Looking for a nice but cheap "beater" city riding bike
08-10-11, 09:29 AM
#1
Ride more than drive
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Bikes: 2010 Specialized Allez Sport; 03 or 04 Gary Fisher Marlin (grocery getter/trail bike now), Specialized Langster singlespeed
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Looking for a nice but cheap "beater" city riding bike
I have Specialized Allez I ride on long fitness rides, but want a city single-speed of tooling around town and locking up while going to bars, etc.
Thought of finding a frame and adding good wheel set, etc, but seems expensive. What do you think of this off the rack bike?
See here:
https://www.performancebike.com/bikes..._20000__400317
Not a fan of Performance in terms of: I would never take bike there for service, but buying one off the rack seems maybe ok.
Thoughts on the bike?
Thought of finding a frame and adding good wheel set, etc, but seems expensive. What do you think of this off the rack bike?
See here:
https://www.performancebike.com/bikes..._20000__400317
Not a fan of Performance in terms of: I would never take bike there for service, but buying one off the rack seems maybe ok.
Thoughts on the bike?
08-10-11, 09:35 AM
#2
Oh, you know...
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Bikes: '74 Schwinn Sports Tourer (Polo), S-Works E5 Team Festina (Chorus 11), Trek 2200 Bonded Carbon (Fixed), Trek 920 (7 speed IGH), Chesini Olimpiade SL (1x7)
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I don't see anything wrong with the bike.
My first inclination would be to buy used, though. Even if your performance-brand bike is only worth a few hundred bucks, it'll still look brand new and matchy-matchy, and appeal to thieves.
Philadelphia shouldn't be too bad of a market for craigslist.
For example: buy this right now https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/bik/2538850914.html
My first inclination would be to buy used, though. Even if your performance-brand bike is only worth a few hundred bucks, it'll still look brand new and matchy-matchy, and appeal to thieves.
Philadelphia shouldn't be too bad of a market for craigslist.
For example: buy this right now https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/bik/2538850914.html
08-10-11, 09:51 AM
#3
Your cog is slipping.
Dude, srsly?
08-10-11, 09:58 AM
#5
Fresh Garbage
A beater isnt typically something you put money into, so a $400 maybe isn't a nice bike but I wouldnt call it a beater. Go on CL, buy somethig for $100 and make it a SS
08-10-11, 10:36 AM
#6
Oh, you know...
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must have Tri-Spoke as the Subject line or they will not be opened.
08-10-11, 10:51 AM
#7
Slow by default
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Maybe try something like this....$250 shipped to your door seems like a good deal
https://cgi.ebay.com/58cm-Track-Fixed...item5d2fd8b42a
https://cgi.ebay.com/58cm-Track-Fixed...item5d2fd8b42a
08-10-11, 10:57 AM
#9
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sorry no tri-spoke content in this post but...
Doug S., if you prefer new over an old conversion & low price is your most important consideration, i don't think you can do much better than these from nashbar:
hounder ss for only $175
https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...7_10000_202339
or nekkid 3 flatbar ss bike for only $200
https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...5_10000_202339
they have other nekkid models, different colors & handlebars for $250-300
plus...free shipping on nashbar products for a couple days
have fun & good luck
Doug S., if you prefer new over an old conversion & low price is your most important consideration, i don't think you can do much better than these from nashbar:
hounder ss for only $175
https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...7_10000_202339
or nekkid 3 flatbar ss bike for only $200
https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...5_10000_202339
they have other nekkid models, different colors & handlebars for $250-300
plus...free shipping on nashbar products for a couple days
have fun & good luck
Last edited by markaitch; 08-10-11 at 11:00 AM.
08-10-11, 11:27 AM
#10
Oh, you know...
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I wouldn't go with the Hounder, you'll regret that crankset.
08-10-11, 04:42 PM
#11
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Get you a Dawes Revolver off ebay. The frame is crappy steel, but I have one and the goddamn thing is impossible to kill.
159.99 plus fifty bucks shipping, that's my vote.
https://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-BICYCLE-TRAC...ht_9151wt_1091
It's not super pretty, so I wouldn't worry about it getting stolen. It's heavy and clunky, but it's solid. Personally, I think it's great for a tooling-around-town-without-worrying bike.
159.99 plus fifty bucks shipping, that's my vote.
https://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-BICYCLE-TRAC...ht_9151wt_1091
It's not super pretty, so I wouldn't worry about it getting stolen. It's heavy and clunky, but it's solid. Personally, I think it's great for a tooling-around-town-without-worrying bike.
08-10-11, 05:09 PM
#12
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The only reason the GMC denali is worth anything is the awesomeness of its 1" threaded stem with an oversided clamp.
The reason it has this is pretty emblematic of how bad the bike is. Who ever designed the bike decided it should have drop bars and grip shift. The only way they could engineer it was to cut the drop bars in half, put on the gripshifts, then put on an aftermarket clamp to hold the two halves of the bars together. This kind of stuff is why I love super low end bikes.
The reason it has this is pretty emblematic of how bad the bike is. Who ever designed the bike decided it should have drop bars and grip shift. The only way they could engineer it was to cut the drop bars in half, put on the gripshifts, then put on an aftermarket clamp to hold the two halves of the bars together. This kind of stuff is why I love super low end bikes.
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