possible so that it wouldn't get stolen. It's okay to have a nice bike too, but don't leave it alone on campus.
June 20, 2009 9:15 p.m. JohnGalt Reader

You make a real good point, theft was bad at the last school i went to and i doubt this one will be much better (what ever i get might get hit with a coat of flat black Krylon). It looks like i need to check out a bike shop and figure out what size bike i need and start reading more on the interwebs.
June 21, 2009 4:35 a.m. ignorant SuperDork

craigslist is your friend...

Make sure the bike fits you, and get whatever is used, cheap, in good shape, and a major brand. Then take it to a shop for a $50 tune up and once over..
June 21, 2009 6:30 p.m. billy3esq Dork

ignorant wrote:

craigslist is your friend...

Then take it to a shop for a $50 tune up and once over..

If you're going to get a used bike, the bike shop tune up is worth every penny, although the going rate around here is more like $70.
June 21, 2009 7:34 p.m. ManofFewWords Reader

Buy a cheap mtn bike/ hybrid off craigslist. A basic tune can be done with simple tools, I have never brought a bike in for a $70 tuneup. If its going to get wet and possibly stolen, you don't want anything too fancy. Once you get your feet wet with elcheapo you can start looking into a nicer ride. FWIW, both of my sons are nationally ranked BMX racers, my garage has about 15 bikes at any one time lol..
June 21, 2009 9:39 p.m. foxtrapper SuperDork

New bikes are so cheap at Target and the like that I don't understand how bike shops stay in business. $100 for a spiffy mountain bike with front and rear shocks? $70 if you don't want shocks, $40 when it's on sale.
June 22, 2009 2:59 p.m. pinchvalve SuperDork

+1 to that!
June 22, 2009 3:04 p.m. ClemSparks SuperDork

ignorant wrote:

craigslist is your friend...

Make sure the bike fits you, and get whatever is used, cheap, in good shape, and a major brand. Then take it to a shop for a $50 tune up and once over..

This is your least expensive route to a quality bike. I had a friend just the other day looking at my old hand-me-down hybrid (while we were riding side by side on a 75 mile two-day party ride) and said, "If people only knew they could buy a quality used bike for the same price as a new bike from walmart but the quality of the older used bike is so much better..."

A mile is not a long commute, you can use any style of bike you want (roadbike, hybrid, mountain bike, etc).

Go to the bike shop and get some pointers on sizing and how to select. See what you can find used. Then support the local shop for upkeep if you go the used route.

A walmart cheap bike will never be anything else. It can work for a while, but they're disposable.

Clem
June 22, 2009 3:06 p.m. ClemSparks SuperDork

foxtrapper wrote:

New bikes are so cheap at Target and the like that I don't understand how bike shops stay in business. $100 for a spiffy mountain bike with front and rear shocks? $70 if you don't want shocks, $40 when it's on sale.

-1...see post above. Spiffy is relative, I guess.

I'm really not that much of a bike nut...but I've seen what's at the department stores. They put "Department Store Bikes" in a class of their own for a reason.

Clem
June 22, 2009 3:14 p.m. Tim Baxter Online Editor

To me, the two biggest factors are size and weight. You need a bike that's the right size for you (that's where a bike shop can really help you out). From there, buy the lightest you can find for whatever you're willing to spend.

Walmart/Target bikes are usually junk. Really heavy, no fun to ride, and things tend to go out of adjustment on them more (cheap components).

