Originally Posted by LifeScience
...and am looking for a bike to ride to school and work...any help is apreciated.
Hi LifeScience!
If you're looking for cheap, do the following:
1. Watch the school bulletin boards at end of semester - lots of students sell bikes cheaply.
2. Go to garage sales - folks sell bikes that have been hanging around their garages for $5-10.
3. Go to Police auctions - abandoned bikes go for under $50.
AVOID Craigslist and e-Bay. The competition for bikes there makes it unlikely that you'll find a bargain.
Stuff to watch for when buying used bike is:
1. Does it fit? If you can't stand over the top tube without bashing yourself, the bike's too big.
2. Is it serviceable? If all the parts are rusty, look elsewhere. If the rubber parts are rotted, look elsewhere.
3. Will it hold you? At your size, a mountain bike is more likely to be suitable than a road bike. A coaster-brake, one-speed cruiser may be best of all. If you have doubts, ask the owner.
4. Will it cost more to fix than to buy? Figure about $50-70 for a FULL "tune up" at the local bike shop. You may not need the whole tune up if the bike seems to work fine. With increasing complexity, though, (such as derailleurs, hand-brakes, etc.) comes increasing cost and maintenance.
Happy hunting and I predict that once you get a bike, you'll like it so much you'll "get the fever" like the rest of us.
