walmart bikes!
02-08-08, 10:58 AM
#52
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I did buy a good used bike the old fashioned way. Classified ad in the newspaper. Young man had gone off to college and left it behind; his mother sold it to me.
02-08-08, 03:00 PM
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There's still pawn shops, thrift stores, want ads and Thrifty Nickle type papers.
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02-08-08, 06:16 PM
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I think those numbers are skewed...but it may depend on the type of bike you purchase and your riding style. I dug back in some of my daily journals from 20+ years ago
I was car free/light from 1982-1997. The bulk of my commuting/general transportation was done on a used 1972 Raleigh Sports 3 speed that I purchased for $25 from a pawn shop in 1982. That bike never saw the inside of an LBS. But! according to my records I was averaging a set of tires a year, maybe 2-3 tubes and a set of brake pads. Chain appears to have been replaced ever 3rd year or so. At the time that bike was being ridden between 3500 and 5000 miles a year. The bearings were repacked every year in the spring after the winter riding season.
IMHO if someone plans to ride a bike with any frequency at all they need to learn basic maintenance and flat tire repairs. Also purchasing a bike that is easy to maintain is a plus (the simpler the better). I realize that this may not occur to someone at first, but I equate it with not knowing how to put gas in or check oil on a car.
Aaron
I was car free/light from 1982-1997. The bulk of my commuting/general transportation was done on a used 1972 Raleigh Sports 3 speed that I purchased for $25 from a pawn shop in 1982. That bike never saw the inside of an LBS. But! according to my records I was averaging a set of tires a year, maybe 2-3 tubes and a set of brake pads. Chain appears to have been replaced ever 3rd year or so. At the time that bike was being ridden between 3500 and 5000 miles a year. The bearings were repacked every year in the spring after the winter riding season. IMHO if someone plans to ride a bike with any frequency at all they need to learn basic maintenance and flat tire repairs. Also purchasing a bike that is easy to maintain is a plus (the simpler the better). I realize that this may not occur to someone at first, but I equate it with not knowing how to put gas in or check oil on a car.
Aaron
.Everyone has to learn to change a flat at some point, but that's easy. Everyone has to lube a chain, once again easy. Not everyone needs to know how to disassemble a hub, or even replace a chain (although I don't see why they shouldn't pick up the latter).
My numbers are probably skewed a bit.
The main thing to take away is, LBS bikes are really cheap compared to, say, gasoline.
02-08-08, 10:10 PM
#56
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Similarly, people boggle over the cost of the machines on www.dutchbikes.us, but they don't consider that the price includes things like racks, fenders, bells, and lights, all of which are extras on most US bikes. The bike I mentioned above came from the lady without any of those things, and by the time I had tricked it out it had cost an extra $400.00.
02-08-08, 10:11 PM
#57
In the right lane
A bike that's easy to maintain, like one with sealed bearings .
Everyone has to learn to change a flat at some point, but that's easy. Everyone has to lube a chain, once again easy. Not everyone needs to know how to disassemble a hub, or even replace a chain (although I don't see why they shouldn't pick up the latter).
My numbers are probably skewed a bit.
The main thing to take away is, LBS bikes are really cheap compared to, say, gasoline.
.Everyone has to learn to change a flat at some point, but that's easy. Everyone has to lube a chain, once again easy. Not everyone needs to know how to disassemble a hub, or even replace a chain (although I don't see why they shouldn't pick up the latter).
My numbers are probably skewed a bit.
The main thing to take away is, LBS bikes are really cheap compared to, say, gasoline.
However, if you want to get into cycling, maybe a Walmart bike would be OK. For myself, I bought a $10 Huffy at a second hand store and rode it around town for about 3-4 months before I decided to go to an LBS.
02-09-08, 09:56 AM
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You can keep a pretty good bike on the road for about 10% of an average car payment. When you consider all the transportation it provides..plus recreation and exercise...seems like a good deal.
However, if you want to get into cycling, maybe a Walmart bike would be OK. For myself, I bought a $10 Huffy at a second hand store and rode it around town for about 3-4 months before I decided to go to an LBS.
However, if you want to get into cycling, maybe a Walmart bike would be OK. For myself, I bought a $10 Huffy at a second hand store and rode it around town for about 3-4 months before I decided to go to an LBS.
1. Wasted aluminum. Sure, Nebraska throws more pop cans in the land fill than this, but it's still perfectly good steel and aluminum.
2. (And this is the big one) People will think bikes are malfunctioning junk. I really wish cheap bikes would just use cheap solutions:
a. Skip indexed shifting to cut costs! I'd much rather have a working friction derailleur than an indexed shift one I can't adjust (and even quality indexed systems need lots of tune ups for the first few hundred miles -- which for these types of riders may be the whole life of the bike).
b. Skip the shocks, people who are spending $100 can't need these. If they do, they need more than a $100 bike.
c. Just don't even try to do road bikes. Stick to mountain bikes, build some with light skinny tread tires and put the extra handles on it; call that a "road bike."
d. Sell a repair guide for $10-20 near the bikes.
