I'm new here and am skipping the formal introduction so please excuse me for that. Let this be my introduction. I'm also posting this in the commuting forum not bc I'll be commuting but the riding I do is most like commuting.

How/where I ride- I ride in a small town in Georgia for exercise and recreation. My typical ride is 98% paved roads that are not in great condition. They have many imperfections, humps, bumps, holes, etc. I have one stretch of just a couple hundreds yards I ride that is dirt. Yes a dirt road in the city limits. It's ridiculous. Wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't sandy. Also several curves have a thin layer of dirt washed over them. Several speed bumps. The long speed bumps are not bad at all. The short, steep speed bumps are literally a pain in the butt. I usually ride 3-4 times a week for 45 min to an hour and up to 10-12 miles. Wouldn't mind stretching that time and distance in the future.

My current, barely functioning, bike is a mongoose paver. I know, laugh it up, it came from the Mart. It has carried me for a few thousand miles tho. In its current shape it is unsafe and barely fit to ride. I need something different. It's not worth putting any money into. The kicker is I'm trying to keep the purchase price around 200 bucks.

I'm looking for a hybrid or flat bar road bike or mtb with street tires or what ever else could be relatively efficient on pavement. I've been watching Craigslist for a couple months. Nothing I've seen has been in my price range. Also hit up 5 bike shops in a nearby major college town that had almost no used bikes. I almost bought a used mtb that was too small out of pure frustration. I mean I just want a friggin bike that is somewhat road oriented that is fit for someone 6' for around $200. Is that unreasonable? Am I being unreasonable in my expectations? I don't want a beauty queen just a functional bike.

On a side note I tried to go the "Mart" route and bought a cheap Schwinn last night. Rode it this morning and it was unacceptable. The rim seam wasn't smooth causing the brakes to catch every revolition when the brakes were applied. And some noise was coming from the bottom bracket that was not normal. It has been returned already.

Sorry for the long winded first post but any tips on how to get a decent bike to ride on road for around 200? O yeah I'm 6' 185 lbs.

Thanks,
Matt

I've been primarily looking used with no luck.

My bad. I skimmed the post too quickly and then posted. I see now that you have looked. So I deleted my response. Whoops. Sorry, i don't know what to say besides keep looking everywhere (shops, CL) as you have been. Someting will turn up. You just never know - my GF's dad found a Cannondale hybrid in the trash. Needed tune up, new chain, brake, pedals and tires....but still....

You could always learn how to give your current bike a tune up. A few dirt cheap new parts would make it rideable again.

I second Spare_wheel's suggestion. If you don't have the budget for a better bike then focus on keeping what you have running and add better parts as you come across them at the right price.

You might be able to get something off Bikes Direct.

If you don't have many hills.. try a single speed? People here hate on them but my guy has been very happy with his Thruster. And by happy I mean he's put a ton of miles on it with stock parts. I'm just starting to replace parts...not because they've worn out but because he wanted something more upright.

Sometimes pawn shops have pretty nice used bikes if there are any in your town.

A budget of $200 is going to be tough finding a new bike that isn't going to be as disappointing as the big box store bikes. Used is the best option :-(

I got a 1974 Schwinn continental off of craigslist for $150, its almost like new and only needed new tires at $12 apiece. Not a bike to excite most enthusiasts, but a good condition Chicago Schwinn is a well built, sound, reliable bike.

$200 can get you a decent bike. Keep checking Craigslist, check pawn shops and garage sales. It takes patience to find a good deal.

Holy crap that was long. You don't like your current bike, you want a new one.

If local searches are netting you nil, then the internetz is your best bet. Nashbar, BikesDirect/BikeIsland, PerformanceBike, etc.

$200 will buy an acceptable single speed setup, but you're not going to get much for a geared bike. Craigslist doesn't have many bargains these days, it's mostly full of people trying to pedal (pun) junk for what they think it should be worth regardless of the current market index for junk bikes.

The most economical thing you can do is fix what you have. For less than $200 you can get your Goose up and running good. By the way, even a new bike is going to require maintenance and will also deteriorate given enough neglect.

I second that recommendation. My ride leader recently retired from the pawn business. He's reasonably knowledgeable about bikes, but he never focused on it. Said it was way too much time and effort to try and school up his employees in what bikes are worth. You'll probably find a number of overpriced bikes, but odds are good you'll find a winner.

Thanks for all the replies.

Good news. I picked up a bike today. Grabbed a Trek 700 multitrack from a pawn shop for $60 bucks. Money left over for a few repairs/maintenance. It's a little rough around the edges but it rides good. The bike is exactly the style I was looking for. So for $60 bucks how'd I do?

And here's a little story from today. The college town about 45 miles from me has a non-profit bike "shop". They cater to people who have a need for a bike and the folks with limited finances. It's a pay if you can type place. I went in, reluctantly, fully prepared to pay what I thought was a fair price for a used bike. I saw the owner take one look at me, my wife, and 9 month old son and knew he was unhappy. Told him I was looking for a used bike. He tells me he helps people who are in need. I tell him I don't mind paying a fair price for a bike. And he names another shop I could go to. He then tells me to go to bikes direct and spend $400. And proceeds to tell me I can spend 400 because of my nice sunglasses, which were a gift, and that he's a hardass and has ridden to Boston from Florida 15 times and just how awesome he is in general. And pretty much just tried to make me feel bad for not being flat broke and trying to find a cheap bike. All I know is he was a real a-hole. Surely this isn't typical behavior for this type place is it? And their website says they are "dedicated to providing reliable transportation to anyone who enters our door".

$60 is an Xbox game. So long as it moves in a mostly forward direction when you pedal and stops when you pull the little levers, you probably made out okay. Congrats on the new to you bike!

Thanks. To me $60 bucks isn't an Xbox game it's 2 tanks of gas, or 1 bargain basement bass rod OR reel. Another hobby. Only thing the bike could use is a bottom bracket overhaul and some chain rings. But it's got a bunch of miles left as is so I'm ok with that.

Now the next project of converting my mongoose pos with a frame I like into a single speed.

Oh I forgot to mention. This bike has a seven cog cassette with a 6 speed rear shifter. Both the same shimano series. I have it set up to not use the first/big cog on the cassette, and it's working fine. Am I in for any unforseen problems?

Not if you don't need it.

Don't worry about the ass at the bike shop. It happens in every hobby with the elite experts who have grown to legends within their own minds. They are "too good" to change so ignoring them is the best method of dealing with them. I figure that I'm too stupid to spend my money with them. Folks forget that not everyone has the same level of interest in the discretionary expenses that they base their lives around.

Ride safe and fun.

Sounds like you made out well. You can search Ebay, Craigslist, etc. to find equivalent pricing but you are probably wasting time since you likely won't look to sell it soon.

As for the A-hole, the world is full of them. Don't let them get you down, and chose not to do business there.