Living Car Free - Bike for college

I am looking for a bike for getting around college. My campus is kind of hilly but not too bad. I have been getting around on an older mtn. bike, but the teeth on the sprockets are breaking off(rust), so there is pretty much only one gear I can ride in b/c all the others slip. I don't want to spend anywhere near what I see many others spending on bikes, probably about $200 max, aroudn $100 would be even better. I kind of want to get something that I can get a round on faster, w/ skinnier tires, easier to get up hills. But I want to be able to ride off curbs and cut across grass/gravel and want something that is manuverable so I can weave around people/ cars etc. From what I understand road bikes are really made for going straight very long distances. So i don't really want a road bike or a mtn bike. I think that cyclocross bikes look good but like I said i can't spend more than about $200. I am fairly mechanically inclined, is it possible to get an old road bike or something and put different wheels on it, etc?

What would you reccomend I do?

not a road bike
going off curbs and stuff will surely mess up the wheels

In that price range your only option is used. I would start checking craigslist. Stay away from department-store-brand bikes.

I am looking for a bike for getting around college. My campus is kind of hilly but not too bad. I have been getting around on an older mtn. bike, but the teeth on the sprockets are breaking off(rust), so there is pretty much only one gear I can ride in b/c all the others slip. I don't want to spend anywhere near what I see many others spending on bikes, probably about $200 max, aroudn $100 would be even better. I kind of want to get something that I can get a round on faster, w/ skinnier tires, easier to get up hills. But I want to be able to ride off curbs and cut across grass/gravel and want something that is manuverable so I can weave around people/ cars etc. From what I understand road bikes are really made for going straight very long distances. So i don't really want a road bike or a mtn bike. I think that cyclocross bikes look good but like I said i can't spend more than about $200. I am fairly mechanically inclined, is it possible to get an old road bike or something and put different wheels on it, etc?

What would you reccomend I do?

I think, at that price range, this bike could be a good bet: http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=24180&subcategory_ID=3040

It's temporarily out of stock, and $50 over your budget though. You could get something great used for cheap, if you look long 'n' hard enough, I'm sure. I've been looking for a cheap used road bike for a long time though, and haven't had much luck.

Edit: Also check your local bike stores; the Raleigh Mojave 2.0 usually costs between $200-$250 too.

I would go with a rigid frame MTB and put slicks on it. You should be able to pick one up at a yard sale or thrift shop for less than half your minimum budget, then spend the rest on upgrades. A hybrid with 700c wheels would be nice too, but they don't take to being ridden off curbs too well. Look for name brand bikes like GT, Haro, Mongoose, KHS or Giant. If you aren't sure what is what find someone that is knowledgeable to help. Word of warning the later models of GT and Mongoose along with Schwinns are now being sold at Walmart and ARE NOT the quality of the original brands. But from what I have seen most of those appear to be suspension models, so you should be okay just looking at the rigid ones. Giant has not sold it's name out, so if you find one of those it is the real thing.

Aaron:)

In my opinion, it's good that you're trying to limit yourself to $200, because if you lock your bike outside you want it to be unattractive to thieves.


is it possible to get an old road bike or something and put different wheels on it, etc?

I think one of the best options for a budget-minded rider is a mountain bike with slick tires. They are very capable of riding over grass or gravel, and their weight is very close to the same as a similarly priced road bike. The heavier, thicker slick tires you'll find available for mountain bike rims are less likely to flat (meaning you will be saving tire-changing time and also money if you aren't the type to patch your tubes... I don't patch my tubes because I've had too many patches come loose.)

I wouldn't worry too much about which bike is more "maneuverable" because that's mostly a matter of rider skill. (outside of races, where saving a tenth of a second may actually matter.)

You can absolutely convert a old road bike to fatter tires. Just make sure there's room for them between the seatstays before you buy it. Also lots of older bikes have 27" wheels so make sure you check before you go the store and come home with 700c tires.

The quickest and cheapest thing might be to take the current bike to a bike shop and ask them to replace the cassette and chain. You can also replace the tires with slicker ones that are a little faster if you feel the bike is too slow, and keep them pumped up to the max recommended pressure. That'll speed you up a lot but you can still hop curbs with impunity.

They may also tell you your hubs or bottom bracket are shot...when I've bought old bikes those are often the parts that need to be replaced first.

I ride a Schwinn Voyageur road bike that I bought for 40 bucks...surprisingly cheap since it had some nicer (than I expected) gear on it. It's troublesome riding a road bike on campus sometimes but I just ride the streets.

Where do you go to school?

I have seen alot on different about 700cc tires, what does that mean?

Would something like this be decent or no?
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4698938

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3663046

I responded in the other thread.

