qsteve

Hey all,

I am looking to buy a decent bike to start commuting and riding for fun. I live in rural Tennessee where there are lots of hills and everything is fairly far away. I want a bike that is going to be easy and comfortable to ride, that will go fast enough to get me from place to place fairly quickly. I also want something fairly sturdy and durable. Something like a steel frame touring bike would be ideal, but I don't think I have the budget for it.

I have a pretty limited budget (~$500 total, so I want a cheaper bike to have room to buy extras), but I am ok looking for something used. It doesn't have to be nice and shiny, and it doesn't have to be race-worthy. I checked with my LBS, but they carry mostly mountain bike. I might be able to find another Bike Shop in Knoxville, but I usually only go there on weekends.

However, I am pretty nervous about buying a bike on Craigslist, because I don't really know what is a "good deal." I don't have any friends that would know enough about bikes to go with me to look at it and tell me.

Any tips?

Here are some of the options I have found, and I would love it if some people could give their opinion on the value of these bikes. I am also going to visit Madison soon, so I looked on their Craiglist as well. I am looking for a ~53 cm frame.

https://knoxville.craigslist.org/bik/3591412557.html

https://knoxville.craigslist.org/bik/3569181138.html

https://madison.craigslist.org/bik/3624744642.html

https://madison.craigslist.org/bik/3606119766.html

Thanks!

-=(8)=-

Any of those bikes will work, I just have reservations about the Peugeot due to its having crazy thread sizes making parts availability a little difficult. I commuted on Pugs for a while in Vermont and like them, but the conical gear cluster some of them have was prone to breaking spokes. Some have "Death Stems" and other undesirable traits.
The Nashiki . . . Not sure I would want to go with that one either for the same reason to a lessor degree. That front rim would be a deal breaker for me, personally.
You are on the right track. Take your time and look at a few bikes. Cant really go wrong with old, japanese steel
Factor in your budget money for 'Gators or Schwalbe type flat resistant tires, lights and a mirror.

Good luck, have fun, be safe !

Brennan

I'll offer a slightly different opinion. If you go somewhat vintage, as in the examples you provided, I think it's best if you know how to work on bikes, or have the money to pay a shop to do it. Most vintage bikes do take some work, and sometimes new components, to get them running smoothly. I would recommend a later model bike that is still in good condition.

I did a quick search on the Knoxville craigs and spotted one possibility:

https://knoxville.craigslist.org/bik/3636751073.html

I know you expressed a preference for steel (that is my preference too), so be aware this bike uses an aluminum frame. I'll leave it to you whether that is a deal-breaker. The important thing is it looks like it would hit all the other points you listed: Comfy, fast, sturdy, durable, good commuter, under $500. The main question is, will it fit you? It's a 54cm, but frame size can be tricky to figure on bikes with sloping top tubes. You'd just have to try it in person. The bike looks a little wacky in the picture, but that's because the seat is all the way down (easily fixed, of course). The stem looks sort of mid-length, so if the reach to the handlebars is too long or too short, you can compensate with a shorter or longer stem (around $20 for a cheap yet decent quality one).

As for how to inspect a used bike, there is a lot of stuff to know, so I'll just hit the basics. Start by inspecting the most important part: the frame. Just look at it closely everywhere and be sure there aren't any cracks, dents, or other significant damage. Every other part of the bike is more easily replaceable, if necessary. Then take the bike for a test ride, run through the gears and check the brakes to make sure they work well. Also listen for strange noises and see if anything feels like it's not working properly. Again, be sure the bike fits well. One other thing, when I shop for used bikes, I bring a few tools along: Tape measure for confirming frame size, hex wrenches and adjustable crescent wrench for adjusting seat height, and a pump to get the tires properly inflated. (You'd be surprised how often sellers have none of those things).

Good luck.

DVC45

I am partial to rigid fork MTB's for commuting because it offers more tire clearance.

I'll recommend this.
https://knoxville.craigslist.org/bik/3646596412.html

It looks like it is in great shape too.
Haggle a bit though.

The Kona Dew above is nice too.

xenologer

agree

when it comes to durable commuter bikes I think the ideal is:
mid80s-mid90s rigid fork steel mountain bike, with slick tires added.
prefferably a specialized hard-rock-hopper-jumper
That'll get you a durable frame that should last forever; has decent components, is worth keeping around for future upgrades.

