I am eager to get a winter commuter on-line. I don't want to use my main bike and get it all gunked up. I have not had much success finding a used bike. So I had this idea, and I am wondering if it would work or if I am asking for trouble.
The goal is to get a winter beater bike, keep studded tires on it, maybe make it single-speed since the gears get all iced up anyway, and have it ready for snowy days. When the roads are clear, I would use the main bike, but after a snowfall and before they are plowed, I would use the winter beater.
That is the background, and here is the question. Is the following a good way to get a winter bike:
I saw in Target (big-box retailer in the area, competitor to Walmart) a women's (I am male) mountain bike for <$50. I buy it, take it directly to the bike shop, have it converted to single-speed, have them put on studded tires, put on my own light setup, and there I am ready to go. The idea is that a women's frame would be easier for emergency dismounts, the single-speed would be easier for maintenance and would have fewer moving parts to ice up, and the low price would make it a bike I would not be afraid to take on the salty roads.
The reason I ask for advice about the idea is that I am worried that a bike that cheap would have corners cut somewhere that would get me. For example, the pedals are plastic. In cold weather, plastic seems to break more easily. The whole thing just doesn't look as sturdy as my regular bike, but I can't really point to something that is "wrong" with it (other than the plastic pedals).
Thank you for any insights.
powers2b
12-09-05, 02:48 PM
During a long stint at the local bike co-op I worked on more department store bikes than I care to admit so here are my 'insights':
1. Immediately after getting the bike home dismantle it and lube all bearings with marine bearing grease (don't forget the pedals - or replace them)
Search the forum for 'replacing bearing cages'
2. Spray the inside of all the tubes with WD-40 (Don't be shy about it)
3. Lube all the cables
4. Buy a spoke wrench and tension the wheels (dept store bikes are notorious for getting bent wheels because the spokes were loose when purchased)
While you have the wheel off add a nice layer of rim-tape.
5. Remove the shifting mechs (you have the right idea) and shorten and lube the chain.
6. Using an old toothbrush grease the seat tube and steerer tube.
7. Get some fenders
8. Wrap electrical tape around any holes in the frame (bottle cage holes, vent holes on seat and chain stays)
Enjoy
Jerseysbest
12-09-05, 02:54 PM
I dunno, I like the plastic pedals on my beater bike instead of aluminum, they don't grab as much when I hit the curb with em.
powers2b
12-09-05, 02:54 PM
To keep things inexpensive you can make your own studded tires by screwing small flat-head machine screws through the thick rubber lugs on the OEM tires.
My experience - studded tires only help on ice and are noisy, slow and slippery on dry/wet pavement
Enjoy
bullethead
12-14-05, 02:06 PM
If you are in a position to "gamble" the fifty bucks, I'd go for it. Just don't get bent if the thing comes apart on ride #2. This is purely my opinion based on no cycling skill and little experience, but I don't like to waste money, either. Making it single gear sounds like a good idea. I am a male and love my ladies frame; I have really short legs and crappy flexibility.
Machka
12-14-05, 02:26 PM
I'll quote something I posted here a few weeks ago:
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.
And I'll add ... I changed the pedals out to clipless pedals and added bar ends to make it more comfortable ... those were my two "upgrades".
Roody
12-14-05, 04:45 PM
I am totally NOT an expert on single speed bikes. But I understand that only certain dropouts are suitable forconversion to singlespeeds. For those who are even less an expert than I am, dropouts are the little tabs that the wheels fit into. I think that a single speed requires a horizontal dropout so that the chain tension can be adjusted.
I am sure that one of the many SS experts will address this issue before you walte money on any bike.
Machka
12-14-05, 05:25 PM
I am totally NOT an expert on single speed bikes. But I understand that only certain dropouts are suitable forconversion to singlespeeds. For those who are even less an expert than I am, dropouts are the little tabs that the wheels fit into. I think that a single speed requires a horizontal dropout so that the chain tension can be adjusted.
I am sure that one of the many SS experts will address this issue before you walte money on any bike.
I know that if you're converting to a fixed-gear you have to have horizontal dropouts. I'm not sure about single speed, but I would assume it would be the same thing.
bullethead
12-14-05, 06:52 PM
[
I know there will be people here who will gasp in horror at this suggestion ... but I got my winter bike, inexpensively, at Walmart. Just wondering, what was your initial investment? I saw a mongoose at a sporting goods store that actually turned out to be more money than a bike we ended up buying at LBS.
Roody
12-14-05, 07:05 PM
[
Just wondering, what was your initial investment? I saw a mongoose at a sporting goods store that actually turned out to be more money than a bike we ended up buying at LBS.
Again, NOT an expert, but Mongoose seems to make 2 levels of bikes. Some are real good and expensive, others cheaper and sold in discount stores. BMX riders probably know a lot more.
