Which bike should I choose? First timer here.
 

Me and my friend are planning on going on some bike trails in the area, and I need a bike fast. He's trying to lose weight and he needs a partner to go with. But it needs to be cheap. I am looking at these two bikes on Craigslist. Which one would be the better choice? Any other suggestions? We want to go on some trails with jumps (small jumps) and that are a little challenging. Not just a flat road trail. Thanks!

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/bik/1842513969.html

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/bik/1836946197.html

I'm not an expert or even experienced in bike buying as I've only purchase one, but I saw those Next bikes at Walmart this very morning for 88 bucks new.

I hate you for recommending that bike to anyone.

Also, the first bike would be great if you're 10 years old. The second bike would be amazing if you have no intentions of it lasting more than a month. Bottom line, save up more & shop around. My friend got a good quality 10-year-old mountain bike on c'list for $200. I got a decent 10-year-old rigid fork bike for $60. There are affordable deals out there, but my recommendation is that you scratch that 'fancy' looking suspension fork as a standard & use that magic tool called "google" to find out if your bike is worth the gas it takes to go pick it up. If you google the name of the bike & you don't get a review from a website called mtbr.com in the first page, don't bother with it. If you do, read the reviews & see what other people think of them, as it's always easier to read what's already there than to ask people to do your research for you & get a snotty attitude like the one you're currently getting as a result.

Thanks. But, I did research the bikes and didn't find much on either. This is a bike forum...intended for people to talk about bikes. You don't like that I'm asking people more experienced than me for their opinions? Boo hoo. I didn't ask anyone to research it. I was just asking for their opinion. Don't reply, ignore it.

Good dadgum LAWDY!!!

This place is Troll City lately.

I'm a troll? Thanks, but no thanks. I just want a cheap bike.

Height, weight, riding style, funds?

http://www.google.com/search?q=Mt+22...ient=firefox-a

Copy & paste bud.:lol:

And I think in this case I'm the troll. But screw it, I know for a fact that somewhere in the introdcution thread to this site, it says to come with thick skin. You don't like my reply? Don't ask for an opinion.

Wasn't a recommendation. Just saying if you're gonna buy that bike, at least get it new.

You can get a decent entry level bike new for 200 bucks. Do not get a wal mart bike.

Get the used Next. It's totally killer, dude.



P.S. If you want to get good advice on bikes, I'd suggest posting a couple of options that qualify as such. Those things you found on craigslist are toys, not bikes.

you want to know what is the best bike to buy? the one that fits. plain and simple. i am a bike snob, i would never ever in my life recommend you get a wal-mart bike, brand new or not. that said, if you ride your wal-mart bike all over and it makes you happy, then that is a far better bike than a brand new cervelo that hangs on the wall in your garage and never gets ridden.

bike fit is the most important thing. if it doesn't fit, you will hate it and you will hate cycling and you won't understand why we all love it.

for the bike fit reason only i would stay away from those craiglist bikes. also, the trek is a kids bike, and the other two are pure crap. the fact that you did research and didn't find much on them should be a warning.

the reason people are bagging on those bikes are, they are crap, they are made badly, put together badly, and generally make you hate riding bicycles because they cause more problems than not. if you try to take them on a real actual dirt trail, they will break. if you try to do jumps with them, they will break and you will get hurt and hate bicycling. guaranteed.

if you just want to ride around town, on paved road, nothing too far or difficult, no steep hills, they might be worth it.

i would honestly suggest you go to an actual bike shop, ask for the cheapest bike they have, and ride it around and see how it feels. then go to a different shop with different brands and try their bikes. reason is different brands are set up and feel different. when you find the one that feels most comfy that you can afford, buy that one. in the long run it will be cheaper (you won't have to keep fixing it and it will last longer) and it will be waaaay more worth it.

TREK. I ride an old heavy bike so if I ever see dminor on pavement I can pass him easily! :lol: Oh wait he rides them DH bikes, nothing heavier than those.

Don't mind the cantankerous ole dudes around here. Back when I was new I got spanked for Trolling before i even knew what it meant.

Not to mention the cantankerous young dudes. Some of us may come across a bit strong, but they're really just trying to help in their own way. My cautionary tale - I bought a brand new big box store bike for about $220, but with needing some serious tune-up and parts that have broken or were just uncomfortable (saddle), I've probably spent closer to $400 over all. CL can be a great source, if you're lucky enough to find a good bike that actually fits you, but you'll have to be patient. The Next and (newer) Mongoose brand bikes aren't usually worth it unless you're going to baby them (no jumping curbs, no off-road). Indy should be a good place to find decent used bikes if you look around for a while. Make sure you test ride to check fit and condition before handing over any cash.