bikemig 

That bike is such a solid deal at $139. Plus it doesn't look like a basket case since the S knows something about bikes. I'd buy it in a heartbeat if it showed up on my CL and it's not my size.

Here's some more info on this model mtb, https://vintagemountainb.blogspot.com...-maruishi.html

https://rich-and-valerie-mckay.blogsp...tace-mt18.html

GhostSS

IMHO just get a used bike, a cheap one. A 1.6 mile commute isn't far at all and just about anythng would do.

Reynolds 

If your route is flat and you'll use your bike exclusively for commuting, I think a single speed would be better and less expensive. Of course if you have a great deal on a geared bike, it's OK too.

Gresp15C

I'm betting that I have the same bike right now. It is a Gary Fisher "Wahoo" that I bought several years ago, on deep discount, at a local store. A bike of that ilk would be a fine commuter, with the typical upgrade to street tires. I tried out a Cheng Shin C783 tire, which I found to be quite nice, and it's not very expensive. My Gary Fisher is now my winter bike, with carbide studded knobbies, fenders, a rack, and basket.

So far as I know, Gary Fisher is now owned by Trek.

I sympathize about the prices of bikes. The town where I live is rather "upscale," and the bike shops prefer to stock the more expensive models.

wolfchild

Fixed gear or SS is perfect for such a short distance, there is no need for gears...Doing a couple of sprints at maximum effort for those 1.6 miles on a fixed gear will get anybody fit, short and intense is good, longer doesn't always mean better.

cooker

Did you jump back into biking and go straight to fixed gear on some strangers' recommendation, or did you go fixed after a lot of research and mulling over?

ScotchMan

Ok let me clear a few things up.

First, of course biking 3 miles a day will be healthier for anyone than driving 3 miles a day. I said in my initial post that I am near my ideal weight; I am not looking for this commute to help me drop 50lbs. So there are still health benefits to be had, even if they are minor.

Second, walking really isn't an option. Sure it sounds good to say that its the difference between 0.5 hours and 0.1 hours. But if you really look at that, that's 6 minutes vs. 30 minutes. Spending an hour of my day walking is not appealing. I don't enjoy walking nearly as much as biking, so I'd get the health environment and cost savings, but at a greater cost to myself. Biking would be faster and more fun.

And finally, I probably should have mentioned this in the first post, but I would like for this bike to eventually get used for more than just this short commute. For one thing, I play competitive volleyball twice a week about twice as far as my job, so it would make a lot of sense to bike to and from there since I would already be in athletic clothes, and appearance is unimportant. So there's another 6.4 miles twice weekly. The grocery store is also right near work, so those Sunday morning "honey go get milk/eggs/whatever" could turn into an excuse to get out and ride. And I am thinking about getting my girlfriend a bike for her upcoming birthday, as we both want to start going for extended rides on the Erie Canal bike path and elsewhere. I used to go for 12-15 mile rides on the canal when I was younger, and I really miss the sense of freedom that it gave me.

So, this is why in the back of my mind I'm willing to spend a little more on a bike, but, I am not sure if any of the above will happen so I don't want to dive in too aggressively at this point. I think a nice $400-500 retail priced bike like the Trek FX or several of the Jamis offerings would be great.

I have ruled out a fixed gear bike. I was actually in contact with the seller of the Specialized that was posted earlier in this thread, but decided against it. Maybe if this goes somewhere I will pick a fixed gear/single speed up down the road to play with, but for now I want a bike with gears and that I can coast with.

Finally, as for the used mountain bike. I have no doubt it is a great bike and a great deal, but it does absolutely nothing for me. Consider this my newcomers' ignorance, or whatever, but old things have never done much for me. Another area that I am very active in is firearms, specifically *******s, and I am the same way there. If someone posted a Colt Python for sale for $500, that would be an insane deal that would be immediately snapped up, but I would pass on it. Old stuff, no matter the quality, just doesn't attract me the same way the latest and greatest does. It is entirely possible this is a character flaw and I'm ok with that. One of you should jump on it if it is so great

So back on topic, what do you recommend in the area of $400ish street/hybrid bikes that could handle a bit of gravel but be ridden primarily on road. Jamis was a great suggestion, I had never heard of them and their selections are nice. How do we feel about Raleigh, do they have anything in that price range? Do I need to worry about frame material?

*Edit to add: is hand-6un really caught by the profanity filter here? Wow.

10 Wheels

Go used.

https://rochester.craigslist.org/bik/4965935949.html

ScotchMan

Lol I guess you didn't read my post?