If its your size; this is a great example:
https://knoxville.craigslist.org/bik/3654806206.html
yep, just put some 26x1.25 slicks on there, and a rack, great commuter
i dunno why he's listing it as 18 speed though; oughta be 21, doublecheck


as for your initial CL links; I'd say away from both of the french bikes, since french threaded bottom brackets are less than ideal
also avoid the nishiki, cause of the wierd front wheel size/limited tire selections...

qsteve

Thanks everyone for the tips. I'm still trying to figure it all out. I was wondering what you thought about this bike:

https://knoxville.craigslist.org/bik/3569047057.html

Assuming it fits, is this a good price for the bike?

Thanks again!

e0richt

Actually, I would suggest going on to ebay and look for a seller named chicabike...
I bought a bike for around 240.00 (about 5 years ago) and that included shipping...

I did the craigslist thing but I found that if you were picky you would have to travel to a few places to actually find a bike that one would buy (but thats just where I live, may be different for you).

I had bought a dawes lightning sport basic model had stem shifters, touring bike setup, heavier than a trek 1220 but lighter than my trek 7100... actually had the eyelets for fenders and rack if one wanted. The bikes that she sells aren't called dawes anymore but are comparable and look to see the "happy" list of customers (of which I was one)...
she had different versions (mountain bike, road/touring bike, road bike with flat handlebars etc...)

Baytree

Don't rule out mountain bikes - a rigid frame/fork steel mountain bike makes for a very nice hills commuter. You can usually find them cheaper than equivalent quality road bikes too!

DVC45

It is a nice tourer/commuter bike. That will definitely do.

Make sure it fits you, though.

acidfast7

I'm going to go against the grain here and recommend that you don't buy used.

I'm also going to assume that you don't know a lot about bikes and that you don't do your own maintenance.

I would recommend this bike as it should be easy to find:

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...ss/fx/7_1_fx/#

and it retails for $469. You should tell the local Trek dealer that you'll do $500 with helmet, lock and the bike.

I recommend this for several reasons.

First, is that all of the bikes you post should be torn down and reworked (regreased, retuned, have their cables swapped, etc...) and if you're asking about what to get, then you probably wouldn't be doing these things on your own.

Second, you need to ride a little bit to figure out what you want. Meaning after commuting for 6-12 months on the FX, you'll figure out what you like/don't like and can buy something that you really like. However, if you go used and it's a miserable experience, you'll never commute. After 6-12 months, just turn around and sell the Trek a lightly used for $200-$300 (you'll only have $400 in it as you paid $500 at the beginning). Most people on CL, will see an almost new Trek and give you $250 for it immediately.

Third, commuting is about having fun but the bike has to work. If you spend a huge amount of time working on the bike, it will detract from the utilitarian aspect of commuting, which sucks, unless you have unlimited time.

Questions about the Trek:

1. Do local shops actually carry a 7.1 FX. Over here, they seem to only carry two or three bikes from the bottom. Can they order one after you've been sized?

2. Does it have the eyelets for rear rack and front/rear fenders?

3. Will they include free tune-up for life? I usually ask for that when I buy the bike, but I haven't bough one in the US in about 15 years (1999 was my last US bike purchase).

4. Will they reduce the price to $500 with helmet and lock? Or say $550 or $600 with helmet, light, fenders, racks, water bottle, bike computer, cycling shorts, etc... but it all at once because it's cheaper that way. The more extras that you buy at the beginning at reduced cost, the more you could move to the new bike, and the smaller the loss on 7.1 FX becomes when you strip it and sell it on CL.

Good luck and have fun.

acidfast7

reviews

here on BF: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...w-and-comments
in the UK, these guys are very tough in their reviews: https://cyclinginfo.co.uk/blog/5687/c...d-bike-review/
US (selling here for less - 430 or so): https://www.spoke-n-wheel.com/product...x-131009-1.htm

furballi

Best buy would be a used 80s road bike with quality butted Cr-Mo tubings like Bridgestone 600/700 or Centurion Ironman (23-25 lbs). The Bridgestone has a more relaxed touring geometry (less twitchy). I've seen good specimens @ CL for $350-$450.