Around campus, you don't want something noticeable. If you get a smoking deal on a cool brand-name bike, you're a target for thieves. If you have a brand that's less common or debadge it, you'll be much better off.
June 22, 2009 4:07 p.m. ManofFewWords Reader

I personally would get a bmx bike. simplicity and durability ftw
June 22, 2009 4:58 p.m. Jensenman SuperDork

I bought two Pacific brand 'mountain bikes' (at least they look the part) for $150 each at Wally World a few years back. Shimano deraulliers, twist grip shifters, aluminum rims, aluminum frames, no shocks. They have been great. Now they have similar bikes for less than $100.00. I'd go that route for something that might get stolen/vandalized.
June 22, 2009 5:12 p.m. 2002acr New Reader

If you go to Wally World or any other Dept. store, stay away from rear suspension & disc brakes. Spend about $150 to $180 and you'll get a decent bike. Otherwise buy a used mountain bike and put easy rolling tires on it. Or buy a used hybrid. Check pawn shops, too.
June 22, 2009 7:41 p.m. JohnGalt Reader

Thanks for the tips guys, but what do you mean hybrid? Is that a cross between a mountain and road bike or something?
June 22, 2009 8:50 p.m. Luke Dork

JohnGalt wrote:

Thanks for the tips guys, but what do you mean hybrid? Is that a cross between a mountain and road bike or something?

Yes.

Wikipedia says: "the hybrid takes design features from both the road bike and mountain bike, with the goal of making a bike for general commuting and transportation."
June 23, 2009 8:41 a.m. CrackMonkey HalfDork
JohnGalt wrote:

Thanks for the tips guys, but what do you mean hybrid? Is that a cross between a mountain and road bike or something?

Yup.

Adult bikes (not including BMX, even though some adults to ride them) come in three basic styles, and within those three there are many sub-styles.
- Road bike = drop bars, lightweight (~20 lbs), narrow tires (less than 1 inch), for smooth paved riding
- Mountain bikes = flat bars, far tires (more than 1.9 inch). For off-road riding.
- Hybrids = flat bars, usually wide road tires (1-2 inch), usually the most upright seating of the three.
With hybrids, you have bikes that are more designed for city/urban use, bikes that are designed to be almost as fast as a proper road bike, and some of the quicker "cruiser" bikes are very hybrid-like these days.

Hybrids usually have the lowest entry price (for bike shop bikes, the WallyWorld mountain bike is probably overall less expensive). Somewhere in the $300-$400 range and up to $1500 or so. Mountain bikes are going to start around $400 and go up to whatever you want to spend. Road bikes tend to start around $500 and go up as high as you can imagine.
June 23, 2009 10:05 a.m. MadScientistMatt HalfDork

foxtrapper wrote:

New bikes are so cheap at Target and the like that I don't understand how bike shops stay in business. $100 for a spiffy mountain bike with front and rear shocks? $70 if you don't want shocks, $40 when it's on sale.

I've picked up an entry level "bike shop" bike, a Giant Boulder, and the difference between it and a department store bike are visible, but subtle, if you look at them side by side. The Giant has beefier wheel bearings, the adjusters at the top of its shock are real while many of the department store bikes have fake adjusters, and while the hardware is often the same brand (Shimano), it's a higher end line than what the cheap bikes get. It's not a huge difference on pavement, but stands up a lot better off road. Kind of like the difference between a set of Harbor Freight wrenches and Snap-On wrenches.

And from what I've heard, the difference between full suspension bikes when you compare department store and bike store bikes is a lot bigger (mine's a hardtail). A lot of department store bikes have rear suspensions that soak up more of your pedaling effort and have worse geometry.

If you want something serious, plan on spending around $300-$500 at a bike shop, or a good bit less on a used but still serious bike.
June 23, 2009 10:46 a.m. CrackMonkey HalfDork

The suspension on ANY department store bike is going to be junk and weigh a ton. Don't even bother. If you end up with a dept store bike, get a hardtail w/ rigid fork.
June 23, 2009 1:36 p.m. billy3esq Dork

billy3esq wrote:

ignorant wrote:

craigslist is your friend...

Then take it to a shop for a $50 tune up and once over..

If you're going to get a used bike, the bike shop tune up is worth every penny, although the going rate around here is more like $70.

Update: I picked my bike up yesterday and they charged me $65 to replace the chain, rebuild the front shifter, true the rear wheel, and clean, lubricate, and adjust everything.

My wife's bike, which needed everything but the chain was about $50.

They quoted me $70 for each, so I'm a happy camper.

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