Help me pick a good bicycle for city/mountain

[KAMAZON]

Hello, I am used to riding the $100 Target bikes so one day I borrowed my friends $500 bike. HOLEY MOLEY BATMAN! What a difference! This thing is a beast and deffinately made bike riding a hell of a lot more fun. I'm a city slicker and our house is on top of a big hill, so I know I'm going to get 1 hell of a workout with this. I would love to drive to chatsworth and ride up the big mountains but I don't think I'm the kind of guy that would bother with putting his bike in his car, getting his car all dirty, then getting it even dirtier as I come back; but I might once in a while with some friends.

With that said, what kind of used bikes do you guys recommend? I know I have to get fitted but I think that's just to see how high the bar can be so if (when) i fall off, it doesn't hit me in the nuts. I think I need a size 17 but I'll double check. Sorry if this post is kinda vague, I'll update it with some craigslist LA deals once I get an idea what type of bikes I should look for. With it being XMas soon I think peeps will sell their bikes for a lot cheaper to buy preasants, etc.

 

[michaels]

What was the big differences? I don't see how for a ride around the block you could tell that big of a difference.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Too many different brands to just rattle them off. Just google it and make sure it isn't a department store bike. mtbr has a good classified section, reviews, and forum to check things out on.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: michaels
What was the big differences? I don't see how for a ride around the block you could tell that big of a difference.

there is huge difference!!

 

[michaels]

In what ways? For riding around the neighborhood that would justify the difference in price.

 

[LS20]

get anything with a name brand, make sure its tuned up or you can afford to bring it to a shop for a full tune

 

[KAMAZON]

heya thanks for everyone who posted. Michaels has a valid question, but man is there a diff!! You have got to try it! Go on a simple 10 mile ride (it's pretty easy actually) and you'll see. When I had to pedal really hard to get up my hill, my chain broke on my old bike, real bummer walking it back home -=( The cheap ones just feel really cheap as well. If I go into the mud with the good bike I can sludge through it and push, it's a good feeling; not with that cheap shit.

 

[NoShangriLa]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda

Originally posted by: michaels
What was the big differences? I don't see how for a ride around the block you could tell that big of a difference.

there is huge difference!!

The huge difference mostly in the moving parts, and the weight/size of tires/rims.

There isn't much different between $300 frame vs. $1000.00 frame, but there is a world apart between $300 groupo and $1000 groupo.

 

[Azndude51]

Originally posted by: michaels
In what ways? For riding around the neighborhood that would justify the difference in price.

It's not just the price of the bike that makes a difference, it's where you buy it. A $300 bike from Wal-Mart would still to be much worse than a $300 from a local bike shop (LBS), a small shop that specializes in high end bikes. This is because an LBS has professional bike mechanics build and TUNE the bike properly instead of some part time teenager at Wal-Mart.

Once you ride a bike with a high quality frame and components, you can tell the difference the second you start pedaling, but it's probably not worth the price difference if you are just riding a couple miles a week or if you live somewhere where it's likely to get stolen. If you ride at least 30-1hr a week, I would definitely recommend an LBS bike.

Here are my observations of LBS bike vs. department store bike:
First of all, usually they ride a lot smoother since they are tuned properly and it's more comfortable if you buy the correct sized frame (Wal-Mart bikes only come in one size). The bike is more stable and absorbs the shocks and vibrations from the road much better because of the better frame/fork and better construction. Also, all the components just feel like they're quality is much better. When you brake everything just works smoothly and isn't too loose or too tight since the brakes are properly adjusted. Every bike I've gotten from Wal-Mart has had the brakes WAAAY too loose. When you shift, the shifters usually click into place nicely and the bike changes gear IMMEDIATELY instead of rubbing on the chain for 10 seconds before actually changing.

There's also the weight of the bike, I can lift my $350 hybrid (mountain bike frame with road bike sized wheels) comfortably with 3 fingers. I have to use my whole hand to comfortably lift a bike from a department store.





Suggestions for the OP:
Since there are hundreds and hundreds of different used bikes out there, it's hard to suggest anything specific.

However here are some bikes to get you started. I'll just suggest Trek since it's probably the most widely available high end bike brands and they seem to offer a lot of cheaper bikes, you can look around for similar bikes from other brands.

If you plan to ride off road or just like fat mountain bike tires (which are slower but more comfortable on the road), you can get something like a Trek 820. The MSRP is $290 but bike shops usually sell them for a lot cheaper especially when they're trying to get rid of the previous year's models.

Any of the following bikes can be used in dirt roads and paths as long as you're not doing jumps or anything.

For a couple hundred more you can get a hybrid/commuter bike, which is usually a mountain bike frame with flat handlebar and road bike (700C) tires instead of 26" mountain tires. They're much faster and more efficient on the road, I personally have the Trek 7.2FX.

