Which bike to buy?

ebykowsky

ebykowsky

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I'm looking to get a new bike and figured a pilot forum would be a great place to ask about it. I'm looking for something around $500 for getting around campus that will last me at least 5 years. I like the idea of going off road and having the abilities of a mountain bike, but since this is not a primary use of the bike, I don't want to sacrifice too much street/city performance for off road ability. Any suggestions?
 
Henning said:
Craigslist, buy the cheapest bike you can find.
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I did that for the one I own now. $75 and I've put in around another 50. Served me well for a year (did a 20mi round trip to the airport in it that saved me $60) but the thing is broken all over, its brakes don't work, and its rear tire is toast. The fix itself would cost more than I paid... time to move up.
 
Brand of the bike makes less difference than the fit of the bike. A bike that fits YOU will last you longer than a mis-fit bike with a big name brand on it because you will actually ride it and keep it maintained.

With that said, all bikes are not created equal. There are workmanship issues with the Wal-Mart and other big-box store brands that no amount of upkeep can resolve.

I would suggest heading to a local bike shop and see what they have. If you're in a college town, I'm sure there are a few selections in the area. Trek, Specialized, Felt, Giant.. They're all good and most of the big brands have an 'entry level' of bike that is much higher quality than the Wal-Mart brands, but still won't break the bank.
 
I would still go for a used Craigslist special, but get a more decent bike. Don't go high end, just get a basic steel framed mountain bike from some reputable MFG like Trek or Diamondback, something in the $150 - $200 range and invest $80 in a tune up at your local bike shop.
 
I have a Trek hybrid bike that is a low-middle end cost bike, right in your price range. It's held up very well to a good number of miles/years and abuse. Not a lot of off-road miles, but it handles urban potholes quite well. About equivalent to what is now the Trek Verve series.
 
Heading down to another bike store right now, will see what they say.
BTW, I do like Treks.
 
I brought a $500 mountain bike to NCSU my freshman year and it was promptly stolen. They broke a pretty good lock to get at it. Buy a cheap bike.
 
Most of the price difference among models of bike from the same maker has to do with the quality of the accessories-- the brakes, the seat, the derailers, the wheels, hubs, etc. That is what you are paying for as you go up in price point. They (the bike manufacturer) get a good discount (from the parts suppliers) because they buy in bulk. So, it does not make sense to buy a lower model with the idea that you will upgrade. Consequently, buy the bike equiped the way that you want.
 
dell30rb said:
I brought a $500 mountain bike to NCSU my freshman year and it was promptly stolen. They broke a pretty good lock to get at it. Buy a cheap bike.
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Yeah. I rode a 70's vintage Schwinn ten speed. It was built like a tank. Rode like a tank. Nobody would steal it, and if even if someone were so inclined, they could be caught on foot.
 
CJones said:
I would suggest heading to a local bike shop and see what they have. If you're in a college town, I'm sure there are a few selections in the area. Trek, Specialized, Felt, Giant.. They're all good and most of the big brands have an 'entry level' of bike that is much higher quality than the Wal-Mart brands, but still won't break the bank.
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^^^^^ This.
 
Got a KHS Elite 150 for $100 off list. Like the fact that its a mountain bike and should support my weight well. Overall, I'm pretty pleased so far.
 
ebykowsky said:
I'm looking to get a new bike and figured a pilot forum would be a great place to ask about it. I'm looking for something around $500 for getting around campus that will last me at least 5 years. I like the idea of going off road and having the abilities of a mountain bike, but since this is not a primary use of the bike, I don't want to sacrifice too much street/city performance for off road ability. Any suggestions?
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I assume you don't need a requirement or modest desire to take it with you in an airplane - or even on buses?

