Originally Posted by
Gray Man
I'm in San Antonio, TX and there's just about everything here. I was looking closely at the Paver because it seems to be mentioned in quite a few places. It's a bit harder to tell whether other dept store bikes are worth it or not; do you have any suggestions?
Department store bike almost always come equipped with bottom-shelf components, and are often assembled by unqualified personnel. There are, of course, exceptions to the rule but most members here will caution you to stay away from big box stores.
Originally Posted by
Gray Man
What about some of the older road bikes? Is the leaned over position bad? There seem to be more non-dept-store road bikes on craigslist than MTBs (especially non-suspension).
Nothing wrong with a road bike for a commuter. As with MTBs look for big brand names like Trek, Giant, and Specialized. If you're gonna commute in all types of weather they you'll probably want a bike with eyelets and braze-ons for fenders and racks, so a cyclocross or touring road bike would be something to look for.
Originally Posted by
Gray Man
Do you think I might be able to do that kind of checking/adjusting myself? I don't really know any bikers in the area. I did talk to CycleLogic (an LBS), though, and they said they might be willing to look it over before and/or after I buy it (for a price after I get it).
Any LBS worth its salt will be willing to look it over for free. If not, move on to the next shop. After all, you're gonna need to buy some accessories and upgrades, and perhaps eventually buy a bike from them.
Originally Posted by
Gray Man
Any more advice for getting one on craigslist? How do I tell a "quality" bike on there from the rest of the stuff? By brand name? The main problem I'm running into is that I'm not sure how much a bike is worth.
Bikepedia is a good source to find general information on bikes; they list bikes as old as 1993 from all the major brands, and usually include the original retail price. IMHO the best source, however, is right here. If you want to get information on a specific make/model/year of bike ask about it in Bike Forums. For older bikes you could ask in the
Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries sub-forum.
Good luck, and happy hunting!
