There is plenty below $1200 but yeah you are going to struggle to find anything worthwhile around $300 new. Google "bicycle co-op" in your area and check Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. If you are lucky there are options for pre-owned equipment from a shop or on consignment.
I did find a used shop that has a couple Trek bikes for around $400 which doesn't seem too bad
A quick note for anyone choosing to buy a used bike:
Lots and lots and lots of legit-seeming resellers/bicycle refurbishing folks out there who are, knowingly or otherwise, turning around stolen goods. Check the bike's frame ID here if you can find one.
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
I pretty badly need a new bike, my old one is pretty borked at this point, and replacing/fixing everything at adequate quality shows I may as well just replace the whole thing.
But uh, looking for a bike is a lot different since I last seriously looked. My current bike I've had for 15+ years, and I didn't even buy it, it was a gift. Thanks to stimulus money I have a modest opportunity now at least.
It's my primary transportation, Portland adjacent weather, and I usually am pulling a trailer that is often loaded with a lot of weight. The trailer's weight is pretty rough on freewheels. The internet assures me a freehub can handle it better, though given enough time/abuse it'll still fail I'm sure. Does anyone have any personal experience to confirm or deny that?
I'm not sure whether to try for disc brakes or not. It rains a lot, but I don't generally go particularly fast so I'm not sure it's worth the extra cost and the potential headache others have mentioned.
I know I don't want a skinny tire road bike, but some form of hybrid, 'cause a lot of the areas around here are not always the greatest.
We have a bike shop here that sells Trek bikes so I was looking at their website, hoping to keep it ~$400-600, but it looks like nothing shows up with freehubs until like $700+ which...ugh.
I'm super drained, and it's really hard to even figure where to start. I had a mediocre experience the one time I went into that shop years ago, and it's as far away from me as possible while still being in the same city, so I'm trying to avoid having to take multiple 'rona buses to get there to talk to people.
It's spring and it's time for me to go through the ritual of finding out my innertubes are all tearing right along the valve when I pump them up. So i got two questions:
1. Are my inner tubes breaking in the Spring because I'm not storing my bike properly during the cold months? I mean, does the rubber get more brittle when left out in the cold for so long?
2. Why on earth is it so hard to find 26 x 1.25 tubes these days? My local shop doesn't carry them and Amazon usually only has a few options to pick from.
Oops, that just made me think of a third question:
3. Should I replace my tires with something more standardized today? Like 26 x 1.75 with a Presta valve? I'm getting tired of having to do this every year.
(FWIW, I bought my bike used like a decade ago, so I never put much thought until now as to why it appears to be a mountain bike frame with the tires replaced with narrow street tires... )
"Simple, real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time." -Mustrum Ridcully in Terry Pratchett's Hogfather p. 142 (HarperPrism 1996)
I pretty badly need a new bike, my old one is pretty borked at this point, and replacing/fixing everything at adequate quality shows I may as well just replace the whole thing.
But uh, looking for a bike is a lot different since I last seriously looked. My current bike I've had for 15+ years, and I didn't even buy it, it was a gift. Thanks to stimulus money I have a modest opportunity now at least.
It's my primary transportation, Portland adjacent weather, and I usually am pulling a trailer that is often loaded with a lot of weight. The trailer's weight is pretty rough on freewheels. The internet assures me a freehub can handle it better, though given enough time/abuse it'll still fail I'm sure. Does anyone have any personal experience to confirm or deny that?
I'm not sure whether to try for disc brakes or not. It rains a lot, but I don't generally go particularly fast so I'm not sure it's worth the extra cost and the potential headache others have mentioned.
I know I don't want a skinny tire road bike, but some form of hybrid, 'cause a lot of the areas around here are not always the greatest.
We have a bike shop here that sells Trek bikes so I was looking at their website, hoping to keep it ~$400-600, but it looks like nothing shows up with freehubs until like $700+ which...ugh.
I'm super drained, and it's really hard to even figure where to start. I had a mediocre experience the one time I went into that shop years ago, and it's as far away from me as possible while still being in the same city, so I'm trying to avoid having to take multiple 'rona buses to get there to talk to people.
