Q for bicycle owners - is it possible to get a decent bike for less than $200?

[cowcommander]

I need a bike to ride 5 days a week for at least 3 miles, but my budget is limited. I know Walmart sells a lot of cheap bikes, but they're China-made ones. Is there any place to get a decent bike for less than $200 that won't break?

[Blue-Jay]

1. Check your local bike shop for used ones.

Most stores have a halfway decent selection of bikes that people have traded in for something newer/nicer/better fit.

Aside from that, there are always bikes for sale on craigslist. You're not going to find anything new and reliable for under 200 toadskins, but that'll buy a good used bike.

[cowcommander]

3. What's a name brand to look out for?

There will be a flea market tommorow and I'll look for a bike there

[Blue-Jay]

6. Too many to list.

Look for components. Shimano shifters, shimano or Tektro brakes, Bontrager stems/bars. Quality components usually indicate a quality bike. Make sure you get one that fits. Good luck!

[LynneSin]

2. If you were east coast I'd hook you up with my stepfather

He always has used bicycles for sale - he finds them at flea markets and auctions and restores them so they can be sold.

[jobycom]

4. Sure, you can get any bike you want for the price of good bolt cutters.

But if you HAVE to do it the honest way, you won't get anything decent by biking standards new at that price. Really depends on what you mean by "laughed at." When I first got back into cycling 15 years or so ago, all I could afford was a Sears mountain bike. No one laughed to my face, and I road it a lot more miles than you're talking about. It held up well, aside from the seat breaking when a car ran over it (kickstands--don't trust them) for just about a year, and then everything started breaking. Bearings went out, gears stopped shifting... All stuff I could work on, but even the adjustments stopped working. A pedal snapped off, the tube (forget the name of it, but where the handle bar goes through) warped... Finally the bearings in the bottom bracket locked up on me on a long (for me, anyway--50 miles) ride, and I bought a new bike. I still use the Gary Fisher I bought to replace it.

Point is, don't worry about ego, worry about getting on a bike and riding. Bike riding should emphasize the riding, not the bike. Whatever you get will work for a while, and then when you get a better bike you can marvel (as I did) at how much difference a couple hundred makes.

The suggestions about used bikes are good ones, especially the part about checking smaller bike stores. I would add to be very careful on Craigslist. There are a ton of stolen bikes there. Be very careful of adds that say "I have ten bikes I'm selling for my cousin, and I don't know anything about this, but here's a brand new bike for $20. They've busted a few bike rings that will steal bikes by the trailer in one city, drive halfway across country to another popular biking city, and list the bikes a few at a time on CL for really cheap prices. On the other hand, there are good bikes there all the time. Just use the same common sense that has you click "TRASH" when you get something from the Barrister Whatever from a small African or Asian nation.

Things to figure out to save you time. First, figure out what kind of bike you want. There are racers and roads and mountains and hybrids and urbans and stuff I don't even know anymore. If you are just commuting, for instance, don't waste time on racers with clips and skinny tires or mountains with monster-truck shocks. Don't fine-tune it too much, though. Whether you get a hybrid with shocks stretched for road riding or an stiff-fork urban with a slightly shorter tube for traffic-dodging won't matter a great deal unless you are going to live on it. Second, figure out what size you need. That's not something to fixate on, either, unless you're going to do more than commute, but you want the size within the appropriate basic small-medium-large range.

Third, get a good frame first, components second, and wheels last, if you have a choice between a couple of models. You can always add or replace components, and you will replace tires, but the frame is forever.

Anyway, you can ignore all that and go to a decent local bike store and they can just point and say "That one," and they are probably right. But it helps to have some idea.

Anyway, those are my brief tips. Sorry, when it comes to choosing bikes (and a few other items) I get real OCD. :)

Oh, one more thing. Google your city for a cycling club or two, then go to their web site and look for classifieds. Mostly you'll get $2000 bikes listed as "sacrifices" with lots of proper nouns describing parts even most cyclists can't recognize, but sometimes you'll get someone dumping their starter bike for a one of those $2K bikes with lots of proper nouns for components. The good thing about such places is that it's harder to sneak a stolen bike in without someone getting suspicious.

Again, sorry I talk so much. :)

[Badfish]

5. Craigslist or thrift shops always worked for me.

[Dappleganger]

14. +1 for Craigslist

We have bought each of our kids really great, name-brand bikes for around $100-$150 each.