You can upgrade the rear wheel to 8-speed cassette for about $180 (DP18 rim $25, DT 2.0 mm spokes/nipples $32, Shimano 105 hub $55, cassette $18, labor $50). Add an $18 8-speed Alivio trigger shifter if you want index shifting.

A strong rear wheel with the proper cassette with allow you climb hills and fly on flats. Once you have the bike, you can post here for tips on how to re-lube the hubs, bottom bracket, brakes, and headset.

Take close-up pictures of the front chain wheels, rear sprockets, bottom bracket, and headset of the bike that you want to buy. Post them here and others will provide you constructive input about the condition of the bike.

If you want a super heavy duty bike with dirt road capability, then check out the steel MTBs. Keep in mind that an upright riding position is not ideal for long distance commuting.

I'd offer $200 max for the Raleigh. Not much tire and and freewheel selection available. Components are just OK.

Medic Zero

+1 on this and the other advice for a rigid mountain bike from the late 80's or early 90's. Personally I find 1.5" tires soak up road irregularities better the 1.25's, but to each their own. I've seen some solid Trek (830 and 930 IIRC) conversions as well as the Specialized, but really any decent mountain bike from the era is likely a good candidate. Ideally it has braze-ons for mounting racks and fenders fore and aft.

Around here (Seattle/Pugetopolis) these mountain bikes often go for around $100, and lots of them have basically zero miles on them having just sat in someone's garage for the past 20 years. A tune up (new brake pads, maybe cables and housings) and new tires and you are ready to get started. This leaves you the rest of your dough for some fenders, a rack, a bag, and lights. If you still have money left than padded shorts and a good saddle should be your next purchases.

I've got an '88 GT mountain bike as my tourer, a '93 GT mountain bike as my commuter (12-15 miles a day 6 days a week, and 7 on Sunday) and am building up a '96 GT mountain bike as my girlfriends commuter, but that is a little more involved as that next generation of MTB's have front shocks.

Somewhere around here we have an entire thread devoted to converted mountain bikes, it's nice to look at for inspiration and some examples of good choices for this.

Take your time, Craigslist is like the ocean, something new washes up on its beach every minute. Don't settle for any bike that doesn't fit you, now matter how good a deal it is or how enamored you are with it. It has to fit you.

qsteve

The guy at my LBS said something about people converting mountain bikes for commuting/touring, but I hadn't really considered it. However, the option is sounding really interesting now that you are pointing out the benefits. Perhaps I'm only showcasing how little I know, but I had assumed you would lose a fair amount of efficiency on a mountain bike. How much of a difference would there be in a mountain bike vs road bike frame (assuming they had the same tires)?

I think I will have to search again on Craigslist with new eyes, looking for something that might fit the description you all provided. I think I will also pay another visit to the LBS tomorrow. . .

Medic Zero

Depends, but most of the time I don't think it amounts to much. Personally, I don't like riding in the hunched over road bike position, so I'm inclined towards something else anyway. Others who ride both can answer that better, but if you are using the bike in the city I don't see much point in having a significantly faster bike. Most of my commutes I have to stop every 5 blocks for a stop sign or a stop light anyway, what difference does it make if I can go 15 MPH between them or 18 MPH? Like I said I'm more comfortable riding upright anyway. The amount of difference that would make over my 8 mile commute is pretty much exactly the difference in my getting unlucky with one of my longer traffic lights. I might save a minute or three over my 40-ish minute commute if I was on a road bike, but for me it isn't a race, and basically moot.

27"/700c wheels eat up more ground once they are rolling, but take longer (and more energy) to spool up. For me, it doesn't make any sense to put that energy into it when I am going to have to stop in a couple of blocks anyway. Over shorter distances between stop lights/signs it is probably faster to ride 26" because you get up to speed faster, although a mountain bike is going to be heavier too, clouding the issue. I've seriously considered going the opposite direction and getting a folder or micro-velo largely because their little wheels (20 or 16") speed up so much faster, but on my harsh road conditions they'd be a little jarring I suspect.