Used is great, don't want something very old.

10 Wheels

I started with a 23 year old, $15 bike...rode it 1500 miles, then went with a new one.

bikemig 

If you don't want a used bike that fits your budget, then your decision becomes really easy. Find an LBS you like and trust. Tell them your budget and the kind of riding you want to do. Buy a bike.

ScotchMan

Sure, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I have an old bike I could restore, I want to buy something new This is less about getting from point A to point B and more about getting in to a new hobby. An old bike will not motivate me as much to get out there and have fun with it.

A few years old is great. Like I said, that Specialized fixed gear I was looking at was good, it's a 2011.

alan s 

Sounds like you should look at Save Up To 60% Off Road Bikes, Bicycles, Mountain Bikes and Bicycles with Bikesdirect.com, New with full warranties offerings, assuming you have some basic skills, or you could always get a local shop to do the final assembly. No tax, free shipping and decent spec bikes. Lot of bang for the buck. As far as riding offroad and hauling groceries, a bike that takes wider tires is nice. Rack and fender mounts are a plus.

ScotchMan

I certainly will. I like to know what I'm buying before I trust a salesman, even at a reputable store. The last time I did this, this time last year (didn't end up buying), it was a little overwhelming, and kind of felt like I was buying this bike over that bike because it looked prettier. That's not good.

Maybe this thread has outlived its usefulness. I guess I was looking for someone to explain to me what all the features are/mean.

bikemig 

You're better off talking to an LBS or two and picking out a few models. Then you can post the models and get some feedback, some of which you may find useful,

wphamilton

I'd get a box bike https://www.amazon.com/Aluminum-Commu...dp/B008CE9KKM/ for $189 and shipping for the 58 or even this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00..._bw_p200_d0_i2 comes in a 64 cm, $280

The big advantage over CL is that you get new and better quality than some of the junk they put on flipper bikes, and you don't need the specialized knowledge to spot a good deal. If someone does see a deal on local CL I'd go for that.

RubeRad

OK then, let's start over. Given your personal preference against used in favor of the 'latest and greatest', that makes it a little difficult because the 'latest and greatest' is mostly beyond your nominal $400 budget. For the best possible value in new, I second the recommendation above to look at BikesDirect.com. You just have to be comfortable with a small amount of self-assembly (screw in pedals, attach handlebars -- they have video tutorials, and I've never seen any complaints that it was too difficult for anybody).

You also have some categories to consider. Do you want a mountain bike or a road bike? (Do you ever plan to take the bike on rocky trails? Or maybe just smoothish fire roads?) If mountain, full-suspension (front&rear), fully-rigid, or hardtail (rigid frame, suspended fork)? 26", 27.5" or 29" wheels (at 6'5" you probably want a 'niner)? V-brakes or disc brakes? If road, do you want drop bars or flat bars? Do you want a more upright seating position (better for comfort, seeing and being seen), or a more aerodynamic position (better for longer rides at higher speeds)? Do you want wheels/tires that are optimized for comfort/reliability (heavier wheels, more spokes, wider tires, lower pressure) or performance (lighter more expensive wheels, fewer spokes, narrower tires, higher pressure)? Do you plan to carry your stuff in a backpack, or would you want to install a rack and get panniers or a "rack trunk"? Do you plan to ride in the rain (do you need fender mounts)?

I recommend you go to bikesdirect.com and poke around, see if anything catches your fancy, then post a few links back here, all of us here in the thread will be happy to give you opinions.

Maybe this can start a discussion: Motobecane Elite Trail 29er, $349. They have a 23" size, which should fit you great, disc brakes (latest & greatest), "Happy Medium" tires, which (if their name holds true) should keep you upright on trails, and not slow you down too much on the road; rack mounts (can't tell whether it has fender mounts, but if you want there are fenders that attach to anything using clamps), and the fork has 'lockout', which means when you're on the road you can make it rigid, so the squish doesn't steal your energy.

cooker

Okay, don't shoot me, but you're giving mixed messages, in that you want the latest and greatest, but super cheap. Your thread title also asks for "lots of education", which invites a wide range of opinions.

If you want quality at a low price a used bike, more snobbishly referred to as a "vintage" bike is the way to go. For the same price, a new bike is much lower quality. However you must follow your own path.