The Trek 7100 is a bit more on the comfort side of hybrid bikes, it has a more upright position and a front suspension, it's also cheaper.

Comfort bikes like the Trek Navigator have mountain bike sized wheels, but with less tread. They're a lot more upright sitting position and have front and seatpost suspension.

Find a category of bike you like and shop around for bikes from different brands like Specialized, Schwinn, Giant, Diamondback, GT, Gary Fisher, etc. Used bikes are usually the best deals, but sometimes the sizing isn't right and its usually just nice getting a brand new bike that's not all scratched up and stuff. Also don't forget to test ride first, bike shops pretty much always offer free test rides whether you're actually buying or not.


btw sorry if there are misspellings grammatical errors. I didn't proof read.

 

[JulesMaximus]

www.bikeforums.net

 

[dman]

Problem is if you buy a $500 bike it'll feel great until a 'friend' lets you ride their $1000 bike. I'm warning you!

Those of you happy with your Target/Walmart/ToysRUS bikes... they work fine and all, but, think about driving a 10yo economy car versus a brand new sportmodel of your choice. Both vehicles will get you from A to B but you'll feel safer, more confident it'll actually get you there, and more in control of the newer vehicle. Does it justify the price difference? If you have to ask, probably not.

Think about what your health is worth (who does?) and investing in a bike that you LOVE to ride, you'd be more likely to use it and more often, etc... it's hard for many to justify but go to your LBS and take one or two out for a test ride.

PS. Don't forget to set a little cash ($100+) aside for gear, a decent helmet, some spare parts/tubes, & maint. tools/stuff.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: dman
Problem is if you buy a $500 bike it'll feel great until a 'friend' lets you ride their $1000 bike. I'm warning you!

Those of you happy with your Target/Walmart/ToysRUS bikes... they work fine and all, but, think about driving a 10yo economy car versus a brand new sportmodel of your choice. Both vehicles will get you from A to B but you'll feel safer, more confident it'll actually get you there, and more in control of the newer vehicle. Does it justify the price difference? If you have to ask, probably not.

Think about what your health is worth (who does?) and investing in a bike that you LOVE to ride, you'd be more likely to use it and more often, etc... it's hard for many to justify but go to your LBS and take one or two out for a test ride.

PS. Don't forget to set a little cash ($100+) aside for gear, a decent helmet, some spare parts/tubes, & maint. tools/stuff.

This is what I'm commuting to work on.

 

[Cal166]

I have been keeping my eye out for a Trek 7.3 FX on craigs list.

 

[MegaVovaN]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
www.bikeforums.net

QFMFT

 

[thedarkwolf]

I'll probably get slammed for this but

If you just want a cheap entry level mountain bike look into www.forgebikes.com. Their Sawback 5xx has the same components as most of the $500+ bikes but it sells for just over $300. Yeah its sold through Target which is normally bad but Target doesn't actually touch the bikes. They are direct shipped from Forge. Ignore all the poeple yelling at me for suggesting a department store bike because they are crap and I agree other then this one and go read about them on the mtbr and bikeforums and see what they all say which is all most all positive.

 

[Azndude51]

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
I'll probably get slammed for this but

If you just want a cheap entry level mountain bike look into www.forgebikes.com. Their Sawback 5xx has the same components as most of the $500+ bikes but it sells for just over $300. Yeah its sold through Target which is normally bad but Target doesn't actually touch the bikes. They are direct shipped from Forge. Ignore all the poeple yelling at me for suggesting a department store bike because they are crap and I agree other then this one and go read about them on the mtbr and bikeforums and see what they all say which is all most all positive.

That's a pretty good deal. However, by buying it cheap from Target you're losing the benefit of having a professional build it for your for free and you still have to pay for shipping. If you buy it from an LBS you usually also get a free tuneup, discounted accessories, and better service and maintenance. If you're looking to save money though, and know what you're doing when building the bike, it's not a bad option. You can also pay an LBS to build it for you.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Originally posted by: Azndude51

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
I'll probably get slammed for this but

If you just want a cheap entry level mountain bike look into www.forgebikes.com. Their Sawback 5xx has the same components as most of the $500+ bikes but it sells for just over $300. Yeah its sold through Target which is normally bad but Target doesn't actually touch the bikes. They are direct shipped from Forge. Ignore all the poeple yelling at me for suggesting a department store bike because they are crap and I agree other then this one and go read about them on the mtbr and bikeforums and see what they all say which is all most all positive.

That's a pretty good deal. However, by buying it cheap from Target you're losing the benefit of having a professional build it for your for free and you still have to pay for shipping. If you buy it from an LBS you usually also get a free tuneup, discounted accessories, and better service and maintenance. If you're looking to save money though, and know what you're doing when building the bike, it's not a bad option. You can also pay an LBS to build it for you.