When it comes to the tires, if you are lucky enough to have pretty smooth roads there are options in 26" tires as small as 1 & 1/4 inch and smaller (basically the same as road bikes). I tried Continental Gatorskins in this size for 6 months or so, and they were awesome at first. Unfortunately, my rough roads filled with tiny triangular rocks and glass shards shredded them, but I'm also a big dude who is rather overweight, so I think I was really pushing them. They were fast, but with the skinny tires you get a really rough ride over the irregularities in the road. Here, a lot of my riding takes place over surfaces that have seams every 4-6' feet, there are small and large manholes and maintenance access covers all over and lots of potholes, rough patches, and patched spots that are never the same level as the surrounding surface. A little wider tire (1.50") makes for a lot nicer ride over this kind of terrain. I'm intrigued by people espousing some of the even larger tires like the Schwalbe Big Apples, apparently these not only do a better job soaking up the rough roads, but somehow manage a pretty low rolling resistance.

Another nice advantage to running an old mountain bike, is that if you do want to do some trail riding you can put more appropriate tires on it and do that. In fact, I regularly take a half mile of singletrack as a nice little detour on my way home, and this is with racks, fenders, and sometimes a pannier on my mountain bike. Lots of people will tell you that they can do this on road bikes as well, but I certainly feel more comfortable doing it on a mountain bike.

It's also possible that if you pick out the right old used mountain bike it'll make a pretty great tourer. Quite a few of the late 80's and early 90's mountain bikes had what is basically the same geometry as what specialized touring bikes have now. A nice touring bike will probably have slightly longer chainstays, but the ones on my '88 GT Timberline for example, are quite long. Even with my big feet I'm able to mount large panniers (on the right racks) and the design of the bike feels like it is meant for loaded touring. I've descended steep highways fully loaded and traveled on gravel and singletrack fully loaded on this bike and it feels like it was born for it. I may never shell out for a proper touring rig because this bike handles it all so well. And this is on a fairly low end model for that year. I'd expect to pay right at a hundred dollars for one in decent condition off Craigslist.

Mountain bikes of that era typically also come with the eyelets/braze-ons for mounting fenders and racks unless they are the most high end (marketed as competition specific). From where I sit, America is an untapped goldmine of these frames. Virtually every home in surburbia has a couple of unused mountain bikes in it. Periodically people decide they are going to get fit or take up cycling as a hobby and decide they should get a brand new "modern" bike to do this. Often when they do, they get rid of their old bikes through a garage sale or Craigslist. Many of these bikes have barely been ridden around the block twice and only need a little bit of tune up to get you on the road.

That said, beware it can be a slippery slope. My touring rig I bought off a guy down on his luck for $5 and it was barely running. My commuter I picked up off Craigslist for $10 sans wheels and a seatpost. Since then I've invested close to $2K into the commuter to get it exactly the way I want it, and the tourer will likely account for a similar figure. It's quite possible to get started for very little money, but I've found that cycling is almost like owning a boat or a house. You can potentially always throw money at it, sometimes it demands it, and it can be like an addiction. When I finally get my commuter exactly the way I want it (it's getting real close), I still have my tourer to overhaul, my dedicated mountain bike/snow&ice bike to modify, my girlfriends commuter to get where I want it and some more things to do to her touring rig. She prefers things spare, so I'll attempt to keep my hands off her beloved pure mountain bike!

Technically one bike can do everything, and the one bike that can do it, in my opinion, is an old rigid mountain bike, but I found that taking my bike set up with racks out mountain biking was a bit much, and having something a little lighter than my full-on touring rig was nicer for commuting. Luckily, for starters, I got four of the six bikes we have for those roles at right about a hundred dollars, saving all the rest of the money for racks, fenders, bags, grips, saddles, lights, horns, bells, and other accessories that I like to have or feel are necessary, not to mention gloves, helmets, padded underwear...you get the idea.

I found one of the threads that is full of examples of re-purposed mountain bikes, I think you could find a lot of inspiration and examples of suitable models here:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...MTB-conversion

Somewhere around here (Bike Forums) there is a thread about converting mountain bikes to drop bars that has some neat bikes in it too, but that is a whole 'nother can of worms, and outside my experience...

acidfast7

interesting conversions ... it seems that people essentially end up with a German trekking bike ...

https://www.fahrradmanufaktur.de/bikes/expedition/
https://www.fahrradmanufaktur.de/bikes/trekking/

Baytree

How much efficiency do you lose on a mountain bike vs a road bike?

