Buying a bike: Questions! =D

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Mar 27, 2002
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I asked before about buying a bike to ride around for fun and people said buy a used one at a bike shop. I have a few questions...

1) Around how much do they usually cost?
2) Should I watch out for anything, ask to see anything in particular when I'm buying it?
3) Is there a danger that the used bike is screwed up just because its used?
4) How much maintenance is required for a bike? Is it possible to get one that requires little or no maintenance?
5) How are the brands at sports stores like sportcheck? I've seen mainly Ironhorse bikes...

EDIT: the brand I saw's not ironman, iron horse, lol.
 
Bignate603

Bignate603

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
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What do you want it to do? Just around town bike that you can take on dirt paths in the park? A mountain bike that you can go flying down backwoods paths (did that today, w00t w00t)? Or a road bike for longer distances but not going off the street.

That'll affect what you get and what you pay for.
 
C

clicknext

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The first one you said. Just around streets mostly, but can also go well on dirt, grass, etc. Won't be going very far distances with this thing.
 
Bignate603

Bignate603

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
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Originally posted by: clicknext
The first one you said. Just around streets mostly, but can also go well on dirt, grass, etc. Won't be going very far distances with this thing.
Click to expand...

Then don't pay for a mountain bike with any sort of suspension. You won't need it. Look for something with a tread but not the big knobby stuff on serious mountain bikes. Don't look at the ones with oversized frames, you don't need 21 speeds. Honestly I think something that you'd want used shouldn't be too far past $100.

I don't know brands though, I'm just starting to mountain bike and that's a bit of a different animal...
 

I've got a Gary Fisher 'hybrid' type bike. It looks like an MTB but it's pretty basic in terms of features. It's served me well since 1998. It's a Gitche Gumee model.
 
Hayabusa Rider

Hayabusa Rider

Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
Jan 26, 2000
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Look into a hybrid. Too many people buy mountain bikes, and like SUV's never take them off the road. I have a Trek 750 which I have tried to beat the crap out of. Considering I am well over 200 lbs, it has taken it well, including some off road. Price? That I do not know. Check out the local bike shops.
 
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clicknext

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How does the wheel size affect the bike?

When it says available sizes: 13", 15", 17", etc what does it mean?

I'm looking at the Iron Horse Journey SE right now.
Frame: STEEL HYBRID FRAME,CROMOLY SEAT TUBE 11/8' HEADTUBE W/FORGED DROPOUTS, FENDER MOUNTS, MONOSTAY
Rear Shock:
Fork: UNICROWN STEEL w/FENDER MOUNTS
Handlebar: 30MM RISE
Stem: KALLOY ADJUSTABLE ANGLE AND HEIGHT, ALLOY
Headset: 1/8" STEEL THREADED
Bottom Bracket: SEMI-CARTRIDGE
Crankset: CYCLONE,w/CHAIN GUARD
Rings: 48/38/28
Chain: Z-51
Seat: IRON HORSE
Seat Post: ALLOY SUSPENSION
Pedals: RESIN PLATFORM
Front Hub: ALLOY QR
Rear Hub: ALLOY QR
Front Derailleur: SRAM ESP 3.0
Rear Derailleur: SRAM ESP 4.0,7 SPEED
Shifter: SRAM ESP 4.0 PRO
Freewheel: SUN RACE 13-28T, 7 SPEED
Brakes: ALLOY LINEAR PULLW/60 MM PADS
Brake Levers: 4 FINGER ALLOY
Rims: ALLOY, 700C X 25C, 36 H, BLACKW/BRUSHED SIDES
Spokes: 14G STEEL, BLACK
Tires: CITY TREAD 700X38

Does that look good? (oh yeah, pic)
 
Hayabusa Rider

Hayabusa Rider

Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
Jan 26, 2000
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Originally posted by: clicknext
How does the wheel size affect the bike?

When it says available sizes: 13", 15", 17", etc what does it mean?

I'm looking at the Iron Horse Journey SE right now.
Frame: STEEL HYBRID FRAME,CROMOLY SEAT TUBE 11/8' HEADTUBE W/FORGED DROPOUTS, FENDER MOUNTS, MONOSTAY
Rear Shock:
Fork: UNICROWN STEEL w/FENDER MOUNTS
Handlebar: 30MM RISE
Stem: KALLOY ADJUSTABLE ANGLE AND HEIGHT, ALLOY
Headset: 1/8" STEEL THREADED
Bottom Bracket: SEMI-CARTRIDGE
Crankset: CYCLONE,w/CHAIN GUARD
Rings: 48/38/28
Chain: Z-51
Seat: IRON HORSE
Seat Post: ALLOY SUSPENSION
Pedals: RESIN PLATFORM
Front Hub: ALLOY QR
Rear Hub: ALLOY QR
Front Derailleur: SRAM ESP 3.0
Rear Derailleur: SRAM ESP 4.0,7 SPEED
Shifter: SRAM ESP 4.0 PRO
Freewheel: SUN RACE 13-28T, 7 SPEED
Brakes: ALLOY LINEAR PULLW/60 MM PADS
Brake Levers: 4 FINGER ALLOY
Rims: ALLOY, 700C X 25C, 36 H, BLACKW/BRUSHED SIDES
Spokes: 14G STEEL, BLACK
Tires: CITY TREAD 700X38

Does that look good? (oh yeah, pic)
Click to expand...