Figure out exactly what you want / need and start shopping used?
Or, like you said if there isn't anything wrong with the frame, maybe it is worth rebuilding the components. You can buy a lot of high end stuff for 400 if you don't need a frame and wheels.
I pretty badly need a new bike, my old one is pretty borked at this point, and replacing/fixing everything at adequate quality shows I may as well just replace the whole thing.
But uh, looking for a bike is a lot different since I last seriously looked. My current bike I've had for 15+ years, and I didn't even buy it, it was a gift. Thanks to stimulus money I have a modest opportunity now at least.
It's my primary transportation, Portland adjacent weather, and I usually am pulling a trailer that is often loaded with a lot of weight. The trailer's weight is pretty rough on freewheels. The internet assures me a freehub can handle it better, though given enough time/abuse it'll still fail I'm sure. Does anyone have any personal experience to confirm or deny that?
I'm not sure whether to try for disc brakes or not. It rains a lot, but I don't generally go particularly fast so I'm not sure it's worth the extra cost and the potential headache others have mentioned.
I know I don't want a skinny tire road bike, but some form of hybrid, 'cause a lot of the areas around here are not always the greatest.
We have a bike shop here that sells Trek bikes so I was looking at their website, hoping to keep it ~$400-600, but it looks like nothing shows up with freehubs until like $700+ which...ugh.
I'm super drained, and it's really hard to even figure where to start. I had a mediocre experience the one time I went into that shop years ago, and it's as far away from me as possible while still being in the same city, so I'm trying to avoid having to take multiple 'rona buses to get there to talk to people.
I'd recommend a used steel road bike, ideally one built for commuting (cyclocross/gravel also work). Hybrids generally aren't built that burly, as they're more "I want a bike I ride once a month" designed. This will also lead to more parts compatibility, as you can just replace the rear hub if it's not doing the job. I generally recommend a normal setup of derailleurs vs. internal geared hub as you can replace individual pieces easier rather than your load blowing up a very expensive drivetrain hub, but others may have better feedback as I mostly ride mountain and don't haul. Try to get a newer (2010 or later) one as a bunch of parts standards have changed and it's a pain in the ass (and very $$$$ in some cases) to find parts for older ones. Disc brakes are great, but you're correct that they aren't necessary.
@DisruptedCapitalist - 26 inch stuff is harder to find as everything in mountain bikes has moved to 27.5 (650B) and 29.
I pretty badly need a new bike, my old one is pretty borked at this point, and replacing/fixing everything at adequate quality shows I may as well just replace the whole thing.
But uh, looking for a bike is a lot different since I last seriously looked. My current bike I've had for 15+ years, and I didn't even buy it, it was a gift. Thanks to stimulus money I have a modest opportunity now at least.
It's my primary transportation, Portland adjacent weather, and I usually am pulling a trailer that is often loaded with a lot of weight. The trailer's weight is pretty rough on freewheels. The internet assures me a freehub can handle it better, though given enough time/abuse it'll still fail I'm sure. Does anyone have any personal experience to confirm or deny that?
I'm not sure whether to try for disc brakes or not. It rains a lot, but I don't generally go particularly fast so I'm not sure it's worth the extra cost and the potential headache others have mentioned.
I know I don't want a skinny tire road bike, but some form of hybrid, 'cause a lot of the areas around here are not always the greatest.
We have a bike shop here that sells Trek bikes so I was looking at their website, hoping to keep it ~$400-600, but it looks like nothing shows up with freehubs until like $700+ which...ugh.
I'm super drained, and it's really hard to even figure where to start. I had a mediocre experience the one time I went into that shop years ago, and it's as far away from me as possible while still being in the same city, so I'm trying to avoid having to take multiple 'rona buses to get there to talk to people.
I know you're saying you don't want a skinny tire road bike, but for city riding they are so so so much less effort for more speed than a hybrid or mountain bike. And you can definitely put thicker knobby tires on them if you want a little more grip for gravel/dirt or bad weather.