Machka
12-14-05, 07:18 PM
[
Just wondering, what was your initial investment? I saw a mongoose at a sporting goods store that actually turned out to be more money than a bike we ended up buying at LBS.
About $250 Canadian ... which would have been about $165 US at the time.
I looked at all the LBSs in town, and the least expensive mtn bikes I could find were about $800 Canadian. I came SO close to buying a Merin for that ... which was one of the least expensive bicycles available ... outside a department store.
CBBaron
12-15-05, 07:31 AM
I know that if you're converting to a fixed-gear you have to have horizontal dropouts. I'm not sure about single speed, but I would assume it would be the same thing.
Yes and no. With a fixed gear you have to have a tight chain because you can provide back pressure on the pedals. However with a SS you can use a chain tensioner on the return side. For a cheap conversion you can just use the derailer and fix it in the correct location for your chain line. For a better solution use something like a Surly Singulator. Ofcourse horizontal dropouts all you to eliminate the tensioner and the little bit extra complication.
The biggest concern I would have of a $50 bike would be the brakes. Rim brakes don't work well in poor weather and in my experience cheap brakes don't work well at all. That means you will probably have no braking with cheap brakes in poor weather. Consider a cheap cruiser with coaster brakes. Its already single speed and coaster brakes are mostly unaffected by poor weather. You would just need to tension the spokes, replace the rim tape and put on the studded tires, lights and fenders.
Craig
PaulH
12-15-05, 08:15 AM
I agree that a cruiser might be the better bet. The department store cruiser bikes that I have seen have held up well as rentals in seaside places with lots of corrosion. Along with lights, fenders, and studs, I would suggest a narrower seat, though.
Paul
alanbikehouston
12-15-05, 08:29 AM
I see lots of 1988ish to 1995ish Trek and Specialized mountain bikes in Houston resale shops for around $20 to $75, and in local pawnshops for around $50 to $100. Some of these were top-of-the-line bikes with premium steel tubes and Pro quality hubs, rims, brakes and shifters. The worst 1990 Trek is a far better bike than the best bike sold at Wal-Mart in 2005.
Buying bikes at Wal-Mart sends dollars to fund the Chinese communists system. Read yesterday's "USA Today" to learn about the beasts who have used brutal force to maintain control of mainland China. A story about a man arrested for because he committed the crime of having a third child. He had already paid the communists for a permit to have the third child. Even though he had a "third child" permit, the communists arrested the man, and beat his nine year old son so severely that he has permanent injuries and $4,000 in unpaid medical bills...in a town where the average income is $1,000 per year.
Just say no to Wal-Mart bikes.
swwhite
12-15-05, 09:34 AM
Just say no to Wal-Mart bikes.
Don't worry, I already am boycotting Walmart for other reasons. They had a store in my home town and decided that it wasn't good enough for them, and so abandoned it and built a super-Walmart. I'm disgusted so I stay away from them.
But this is not a political discussion, so as long as I am dropping in this response I will take advantage of the opportunity to thank everyone for their input. I had not thought of that dropout issue, and I did observe that the bike I had my eye on has no attachment points for fenders or a rack. So I will be very careful in my evaluation.
My Brother The Biker has located a free Specialized mountain bike, in need of some repair, that is resting at the moment in my Mother's garage. It is looking like that will become my winter beater. I might be able to have it on-line by January. In Minnesota, we can (or used to be able to) count on some good snow as late as March. We even had a dumping in May once when I was a kid, as I recall 40 years later.
ajay677
12-15-05, 11:33 AM
About $250 Canadian ... which would have been about $165 US at the time.
I looked at all the LBSs in town, and the least expensive mtn bikes I could find were about $800 Canadian. I came SO close to buying a Merin for that ... which was one of the least expensive bicycles available ... outside a department store.
Look at the Kona Smoke. Good value at $300-$400 cdn.
Machka
12-15-05, 04:45 PM
Look at the Kona Smoke. Good value at $300-$400 cdn.
I don't need another bike now!! Mine is still going just fine ... after 6 years.
If I were to get another bike to replace my Mongoose though, it would be the cheapest, most blah-looking heap I could find. :D
Roody
12-15-05, 04:53 PM
My Brother The Biker has located a free Specialized mountain bike, in need of some repair, that is resting at the moment in my Mother's garage. It is looking like that will become my winter beater. I might be able to have it on-line by January. In Minnesota, we can (or used to be able to) count on some good snow as late as March. We even had a dumping in May once when I was a kid, as I recall 40 years later.
I think you'll be happy with the Specialized. My everyday yearround bike is an old Specialized Hardrock and I LOVE it. Beautiful frame, durable components, rides great. Ironically, these old rigid MTBs are no longer so good as offroad bikes, because they have no suspensions, but they are very useful urban street bikes. I have done many 60-80 mile rides on mine without discomfort, but not very fast. They are also easy to maintain.