My husband and I are researching different brands and styles of bikes to purchase sometime soon. I have heard that such brands as Trek and Mongoose are good makes. Is this true? Are there any specific models that would be better for us based on the fact that we will mostly use them in the neighborhood? (ie. moutain bike or road bike) Our budget is small, unfortunately.. about $150/bike. Any information or suggestions would be very helpful!

Thanks,

Julie

Hi Julie,

Trek is a good brand, though you'll be hard pressed to find new Trek adult bikes in the $150 range, but depending upon the ages of your kids, you may find bikes for them at a price that will keep the average within your budget. You might also consider used bikes for hubby and yourself. How old are the kids?

Usually the low end of a good quality line of bikes from a bike shop begins at around $200-$225. You can often find a Trek Navigator 50 in that price range, or maybe a Trek 7000 for just a bit more.

There are a couple models of Schwinns that aren't bad in the low 200's. The Sierra is one model.

There will also be $150 Schwinns available from places like Target and Wal-Mart. These Schwinns are different than the ones from the bike shops, being built from lower quality parts. They are okay bikes, I've known college students to get a lot of usage out of them. They are frequently available in only 1 or 2 sizes, so it can be hard to get a good fit.

You could also check out chains like Dick's sporting goods, which carry some reasonable quality bikes from Diamondback.

The type of bike that will most likely meet your "around the neighborhood" needs would be a hybrid or a cruiser - with both of these sometimes classified as "comfort" bikes. Hybrids are a cross between a road and mountain bike, with easy to pedal gearing, smooth semi-wide tires and comfortable seats, built for riding on bike paths and city streets. A cruiser will have wider tires and a more relaxed (lower) seat.

My husband and I are researching different brands and styles of bikes to purchase sometime soon. I have heard that such brands as Trek and Mongoose are good makes. Is this true? Are there any specific models that would be better for us based on the fact that we will mostly use them in the neighborhood? (ie. moutain bike or road bike) Our budget is small, unfortunately.. about $150/bike. Any information or suggestions would be very helpful!

Thanks,

Julie

The $150/bike really puts you in a less than decent bike. How about $150 down and payments? Lots of shops are looking for mid winter sales now. They really need the business. $250 $300 will give you a fairly durable bike. Whatever you choose good luck.

Tim

Giant Cypress is also a decent bike. You might be able to get one of these or Trek for your price from Craigslist at you budget. First ask at your bikeshop if they have any bikes they have taken in trade. They can tell you what sizes you want. You need to find a friendly bike shop as you will need to get your bikes adjusted, and to buy accessories.

If he decides to go used / Craigslist, there are dozens of bikes that could be considered. But then you don't get a guarantee and can't take it back. So you have to know what you are doing.

Or you can try used bike shops.

One can definitely get a much better used bike for $150 than they can a new $150 bike.

In general a bike shop doesn't deal with adult bikes under $200. It is hard to offer a bike for less given that most will attach extended warranties and a free tuneup and followup service. W-M can do it because they are buying cheaper bikes, having $7/hr part-time workers throwing them together, and adding no extra services. Bike shops have a hard time fixing many of the department store bikes as they don't always use standard parts, or the repairs cost more than the bike.