02-10-08, 05:45 AM
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I guess that would work if you insist on having a brand new bike...I am headed to the LBS Saturday to check out a traded in Trek 830? MTB in a 23" frame. If it pans out should be the base bike for my Xtracycle, they are "probably" only going to ask $125 for it. It will come with 6 month warranty and 30 day free tuneup. It will have been thoroughly checked over and will be ready to ride. That bike sold for around $400 10 years ago, to me a much better deal than an entry level $300 bike today. Besides the money saved goes for beer, pizza and bike parts
Aaron
Aaron
What is a professional tune-up going for these days? $45? More?
With deals like that, who needs new bikes?
02-10-08, 08:04 AM
#60
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) To me the Shimano Nexus generator hub and lights were worth the price of the bike alone. Frame is 6061 aluminum and worth at least $8-10 on the scrap market
On this last trip I did pick up a somewhat abused Schwinn World Traveller II for free. It has a cracked fork crown. Not sure what I plan to do with it yet. Dumpster Diving at it's finest....the LBS.
Aaron
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Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
02-10-08, 08:31 AM
#61
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My point exactly! They are out there! FWIW the bike turned out to be a 21" frame and as soon as I turned it down someone else scarfed up the deal for a grandson. This particular LBS always has a few good used bikes up for sale. It may take several trips to get what you want/need, but if you are flexible something will come along. I bought my 2003 Staiger for $175 in 2006. That bike sold for over $650 new. I actually bought it with the intent of stripping the components off of it to use on another frame (might yet, but I'm not done playing with it yet) To me the Shimano Nexus generator hub and lights were worth the price of the bike alone. Frame is 6061 aluminum and worth at least $8-10 on the scrap market
On this last trip I did pick up a somewhat abused Schwinn World Traveller II for free. It has a cracked fork crown. Not sure what I plan to do with it yet. Dumpster Diving at it's finest....the LBS.
Aaron
) To me the Shimano Nexus generator hub and lights were worth the price of the bike alone. Frame is 6061 aluminum and worth at least $8-10 on the scrap marketOn this last trip I did pick up a somewhat abused Schwinn World Traveller II for free. It has a cracked fork crown. Not sure what I plan to do with it yet. Dumpster Diving at it's finest....the LBS.
Aaron
Wow, I wish I knew of an LBS that dealt in used in my area. It'd be nice to get a mountain bike without spending $500-600. It's a much better way to do it than craigslist or the newspaper. People come in and buy bikes, see new and used bikes. They ride their new bike 8 times, decide they don't like it. Sit on it for 2 years until their significant other suggests selling it back to the shop (which they know they can do because their were used bikes their when they bought it); so they do so. People who want a used bike just go in, for only the cost of travelling to the shop!
It doesn't stop non e-savvy people (like cragslist does). It doesn't cost $35 to advertise a bike in the paper you're going to sell for $35.
02-10-08, 09:39 AM
#62
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We have 2 LBS'es in my area. One accepts just about anything that is halfway decent as a trade in, the other is much more selective and usually only has high end stuff. AFAIK neither one really "buys back", but I suspect they would if it was the right bike. The one I deal with most sells everything from BMX to cruisers to top of the line 'dale's and Orebea. They will work on anything and everything. They even have one guy that can do frame repairs, but he does it on a contract basis and is pretty choosy about what he does. They are family owned and into the third generation. They do quite a large volume of sales, but they don't carry much in the line of utility/commuter stuff, because the market for that doesn't exist around here. But they are willing to order anything you ask for.
Aaron
Aaron
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Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
02-10-08, 10:41 AM
#63
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Small weeklies usually have good prices for the classified ads. Bigger newspapers and even some of the smaller dailies will sometimes have a Penny Pincher section in the classifieds. These are ads for items selling for less than $1,000 and the rates are quite low. There's also one shopper publication here which will run personal classifieds at no charge since they make their money on business advertising.
02-10-08, 09:16 PM
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My point exactly! They are out there! FWIW the bike turned out to be a 21" frame and as soon as I turned it down someone else scarfed up the deal for a grandson. This particular LBS always has a few good used bikes up for sale. It may take several trips to get what you want/need, but if you are flexible something will come along. I bought my 2003 Staiger for $175 in 2006. That bike sold for over $650 new. I actually bought it with the intent of stripping the components off of it to use on another frame (might yet, but I'm not done playing with it yet) To me the Shimano Nexus generator hub and lights were worth the price of the bike alone. Frame is 6061 aluminum and worth at least $8-10 on the scrap market
On this last trip I did pick up a somewhat abused Schwinn World Traveller II for free. It has a cracked fork crown. Not sure what I plan to do with it yet. Dumpster Diving at it's finest....the LBS.
Aaron
) To me the Shimano Nexus generator hub and lights were worth the price of the bike alone. Frame is 6061 aluminum and worth at least $8-10 on the scrap marketOn this last trip I did pick up a somewhat abused Schwinn World Traveller II for free. It has a cracked fork crown. Not sure what I plan to do with it yet. Dumpster Diving at it's finest....the LBS.
