solis888

I'm new to riding and I'm looking to buy a bike mainly for exercising. I would use it maybe every other day. The most I can spend is maybe 200 dollars. What I was wondering is where to buy a bike from? Craigslist, ebay, amazon, or another kind of retail store.
Should I buy a new or used bike

TejanoTrackie 

For only $200 you don't have a lot of choices. If you are new to this then you don't want to buy anything through Amazon or eBay. Craigslist is probably your best option, but you can get cheated badly if you don't know anything about bikes. You definitely don't want to buy at big box stores like WalMart. If you can save another $100, you'll have a lot more choices.

redbuda

There's always a deal at the swap meet. I saw a really nice nishiki road bike I almost bought for $100, but didn't need another bike at the time. Now I wish I did grab it.

no1mad 

Check and see if there are any co-ops or bike kitchens near you. You might be able to find something in your budget, though it will be lacking in the bling department.

solis888

Bike kitchens? Thank you all for the responses. Maybe I'll go through some swapmeets but idk what bikes are good for my price range

redbuda

Bike kitchen are :
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_cooperative

solis888

Ah, thank you. I've been searching through craigslist and have seen new fixies for 250 dollars. And many road bikes for 100-200

koolerb

+1 for watch Craigslist. Ebay is 90% professional sellers asking way to much for what they have.

TejanoTrackie 

You still can buy a lot of used bikes on eBay from private sellers, but the problem is that you can't see and inspect the bike before you buy it, whereas with CL you can. I bought an old vintage bike on eBay for use in a conversion, and it was much worse than expected and I had to discard almost everything except the frame, bars and stem. I agree about the new stuff from eBay stores being overpriced junk for the most part, and if you are going to buy online it's better to go to a good seller like Universal Cycles, who will assemble and adjust the bike before shipment, however, they don't sell any low end bikes.

FlatSix911

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...FQpvbAodwSqKkQ

ameniste

Stay off craigslist if possible. This guy was asking $280 for a bike. I did some digging and found the same bike for ~$140.

solis888

The thing is I can only go max 200 because my dad thinks I shouldn't spend too much on a bike (I am 16). If I do, however, buy a bike on Craigslist, what should I look for in the bike? I am maybe 5,6 in height.
I looked on bikes direct and saw those fixies. Are those good quality?

TejanoTrackie 

So, is the $200 money from your dad, or is some of it yours ? When I was your age I did odd jobs and saved money on my own. My mom was willing to go 50:50 with me on purchases.

solis888

It's all from me. My parents are very controlling on what I spend my money on.
For example, they told me to get a bike from wall mart because they are cheaper. I regret listening to them. I bought a bike for 130 and it was too big for me. I also did do research on the bike and saw that parts break easily.

solis888

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv...898043058.html
https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv...892196774.html
https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv...898436851.html

What do you guys think about these?

rms13

The KHS is a legit brand. If that fits it is a good deal. The other two look like no name bikes and might be only worth $150 new so they are probably a rip off.

rms13

Or you could buy a Motobecane Messenger from this guy for $1 more then you could get a new one off BD:

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv...889108515.html

Hence the problem with Craiglist

solis888

Yeah I see...
If I were to buy a new fixie or road bike, where would be the best place? I can probably push my max to $250.

ameniste

Another issue with buying in craigslist is getting something your size. You will definitely have to go and try out for your size whereas if it's from some vender (online) they would have a size chart. I think 5' 6'' is on the lower side too.

solis888

would a frame of 52' or 54' be good for me? Or still smaller?

TejanoTrackie 

Well it depends on your proportions. What is your inseam (crotch to floor in bare feet) ?

DiegoFrogs

Make sure you get something with at least a front brake, preferably two brakes so that you can ride with a freewheel if you decide that is what you want.

Keep in mind that extras like that can often blow your budget out of the water very quickly.

I kind of like the KHS with the exception of the missing front brake.

seau grateau

IMO, you shouldn't bother buying new if you can't go above $300. You'll get much more bike for your dollar at this pricepoint if you keep watching for good deals on the used market.

redbuda

If you are in LA check out https://www.bicyclekitchen.com/index....out-this-site/ learn how to build one, ask them questions.

solis888

I would say about 2 and a half feet