For a specific bicycle suggestion in your price range, look for a Fuji Absolute. I've had an earlier version of that (fuji newest) for 10+ years and it served me well.
Edit: also if you wait until a holiday (like memorial day) all the bike shops will have sales.
There's a lot of semi-recent research that suggests the super thin, 120 psi road tire practice of the last few decades doesn't make meaningful improvements in speed. I don't remember all the reasons, but one big advantage of larger(and supple, so potentially more prone to thorns) tires is that they flex more/absorb less energy which counteracts some of the benefits of narrow tires. So I agree with the idea of a steel allroad/gravel bike as one place to look. But I also think that if you're using a trailer consistently, it might well be worth looking into a cargo bike (more expensive) like the Surly Big Dummy or Yuba Kombi. Or if freehubs can still be a problem, maybe look at trailers like the Burley Travoy that attach at the seatpost.
Bike thread! I am hopefully rejoining the bike commuter world, on a mix of relatively well maintained bike paths and relatively poor roads, with a small need to be able to go up/down a curb if needed. Hoping some of my skills from college stuck around, but that's my problem.
Thus, I am looking to get a bike from the local shop, which means probably something from Giant, assuming they are still ok. I'd like a bike that is :
Rigid, as I don't need suspension, it'll just be locked out till it fails most likely and seems like just another thing to add weight and break.
Disc Brakes, preferably hydraulic. More reliable, and I want stopping power in the wet and will pay for it
Prefer if the bike comes with reasonable "hybrid" tyres, I don't really need knobs and I don't care about max efficiency.
So it looks like my options are the Roam 4 Disc, which hits most of my boxes but has a fork and some semi bumpy tires, versus the Escape 3 Disc, which lacks the hydraulic brakes. They are listed at the exact same price. Based on this which would an expert pick or is it really just a coin flip? Or am I being overly precious about the shock with lockout and the hydraulic brakes and shocks got better and lighter and more consistent in the last decade and mechanical disc brakes stay in adjustment about as long as hydraulic? If it were not for that fork it would be a real clear case of "get the mountain bike and a set of tyres" but a fork swap between low end forks like that is just silly for the cost.
It seems like hybrid means something more specific than the range between mountain and road bike now? I thought it was still the catchall for the various intermediate steps who all seem to have different type names that I don't fully understand the difference between. Most descriptions just mention tires and handlebar style.
Cargo bikes certainly seem neat, though without getting to try one first I'm not sure I'd want to commit to that for regular riding as well. They also seem to be mostly $1500+ which is out of my range for sure. Maybe during a sale period it would be a possibility, but I suspect they don't go on a Steam Sale level discount, hah. I don't exclusively pull a lot of weight, I'm not commuting every day with a trailer behind me or anything, just once a week for sure, and on occasion a second time. The rest is just me and a backpack.
Seatpost mounted trailer seems nice, though that would be a substantial change in how it gets packed/protected that I'm not sure on.
My current frame is an old cheap Schwinn from Walmart, heh. I'm not the most concerned with speed or ease, though I obviously would rather not sacrifice more than I have to for durability/reliability. Reading type descriptions sounds like maybe touring or cyclocross might fit that medium point? Touring being intended to carry weight already, though more on panniers and the like I'm sure. Supposedly lower center of mass too? Which I guess would be many of the ones I see with the seats sticking up way above the frames.
MichaelLCIn what furnace was thy brain?ChicagoRegistered Userregular
edited April 2021
I got burned by a hybrid bike previous to my current 'commuter' bike.
The hybrid was too much on the fitness end. My current Trek Verve is a good upright position with a big padded seat. Rim brakes though as it's a few years old.
So i guess I'd say don't focus on category/label and more just shop on the features you want.
Bike thread! I am hopefully rejoining the bike commuter world, on a mix of relatively well maintained bike paths and relatively poor roads, with a small need to be able to go up/down a curb if needed. Hoping some of my skills from college stuck around, but that's my problem.
