Buying a bicycle

Garage sale season is beginning in Ohio. If you don't mind buying something from the 90's to early 2000's, and have the time to run around to a bunch of sales on Friday and Saturday mornings, you may be able to score a brand name bike for under $50. I picked up an old Specialized (I think, can't remember the brand for certain and its in my shed) mountain bike that needed a bit of work for $25 a few years back

THIS (or something similar) is what you should be looking for:

http://www.target.com/p/forge-breva-men-s-fitness-28-bike/-/A-16448087#prodSlot=medium_1_2&term=forge

Target will occasionally have 30% off sales on this. The mountain bike is a Giant Rincon...or it used to be.

Please don't buy a bike from Target. At least Bikes Direct bikes come in sizes.

That frame may have been a Rincon 10 years ago, but the drivertrain, bars, wheels, and every component on it are cheap plastic crap. I'm not saying you can't ride it around the block, but I bet you can't do it for long. And 7 speeds? really'

SEADave wrote: Please don't buy a bike from Target. At least Bikes Direct bikes come in sizes.

True, you wouldn't want to buy the target bike if it wasn't your size.

ultraclyde wrote: That frame may have been a Rincon 10 years ago, but the drivertrain, bars, wheels, and every component on it are cheap plastic crap. I'm not saying you can't ride it around the block, but I bet you can't do it for long. And 7 speeds? really'

Did you click the link? It's for a hybrid, not the ex-Rincon. It's a 21 speed bike...not sure where you got 7. All the components are better than the bikes direct bike posted above.

As for the Forge 5xx (ex rincon) it's pretty highly recommended on the mountain bike forums. I've taken it on plenty of trails and it's been great. Deore shifters, disc brakes, WTB wheels. You can get them on sale for under $250.

http://forgebikes.com/mountain-bike-sawback-5xx.php

Enyar wrote: Did you click the link? It's for a hybrid, not the ex-Rincon. It's a 21 speed bike...not sure where you got 7.

Its a 7 speed rear.

right, a 7 speed bike. No one except department store employees refers to a bike by how many total gear combinations it has. Component manufacturers and repair places will always refer to a drive train as 7,8,9,10, or now 11 speed - the number of cogs on the rear cassette. That cassette could be on a bike with 1, 2, or 3 front chainrings to give a wide number of possible combinations, but it's still a 7 speed drivetrain to the people that make it.

I did click the link. I was trying to be generous in allowing that frame might have had some value in the past. I thought you were saying that link was the rebranded Rincon, my mistake. Hybrid or not, I stand by the statement that nearly every component fitted to that bike is massively subpar. If you want a disposable bike shaped object, that one's fine. I don't have any problem with cheap bikes, or no-name bikes, or department store bikes - if they're not utter crap. There are plenty of them that are fine, and perhaps the 5XX whatever falls into that category, but you didn't link it.

ultraclyde wrote: right, a 7 speed bike. No one except department store employees refers to a bike by how many total gear combinations it has. Component manufacturers and repair places will always refer to a drive train as 7,8,9,10, or now 11 speed - the number of cogs on the rear cassette. That cassette could be on a bike with 1, 2, or 3 front chainrings to give a wide number of possible combinations, but it's still a 7 speed drivetrain to the people that make it. I did click the link. I was trying to be generous in allowing that frame might have had some value in the past. I thought you were saying that link was the rebranded Rincon, my mistake. Hybrid or not, I stand by the statement that nearly every component fitted to that bike is massively subpar. If you want a disposable bike shaped object, that one's fine. I don't have any problem with cheap bikes, or no-name bikes, or department store bikes - if they're not utter crap. There are plenty of them that are fine, and perhaps the 5XX whatever falls into that category, but you didn't link it.

Gotcha. Maybe it's just me but I don't expect carbon everything and 11 speeds for $250. My bike was $1250 msrp new with 8 speeds and I'm constantly wishing it had LESS.

The components on the hybrid are sub par or the components on the mountain bike are sub par?The OP is looking for a sidewalk cruiser for ~$200 and if you think the Forge bike I linked won't be more than adequate you're a bike snob...plain and simple. It's almost identical to the Giant Escape 3 with the same or better components for $100 cheaper. If you notice the Forge also has Giant's proprietary ALUXX frame construction....which further strengthens the face that it's a rebranded Giant.

I normally agree with you for the department store bikes but this is not the same as the others.