bpatters69

Hello all.

I have hemmed and hawed and now I have made up my mind. I want to buy a used road bike. My budget is $400 but I would like to keep the price under $300 if that is possible. I live in South Florida and I have been checking the Craig's list and it seems like there are some decent bikes for around $300. The brands I like are Trek and Canondale. What other brands should I consider? Is my price point realistic? I really don't care if the bike is older as long as the owner take care of it. I am thinking that aluminum is a must.

In terms of frame size, I am 6'2" with a 33.5" inseam. Based on several charts\graphs, etc (none seem to be consistent) I figure I need a bike that is 58cm minimum up to 62cm. Here is one of the charts I am looking at:

https://bicycling.about.com/od/howtor...ike_sizing.htm

I plan to use the bike for mostly for exercise but I may race at some point. Nothing too serious. Exercise is the primary function.

Any advice? Thanks

sfcrossrider

400 should get you a nice, used bike (all the brands you listed are fine). Don't forget about basic safety, and comfort items such as a helmet, bottles, cages, and the silly clothes we love to wear. These things can add up quickly, so it helps to budget for them.

You're an inch taller than me with the same inseam, so a 58 "should" be a good starting point. Definitely test ride any bike you're considering to make sure it fits, and to see if it's mechanically sound.

Good luck

downtube42

nothing else matters if it doesn't fit
if you get serious enough to race, you'll be upgrading the bike anyway, so don't worry about that
on any used bike you're thinking about buying, inspect very carefully for any frame damage
don't limit yourself to just trek and cannondale
feel free to post questions here

ElJamoquio

Good luck with your purchase. I wouldn't worry too much about brand, keep your options open. FYI, there's a ton of other stuff you should probably buy to stay safe/be comfortable on the bike/etc.




FYI, not being serious about racing doesn't work. Racing isn't a triathlon.

bpatters69

Thanks all. Can you all throw out some more popular brands that I should consider? Giant? Agreed on the safety aspect.... but that is a different budget.... not to say that safety is not a priority.

buddyp

yes, giant is a good choice. Giant is the world's largest mfgr of bicycles, many of which are sold under other names.

also, Specialized, Jamis and Fuji are good brands too. Some Schwinns are fine too -- the ones which were originally sold in bike shops rather than dept stores

Giant, Jamis and Fuji can be better buys because they are less well known than the big three (trek, c'dale and specialized)

downtube42

Just noticed this. If you're not already aware, bike frame material preference is religion among cyclists. Although my head may explode as a result, I'm going to refrain from commenting further.

TromboneAl

I learned the hard way (by being derided on this forum ) that you can't generalize about which brands are good and which are bad.

The strategy I recommend is:

Check craigslist twice per day
Call immediately if you see something you like
Post a link here and ask for advice

That worked well for me (here and here).

10 Wheels

Also Check Sporting Section of Craig List:
Found this for $15
Added 2 @ $10 tires, Three hours of cleaning:

ridethecliche

While I agree with what you've said, I think looking for a used Al or steel bike in the 400 dollar price range is a good idea. So the Al is a must isn't a bad idea due to the price constraints.

bpatters69

Found these which are pretty nice. The Puch is circa 1988 and the Trek is only a few years old.

sheddle

That Puch is sexy as hell. Looks to be a good size, too.

bpatters69

One more... all in the $300 to $400 range.....

bpatters69

The Puch and the Trek are still available. The Trek price was dropped to $300. Is Puch any good? It is a Puch Mistral. Thanks, Bill

Abacus

The best bike is the one that fits.

The Puch and the Treks you have posted seem to be completely different sizes, to the extent that if one of them fits you, the others could not be satisfactory fits.

You need to measure yourself up and sit on some bikes to get a feel for standover height, top tube length, etc.

Then start looking for suitable candidates.

hyunelan2

Also, don't forget about Ebay. It's nice to be able to go look at it in person from your local craigslist, but if you know what size you're looking for - Ebay usually has a good number of choices in your pricerange.

bpatters69

Abacus,

According to the ads, the Puch is 58CM and the Trek is 60CM. Converting CM to inches that is a difference of about 3/4". I am 6'2" and when I measured my inseam from ground to crotch with a book hiked up my inseam was about 33". Based on a zillion charts - my head is still spinning, the correct frame range is 58 - 60 CM. I am asking as much as telling as I really don't know.

How much clearance should there be between the crouch on the bike frame when I am standing over the frame and not the seat?

The Trek is $300 and the Puch is $250. Do those prices seem fair? Thanks

Little Darwin

+1 to adding Ebay to your searches.

Especially when you consider that you can sort Ebay listings by distance from your local zipcode... My everyday rider was purchased this way. I tend to search this way to do a local pick up and save shipping, but it also could work out if you want to get a look and do a test ride.

There tend to be a lot more bikes available on Ebay than Crraigslist, even if you are limiting yourself to local bikes.

In my case, I was looking for a touring frame to build up, and was considering a Surly Long Haul Trucker. I found a nearly NOS complete Schwinn Voyageur with lugged Columbus tubing for about 1/2 the price of a new LHT frame/fork... I only drove 20 miles to pick it up. The bidding stayed low because shipping to anywhere else made it expensive for a used bike...

FreddyBoy

Agree buy used.
Similar height w/slightly larger inseam by 0.75".
LOVE the fit of my compact 61cm AL LeMond Reno. You can get them used for under $450. (however I then had to spend a few bucks for new tape, tires, cables but you might find a used one even cheaper)
What I like about the bike is the adjustable headset. (technically a lousy headset compared to a Chris King but it allows me to keep "dialing-in" my preferences for handlebar, reach, drop height)
Good first road bike.

bpatters69

Got lucky. One of my wife's girlfriend's husband is an avid MTB'er. He happened to have a Trek 1400 which he sold me for $200. The price included a helmet and some tape to redo the handlebars. Check it out: