General Cycling Discussion - Is this bike a good purhcase ?

Hello everyone, I'm new to this forum and have been looking around for a new bike, since my old one got stolen. Anyways, here in Toronto I found a bike at Canadian Tire that caught my attention, the Supercycle 2100 GDS 21spd.

Do you think that It would be a good purchase ? I usually just ride my bike around the block and usually in the park. It fits my budget, and looks pretty good, but I know that the colour isn't the most important thing when looking at a bike. I just want to know the pros and cons, and any help and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

By the way, Which is better, CCM or Supercycle ?

Heres the link:


http://www.canadiantire.ca/assortments/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=927951&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=717771&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=166971&bmUID=1016587175534

IMHO, any bike sold at Canadian tyre is a piece of cr@p. The choices you gave us are between 2 'department store' brands, neither of which are worth a plug nickel. For the price you are willing to spend, you will be far better served buying a decent used bike than some cheap pile of chinese lead. Department store bikes are poorly built, use lousy, non-standard components, and are assembled by mechanical incompetants.

It may be best to use the money for a second hand better quality bike as the frame on this one will be heavy. The gear components are low end and the other components won't be brand name.

It's likely it will feel "dead" to ride but may be ok if you are not doing much on it.

By the way Fubar, how did you edit that post?

I don't know what the exchange rate works out at exactly, nor the top limit of your budget but I think you could do better elsewhere.

I noticed the bike is described as a youth's bike and comes with 24" wheels in all but one frame size. Do you know what frame size you're likely to need? If you've got a local bike shop that also sells second-hand bikes that would probably be a better bet, they will be able to give advice on fit.

I'm sure when assembled the Canadian Tire bikes would be rideable, for short distances, but I think you'll get a better, lighter, stronger bike with better components second-hand for the same sort of amount.

If you only want a new bike again I'd go to a proper bikeshop - both Giant and Trek (and probably others) do a steel framed entry bike for not a lot more than department store bikes, which, if still a little on the heavy side will almost certainly have better componentry and be fairly well constructed.

Richard

Richard

kramerica,
Sportswap will have there annual bike swap beginning next month April, check them out, they are located at Yonge street just North of Davisville Road,

and can safely say its not a good purchase

Thanks for that info. I think that I'll check out one of those shops mentioned earlier, but I wouldn't know where to start looking.
Can somebody tell me a good bike that I can get for around $200?

Originally posted by kramerica
Thanks for that info. I think that I'll check out one of those shops mentioned earlier, but I wouldn't know where to start looking.
Can somebody tell me a good bike that I can get for around $200?

You might want a look at this thread:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6412

You're not going to get a truly good bike for under $200 US, but both the entry level chromoly/steel Trek and Giant are better than most bikes at that price and if you're not willing to go second-hand and that is your maximum budget I'd go for one of those.

Richard

Can somebody tell me a good bike that I can get for around $200?
Go to the "used bike" section of a bike shop, or see what's available on eBay. All you can get for $200 new is garbage-nothing more.

on the subject of entry level bikes, i've been riding my specialized hardrock for 3-4 years now, and i have to say, this bike has taken everything i could dish out, and more. (and let me make this clear: i'm NOT nice to bikes) it was my only transport for almost two years of that time, and took me across pavement roads, dirt roads, and ruttted, hilly, singletrack with lots of nice big rocks jutting out from the the 35 degree hill. :D (though i will admit that it would have been alot more fun to go down that some kind of suspension.) after all this time, it was still preforming fine. it just got it's new first chain and cassette! it is still going strong. if you take care of such a bike, (read: like i didn't) it would last you for a great deal of time. as for department store bikes, i bought the specialized because the deraileur on my crappy murray acctually jumped into the spokes of the back wheel and tore three out. :rolleyes: i hope that if you were not convinced to buy a good entry bike before, you are now. :beer:

If you could scrape together a few more dollars I would suggest a Raleigh. They're far from "Departmrnt Store" bikes and give the most Bang for your buck. When I was your age that is what I could afford. I still own and ride four upper end Raleighs -- MTB and Road. I also have a C'dale R2000 which is my "Two Wheeled Ferrari." Good Luck

Originally posted by kramerica
Thanks for that info. I think that I'll check out one of those shops mentioned earlier, but I wouldn't know where to start looking.
Can somebody tell me a good bike that I can get for around $200?
With that amoun C$200.00, you cannot get anything better, event at wall mart or Canadian Tire, that amount is probably a kiddies bike, I am not trying to belittle you, but you have to put some more dollars on the amount so you can really by a nice bike