AroW

Hi,

I'm a newbie here. I'm a highschool runner who want to bike to keep in shape and have fun. I don't really have any experience with bikes except with Toys-R-Us ones when I was a kid.
I'm looking for a bike to use mainly for high mileage exercise and for mostly bike path use. I want something under $300 at most, preferably $200 or lower. I could take used bikes. Anybody have any good models in particular to reccommend? I'm not looking for anything fancy.

Ostuni

at that price range you will take a used bike. do you do ebay? if so, maybe read that $700 bike thread ('stuck' to the top of this forum) and then see what's on ebay?

nitropowered

hit up the local bike shops. They usually have a "Classifieds" tack board for people to post up their goods. The people that work there (the people that actually ride, like the mechanics or owners) might know friends that are looking to get rid of a bike.

You can try your paper and craigslist as well.

AroW

Any particular model/brand for a complete newbie like me? Again, I'm using it for bike path excercise purpose only, so nothing too fancy

VeganRider

Maybe something like a Giant Cypress? just a thought, they are not as efficient as a road bike and would give you a good work out and have a comfortable upright seating position. Would seem really great compaired to a toy store bike.

squeegy200

What do you mean by "high mileage"? Your budget is extremely low for anything I would consider capable of a high mileage exercise bike. Unless you score the deal on eBay, anything in that price range would more likely cause more injury and pain over any extended distances.

For comparison, I'll Use a runner's analogy
"................I'm looking to mainly run marathons but don't want to spend more than $10 for a pair of running shoes. Used pairs would be good too........"

pedex

Unless your gonna be happy with a dept store bike that will likely break something fairly quickly your choices are used or maybe an ebay special on a singlespeed roadbike, the gruppo alone(even the shimano Sora) starts at that price point by itself without the rest of the bike.

LordOpie

If you happen to be in Denver, Bicycle Village is clearing bikes out. They have several sizes of the 2003 steel Fuji Finest for $325. NOS.

G-Unit

You will be after a couple of rides on a cheap bike.

ljb61

You can find a used Trek 1000 in good shape at that price range ($300). They hold up well, and after somone gets the cycling "bug" they want to upgrade to a nicer riding bike. Just be sure to check it out very well, and go on a test ride to be sure the fit works for you.

AroW

Should I get one from Ebay? Is there a guide to chosing a right frame size? I'm a runner, pretty skinny, 5' 7" 125 pounds.

roadgator

fuji finest is a good choice if you want a new bike. my buddy,(like you a runner who wanted to pick up a bike for casual exercise) just got one and seems to like it.