Originally Posted by barba
Classic steel framed bikes can be had for cheap with a little patience. Yard sales and Craigslist is lousy with them. They will, however, likely need a little TLC when you get 'em. My girlfriend recently decided she wanted a road bike to get around on. We found a classic 1973 Raleigh with a 531 frame and fork for $10 on CL. We put another $25 into a new chain, cables and some tubes. It kicks the crap out of anything available at the Wal-Mart, IMHO.
This post is by far the best most common sense respose. YOU need a "cheap" bike not a "new"
bike so that , to me, reads quality older bikes. (you can find killer deals on some mighty fine
equipment used just look past the rust and dirt.)
Look at it this way......
You can buy more,better quality,less troublesome,bikes by going into the used market than you ever
will with the Chinese junk that X-mart sells. You'll have to clean and tune it up (maybe) to get a good
ride but you'll at least have a bike that you can work with and get good parts for.
Xmart bikes**********??
Nah, mate. Pass or be prepared to walk a lot.