Thus, I am looking to get a bike from the local shop, which means probably something from Giant, assuming they are still ok. I'd like a bike that is :
Rigid, as I don't need suspension, it'll just be locked out till it fails most likely and seems like just another thing to add weight and break.
Disc Brakes, preferably hydraulic. More reliable, and I want stopping power in the wet and will pay for it
Prefer if the bike comes with reasonable "hybrid" tyres, I don't really need knobs and I don't care about max efficiency.
So it looks like my options are the Roam 4 Disc, which hits most of my boxes but has a fork and some semi bumpy tires, versus the Escape 3 Disc, which lacks the hydraulic brakes. They are listed at the exact same price. Based on this which would an expert pick or is it really just a coin flip? Or am I being overly precious about the shock with lockout and the hydraulic brakes and shocks got better and lighter and more consistent in the last decade and mechanical disc brakes stay in adjustment about as long as hydraulic? If it were not for that fork it would be a real clear case of "get the mountain bike and a set of tyres" but a fork swap between low end forks like that is just silly for the cost.
I wouldn't make any bike decision based on tires, as that's an hour to change out with some levers (or probably 20 bucks to the bike shop). Hydraulics are the way, definitely - even better if you can get them with Shimano calipers (and I think magura?) as they run mineral oil instead of brake fluid (brake fluid is nasty shit). Suspension fork is eh, as this class with a low end fork means it's mostly just extra front end weight. Also, based on the online specs, they both have mechanical discs, not hydro. Roam 4 is a little nice component-wise with some altus instead of all tourney.
That said, if it's going to be ridden with any regularity, I would budget some money for mechanical replacements, as at least one component that low on the spec tree will grenade itself in a year of regular riding (or be such a drag you replace it out of pure malice).
I got burned by a hybrid bike previous to my current 'commuter' bike.
The hybrid was too much on the fitness end. My current Trek Verve is a good upright position with a big padded seat. Rim brakes though as it's a few years old.
So i guess I'd say don't focus on category/label and more just shop on the features you want.
Interestingly my friend's "hybrid" bike is much less of a fitness bike and more like... halfway to a beach cruiser? So slow and heavy.
There's a lot of semi-recent research that suggests the super thin, 120 psi road tire practice of the last few decades doesn't make meaningful improvements in speed. I don't remember all the reasons, but one big advantage of larger(and supple, so potentially more prone to thorns) tires is that they flex more/absorb less energy which counteracts some of the benefits of narrow tires. So I agree with the idea of a steel allroad/gravel bike as one place to look. But I also think that if you're using a trailer consistently, it might well be worth looking into a cargo bike (more expensive) like the Surly Big Dummy or Yuba Kombi. Or if freehubs can still be a problem, maybe look at trailers like the Burley Travoy that attach at the seatpost.
This makes sense to me. A road bike isn't faster because of the width of the tires. It's faster because of the geometry, the body position, the weight, and the stiffness that transfers the maximum amount of your pedal power into speed.
.Skinny high-pressure tires have less rolling resistance when you test them on steel rollers in a lab, but that's not the same thing as "use less energy when riding" when you're having your teeth rattled loose whenever you go over a crack in the road / pothole / gravel, which can be surprisingly tiring.
Also, there's more to rolling resistance than size and tread and pressure -- I went from kenda small block 8 tires, which have small knobs all over:
to schwalbe land cruisers, which in theory should be like slicks when riding in a straight line based on the tread:
and the kendas were much more comfortable and easy-rolling despite having more knobs, because they're lighter and I think have better casings so they're more flexible, which all helps. (I should really stop choosing tires just because they're the ones on sale, I've made that mistake enough times by now I ought to know better).
I'm currently on Schwalbe spicers (came with the bike) and I'm cycling year round. They're fine in a city with okayish surfaces. Although we didn't have real ice this winter I have to admit.
When I'm up for new tires I definetyl want to change to something with more puncture protection though. Just too much glass and stuff on the roads and cycling lanes here.