You do loose the free tune ups but it comes pretty much put together and by the Forge people not the morons at Target, you just have to slap the wheels on and the front brake caliper I believe. Target has free shipping and discount codes floating around all the time so most of the people on the forums that have bought them have only paid around $280 shipped for them. The biggest problem people seem to have is the shipping company beats the hell out of the packages and have damaged a few bikes in shipping. I read through a lot of the threads on them when I was thinking about replacing my old entry level bike but I've since decided that if I'm going to bother might as well step up a level.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: NoShangriLa

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda

Originally posted by: michaels
What was the big differences? I don't see how for a ride around the block you could tell that big of a difference.

there is huge difference!!

The huge difference mostly in the moving parts, and the weight/size of tires/rims.

There isn't much different between $300 frame vs. $1000.00 frame, but there is a world apart between $300 groupo and $1000 groupo.

Not true at all!!
back in the days when the very first cannondales were coming out there was a huge difference in the frames!!

I had a nice trek frame as my first frame then i purchased a cannindale frame with the think tyubing and you could feel the frame absorbing the shick it was quite amazing.

In fact I got the 6th cannondale frame ever made it is marked accordingly!

At the tiem the welds were not very nic looking but was it a smooth frame!!

 

[Azndude51]

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf

Originally posted by: Azndude51

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
I'll probably get slammed for this but

If you just want a cheap entry level mountain bike look into www.forgebikes.com. Their Sawback 5xx has the same components as most of the $500+ bikes but it sells for just over $300. Yeah its sold through Target which is normally bad but Target doesn't actually touch the bikes. They are direct shipped from Forge. Ignore all the poeple yelling at me for suggesting a department store bike because they are crap and I agree other then this one and go read about them on the mtbr and bikeforums and see what they all say which is all most all positive.

That's a pretty good deal. However, by buying it cheap from Target you're losing the benefit of having a professional build it for your for free and you still have to pay for shipping. If you buy it from an LBS you usually also get a free tuneup, discounted accessories, and better service and maintenance. If you're looking to save money though, and know what you're doing when building the bike, it's not a bad option. You can also pay an LBS to build it for you.

You do loose the free tune ups but it comes pretty much put together and by the Forge people not the morons at Target, you just have to slap the wheels on and the front brake caliper I believe. Target has free shipping and discount codes floating around all the time so most of the people on the forums that have bought them have only paid around $280 shipped for them. The biggest problem people seem to have is the shipping company beats the hell out of the packages and have damaged a few bikes in shipping. I read through a lot of the threads on them when I was thinking about replacing my old entry level bike but I've since decided that if I'm going to bother might as well step up a level.

I was reading through some of some threads at MTBR as you suggested, they almost convinced me to buy one but I don't have th e money right now. Perhaps if I do end up buying one, I will support my LBS buy paying for a tuneup or something. The 5xx hardtail looks like a good deal but I'm leery of the 7xx full suspension since it's only $30 (!) more. Plus IDK about getting a $350 FS MTB since most of the good ones are $1000+

 

[thedarkwolf]

Yeah the 7xx is junk. In order to get the price down they really downgraded the components compared to the 5xx. The way the people on those boards talk you don't start getting into good FS bikes till $1500. I'd really like to get one since there are a lot of rocky rooty trails around here but I think around $700 is my limit. I may just have to see what pops up used if I want to go FS.

 

[Jawo]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: dman
Problem is if you buy a $500 bike it'll feel great until a 'friend' lets you ride their $1000 bike. I'm warning you!

Those of you happy with your Target/Walmart/ToysRUS bikes... they work fine and all, but, think about driving a 10yo economy car versus a brand new sportmodel of your choice. Both vehicles will get you from A to B but you'll feel safer, more confident it'll actually get you there, and more in control of the newer vehicle. Does it justify the price difference? If you have to ask, probably not.

Think about what your health is worth (who does?) and investing in a bike that you LOVE to ride, you'd be more likely to use it and more often, etc... it's hard for many to justify but go to your LBS and take one or two out for a test ride.

PS. Don't forget to set a little cash ($100+) aside for gear, a decent helmet, some spare parts/tubes, & maint. tools/stuff.

This is what I'm commuting to work on.

Damn...thats a nice bike! That LeMond in the background looks rather sweet as well. I have a Novara Big Buzz (REI's hpuse brand).

 

[Throckmorton]

I recommend these tires. I haven't used them on a trail yet but I expect them to do good on hard dirt.

http://www.ride-this.com/Maxxi...Tire_01-020370041.html

 

[gsellis]

I have an idea (but not a lot of free time). Link which craigslist you are looking at and we can praise or ridicule some of the sales on it to find one? :thumbsup: ? :thumbsdown: ?