rebornkings777

Hello, everyone.

I would like to said before something to said,

my grammar sort of sucked, please be patience with me.

I am research for what i need a bike commuting, i am not sure where i want to get a bike of brand name, and size height.

I am 5'4

And i got a few surgery in a year, then i am seem good in the health, i need a good bicycle. folding bike, or road bike, or fixie, i am looking for an inexpensive, i don't want to buy an expensive bicycle.

oh, add to that, i am overweight, i am not sure if bicycle can handle it or not ,

so, i got a few links, where i am not sure to buy it or not,

GMC Denali Road Bike-48 cm

Citizen bike- Miami

not sure name brand, but here's link Amazon.com : TRACK FIXED GEAR BIKE FIXIE SINGLE SPEED ROAD BIKE : Fixed Gear Bicycles : Sports & Outdoors

50 cm


i forgot name, i went to store "Good sports" or whatever, but i not sure, please correct me, i find a good fixie, name Taylar or Taylor, with red, seem 50 cm.

they are under $199

which is good one for me?

Oh, plus i am attend to College, this Fall.

please thanks.

Tim_Iowa

All of the bikes you listed are cheap -- but very cheaply built. They will be heavy, crude, and have pretty lousy performance. If you took any of those bikes to a bike shop for repair, they'd tell you that they're not worth their expensive time to fix, and they might laugh. Those bikes would all be strong enough for an overweight person; their heavy frames are at least rather strong.

HOWEVER, some folks find happiness on cheapo bikes; there is a whole thread somewhere on this site about how the GMC Denali can be a good bike. Those same folks are competent at repairing and tuning the bike for better performance, and that matters a lot.

As-is, any new bike at that price level will probably be indifferently built at the factory and then incompetently assembled at the store. You'd have to lube it and tune it to make it decent, so I would only recommend a cheapo bike like that if you're a competent bike wrench.

Fixie? Do you ride fixies? They are quite different than a bike that freewheels (can be pedaled backward). Don't buy a fixie if you're not already riding one.

Where will you be attending college? If it has hills, you probably don't want a fixie or even a single speed. Especially since you said you're a bit overweight, you will really appreciate multiple gears.

In my experience, a cheapo new bike is just a temporary fix; it will break or start working poorly within the year and you won't want to spend the money to fix it. Then it gets dumped like all the cheapo bikes you probably see around town.

The best cheap bike to get is a used one, but it's tough to wade through craigslist and find a good deal. In general, a ten speed from the 80s or 90s would be a more competent bike than the ones you linked.

fietsbob

Students shed Bikes when they leave campus , so you should be able to find them in the town the college is in.

Campus security does a Lock Cutting of abandoned bikes , then may Auction them off, in one event.

Walter S

Fietsbob obviously reacts more positively to "Please help me?" than to "Please Help Me!!!!". I have to say, I would too.

aaronmcd

Folding bike isn't that great. My wife got a citizen bike, rode it a couple times, sold it and bought a Specialized entry level road bike and FAR prefers riding that.

I rode a fixed gear for the first time at the track this last Saturday. It's different for sure, but you get used to it pretty quickly. I'd still say that for commuting it's not ideal. For accelerating or hills you have to stand, which takes more energy than downshifting and spinning, and it's harder to stop on a dime in an emergency situation.

Road bikes are great commuters. I saw the GMC bike all over the place on campus, but I can't speak for the quality. As Tim said, an old 80s or 90s road bike from Craigslist can be a great deal. Often under $200 and in great condition. Even if you don't know much about bikes you can test ride it, and make sure it fits, and everything is lined up properly and looks in good condition - cog and chainring teeth good? Generally clean? Shifts and brakes well? Nothing loose/rattling/squeaking?

I went and test rode a bike once - old Kestrel carbon road bike. Didn't know anything about bikes but wanted a nice one. Loved the bike, but it wasn't shifting well and noticed teeth were broken clean off. Didn't know much about bikes but obviously didn't trust that anything had been taken care of and didn't want to buy a whole new drivetrain. The guy obviously didn't care about the bike and just wanted to make a quick sell to pay his overdue mortgage.
Next bike I looked at seemed to be in good condition. The seller obviously loved bikes, and was selling to switch to mountain biking. Bought it and didn't have to adjust or replace anything for a long time.
First craigslist bike I bought a year prior to that was a 98 Novara Strada (REI brand), name brand quality components, everything was clean and seemed practically new. At only $150 it was a steal. You can get some great deals on Craigslist.

rebornkings777

Thanks for reply everyone. I am listen to your experience problem. so i just wonder, how about Ebay? or same as thing? i am trying to find a small frame, because i am a short, i don't want a frame struck over my balls, like itch, seriously. so i will playing check on craligslist.

rebornkings777

how about this 48cm Red Schwinn City Bike ?

Tim_Iowa

That Schwinn looks like a good city bike; it's pretty similar to what now is called a hybrid or comfort bike. It appears to be an '84 Mesa Runner, an early mountain bike.

Advantages:
Cheap
Comfy riding position
Fatter tires for crappy pavement and curb hopping
Easy to add racks and/or fenders

Disadvantages:
Heavy
Slow (upright riding position)
Needs new tires (STAT!) and a tune-up

As for eBay, it's only good if you know exactly what you're looking for and are willing to pay shipping (not cheap for bikes). It may be a good resource for local sales, though.

Here are some other decent options from North Bay craigslist, that look to be roughly your size:
Rockhopper, $130
GT Talera, $80
Gary Fisher, $90
Univega, $100
Bridgestone CB1, $175
And (Oh hell yes) a Stumpjumper for $198

The Stumpjumper is the best deal; the Stumpy was Specialized's top-end mountain bike at the time. I'd be worried about the shock; it may be worn out and need a rebuild. Front shock bikes run that risk, and that's why rigid fork MTBs are nice for cheapo used bikes (simple and durable).

However, the Stumpy is a medium frame so it may be too long.

The CB-1 is a nice bike; it's ready to ride as a city bike That's what it was designed for, C ity B ike, 1 (top of the lineup).
The Rockhopper and Gary Fisher are good bikes for good prices, and they look to be in good shape.

Best of luck!

rebornkings777

Wow, thanks for rely, i will do test in person, thanks.

TransitBiker

As with all the others, I strongly recommend against those "budget bikes". They are too good to be true. Used quality is better than new junk pretty much every time.

Keep us posted & don't hesitate to ask bout anything else in your quest for 2 wheels!

- Andy