That's an interesting question, and I don't know the answer. The difference I feel when riding, how fast I get there vs how tired I am, has more to do with quality than type of bike. Something well-maintained with nice slick tires and the seat/handlebars set up right feels great, something that's not doesn't. The problem with mountain bikes is that they'll always feel slower when you try them out, because everyone sets them up with these huge knobby monster tires that are SO hard to push over pavement.

qsteve

So, given the parameters of looking for "a rigid mountain bike from the late 80's or early 90's" what kind of key things/clues should I look for? What brands, key words, etc.? Things to stay away from? It's tough sorting through it all.

agent pombero

Type in mountain bike, Bridgestone, mtb, Trek mountain, etc.

I also caution against buying used for first time bike buyers/commuters.

DVC45

Check this one out.
https://knoxville.craigslist.org/bik/3656183845.html
Ask for pics.

But, really the Raleigh Touring bike you linked is a very good choice, given that it fits you.

terrapin44

I'm going to agree with acidfast7 even though it might not be a popular answer. If you can find a new bike you can afford and you think you would like, you should consider doing it. When I was first looking to get into commuting, I looked for a used bike and finally had to give up. I ended up buying a Specialized Sirrus Sport. It is a little over your price range but the regular Specialized Sirrus is ~ $500. The Trek bike Acidfast7 posted is also nice. Jamis also has some nice steel options in the Coda and Commuter lines in that price range. They might be a little more than used bike or more than you want to spend, but if you don't know much about bikes it will be a lot less stressful.

In my case, I found trying to get a used bike took a lot of time and I was never successful. Maybe if I was shorter it would be easier or if I lived in an area with more bikes per square mile but trying to find a bike that would fit took a lot of time and I actually never did. I wasted over a month looking for a used bike when I could've been riding! People selling them didn't know what size they were, then I had to look up prices, and I didn't know enough to know what was in good shape or bad (besides obvious issues).

I think I'd be much more comfortable buying used now, but I'm not sure it is the best way to go for a rookie - unless you have an experienced bicyclist to help you out (and have time to look). Another option that might be a good compromise between used and new is to purchase a used bike from a reputable local bike shop (LBS) that already went over the bike. You'll probably pay more than from a private sale, but you'll have peace-of-mind.

BTW: If you do buy used and not familiar with working on bicycles, you'll want to take it to a shop for a tune-up so you need to factor in that cost.

Whichever way you go, good luck and happy commuting!

Leisesturm

Mostly this! I have bought a great many things off Craig's. ALL of our household appliances, computers, small electronics, and musical instruments. Never a bicycle. I get weak in the heart everytime I venture into the Portland Craigslist and look at the bikes in the For Sale section. Plenty of vintage iron for sale. Usually for around the same price as the bikes cost when they were new 40 or 50 years ago. More, if they are
"only" from 20 years ago. A 20 year old bike isn't a bad purchase, if you can find one around $250, but a 50 year old bike WILL have issues and you will have lots of headaches dealing with them due to the evolutions of bike technology since then. Another thing you will miss out on if you waste time looking in the past is the phenomenon of the "Hybrid" bicycle. Changing the tires on a mountain bike is not the best way to a commuter. Putting a rack on a vintage road racing bike is also not the best way to a commuter. The heavy lifting has been done for you by the hybrid bike manufacturer. Most of them retail, new, right in your target budget.

I don't think I have ever bought something off Craigslist where I didn't discover a problem or defect later on. People sell something when they no longer want it and the number one reason is because it has a problem. With a bike I don't even want to think about what that means. The bikes I've bought used have been either from a Co-op with a 90 day warranty or from a garage/yard sale where the bike was being sold as "stuff" along with lots of other stuff and the seller in most cases isn't even the person who bought or used the bike.

If I had ~$500 for a commuter I would buy the Specialized Cirrus new (in red) and call it very, very good. Period. If not, I would find a bike co-op or LBS that also reconditions used bikes, tell them I have $250 to spend, what do you have for me to look at. For $150 I got a very nice steel 20?? Schwinn touring bike that was commuterized by a previous owner. 700C wheels (trust me, you want these), Road Triple (you want this as well) and fenders. I've put a Planet Bike Eco rack on it and I can tell you with a straight face that you do not need more bike than this.

H