Aaron
02-10-08, 11:41 PM
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Small weeklies usually have good prices for the classified ads. Bigger newspapers and even some of the smaller dailies will sometimes have a Penny Pincher section in the classifieds. These are ads for items selling for less than $1,000 and the rates are quite low. There's also one shopper publication here which will run personal classifieds at no charge since they make their money on business advertising.
02-11-08, 12:03 AM
#66
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I agree that used is the way to go. I bought my bike, used, at a LBS for $75 in 2004. It wasn't in that good of shape, but I liked the frame, sturdy early '90's cromoly hard-tail, kind of heavy but not as heavy as steel. I replaced the gears (also used, but lightly), put on fenders and a rack, and bought new road tires for an additional $200. It's not that pretty, but it's a nice urban ride, reliable and safe, faster than one might think at first glance, and very easy to maintain. I ride it about 100 miles/week, never have to worry about the damn thing breaking catastrophically or getting stolen (at least not yet), and it cost less than a Walmart bike.
02-11-08, 04:24 AM
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Aaron
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Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
03-06-08, 08:40 AM
#68
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I am not here to prove or disprove your ideas about Walmart brands, I am actually getting back into riding again after 20 year layoff, I first did check Walmart and to my Surprise they sold Schwinn (I remember when Schwinn was a LBS only bike) and through this board found out that it is a lower quality schwinn then the ones sold at LBS. It may just be this store but the new Wallyworld here has a true bike shop in the store, like there auto center. Maybe thier learning.
My new bike will be from my LBS cause of the brand and bike I want, but I can see how the Wally worlds are getting new riders into riding. People who do not know will go to the wallyworld first.
My 2cents
My new bike will be from my LBS cause of the brand and bike I want, but I can see how the Wally worlds are getting new riders into riding. People who do not know will go to the wallyworld first.
My 2cents
03-06-08, 07:14 PM
#69
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I am not here to prove or disprove your ideas about Walmart brands, I am actually getting back into riding again after 20 year layoff, I first did check Walmart and to my Surprise they sold Schwinn (I remember when Schwinn was a LBS only bike) and through this board found out that it is a lower quality schwinn then the ones sold at LBS. It may just be this store but the new Wallyworld here has a true bike shop in the store, like there auto center. Maybe thier learning.
My new bike will be from my LBS cause of the brand and bike I want, but I can see how the Wally worlds are getting new riders into riding. People who do not know will go to the wallyworld first.
My 2cents
My new bike will be from my LBS cause of the brand and bike I want, but I can see how the Wally worlds are getting new riders into riding. People who do not know will go to the wallyworld first.
My 2cents
I've heard about six different stories from six different bike shops. But the common thread is always: They're completely separate bikes.
General rule. If the derailleur says Campognolo, SRAM, or Shimano you might be looking at a quality bike, if it doesn't you probably aren't.
There is one Wal-mart that has an LBS equivalent (like Scheels) inside it, but personally I'm just anti Wal-mart and really would like to keep the LBS system running. But I'm not spending your hard earned money.
03-06-08, 10:16 PM
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Cheers,
Ron
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03-07-08, 05:54 PM
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My girlfriend rode her Wal-Mart bought City Light for 12 years, before trading up for a Marin Larkspur. For her, the Wal-Mart it got her riding on a budget, at a time she easn't sure she would even like riding. Our first ride together was about 5 miles and we ached all over for two weeks after that. Well, to make a long story short, she rode 1,500 miles this year and I rode over 4,000 miles.
Cheers,
Ron
Cheers,
Ron
03-07-08, 11:11 PM
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She handed the bike over to her older daughter after she bought the Marin. It's now back to doing less than 100 miles per year, again, but it's still ticking on and probably will for a while yet.
Cheers,
Ron
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03-08-08, 12:46 AM
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I owned one bike which I bought at a sporting goods shop. It was a small step above a department store bike and after the first year, it caused me no end of grief. I put a lot of mileage on it, but I also spent a lot of time wrenching. Wheels went out of true and spokes broke quite often, cable adjustments didn't hold, the front derailleur wore out, the rear derailleur seized up and a crank arm broke. I only owned the bike a few years. Finally, in frustration, I replaced it with the first good quality bike I owned. It cost more than three times as much but it ran well and it lasted me 17 years until it was stolen.
03-08-08, 08:53 AM
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me, i say buy used. the problem of course is knowing what to buy and to that i say, "read". almost everyone has access to the internet- the public library is free, ask other people who ride, etc.
the bigger problem that i see is that there really are no decent "people's bike" out there. what this country (usa) needs is a good, strong single speed commuter, or even a bike comparable to a raleigh sports. one that most folks could afford if they really wanted to use the bike for more than a trip to the park...
the bigger problem that i see is that there really are no decent "people's bike" out there. what this country (usa) needs is a good, strong single speed commuter, or even a bike comparable to a raleigh sports. one that most folks could afford if they really wanted to use the bike for more than a trip to the park...
03-08-08, 10:01 AM
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the bigger problem that i see is that there really are no decent "people's bike" out there. what this country (usa) needs is a good, strong single speed commuter, or even a bike comparable to a raleigh sports. one that most folks could afford if they really wanted to use the bike for more than a trip to the park...