Winter Cycling - 400 bucks and a desire to buy a winter bike...

OK, so I have a strict $400 budget, and I want to build or buy a bike for winter riding. It'll need studded tires.

Anyone have any ideas on how to achieve this? I have very limited access to any used bikes, especially this time of year.

Thanks!
Andy

OK, so I have a strict $400 budget, and I want to build or buy a bike for winter riding. It'll need studded tires.


Thanks!
Andy

So you really have a $300 budget?? You will need around $100 for the studded tires. As far as what to buy? Here is my take:

Get a good used mountain bike. I know you said your options are limited. Why? What about ebay? That is where i got mine.

OK, so I have a strict $400 budget, and I want to build or buy a bike for winter riding. It'll need studded tires.

Anyone have any ideas on how to achieve this? I have very limited access to any used bikes, especially this time of year.

Thanks!
Andy

?? No access?? There's not a Goodwill or Salvation Army nearby? You can get a bike for 20 bucks, then spend the rest on accessories like fenders, lights, and knobby tires.

Koffee

Like koffee said, check the salvation army. Also I am pretty sure if you go to some police stations they will sell I guess the word is "Repoed" bikes for pretty cheap.

I know there will be people here who will gasp in horror at this suggestion ... but I got my winter bike, inexpensively, at Walmart.

It is a Mongoose mountain bike which I bought in the fall of 1999. I've ridden about 15,000 kilometers on it, including several centuries, and my first 200K brevet. I have had it in for two general tune-ups, during which time I had the chain changed once, and I think one or two of the cables were changed too. That's it. Not bad considering I've had it through all kinds of horrible weather and road conditions.

Contrary to popular belief, my Walmart bicycle did not disintegrate on me the moment I rolled it out of the store. It has been a VERY worthwhile purchase, and because I used it for commuting for 4.5 years, I calculated that it saved me over $3000.00.

I would encourage you to look into something like that. The thing is ... it is a winter bicycle! You're going to be riding it through muck, snow, sand, salt, and everything. You don't want to spend a fortune on a bicycle, and ... if it does happen to fall apart on you by the end of the season (somewhat unlikely -- mine sure did NOT), you've only dropped a couple hundred dollars on it.

In the snow bike post, you can see a picture of my bicycle and some of the conditions I've ridden in ... and what it looked like after one particular ride. :D

Got this bike on Ebay for about this price. If you look at the component group, and are willing to build a little, it's a great buy for the money.
http://www.motobecane.com/7ht.jpg
Hardtail Deore XT (http://www.motobecane.com/MBUSA7ht.html)

Thanks for the replies. I'll check out the Salvation Army tomorrow.

Reason I said there wasn't much available was that I'm way up here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Not too much in the way of biking up here, unfortunately. And with it being winter, well, it'd be hard to find a bike. But I forgot about the Sal. Army. And I'm checking e-gay now.

Thanks for the advice!
Andy

Thanks for the replies. I'll check out the Salvation Army tomorrow.

Reason I said there wasn't much available was that I'm way up here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Not too much in the way of biking up here, unfortunately. And with it being winter, well, it'd be hard to find a bike. But I forgot about the Sal. Army. And I'm checking e-gay now.

Thanks for the advice!
Andy

Don't forget, www.craigslist.com

Thanks for the replies. I'll check out the Salvation Army tomorrow.

Reason I said there wasn't much available was that I'm way up here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Not too much in the way of biking up here, unfortunately. And with it being winter, well, it'd be hard to find a bike. But I forgot about the Sal. Army. And I'm checking e-gay now.

Thanks for the advice!
Andy

I think Salvation Army has a website too- you might be able to buy a cheap used one and have it shipped.

Koffee

I'll be darned...called the police...no auctions. Stopped at the Salvation Army and another 2nd hand store...no bikes. Called the bike shop (only one in town)...no used bikes. Even checked the pawn shop...no joy.

Off to ebay I go. :)

And google the Salvation Army. I know they have an online site where they sell some of their junk stuff.

Koffee

I use a Trek Navigator for my winter bike. I have a Navigator 300 that I bought before I realized how much I prefer my road bike. The bike below is a Navigator 50 and the MSRP is $239.99, which means you can get one brand new right now for at your lbs for about $225, being that the riding season is over. Add some lights and studded tires, and you are still under $400. I know it looks like a really akward riding position, but I raised my seat and lowered the handlebars and rotated them way forward. The seat on my navigator is actually above the handlebars. It gives me a somewhat normal riding position. Of course I don't have to commute very far, less than 5 miles to anywhere I really need to be. However, I did take my navigator on a 50 mile ride in the Fall of 2004 with no problems.
http://www2.trekbikes.com/images/bikes/medium/navigator50_black.jpg

Thanks everyone. I got an old non-suspension Diamondback mountain bike for $9.99 on ebay, plus the shipping. Still WAAAAAAY under my budget. Ordering lights, studs, and some fenders now. :)