Stats aren't bad, but notice the top tube of the bike? It comes down at quite an angle. A better bike would have that top tube horizontal or nearly so, because that makes for a more rigid frame. That's important. As far as wheel size 700x25 is pretty much standard and what you want to go with in a non-mountain bike.
 
Bignate603

Bignate603

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
13,897
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Originally posted by: Hayabusarider
Originally posted by: clicknext
How does the wheel size affect the bike?

When it says available sizes: 13", 15", 17", etc what does it mean?

I'm looking at the Iron Horse Journey SE right now.
Frame: STEEL HYBRID FRAME,CROMOLY SEAT TUBE 11/8' HEADTUBE W/FORGED DROPOUTS, FENDER MOUNTS, MONOSTAY
Rear Shock:
Fork: UNICROWN STEEL w/FENDER MOUNTS
Handlebar: 30MM RISE
Stem: KALLOY ADJUSTABLE ANGLE AND HEIGHT, ALLOY
Headset: 1/8" STEEL THREADED
Bottom Bracket: SEMI-CARTRIDGE
Crankset: CYCLONE,w/CHAIN GUARD
Rings: 48/38/28
Chain: Z-51
Seat: IRON HORSE
Seat Post: ALLOY SUSPENSION
Pedals: RESIN PLATFORM
Front Hub: ALLOY QR
Rear Hub: ALLOY QR
Front Derailleur: SRAM ESP 3.0
Rear Derailleur: SRAM ESP 4.0,7 SPEED
Shifter: SRAM ESP 4.0 PRO
Freewheel: SUN RACE 13-28T, 7 SPEED
Brakes: ALLOY LINEAR PULLW/60 MM PADS
Brake Levers: 4 FINGER ALLOY
Rims: ALLOY, 700C X 25C, 36 H, BLACKW/BRUSHED SIDES
Spokes: 14G STEEL, BLACK
Tires: CITY TREAD 700X38

Does that look good? (oh yeah, pic)
Click to expand...

Stats aren't bad, but notice the top tube of the bike? It comes down at quite an angle. A better bike would have that top tube horizontal or nearly so, because that makes for a more rigid frame. That's important. As far as wheel size 700x25 is pretty much standard and what you want to go with in a non-mountain bike.
Click to expand...


I looked at it and was like "Isn't that a girl's bike?" Check out girl's bikes, all accept mountain bikes have the lower bar. Anyways, for his purposes he's not going to stress it to the point where it will matter.
 
C

clicknext

Banned
Mar 27, 2002
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Why do they make the tube at an angle?

Is that bike good for on road as well as a bit of off road?
 
Hayabusa Rider

Hayabusa Rider

Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
Jan 26, 2000
50,879
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Years ago women wore skirts or dresses when they rode. It was easier to step through the frame than toss a leg over it.

I suspect it would do for some off road riding, as long as you aren't talking punishing routes.
 
C

clicknext

Banned
Mar 27, 2002
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Hmm... so are all bicycles with the angled top bar women's bikes? What's different about women's bikes other than that?
 
E

Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
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Originally posted by: clicknext
Hmm... so are all bicycles with the angled top bar women's bikes? What's different about women's bikes other than that?
Click to expand...
AFAIK, that's the only difference.

 
B

Brutuskend

Lifer
Apr 2, 2001
26,558
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On sizes.

Different companies measure their bikes in different ways.\
The most common is called center to center, this means from the center of the bottom bracket spindle to the center of the top tube (the tube the runs horizontal to the ground) The other common way's to measure is center to top (top of the top tube) and center to top of the seat tube.

When buying a bike for off road use, you want to be able to stand over the top tube and lift the front wheel 3-4 inches. If you are planning to NEVER take it off road, you can go with less stand over clearance. Most find a larger frame more comfortable on road because the seat will be lower in relation to the bars, giving you a more upright riding position.

A fairly new type of bike on the market is the comfort bike. They have 26 inch wheels like a MTB and most have suspension seat posts and front shocks. Most also have quill type stems (The stem is inserted into the steer tube of the fork and can be raised and lowered) as opposed to most MTB'S which have thread less steer tubes and non adjustable stems. Most comfort bikes also have stems that rotate on a center axis which allows you to bring the stem closer to you (while raising the bar height at the same time) or moving it away from you (lowering the bar and moving more of your weight over the front wheel for climbing off road)
 
C

clicknext

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Mar 27, 2002
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Well I went to sportchek to check out some bikes because they have a sale, and the guy there said that a hybrid bike, the one I was looking at, is very bad to ride offroad, and will slip and slide all over the place. He said if I want to go offroad at all, I should buy a mountain bike. How much harder is it to ride a mountain bike on road? So far the only type of bikes I've ridden are crap mountain bikes. Currently I have a pile o' crap huffy, heh.
 
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