ScotchMan

Apologies if I came across harsh, that was not my intention! I am more than ok with used, just not 1980s used. Latest & greatest might be misleading; I guess what I'm trying to say is I value advances in technology more than the pride of ownership associated with vintage items. How about we say 2005-Present? I will continue to monitor Craigslist, I think that is a good approach.

ScotchMan

For this I want a road bike. But I want the ability to ride on fine gravel, so a hybrid bike leaning more towards street should be fine. Don't know what brakes I want, don't know what kind of bars. Don't know what seating position I want, probably upright, but options are good. Wheels/tires optimized for performance sounds preferred if there isn't going to be a dramatic increase in the number of problems...otherwise a compromise I guess? I'll use a backpack if I carry anything at all. Fenders will be needed, rain is probable.

The only bike I really have experience with is my Fisher mountain bike. It has straight bars and you sit upright. I remember trying a road bike once and being surprised how much easier it was to go fast. I think I would like more of the latter in this bike.

bmthom.gis

Once indexed shifting came around, latest and greatest really aren't much more of an improvement over something from the late 80s/early 90s. If you like the Jamis, I would go with the Jamis. They make some good bikes. The important thing is get a bike you will want to ride. If old school isn't your thing, that's okay. I used to feel that way, then I started hanging out in th C&V subforum and fell in love with lugged frames and downtube shifters. To each their own in terms of style.

TroN0074

It will be your bike so you can disregard whatever has been said on this thread and buy anything you find attractive. However with what you have described I think the word Hybrid will be key. So look for a bicycle that you ride on the roads and on some mild trails. This kind of bike looks like a mountain bike but has features found on road bikes. Flat handlebars upright position, rigid fork and hybrid tires.
The Giant Escape, the Trek Fx and some Jamis bikes such as the Jamis Coda (see post 12) are examples of hybrid bikes. V-Brakes are totally acceptable Disk brakes will bring the cost of the bike up.
Every brand has a line of bikes with similar features, if you go with the Bikesdirect route make sure you order the right size for you. There is nothing worse than buying a bike online just to find out it was too small for you or too big.
Beside it is a good idea to support your local bike shop, talk to them, tell them your budged and the kind of ride you will be doing

Good luck to you

bmthom.gis

For what you want, I would check out cyclocross bikes. Should be no problems fitting fenders, wider tires and would be more than fine for fine gravel.
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It helps to narrow down if you want drop bars vs flat bars. As long as you can fit a tire 28mm or wider, honestly you will be fine over any surface (32mm wide even better). My preference is to have drop bars - I like the variety of hand positions. Also, reading your latest comment, that sounds like the direction you want to go anyway. If you go road bike, as long as you have dual pivot brakes, you will be just fine. I don't believe disc brakes are needed on the road. They definitely add a premium to the price tag. As for wheels, you will be fine on whatever wheels come with your bike. They can easily be upgraded at a later date if you want to go with something lighter.

RubeRad

OK, based on those criteria, it sounds like the niche category of bike that would suit you best is the "Gravel Grinder", which is a rugged road bike with wider tires that is fine to ride on smooth trails. Closely-related categories would include Cyclocross bikes and Endurance/Adventure bikes.

Your experience riding faster on a road bike was almost certainly down to smooth tires instead of knobby tires. I had the same experience when I put these tires on my mountain bike, and that's what catapulted me into cycling. Imagine if you had to ride on a road that was mini-cobbled in the texture of a mountain bike tire, how much that texture would slow you down. It's the same when the texture is on the tire instead of the road. For a gravel bike you're looking at probably 32-35mm wide tires (plus or minus, maybe 28, maybe up to 42) with a smooth center ridge for fast riding in straight lines on the road, and a little bit of shoulder profile to help with loose/crunchy trail stuff when necessary.

Take a look at this page of "Cyclocross/Gravel" bikes. They bottom out at $399 for the Gravity Liberty CX. If you wanted to stretch to $499, there's a version with disc brakes, which is pretty boss, I'd say it's in the 'latest & greatest' category to have disc brakes on a road bike, that's only started happening in the last few years. Both of those have 'cross top' aka 'turkey wing' brake levers, so in addition to the brake/shifters ('brifters') you can see in the picture, there are little brake levers up on the flats of the drop bar to give you more options for hand positions where you can maintain control of the brakes.

If you want to start lusting after a proper bike (or bump up your budget 3-4x), check out the Surly CrossCheck (possibly the most common cyclocross bike used for commuting?) or Surly Straggler (crosscheck+disc brakes). Or take a peek at volagi.com. I currently commute on a crosscheck, but in a few years I plan to send it with my son when he goes to college, and replace it with a volagi viaje, or perhaps a titanium cross bike from bikesdirect.

tsl

Thanks @RubeRad. I had missed this thread somehow.

