General Cycling Discussion - Bike Questions (Sorry, I'm new...)

Hi all, I just have a question that I couldn't seem to find another home for in any other forum...

I would like to buy a bike so get around(I live in a college town so a road bike would do), and have been looking at craigslist.. I came across these two:

men's jc penny 10 speed racer road bike 26" wheels with 10 speeds 22.5"-57cm $30
http://bloomington.craigslist.org/bik/2018489952.html

and

1980 Blue Panasonic road bike, Med. Size, ready 2 ride! - $100
http://bloomington.craigslist.org/bik/2022974911.html

I'm not really sure if either is a good deal, as I don't know anything about this stuff... would anyone mind pointing me in the right direction?

I did a little research and the Panasonic seems to have certain specialty parts which would be hard to find if something broke, which makes the price a bit high.

The JC Penney, I'm not sure... I couldn't find any definitive information about it, but does that price sound alright? seems a bit low... Anyway, I think I need a bike that's between 56 and 58cm according to my height...

Gosh this stuff is confusing when you first dive into it... any help would be appreciated

At one point, JC Penney bikes were made by Huffy. I honestly wouldn't expect much from it. What is your comfortable budget? Any long distance riding, hills etc?

If you do happen to look at the Penney's bike, check this out. It's a very old recall, but considering the Panasonic is from 1980 it could be relevant. You don't want to get lacerated by a defective crank.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml78/78075.html

Humm... maybe I'll just stay away froim the JC Penney bike..

The area around here is fairly flat. There are hills, but nothing major. Mainly flat with low-grade hills. I'm the usual broke college kid, so 100-150 is probably the highest I'll go. I just don't want to get burned by buying a bike that has something fundamentally wrong with it :-/

This is at the top of your price range and of course they leave out some pertinent details, like size, but personally, I'd think something like this would be a lot more versatile. It's a hybrid Trek 7200. You'd want to invest in a good lock though.

http://bloomington.craigslist.org/bik/2012612087.html

Hmm... after looking it up it looks super nice. Thanks!

I have a Trek 7500 which I use for a touring bike. It has held up very well.

$30 for a working bike (or even a bike shaped object) is not a bad price. If it fits you, it is probably a good buy. Even if you later decide you want a better bike, it will make a nice ride around if you need the bike locked in public. College towns are well known for bike thieves. A cheap bike if it fits and is reliable is a very good thing to have.

You missed the most important consideration. How tall are you/what size is the bike/does the bike fit?
If it doesn't fit price and components don't matter.

I'm 5'11" so I suppose I need a 56-58cm to be comfortable. Crappy thing is, the only bike that has a size listed is the $30 JC Penney bike. I've currently got two requests sent out to the sellers asking what size the bikes are.

Probably more like a 55-56 cm.
The JCPenney guy will probably tell you its a 26" (wheel size). :rolleyes:

Have you looked on ebay or other craigslist locations near you?

Nah, not really. Just my local craigslist. I spose I'll be shopping around for things tonight.

This time of year there are deals to be had at many local bike shops because it's the model year change. You ought to look around and have them at least help determine what size you need. Also, ask them if they have used bikes. You may luck out. Good luck.

But then again I don't even know where to begin when looking for bikes online... my plan was to pretty much just buy a bike people say is a good bike and hope for the best haha

Hmm... Thanks safari, I think I'll do that after work today. There are two bike shops near my office.