If that is something you'd consider useful, then there are low cost folding bikes. This one seems to have come on the market in the last year and seems to be getting good reviews (only $249):

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AKIN2VQ...TF8&colid=147UAFMW9J6Y5&coliid=I1AYEH6OUYAE4H
 
I got a couple of bikes from www.bikesdirect.com They were very good bikes for the money, My suggestion is to get some kind of hybrid bike with tires around 700x30. For example, at $249 this http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/dawes/eclipse-city-bikes.htm looks ok. Narrow enough not to be clunky but wide enough to absorb a little. Also consider bikeforums.net. Bear in mind that some of those guys are bike fanatics, and you really do not need a super duper unobtanium electric shift high end gruppo with aero wheels. Also look up fit models for bike frames. There is a lot of good info at http://sheldonbrown.com/ Take a good look at framesize info http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_e-f.html#framesize
 
I have a 30 year Bianchi Espirit I bought when I was in college. It still has it original parts except for the front wheel which was replaced when I hit a car that ran a stop sign(when I was in the Air Force in 1996), the pedals(which were replaced when I was in college when I hit a car that made a right turn in front of me), tires, brake pads, and tubes. It probably has somewhere north of 60,000 miles on it, though most of that was when I was in college, post grad, and the air force. I tune it up every year and it is good to go. Best 250 dollars I ever spent. It replaced my battleship gray Raleigh Racer which was stolen my freshman year in college during Mardis Gras. I have another bike I have at my second home, that is almost brand new, cost me much more than my Bianchi, and I doubt it will be in as good shape as my Bianchi 10 years from now.

For what you want to do I agree that the best place to go is the local bike shop and tell them what you want, what you want to spend and go from there.
 
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It depends - I own a top notch Specialized Stumpjumper FSRxc with a few bells and whistles added on as a mountain bike - full suspension plus bad azz tires - I would not want to ride it on the roads for long - but you can find early 2000's models for under $500

I would recommend that you find something like a Specialized Hard Rock Disk [disc brakes] and that you tweak it the way you want - a 2010-2011 can easily be found used for $250-300 and it is a solid bike with decent components that will not easily break down. You can get thinner more road worthy tires to ride it around more easily on pavement - find good hybrid style mountain tires - and I always recommend disc brakes because if you ride in puddle or in the wet you can stop.

The final point is that you need to ride these bikes before you buy them - Brand names like Giant, Trek or Specialized are a good place to start. They all have slightly different geometry [the angles of the bike for pedals, seat and handlebars] and you should ride them because Giant does not feel comfortable for me at all - though many like it. Trek fits so-so but Specialized fits me better and makes it much easier to pedal and ride without sore spots. Even just cruzing around its important to have your body 'fit' the bike -

Anyway - good luck - pm me if you have any questions -

[edit - oh well - I had this written this am and forgot to press the button - came back - saw it - and then saw you responded - oh well. ]
 
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comanchepilot said:
It depends - I own a top notch Specialized Stumpjumper FSRxc with a few bells and whistles added on as a mountain bike - full suspension plus bad azz tires - I would not want to ride it on the roads for long - but you can find early 2000's models for under $500

I would recommend that you find something like a Specialized Hard Rock Disk [disc brakes] and that you tweak it the way you want - a 2010-2011 can easily be found used for $250-300 and it is a solid bike with decent components that will not easily break down. You can get thinner more road worthy tires to ride it around more easily on pavement - find good hybrid style mountain tires - and I always recommend disc brakes because if you ride in puddle or in the wet you can stop.

The final point is that you need to ride these bikes before you buy them - Brand names like Giant, Trek or Specialized are a good place to start. They all have slightly different geometry [the angles of the bike for pedals, seat and handlebars] and you should ride them because Giant does not feel comfortable for me at all - though many like it. Trek fits so-so but Specialized fits me better and makes it much easier to pedal and ride without sore spots. Even just cruzing around its important to have your body 'fit' the bike -

Anyway - good luck - pm me if you have any questions -

[edit - oh well - I had this written this am and forgot to press the button - came back - saw it - and then saw you responded - oh well. ]
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Still a good response, thanks Comanchepilot. I can't imagine I won't be happy with my new purchase after riding around on a little Diamondback Moose head for a year, and I rode it around a bit and liked it... she's got disc brakes and a nice strut up front, and I got them to throw in aluminum pedals. Honestly wasn't planning on buying today, but I figure this is a good enough deal to pull the trigger on. Thanks all for the responses!
 
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