Penny Arcade Forums› Help / Advice Forum
The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.

Recommend a bicycle

DirtyDirtyVagrantDirtyDirtyVagrant Registered User regular
edited March 2010 in Help / Advice Forum
Spring is coming, and I need a bike. For transportation, for exercise.

I've been losing weight steadily for a while now, but I'm still a pretty heavy guy. So something sturdy, something on which the tires will not deflate, would be ideal. Yes, this has actually happened to me, and it's fucking irritating (and mortifying) as hell.

Also if possible I'd like to keep the price tag beneath $150, but if that's not going to happen then do let me know.

DirtyDirtyVagrant on

Posts

  • BartholamueBartholamue Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Wal-Mart bikes are a no-no. I've bought a couple of them, and they have always worn down/broke on me. Go to a bike shop and get some recommendations there, and pick one up. I ended up getting an out of season bike for a big discount, and it has lasted me 2 and a half years.

    Bartholamue on
    Steam- SteveBartz Xbox Live- SteveBartz PSN Name- SteveBartz
  • SpindriftSpindrift Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Find a decent looking road bike on craigslist and put some cyclocross tires on it if you're going to be doing a lot of city riding.

    Spindrift on
  • japanjapan Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Spindrift wrote: »
    Find a decent looking road bike on craigslist and put some cyclocross tires on it if you're going to be doing a lot of city riding.

    Cyclocross tyres are for dirt, they aren't going to do you any favours in terms of speed or grip in the city. For heavy riders wider road tyres can help spread the weight about and reduce the incidence of pinch flats (make sure there is sufficient pressure in the tyres).

    $150 is really not a lot at all. At that price, look at second hand bikes and budget for a bike shop to check it over and service it, you aren't going to find anything other than the worst kind of supermarket bike at that price.

    japan on
  • BartholamueBartholamue Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    japan wrote: »
    $150 is really not a lot at all. At that price, look at second hand bikes and budget for a bike shop to check it over and service it, you aren't going to find anything other than the worst kind of supermarket bike at that price.

    This is what I was going to say, actually. You would need to go a little higher. $150 is just too low of a price point for a 'decent' bike.

    Bartholamue on
    Steam- SteveBartz Xbox Live- SteveBartz PSN Name- SteveBartz
  • underdonkunderdonk __BANNED USERS regular
    edited March 2010
    As the others have said, $150 is low for a "good" bike. There are a lot of good low cost options around the $400-$600 price point.

    underdonk on
    Back in the day, bucko, we just had an A and a B button... and we liked it.
  • Jimmy KingJimmy King Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    yeah, last I bought a bike (which was a LONG time ago... mid 90s) $400+ was generally the starting price point for a good bike if buying new. Of course, if you buy used, you might be able to pull it off, I have no idea what bikes sell for used.

    Back in the day a mid-priced Raleigh in the range above could usually be relied on to be a decent bike. I beat the hell out of mine and it kept right on going.

    Jimmy King on
    https://bash-shell.net | https://mobelux.com/
  • DirtyDirtyVagrantDirtyDirtyVagrant Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    God damn. Would it be unethical of me to go down to the YMCA and pay some dude there like $10 for his $400 bike?

    Don't answer that.

    I guess...I need something that's gonna last some time. So it's like an investment, right?

    *Deep, wavering sigh*

    DirtyDirtyVagrant on
  • bowenbowen Sup? Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Are you going to use it to go to work? You're going to see a return on your investment within the first few months if you cut out car travel almost completely. You may even be able to get a $10-20 a month kickback from your health insurance if you have it for "healthy choices."

    bowen on
    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • DirtyDirtyVagrantDirtyDirtyVagrant Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Yeah, I would use it to go to work. It would effectively be my car.

    Also no I don't have health insurance. It costs more than my rent.

    DirtyDirtyVagrant on
  • RookRook Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    $150 might stretch to the replacement tyres, bike lock, pump, lights, helmet, trouser clips, chain oil etc. (don't forget all the extras that you need with a bike, they really drive the cost up).

    Rook on
  • DirtyDirtyVagrantDirtyDirtyVagrant Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Helmet? Pssh! We don't wear no helmets here. And I'm not sure what trouser clips are.

