Introductions - newbie from Chicago looking for new or old bike suggestions

Hi, so I'm a college student in Chicago and I don't have a lot of money to spend on a new bike, which makes my budget top out around $350 and I have been scouring craigslist for maybe a month now. I'm planning on using my bike for commuting to school maybe every other day [12 miles round trip] and just for loosening up and exercising on the weekends.

I've looked around but I'm still new to what are and aren't good biking parts [I assume by price] but I have found a like new Schwinn Circuit with a Suntour chainset and derailleurs [I don't know what that means] {$200**.

In addition to Craigslist, I've also looked on Amazon, Bikesdirect, and Performance bike to see what else is there in my price range, and... well there isn't a lot so I'm hoping for some advice on what or which bike will last me for a good couple years of riding, assuming I stay in Chicago after I graduate.

Thanks!!

Welcome to Bike Forums.

Got my first bike from Craigslist for $15.
Don't give up on them, keep looking.

...Suntour chainset and derailleurs [I don't know what that means]...
Suntour was a Japanese company that made great components and sold them at reasonable prices, but they went out of business a long time ago. They made the sprockets on the bike you're talking about, and the little gizmos that move the chain from one sprocket to another, and probably the shift levers. The only problem is if you ever need to replace something, bike shops won't have Suntour parts. You can still find a lot of them on eBay, though, and a bike shop can always find some way to make it work with other parts.

I've always had second-hand bikes, bought at yard sales for a small fraction of the original price. The bike I have now is a Bianchi Strada, which I think sold for $400 when it was new, but I bought it for $40 at a yard sale, with a little rust on the spokes but everything working fine.

You might try putting your own "Want to buy" ad in craigslist or the newspaper. I had a friend in Kansas City who said she always did that whenever she wanted to buy anything, and it always worked out well. It might work for a bicycle. Plenty of people have a bike in the basement or garage that they haven't used in years but just haven't decided what to do with it.

Welcome to BF from an ex-Chicagoan. Good luck in your bike search. What school are you going to in Chi-town?

I go to School of the Art Institute over here-- thanks!!

I ended up finding a used stock Specialized Langster for roughly $300-- do you guys think I did okay?

And now that I have the bike, I need to get a more comfortable saddle... I'd like to think that I gave the saddle a chance [about 100-115 miles] and so far all it's given me is seat pains... Any cheap recommendations for 7 mile rides?

Hey welcome from a fellow Chicagoan/former college student