Originally Posted by
wrk101
For $600 or less, you can get a couple of good used bikes. I would budget $150 or less for an upgraded MTB, and $300 or less for a good USED road bike. You are not going to find a good new road bike for $600 in my opinion.
I bought my 1992 Trek 950 used off of Craigs List for $75. It is quite an upgrade from the Trek 800. It has Shimano LX and DX components, lugged True Temper frame, etc. You should be able to find something similar in the $75 to $150 max range. You can dramatically change the personality of a steel rigid mountain bike by just changing tires. I use 26 - 1.25 slicks for road riding, and Kenda Kross 26 - 1.95 for trail riding. If you want to make it even more road friendly, add trekking handlebars ($20 from Nashbar).
I would look for a step (or two) up from the Trek 800, and if you find a really good deal, you should be able to sell your 800 for near the same (I sold my Trek 800 for $120).
+1 Hybrids are just about worthless. Marginal off road, marginal on road. They look good in the bike shop.
+1 I ride an 18 inch MTB and a 54 cm road bike. I have a 30 inch inseam.
If you have your mind set on a hybrid, then for sure buy one used. Decent ones are available around here used all the time, and most are garage queens (never ridden, or barely ever ridden).
Used bikes, like buying a bike off the internet is best left to people who know what to look for. Yes, there are deals out there but there are also lots of traps you can fall into. Questions to ask before you buy used are:
Do you know what size bike you need?
Do you know how to adjust a bike to make it fit?
Do you know how to adjust the brakes? Derailers? Wheel bearings?
Do you know what a bottom bracket is?
Do you know where to look for common frame fractures?
Do you know what makes a good wheel? What's true mean?
If you can answer those questions (and the first one seems to be an issue
), then I'd stay with a shop. Too often people come here with a question on a frame they just bought that is broken and there's no recourse to fixing it. It ain't a bargain if you have to buy it twice!
For some one who may be taxing a bike a bit more than a 140 lb racer dude, TechKnowGN, you may want to have a full factory warranty also. You don't get that with a used bike. Buy new for this one and shop around after you learn some stuff for a good used one later.