Originally Posted by Double0757

Your best bet is used. You can tell if a bike is in good working order by riding it. Take it for a spin, go thru all the gears, front and back, try to stop as hard as you can from a relative fast speed. Take a look at the gears, make sure all the teeth look the same (some cogs, have two or three alike in a row with a different one every so often). You could change a chain and tires if not in good order).

Originally Posted by RubeRad

Hi, bikingit1973, I also live in San Diego (up in Poway).

PennyTheDog is correct that of course used bikes require more maintenance than new, but all three of the bikes you posted look to be in very good condition, and at their posted prices I would consider any of the three a good deal and potentially suitable for your situation.

The biggest difference I can see between the three is that the Fuji has a rigid fork. If you only ever plan to ride on roads, then that's the way to go; when struggling up San Diego hills, a suspended fork will start to bounce, which wastes the energy you're trying to put into the drivetrain (unless the fork has "lockout", which they almost certainly would not at this price point).

And a mountain bike with a rigid fork is I think the right way to go for you, since if you're hauling a load, the lower gearing of a mtb will be helpful (unless you're super strong).

If, however, you also plan to take the bike out onto rough and rocky trails, then you might benefit from a front suspension. But it's not really that important. Even that Fuji with the rigid fork would do fine on most easy/smoother trails.

Another plus for the Fuji is that it looks like it already has smooth-rolling "city" tires, while the other two have knobby tires. Depending on how smooth the tread is in the center (where you contact when riding straight forward), those knobby tires could also significantly slow you down on the road. If you go with those bikes, I would recommend spending $30-40 on a pair of tires (which brings all three prices pretty closely in line with each other).

But more important than what I can see, is what you can feel. The most important aspect is Fit. You have to try yourself. You say you're 6', that's how tall I am too, and I ride a mtb with a 20" frame, so a 19 or 19.5 should be within the size that you can fit well just by adjusting the seat height. The Nishiki doesn't say size, but fortunately it's the same seller as the Giant, so if you go there you can try both out in only one trip.