Hi. I've looked over this
webpage containing single-speed bikes for 2010 and although I haven't looked through all of them (I stopped looking at bikes that cost greater than $320 or higher.
I'm trying to stay at a max budget of $300, so I may have to buy a used bike if it's the only option, but it'd be nice to choose a bike that is fresh as new.
About a couple of months ago when I started to practice balancing my bike, I fell off my bike so hard that my back wheel got bent, but still ride-able. That bike that I rode is a Men's Huffy Cranbrook single-speed bike, which I've assembled it myself properly. However, once I went back to Tallahassee from Orlando (August 3rd), I went to Wal-Mart with my mom to pick up a new bike, which is Schwinn Delmar (fully assembled by Wal-Mart). However, after 10 minutes of riding the bike once I got my seat adjusted, I can no longer use the coaster brake but the good news is that I am able to stop my bike with both of my feet, so once I got out of the bike and turn my pedal forward, my dad told me that the wheel does not turn, which turns out to be a defective sprocket, but I cannot be completely sure about that. But before I bought myself a Delmar, I went looking for Mongoose Cachet, which is a very simple bike, but it is only available in Bainbridge, GA, which is not reachable from Tallahassee (32304) unless I go for a long drive. I do have enough money to buy the Cachet, but oh well...
And then I went "you know what, since I am starting to get some money coming in since I moved back to Tallahassee and my mom and dad are helping me out with the monthly rent for my apartment (split 3 ways), I might step up to $300, avoid discount stores as much as I can (I don't have anything bad to say to discount stores, but oh well), and get a new single-speed bike online" but I am having trouble finding a bike that I need, so like I said about Singlespeed Commuter Bikes for 2010, those are all road bikes, so I don't want a road bike.
However, here's something that I've been thinking... "Why can't I swap out the new seat post and handlebar stem and just use the old ones from my old Huffy Cranbrook?" Is that as easy as converting a road bike into a commuter bike without that look of a beach cruiser? The stem and seat post does have reflectors, but I'll probably buy some lights at a later time if I am going to travel to and from Tallahassee Community College during night time.
It looks like the Windsor The Hour does not have hand level brakes for front and rear, so what are my options? I'd like to try to keep my bike as simple as possible and have only 2 cables for front and rear brakes (for clarification, one for each).
This is the Windsor The Hour that I'm talking about
:
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/thehour.htm
The GlossWhite looks nice in a Windsor The Hour bike, though.
PS: I understand that most bike enthusiasts loath Wal-Mart when it comes to bikes, but that's because I was poor during the time when I was in Orlando, even with a $100 AmEx gift card that I got from my mom for Christmas last year. I am certainly glad I took the time to learn how to keep myself in balance while pushing forward and I will get better overtime.
PPS: I could go to the local bike shop, but I'm kind of a guy who likes to look at prices of bikes first before heading over to the bike shop. I might aim for a 17" or 18" frame, but the 17" gloss-white frame for Windsor The Hour at BikesDirect is already sold out.
If I go with a 19" frame size, it won't be good of a fit for me.