Faster bike = shorter commute = less time on the bike = more overall comfort. Can't argue with that logic.
I'm trying to figure out how one would even ride this thing and I just have no idea.
but even for that this seems like an extreme version
You can actually get bikes like that as a road version though, Like the Pure Keirin, which is basically a track bicylce but with brakes.
Or for probably a lot more cash you get a custom steel frame version
honovere on
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Lost Salientblink twiceif you'd like me to mercy kill youRegistered Userregular
*skids back into the thread*
I HEARD WE WERE TALKIN STEEL FRAMES WHO WANTS TO TALK STEEL BIKES AWW YEAH
Honestly I was thinking of a Surly along the lines of what Septus mentioned when @QuantumTurk asked his questions originally, but the price range is not what he's looking for on their new bikes. That said if you can scope out used bike platforms my Surly is a goddamn dream. It's running 26x1.75's and it's built to haul although it isn't a cargo bike, and I am really sure I could literally throw it down a hill into a river, pull it out, wipe it down, and keep riding.
Although that said last night I managed to dislodge one of the rear mechanical disc brake pads from the springs (I was tired and not paying attention good) and had to dismantle the whole kit and kaboodle and now it needs to be readjusted because it's too squishy. But I have an appointment tomorrow to ride to the shop and talk about upgrading some more bits and bobs - swapping the bar-end shifters for silver versions, hoods maybe too, talk about new crankset and bottom bracket, probably need to redo the inner cables even though I was a fraction away from scrapping that plan...
My other bike is also a steel frame but isn't for cargo - that said if you want an all-weather commuter the All-City Zig-Zag is a pleasure to ride. Again you'd have to go used since the price point new isn't what you're looking at but I think for all the people getting into/back into cycling there are folks upgrading and getting rid of old bikes always, so. My only commentary there is I find the 105 shifters to be clunky as hell in comparison to the older shifters on my Surly or to Ultegra/Dura-Ace.
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
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Lost Salientblink twiceif you'd like me to mercy kill youRegistered Userregular
Uh also it's important to remember that on bike forums and even in this very thread people can get REAL REAL into the nitty-gritty but for a "I would like a new bike of this price range that does x and y" you don't... have to freak yourself out about whether your groupset/tire size/brake type/etc is the exact perfect ultimate for your conditions. Maybe just pick a brand you like or that people can recommend and go from there.
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
Yeah I appreciate everyone's advice! And I know I could probably find something more perfect but this is largely a short commute and river path bike for me. And limiting myself to the shop down the street helps focus things and I'd like to support there being a shop down the street. Likely going to go with the slightly more mtn bike version. I hear you on low grade components wearing out but somehow a low grade gary fisher marlin took me through all of the abuse of college and beyond (including stored outside, jumped down stairs, and just generally run hard and put up wet). I suspect I'm just not terribly hard on them, and I'd rather push a bit more tire than worry about flats I think. Also the local shop also has me sold on hydraulics. Thanks all, hopefully I won't be posting pics of a broken arm soon!
Yeah I appreciate everyone's advice! And I know I could probably find something more perfect but this is largely a short commute and river path bike for me. And limiting myself to the shop down the street helps focus things and I'd like to support there being a shop down the street. Likely going to go with the slightly more mtn bike version. I hear you on low grade components wearing out but somehow a low grade gary fisher marlin took me through all of the abuse of college and beyond (including stored outside, jumped down stairs, and just generally run hard and put up wet). I suspect I'm just not terribly hard on them, and I'd rather push a bit more tire than worry about flats I think. Also the local shop also has me sold on hydraulics. Thanks all, hopefully I won't be posting pics of a broken arm soon!
Yea always good to support local bike shops! Also, a lot of shops are happy to order a bike for you if they don't carry it. So sometimes you can ask them for something they don't currently have on hand.
Reminder that everyone who purchases a new bike is required to post a picture of it.