    DirtyDirtyVagrant on
  • underdonkunderdonk __BANNED USERS regular
    edited March 2010
    I just bought one of these last year to replace my Giant OCR1 as a commuter:

    http://www.fisherbikes.com/bike/model/monona

    It is a blast to ride and does wonderfully around town. Should come in at about $550 or so at your local shop.

    underdonk on
    Back in the day, bucko, we just had an A and a B button... and we liked it.
  • adytumadytum The Inevitable Rise And FallRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    DirtyDirtyVagrant wrote: »
    Helmet? Pssh! We don't wear no helmets here. And I'm not sure what trouser clips are.

    I don't wear a helmet either, but invest in the lights if you'll be commuting. I got a headlight, tail light, and wheel lights for like $40.

    It's actually the law here if you ride on certain roads you have to be properly lit.

    adytum on
  • saltinesssaltiness Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Whatever you get, please take a basic bike maintenance class so you can keep the bike working safely. Your mention of tires deflating seems to indicate that you don't know how to take care of your tires. Do you mean they got flats while you were riding or that they would slowly lose air all the time? Either way these are both things that happen on all bikes.

    saltiness on
    XBL: heavenkils
  • japanjapan Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Where do you live? It's sometimes helpful if the people that know bikes to some extent have a look and see if there are any good deals near you.

    japan on
  • BartholamueBartholamue Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Yeah, usually bike shops have off-season sales on bikes because it's still technically winter out. You could possibly get a huge discount and negotiate even lower if they're ready to get rid of them.

    Bartholamue on
    Steam- SteveBartz Xbox Live- SteveBartz PSN Name- SteveBartz
  • arsonisfunarsonisfun Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    $150 budget means look on craigslist, find something 2nd hand. You can find good deals if you're dedicated.

    My bike was $1200 and it's just a above-average entry level road bike.

    arsonisfun on
    I am IRCs resident nerdbro and member of the PokeCrawl planning committee.

    Red B/Gold Professor

    [15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
  • EshEsh Tending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles. Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    arsonisfun wrote: »
    $150 budget means look on craigslist, find something 2nd hand. You can find good deals if you're dedicated.

    My bike was $1200 and it's just a above-average entry level road bike.

    Whaddya have? I got my Masi Speciale CX for $1,150 and I LOVE it.

    Esh on
  • mtsmts Dr. Robot King Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    what kind of ridiing will you be doing?

    then look on craigslist. you don't need to spend a grand to get a good used bike.

    my favorite comuter was a bike i pulled from the dumpster. before that i was riding a trek i got for 40 bucks. granted it helped living in a town with the highest per capita bikes in the us

    mts on
    camo_sig.png
  • ScalfinScalfin __BANNED USERS regular
    edited March 2010
    You'll probably want to go with a used touring bike or light mountain bike.

    Scalfin on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    Cardboard Tube wrote: »
    The rest of you, I fucking hate you for the fact that I now have a blue dot on this god awful thread.
  • AlwaysNewDepthsAlwaysNewDepths Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Echoing everyone here, $150 is too little, I would say $200-$250 would probably net you a decent 80s-90s road bike off of craigslist. These prices reflect the city I live in so for all I know you live in a better location. You'll also want to spend an extra $40~50 for a new helmet. Who gives a shit if no one wears one, I think that having no health insurance would be more of an incentive to get one.

    AlwaysNewDepths on
    http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197998646168/
    Gamertag: PM me
  • arsonisfunarsonisfun Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Esh wrote: »
    arsonisfun wrote: »
    $150 budget means look on craigslist, find something 2nd hand. You can find good deals if you're dedicated.

    My bike was $1200 and it's just a above-average entry level road bike.

    Whaddya have? I got my Masi Speciale CX for $1,150 and I LOVE it.

    Trek 1500. It's wonderful :) Picked it up on end-of-year sale so it was only $800

    Masi makes some nice bikes. In hindsight it might have been a better move for me to get a steel frame road bike, my aluminum frame has been abused a bit :|

    arsonisfun on
    I am IRCs resident nerdbro and member of the PokeCrawl planning committee.

    Red B/Gold Professor

    [15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
Sign In or Register to comment.
Penny Arcade Forums› Help / Advice Forum