ScotchMan,

First, you're welcome to PM me, or even drop by work, Arnett Branch Library on Arnett Blvd between Genesee St and Thurston Rd, Mon-Thu lunchtime to closing. You'll know me by the ponytail.

Second, you're getting lots of good advice, but you're being pulled all over the place by you own many--sometimes conflicting--needs, and by everyone's own personal preferences.

Rather than tell you what to do, here's how my experience went.

Nine years ago I walked into Towner's (then on University, now on Monroe) and told them I wanted a bike to commute 3-5 miles round trip, 3-5 workdays a week. I figured I'd carry everything in a backpack (I'd been using backpacks since long before they became popular), and I figured I'd continue to use the bus in foul weather and after dark.

I'd already ruled-out used bikes because I didn't know anything about bikes and didn't want to start out with a clunker, nor do I have any attraction to old stuff for the sake of tradition.

I also had a not-to-exceed budget of one year of RTS monthly passes, or $660 for the whole kit and kaboodle--bike, lock, helmet, maybe some blinkies.

Although I lusted after the roadies on the floor, Lambert steered me towards hybrids for both their low cost and versatility. I bought a Giant Cypress DX for $380, a U-Lock, a helmet and some blinkies. Total sale, including tax was just over $500. Wisely, Lambert told me to hang on the the rest of my budget for things I might need later on.

A month later I was back for fenders. Turns out, I don't melt in the rain, and I own towels besides. A month after that, I back for a rear rack because I'd started using the bike for grocery shopping, and the backpack really limited what I could haul home. And it was sweaty for commuting in our summers. A month after that, I was back for a cyclometer because I was curious about how much I was cycling.

Four months after the initial purchase, I was back for new tires. Lambert said, "If I'd known you were going to turn into this kind of rider, I'd'vd sold you a better bike!" Joking of course, since the bike was holding up well. In fact, I got 4,000 more miles out of it before I bought a roadie.

As for winter, I learned there were such things as studded snow tires. I still planned to use the bus, but the thought of missing my commute made me sad. I bought the tires, and rode straight through the winter, even though I'd promised myself I could take the bus if it got "really bad".

Anyway, the biggest lesson I learned is advice I've repeated many times here:

"The purpose of your first bike to teach you what you want and need in your second bike". So don't sweat the details the first time around. If you don't stick with it, who cares what you bought? If you do stick with it, you'll want something different anyway.

So you're on the right track with keeping it cheap. You can't know what the perfect bike for you is yet, not until you have a few thousand miles under your wheels. My hybrid taught me that it was perfectly fine for commuting around R-town. It also wasn't bad either out on the Canalway. It was a good beginner's bike that I could have sold easily if it hadn't worked out.

What it also taught me was to go with my feelings. All I own now are roadies (in the broader sense of the term). One of them fits the same set of studded snow tires I bought that first winter, nine years ago.


Outside of factory-sponsored sales (see below) in NYS, list price is the best you'll do on new. The reason is that profit margins on new bikes aren't fat enough to support all three things: 1) a discount, 2) NY's high business taxes (highest in the country), and 3) a profit so the dealer can put food on his own table. There are dealers around town who quote higher than list.

As for leaving the bike outside, first remember that bikes are outdoor equipment. It'll survive. Depending on where you work, you'll need one or two *good* locks. Forget cables except for armored ones as the second lock.

But, investigate indoors. Turned out that Rochester Public Library has a longstanding unwritten policy that staff can park their bikes indoors. Lots of guys here on BF park in their cubies. It's just a matter of soothing fears of the thing being in the way or making a mess that you won't clean up.

As for dealer recommendations, Try Full Moon Vista in the South Wedge. Towner's is now on Monroe near the Inner Loop. I've also had good experience at Towpath in Schoen Place. Those three places have full-time, year-round sales staff. Park Ave Bikes is a decent place for the experienced cyclists, and for repair, but they have uneven seasonal sales staff, especially in the spring.

The two Trek stores (FMV and Towpath) are having the annual Trek Days sale this week. Trek rebates the dealer on bikes sold during this week, and the dealer passes that savings on to you.

Hope this helps!

Now I'm off to the bank and Wegman's East Ave. The ride home will be challenging because I'll be into the high winds today with full panniers working as air brakes.