Also note that buying a bike does not preclude you from the following:
1. Receiving additional feedback on additional bikes you should buy.
2. Buying more bikes.
My friends convinced me to join the local Rapha chapter so that's basically me now (jk it was already me)
N+1 bikes
N+1 kits
send help
By help you mean additional links to bikes you should lust over?
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Tynnanseldom correct, never unsureRegistered Userregular
Velominati rule #12: the correct number of bikes to own is N+1, where N is the number of bikes currently owned.
The corollary rule is that the correct number of bikes to own is S-1, where S is the number of bikes that would result in separation from one’s partner.
Velominati rule #12: the correct number of bikes to own is N+1, where N is the number of bikes currently owned.
The corollary rule is that the correct number of bikes to own is S-1, where S is the number of bikes that would result in separation from one’s partner.
My father thinks he can sidetrack the corollary by buying bikes for my mother.
Hey bike thread, I've got a quest maybe y'all can help with. I've been wanting a bag of some sort for my rear rack on the bike I commute and ride for pleasure on, but I don't need anything extensive, nor do I want panniers, just something I can reasonably easily attach to the rack to carry the few things I carry with me to work(work t-shirt, wallet, a small number of pocket-fillers like a box cutter ect since I work in retail). Right now I'm just using a re-usable shopping back which I essentially fold over itself and tuck under bungee cords, but something I could just zip up would make early mornings less of a hassle.
Sounds like you want an under-seat bag. Or possibly a handlebar sack. I'd check out Ortlieb, I like their range, but you should be able to find budget alternatives if they seem too pricey.
Posts
A quick note for anyone choosing to buy a used bike:
https://www.bikeregister.com/bike-checker
Lots and lots and lots of legit-seeming resellers/bicycle refurbishing folks out there who are, knowingly or otherwise, turning around stolen goods. Check the bike's frame ID here if you can find one.
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
So
That's reassuring
But yeah that doesn't surprise me at all. The second hand bike market is pretty crazy right now, and people ride $10k bikes in secluded areas.
Are you sure it isn't the crazy Berkeley guy again? Mike Vandeman?
Known for attacking bikers with saws and hypodermic needles.
Reports are not overly specific, but it sounds like multiple dudes and definitely guns. So seems like a different M.O.
Apparently Mike V still exists and is still fucking bonkers, though.
But uh, looking for a bike is a lot different since I last seriously looked. My current bike I've had for 15+ years, and I didn't even buy it, it was a gift. Thanks to stimulus money I have a modest opportunity now at least.
It's my primary transportation, Portland adjacent weather, and I usually am pulling a trailer that is often loaded with a lot of weight. The trailer's weight is pretty rough on freewheels. The internet assures me a freehub can handle it better, though given enough time/abuse it'll still fail I'm sure. Does anyone have any personal experience to confirm or deny that?
I'm not sure whether to try for disc brakes or not. It rains a lot, but I don't generally go particularly fast so I'm not sure it's worth the extra cost and the potential headache others have mentioned.
I know I don't want a skinny tire road bike, but some form of hybrid, 'cause a lot of the areas around here are not always the greatest.
We have a bike shop here that sells Trek bikes so I was looking at their website, hoping to keep it ~$400-600, but it looks like nothing shows up with freehubs until like $700+ which...ugh.
I'm super drained, and it's really hard to even figure where to start. I had a mediocre experience the one time I went into that shop years ago, and it's as far away from me as possible while still being in the same city, so I'm trying to avoid having to take multiple 'rona buses to get there to talk to people.
1. Are my inner tubes breaking in the Spring because I'm not storing my bike properly during the cold months? I mean, does the rubber get more brittle when left out in the cold for so long?
2. Why on earth is it so hard to find 26 x 1.25 tubes these days? My local shop doesn't carry them and Amazon usually only has a few options to pick from.
Oops, that just made me think of a third question:
3. Should I replace my tires with something more standardized today? Like 26 x 1.75 with a Presta valve? I'm getting tired of having to do this every year.
(FWIW, I bought my bike used like a decade ago, so I never put much thought until now as to why it appears to be a mountain bike frame with the tires replaced with narrow street tires... )
Figure out exactly what you want / need and start shopping used?