I'm not going to try to find the other post...


I am looking for a bike for getting around college. My campus is kind of hilly but not too bad. I have been getting around on an older mtn. bike, but the teeth on the sprockets are breaking off(rust), so there is pretty much only one gear I can ride in b/c all the others slip. I don't want to spend anywhere near what I see many others spending on bikes, probably about $200 max, aroudn $100 would be even better. I kind of want to get something that I can get a round on faster, w/ skinnier tires, easier to get up hills. But I want to be able to ride off curbs and cut across grass/gravel and want something that is manuverable so I can weave around people/ cars etc. From what I understand road bikes are really made for going straight very long distances. So i don't really want a road bike or a mtn bike. I think that cyclocross bikes look good but like I said i can't spend more than about $200. I am fairly mechanically inclined, is it possible to get an old road bike or something and put different wheels on it, etc?

What would you reccomend I do?

Will get something completely crap for that price if you buy new, you can try to look around on craiglist or god forbid find a single speed/fixed on bikesdirect.com and put either wider tires on it and run them at a lower pressure, take curbs gently and you'll be fine.

Where the hell did you hear that road bikes are not maneuverable? They can do a lot more than go in a straight line and can easily weave through traffic and around people. It is all about the tires and the person, get ****ty tires and they'll slip out from under you. Get good tires they'll stay under you. Chances are your bike can have enough traction at a greater angle than you feel comfortable leaning.

Or well, you can just go to walmart and buy a huffy.....and be pissed off and hate yourself for wasting 200$ instead of saving up more...oh yeah, or you can save up some more money....walk around and ride your mtn bike for the rest of this year and add your earnings to a christmas present and there you go..a bike that you will most likely be happy with.

ride fixed bro... those kids do curbs all the time

I ride a Schwinn Voyageur road bike that I bought for 40 bucks...surprisingly cheap since it had some nicer (than I expected) gear on it. It's troublesome riding a road bike on campus sometimes but I just ride the streets.

Where do you go to school?

UF



ride fixed bro... those kids do curbs all the time

Yeah but with only one gear isn't it hard to go up hills, or if the gear is to low isn't it too hard to go fast?

Where you located anap? I have a few bikes in a variety of sixes. All within your budget.

Would something like this be decent or no?
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4698938

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3663046

No, those things only LOOK like bicycles

Merged this thread from the multi post in different forums.

The quickest and cheapest thing might be to take the current bike to a bike shop and ask them to replace the cassette and chain.

If so, replace the chainring(s) too.

My impression was that his bike needed so many replacement parts due to rust that buying another bike would be cheaper.

I forgot to say earlier, I definitely would recommend a used bike. There are some wonderful bikes to be had at about the $100 price range. That would leave you enough money to buy a strong lock (you really should have one even on a cheap bike unless you are in a place where bike theft is rare) and some accessories like lights (riding at night with reflectors but no "see me" lights is quite dangerous) and maybe fenders.

Where you located anap? I have a few bikes in a variety of sixes. All within your budget.

I am living on campus, what do you mean you have bikes in a variety of sixes?

If so, replace the chainring(s) too.

My impression was that his bike needed so many replacement parts due to rust that buying another bike would be cheaper.

I forgot to say earlier, I definitely would recommend a used bike. There are some wonderful bikes to be had at about the $100 price range. That would leave you enough money to buy a strong lock (you really should have one even on a cheap bike unless you are in a place where bike theft is rare) and some accessories like lights (riding at night with reflectors but no "see me" lights is quite dangerous) and maybe fenders.

I have a u lock and a light. I would like to get some fenders however.

Check the Gainesville Craig's List and get some Freddy Fenders from Planet Bike. http://ecom1.planetbike.com/fenders.html
(http://ecom1.planetbike.com/fenders.html)

Gainesville Craig's List http://gainesville.craigslist.org/bik/

UF campus isn't that hilly. Back in the '70s the Gainesville area was a fun place to be car free. There were many state parks and other places with decent swimming holes to cool off during those humid summer rides, Oleno, Goldhead Branch, Mannattee springs, Lake Wauberg, Ichnetucknee(sp?) and other unnamed sink holes. There used to be used bike shops and thrift stores where you could get bikes. My neighbor used to pull old bikes from the trash fix them up and sell them to students.

I am living on campus, what do you mean you have bikes in a variety of sixes?

Stacey meant to type "sizes".

Go to the thrift stores. You may be able to get great deals there. Around here, thrift store bikes will set you back $20 to $50, give or take. You may have to replace cables, swap a pedal, true a wheel or do other basic work, but if you look, you should be able to find something reliable on a shoestring. You may even be able to find a complete beater with a good drivetrain you could swap onto your existing bike.