[gratuitous]

7. Lots of good suggestions here

Check with a local bike shop. Shops in Oregon don't do the used bike thing anymore because they didn't want to sell stolen goods (bikes are very attractive targets; swag you can ride away on). But they probably have all sorts of connections with local cyclists who are looking to sell their old rides. I will sell my current number 2 bike to a worthy applicant when it slips to number 3 in a couple of years.

Other suggestions: Helmet? Absolutely. Ear buds or headphones? Absolutely not.

Happy riding!

[bikebloke]

8. Pawn shops

My father bought his bikes at pawn shops, paying roughly $20 for one - 30 years ago. He usually had two - one for parts.

[mike_c]

10. +1, although I'd add a caveat...

I've bought several bikes at pawn shops in recent years. I live in a university town, so pawn shops are often a great source for bikes. However, most pawn shops have a pretty good sense of the resale value for bikes these days, so it's unlikely that you'll find that elusive $2,000 bike for $9.95. Also, be aware that pawn shop bikes are often pretty well thrashed, so be prepared to take any bike you buy-- unless you're a pretty good bike mechanic yourself-- to a bike shop for inspection and refurbishing. A couple of years ago I paid $500 at a local pawn shop for a used Cannondale that retailed new for about $1,500, but by the time I did all the necessary repairs I'd invested over $1000 total in the bike, including the purchase. Still a good deal, but as purchased the bike would barely have been ridable.

[here_is_to_hope]

16. Some of them know...but some do not

I scored a Marin for 129.95, retail was 2395.00 new!
I saw the name, the XTR components and wrote a check in less than 10 seconds.
Sold it on CL for 750.00 a few days later.

[cherokeeprogressive]

9. Try Ebay n/t

[wysimdnwyg]

11. I got a Trek at a used store for $60 about 10 years ago

Was a good deal then. Of course, the recondition I had done last year cost me 3 times what I paid for the bike.

[taterguy]

12. Almost any bike is going to have issues which is why purchasing from a bike shop is smart

Bike maintenance is time consuming and requires specialized tools, at least for a lot of things.

Bike shops make most of their profit from sales.

The ones in my area provide much better service to people that purchase bikes from them.

People that bring in other bikes for work will get moved to the bottom of the que.

You can buy new Treks for about $400, more than your 'budget' but possibly worth it in the long run.

[mythology]

13. Well worth the extra expense if you can swing it

When I swapped from a generic crappy mountain bike to a $500 hybrid trek bike, I wanted to have my new bike's baby. It cut 10 to 15 minutes each way from my commute and made the trip much easier physically.

Another thing to keep in mind is upgrading the rims, especially the rear wheel. I had mine break after a year, but that was on hideous Boston roads and I'm of a stockier build than most bicyclists as the guy at the bike shop helpfully noted.

[HopeHoops]

15. Unfortunately, damn near all of them are made in China now. But they aren't bad bikes.

KMart has good 26" bikes for about $100. Yes, they're made in China. I don't have a flying fuck of an idea where you can find one that isn't at ANY price.

[taterguy]

18. High end Treks are made in Wisconnsin

This page explains where most bikes are made:

http://allanti.com/articles/where-was-my-bike-made-pg328.htm

[Kaleva]

17. I know someone who knows someone who can get you a great bike for that.

[fishwax]

19. You can check to see if your community has a bike co-op

We've got a great one here that takes donated bikes and bike parts and then fixes them up and sells them at very reasonable rates. You know you're getting a good bike because someone who knows what they're doing has done the tune-up, etc. They might have something similar where you are ...

[WorseBeforeBetter]

20. I'm still riding a 1992 Trek and it's required just routine maintenance.

I love my bike!

Wasn't sure if Play it Again Sports was mentioned, but that may be a good option if in your area.

[david13]

21. Buy used. Just be sure where you are buying; from a reputable

source, so that you do not buy a stolen bike.
Also, be sure to get a big strong lock, and lock thru' the frame and front wheel at all times, and around some solid object, pole, sign post, etc. At night, put it in your bedroom.
dc

[applegrove]

22. I got a $100 bike more than a decade ago. I had to replace the tires because they kept going flat.

I wish I had paid for a good quality bike from the get go. Less hassle if you can afford it.