Or, like you said if there isn't anything wrong with the frame, maybe it is worth rebuilding the components. You can buy a lot of high end stuff for 400 if you don't need a frame and wheels.
I'd recommend a used steel road bike, ideally one built for commuting (cyclocross/gravel also work). Hybrids generally aren't built that burly, as they're more "I want a bike I ride once a month" designed. This will also lead to more parts compatibility, as you can just replace the rear hub if it's not doing the job. I generally recommend a normal setup of derailleurs vs. internal geared hub as you can replace individual pieces easier rather than your load blowing up a very expensive drivetrain hub, but others may have better feedback as I mostly ride mountain and don't haul. Try to get a newer (2010 or later) one as a bunch of parts standards have changed and it's a pain in the ass (and very $$$$ in some cases) to find parts for older ones. Disc brakes are great, but you're correct that they aren't necessary.
@DisruptedCapitalist - 26 inch stuff is harder to find as everything in mountain bikes has moved to 27.5 (650B) and 29.
I know you're saying you don't want a skinny tire road bike, but for city riding they are so so so much less effort for more speed than a hybrid or mountain bike. And you can definitely put thicker knobby tires on them if you want a little more grip for gravel/dirt or bad weather.
For a specific bicycle suggestion in your price range, look for a Fuji Absolute. I've had an earlier version of that (fuji newest) for 10+ years and it served me well.
Edit: also if you wait until a holiday (like memorial day) all the bike shops will have sales.
Thus, I am looking to get a bike from the local shop, which means probably something from Giant, assuming they are still ok. I'd like a bike that is :
Rigid, as I don't need suspension, it'll just be locked out till it fails most likely and seems like just another thing to add weight and break.
Disc Brakes, preferably hydraulic. More reliable, and I want stopping power in the wet and will pay for it
Prefer if the bike comes with reasonable "hybrid" tyres, I don't really need knobs and I don't care about max efficiency.
So it looks like my options are the Roam 4 Disc, which hits most of my boxes but has a fork and some semi bumpy tires, versus the Escape 3 Disc, which lacks the hydraulic brakes. They are listed at the exact same price. Based on this which would an expert pick or is it really just a coin flip? Or am I being overly precious about the shock with lockout and the hydraulic brakes and shocks got better and lighter and more consistent in the last decade and mechanical disc brakes stay in adjustment about as long as hydraulic? If it were not for that fork it would be a real clear case of "get the mountain bike and a set of tyres" but a fork swap between low end forks like that is just silly for the cost.
Cargo bikes certainly seem neat, though without getting to try one first I'm not sure I'd want to commit to that for regular riding as well. They also seem to be mostly $1500+ which is out of my range for sure. Maybe during a sale period it would be a possibility, but I suspect they don't go on a Steam Sale level discount, hah. I don't exclusively pull a lot of weight, I'm not commuting every day with a trailer behind me or anything, just once a week for sure, and on occasion a second time. The rest is just me and a backpack.
Seatpost mounted trailer seems nice, though that would be a substantial change in how it gets packed/protected that I'm not sure on.
My current frame is an old cheap Schwinn from Walmart, heh. I'm not the most concerned with speed or ease, though I obviously would rather not sacrifice more than I have to for durability/reliability. Reading type descriptions sounds like maybe touring or cyclocross might fit that medium point? Touring being intended to carry weight already, though more on panniers and the like I'm sure. Supposedly lower center of mass too? Which I guess would be many of the ones I see with the seats sticking up way above the frames.
The hybrid was too much on the fitness end. My current Trek Verve is a good upright position with a big padded seat. Rim brakes though as it's a few years old.
So i guess I'd say don't focus on category/label and more just shop on the features you want.
I wouldn't make any bike decision based on tires, as that's an hour to change out with some levers (or probably 20 bucks to the bike shop). Hydraulics are the way, definitely - even better if you can get them with Shimano calipers (and I think magura?) as they run mineral oil instead of brake fluid (brake fluid is nasty shit). Suspension fork is eh, as this class with a low end fork means it's mostly just extra front end weight. Also, based on the online specs, they both have mechanical discs, not hydro. Roam 4 is a little nice component-wise with some altus instead of all tourney.