Also, garage sales and newspaper classified ads can direct you to possible sources.

The pawn shop just up the street from me had 2 Trek 7300's. Matching mens and womens, only about a year old and not a scratch and hardly ridden. All they wanted for them was $150.00 apiece. I almost bought one, as they're both newer than mine and a lot nicer looking. If I hadn't spent $140.00 for a new wheelset after ruining my rear wheel, I definitely would've snatched one up. Anyway check out pawn shops. This time of year bikes don't sell, so you'd be able to get one real cheap.

With minimal effort, you can manage a gentle grade on a single speed bike. With some work, you can manage a 5% grade on a single speed bike. There's unlikely to be anything worse than that in FL, so a single speed bike should be fine. As a kid, I ran around on a single speed with grades in excess of 5%. I wasn't allowed to ride where ever I wanted, because hitting 10% or more grades was easy, and at that point I could have worn out my coaster brake and not known it. (yes, I grew up in a very hilly area)

The good thing about a single speed is there's less to break. So if you find an adult single speed, it might be very handy for you. A 3 speed internal hub gear is also low maintenance. And the adult versions won't *just* have coaster brakes *g*.

Really tho, any decent quality used bike will do the job for you. Hang out in Classic and Vintage to get an idea of which older bikes are good ones, and keep your eyes open. There may be a local bike shop that sells used bikes. You'll pay more there than at a garage sale, but if they're good, they'll have checked the bike over and they'll back the work they've put into it. Keep your eyes open in thrift shops too. Keep back $100 for upgrades and repairs. That way, if the bike turns out to need work, you're covered.

I have a cyclocross that has no problems with curbs or off road, but at that price it would have to be used. Though if I were going to purchase a multi fuction bike again I think I would go for a touring bike for the triple instead of double chainring. I have the Motobecane Fantom Cross with over 4,000 miles on mine. They sell a similar one Motobecane Fantom CX looks like same frame just a different groupset and different fork. But at $500 really looks like a deal, I know it's over your budget but it's the cheapest new cross bike I have ever seen.

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/fantom_cross_cx.htm

Most students at the university near my house ride cheap mountain bikes. I think a Walmart bike would be adequate for most students. You could probably find a used one for $30 to $ 40 or a new one in your $100 to $200 price range.

Personally, if I were a college student I would prefer a used mountain bike of higher quality. If you don't know much about bikes, look for one from the major higher quality manufacturers, namely Trek, Giant or Specialized. Any bikes made by these three companies will be good nough.

Test ride it to make sure it fits and everything works. You should be looking for a rigid or hardtail bike (IOW, no REAR shocks or suspension, but front suspension is usually OK) in the $100 to $200 price range, depending on your location. Try Craigslist, but you're more likely to find something nice at pawn shops and garage sales. Or put a wanted ad in your student paper.

A road bike would be fine, but most would be a little out of your price range.

I'm not going to try to find the other post. Don't worry, it looks like the moderators have merged the OP's threads. My post is now in this thread...suggesting he just replace the chain and cassette on the old bike.

Stacey meant to type "sizes".Or sexes.

The pawn shop just up the street from me had 2 Trek 7300's. Matching mens and womens, only about a year old and not a scratch and hardly ridden. All they wanted for them was $150.00 apiece. I almost bought one, as they're both newer than mine and a lot nicer looking. If I hadn't spent $140.00 for a new wheelset after ruining my rear wheel, I definitely would've snatched one up. Anyway check out pawn shops. This time of year bikes don't sell, so you'd be able to get one real cheap.

The last time I cracked a rim, I bought a new (used) bike that cost less than a replacement wheel from my LBS. It was a nicer bike, too. In your case, you saved $10 by buying the wheel instead of the Trek.

Also, remember when buying from a pawn shop--haggle. A lot of times they will knock the price down. The worst times to buy are spring and early summer, September (back to school), and before Christmas. The best times are October, January and February.

anap, what kind of bike is your old one? if its a decent bike with just a few things wrong with it, then you can take it to Student Government bike repair and get it fixed up. They might even have used parts there they will put on for free.

Is it the rear that has the teeth missing on it? If so, thats only like $10 to fix. plus $10 for a new chain. Our craigslist can be decent but most of the time its not. I do know a older guy in Gainesville who fixes up bikes and sells them cheaply (~$60). I bought 3 or 4 from him in the past. PM me if you would like me to get in touch with him for you.

btw, i might add that the guy seems to deal mostly in rigid frame mountain bikes. And for $15 you can get a pair of Nashbar slicks delivered.

also, you can post a wanted ad on craigslist for what ever type of bike you want. you usually get alot of replies that way from people who never got around to listing a bike they want to sell.