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Want to buy a bicycle
PirateJon
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Difficulty: I haven't ridden a bike in 12+ years. I have no idea what to look for and the searches I did were kinda spammy.
So... I want to do long rides (~60 minutes) on surface streets for a workout. I am big (325#), tall (6'4"), long legged (36" inseam). I have up to 5 hundred american monies, but would prefer to save some by buying used. Craigslist has multiple bikes that look ok to my untrained eye, but a have no idea if I'm getting a $1000 bike for $300 or a $10 bike for $300.
Where should I start?
So... I want to do long rides (~60 minutes) on surface streets for a workout. I am big (325#), tall (6'4"), long legged (36" inseam). I have up to 5 hundred american monies, but would prefer to save some by buying used. Craigslist has multiple bikes that look ok to my untrained eye, but a have no idea if I'm getting a $1000 bike for $300 or a $10 bike for $300.
Where should I start?
all perfectionists are mediocre in their own eyes
PirateJon on
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There are a few people on here that are fairly avid cyclists, so I'll let them give you the exact information.
Do not buy from craigslist. Lots of times those are bikes that LOOK fine, but something is messed up that isn't readily visible.
Go to a bike shop and LOOK at the bikes. Sit on them and feel if they are comfortable. Bike shops will also help properly adjust the seat so your ride will be more effective/comfortable. If you are going to be riding this every day (or at least a few times a week), go to a shop and make sure it is going to be a ride you will enjoy. Some bikes on craigslist may be cheap, but they could be lemons. Many bike shops also offer used, restored bicycles. These can be great deals.
Basically go to a bike shop. They can give you decent advice concerning size. Don't buy a bike without sitting on it and riding it at least a little, especially if you want to do decent distances. If you try a bike of a given size that fits, you can probably get away with getting that size in another model from the same manufacturer.
One thing to consider is buying bikes from the previous season (at this point, 2007 models). You can usually make a fairly decent saving that way. I'm struggling to recommend anything specific, because I'm not familiar with the prices in the US, and the bikes I'd suggest look like they're out of your budget, but basically anything entry level from Scott, Specialized, Trek or GT is probably going to be decent and reliable.
EDIT: Good advice for buying used. I nicked this from bikeradar:
2. Look for crash damage. If a frame is bent, forget it. It’ll be severely weakened. The most common damage area is just behind the head tube, on the top and down tubes. Look for paint and/or metal distortion. If the headset cups move in the frame, it may be evidence of a frontal impact.
3. Check the fork isn’t bent. If the legs are pushed back from the steerer angle, the bike has been ridden into something. Turn the steering to see if there are loose and tight spots in the headset. If it locks or loosens, there has probably been impact damage. Make sure the suspension fork compresses and rebounds smoothly.
4. Line up the front and rear wheels by eye from the back. If the wheels aren’t in line, the frame has been hit from the side or is badly built. And check the wheels are central in the frame and not off to one side.
5. Inspect the rear mech gear hanger and dropouts for damage. You can have a new gear hanger fitted to a steel frame, but alu frames have a replaceable hanger as there are less people able to repair them.
6. Spin the wheels. Are they straight and true? Minor sideways buckles are easy to true but big ups and downs often mean a new wheel. Factor this in to the price.
7. Check the tyres and sidewalls for wear and damage. Proper MTB tyres are costly to replace (£20-£35).
8. Check everything that has bearings. Have the bearings got play or are they stiff? Pay particular attention to hubs, bottom bracket, pedals and headsets. They may just need servicing but if they’ve been that way for a while, they may be beyond the re-greasing solution.
9. Check the brakes. Are the pads worn down? Do they work smoothly without grabbing? If not, look for buckled rims or wonky or damaged disc rotors.
10. Check the drivetrain. If a chain doesn’t sit snugly on the teeth, it’ll may need replacing. Unfortunately, if a chain has been ridden while worn out, it may also have worn out the sprockets. A new chain will often slip on old worn sprockets, as an old chain will slip on new sprockets.
11. Make sure stems and seat posts aren’t seized. This is a common problem on old bikes. Take an Allen key with you and when everything is tight and set, go for a test ride.
If you're struggling with the terminology, there's a good glossary here
If you do buy used, budget for a good bike shop to check it over and service it, bearing in mind that some consumable parts may need replacing (chains, cassettes, brake pads, etc)
The advice about going into a bike shop is very sound. You might even be able to find, for instance, a 2007 or earlier Allez or similar model for under $500, which would be a great buy. Definitely ride some of the models in the store, to get a feel for them and how they fit. The shop personal should be able to give you tips on fit and everything too.
Also, different bike shops sell different brands of bikes, so don't get caught up in the first one you go into.
Cheaper options pretty much include buying used from private parties, which will run you anywhere from $100-$300, depending on the age and quality of the bike. Craigslist is one of the best places to buy bikes, but barring that, if you have any local bike coops or donation centers you might want to check them out. Older bikes are heavier and have harder shifting mechanisms than modern bikes, but that might not matter to you if you're just looking to get in shape with it.
What area do you live in? Some of us might be able to check Craigslist for your area and let you know if anything looks good.
I got lucky on a great price and great seller on Craigslist. If you can't take a real test-ride for at least 10 to 15 minutes then it's not worth it. I'm not sure what people would do if you ask in advance "can I take a test-ride" because then they'll think your a scammer. But maybe you can have them hold the cash while you take the ride (make sure you meet at their residence). My friend bought one and he was downtown and couldn't really test it out much and later found out that the gear messes up going uphill and they didn't make any mention of it. He paid $50 more than me for a much worse bike.
My idea was to look for a bike costing $150-$200 to start to get into riding. If it's lower than that it just seems like something would be wrong with it. You can get some surprisingly good road bikes from the mid to late 80's with new brakes starting at that price. I think the biggest factor in the price of road bikes is age and material (which can be felt by how much it weighs usually). Having a very lightweight bike is so much fun but the price seems to go up so exponentially. For $150-$200 you should at least be able to carry it with one hand. Now that I know more about road bikes I'm going to buy a second $600 bike or build one for around that. A lot of people that get serious into biking tend to have more than 1 bike. One for bad conditions or bad neighborhoods and the other for serious biking.
Here in platinum-awarded bike city Portland, OR I just don't see a lot of bike shops that have worthwhile road bikes in the 200-500 range. All the good ones start at 600. I don't know about other cities but recommended shops here don't carry older, used bikes because they wouldn't make money that way (keeping all that inventory of lower price merchandise).
They also didn't try to sell him a whole bunch of expensive shit, and bikes are actually getting more economical these days.
You will want to buy used. Look around your area for a used bike shop. The people there are usually pretty great about helping you find something that you will like.
One thing to consider is whether you want aluminum or steel. Steel is heavier, but more comfortable to ride, as it's more flexible to take the bite out of bumps. Aluminum is lighter, but less forgiving on your rear and arms if your roads aren't perfectly smooth. Carbon isn't really an option at $500.