That said, if it's going to be ridden with any regularity, I would budget some money for mechanical replacements, as at least one component that low on the spec tree will grenade itself in a year of regular riding (or be such a drag you replace it out of pure malice).
Faster bike = shorter commute = less time on the bike = more overall comfort. Can't argue with that logic.
Interestingly my friend's "hybrid" bike is much less of a fitness bike and more like... halfway to a beach cruiser? So slow and heavy.
This makes sense to me. A road bike isn't faster because of the width of the tires. It's faster because of the geometry, the body position, the weight, and the stiffness that transfers the maximum amount of your pedal power into speed.
Also, there's more to rolling resistance than size and tread and pressure -- I went from kenda small block 8 tires, which have small knobs all over:
to schwalbe land cruisers, which in theory should be like slicks when riding in a straight line based on the tread:
and the kendas were much more comfortable and easy-rolling despite having more knobs, because they're lighter and I think have better casings so they're more flexible, which all helps. (I should really stop choosing tires just because they're the ones on sale, I've made that mistake enough times by now I ought to know better).
When I'm up for new tires I definetyl want to change to something with more puncture protection though. Just too much glass and stuff on the roads and cycling lanes here.
I'm trying to figure out how one would even ride this thing and I just have no idea.
but even for that this seems like an extreme version
You can actually get bikes like that as a road version though, Like the Pure Keirin, which is basically a track bicylce but with brakes.
Or for probably a lot more cash you get a custom steel frame version
I HEARD WE WERE TALKIN STEEL FRAMES WHO WANTS TO TALK STEEL BIKES AWW YEAH
Honestly I was thinking of a Surly along the lines of what Septus mentioned when @QuantumTurk asked his questions originally, but the price range is not what he's looking for on their new bikes. That said if you can scope out used bike platforms my Surly is a goddamn dream. It's running 26x1.75's and it's built to haul although it isn't a cargo bike, and I am really sure I could literally throw it down a hill into a river, pull it out, wipe it down, and keep riding.
Although that said last night I managed to dislodge one of the rear mechanical disc brake pads from the springs (I was tired and not paying attention good) and had to dismantle the whole kit and kaboodle and now it needs to be readjusted because it's too squishy. But I have an appointment tomorrow to ride to the shop and talk about upgrading some more bits and bobs - swapping the bar-end shifters for silver versions, hoods maybe too, talk about new crankset and bottom bracket, probably need to redo the inner cables even though I was a fraction away from scrapping that plan...
My other bike is also a steel frame but isn't for cargo - that said if you want an all-weather commuter the All-City Zig-Zag is a pleasure to ride. Again you'd have to go used since the price point new isn't what you're looking at but I think for all the people getting into/back into cycling there are folks upgrading and getting rid of old bikes always, so. My only commentary there is I find the 105 shifters to be clunky as hell in comparison to the older shifters on my Surly or to Ultegra/Dura-Ace.
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
Yea always good to support local bike shops! Also, a lot of shops are happy to order a bike for you if they don't carry it. So sometimes you can ask them for something they don't currently have on hand.
Also note that buying a bike does not preclude you from the following:
1. Receiving additional feedback on additional bikes you should buy.
2. Buying more bikes.
Ex.
N+1 bikes
N+1 kits
send help
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
By help you mean additional links to bikes you should lust over?
The corollary rule is that the correct number of bikes to own is S-1, where S is the number of bikes that would result in separation from one’s partner.
My father thinks he can sidetrack the corollary by buying bikes for my mother.
...I don't know that it's working.
https://www.topeak.com/global/en/products/192-Rear-Rack-Bags/859-MTX-TRUNKBAG-EX
They sit on top of a rack rather than attaching to the side like a pannier
The Topeak bags can also use a kind of sliding rack mount to clip on and off quickly