Anyone got pics of their cheap commuter? Even if its the cheapest of the cheap... lets see it. If you don't have pics and just want to tell us about it that would be fine to.


Awhile back (on another forum) I ask the people if they thought a certain trek bike would be a good commuter. One response I got from one guy was,
"Actually, no. A new Trek bicycle WILL be stolen in about 5 minutes. You want a
decent used bicycle. I would recommend covering it with ugly stickers. You
want your bike to be the least attractive one on the bike rack. There is not a
lock on this planet that someone cannot pick.

To me the best commuter is a good mountain bike that is about 5 to 10 years old
with a few dings in the paint and the before mentioned ugly stickers. Outfit it
with a rear rack and then attach a milk crate to the rack (bungee cords work
fine). And change out the tires for smooth road tires. Add a front fender and
some lights and you have a nice ride!

Except for the "sticker" idea thous words have ran around in my head (Maybe I don't need to spend that much on a reliable commuter). Im needing a bike and Im probably going to go cheap (at least for now) so I will at least have something to rid other than this stinken LandRider . Just want to see what will work, and what has been worken for you. I will in the future get something that costs a bit more, but even then I would still like to a lower end bike to ride to the store, joy ride, or what have you.

David

That is not what I had in mind as "reliable".

@slvoid:

@fish0n: A friend of mine found an old frame lying by the side of the road in Toronto and built up a fixie around it. He used cheap used parts from whereever he could get them, and the thing looks terrible. The chainring is something out of Mad Max. When it was finished, the guy at the LBS who was helping him with it said, with a touch of awe in his voice: "You could leave that thing in a prison and it wouldn't get stolen". All things considered, it's pretty good to ride. As for reliability, the parts are so cheap it doesn't matter if something breaks!

Of course, it being Toronto, he still has to use a decent lock on it...

Dose anyone at least have some advise?

I have an old Schwinn 12 speed mixte (girl's bike). It has good tires, tubes and brakes. I bring it to NYC when I need a bike. So far, no one has stolen it.

I recommend city bike style bikes. Fenders, internal gears, racks, no weight weenie crap. These bikes are not desired by thieves and are scorned by style-men hipster types who like to spend their time and money emulating the racers boys of old. Cheap practical and reliable. Can be a bear when ridding into a stiff wind but it balances out when the wind is behind. A used English three speed or American light middle weight three speed (Schwinn, Columbia, Sears, Huffy etc ) would also work and probably be almost given away at garage sales or at the Goodwill. Just resist the idea of converting into a hipster's dream bike cause then your pride and joy will not only cost more and be less practical but become a bigger target for thieves.

I commuted daily for 4 years in Germany with this bike and use it on the weekends now. Bike cost $200 new, accessories about $150. Thief appeal = 0; Praise from Hipsters/Style Men/ Lance WannaBes = 0; Practicality, reliability and fun for stress free commuting = Priceless.




I use this bike now for commuting and have for the last 3 3/4 years. Bike cost $130 new, accessories about $150-200. Thief appeal = 0; Praise from Hipsters/Style Men/ Lance WannaBes = 0; Practicality, reliability and fun for stress free commuting = Priceless.

here's my bike.

https://photos.yahoo.com/ph/cerewa/de...nm=3c4bre2.jpg

What I did was a lot of fun. I already had a frame and decided I couldn't spend more than 30,000 yen ($254.71 US) on a build. The fun part is buying good reliable equipment ensuring you come in under your set budget. I set up a spreadsheet and started studying the bike shops for bargins and asking friends if they had any second hand parts for sale. My best friend and training partner here is a bike machanic and he guided me through the process.
The complete bike came in at 29,428 yen. ($249.86 US) This includes absolutely everything including the grease.
I put sh1ty stickers, spoke cards, and a plastic clip on fender on it just to annoy all the purists. It's exactly how I wanted it. Sorry the spoke cards and fender aren't on it in the picture.

Yes it's true I could have bought a whole new bike for that but I don't give a rat's.
Steve

I did see this one today:

and this one two weeks ago:

Steve.

Cheap commuters, ya. Heres' one someone gave me a decade ago they had rusting in her backyard.

Japanese Schwinn corvette 5 speed with caliper brakes. I put the baskets, etc on it and have had to replace the Ashtabula once and the wheelset, etc.....over the years but its a might fine bike at a might fine price.

If you need to buy, sometimes excellent bikes come up on Craigs list for a c note, a hundred and a half.

I guess you could say I'm a Lance Wannabe, but I think that bike is just awesome.

Me brand spanking new Redline 925 - SS / Fixed. No internal gears here.
Love it.



$450 from the LBS. (with fenders)
I had the Brooks saddle. Moving my rear rack from another bike. Maybe putting my handlebar bag on.


ILTB, from where I sit, you are a grouchy hipster in your own right. Its all relative, depending on what, how you ride.

Let the "LAWannabees" be, and the "SS / Fixed hipsters" be, and the "internally geared I've bought this in Germany for pennies on the dollar and I've lived all over the world and am frugal guys" be as well.

Its all good, its all on 2 wheels. (or 3, if your triking)

+1

Also check to see if there is a Freecycle program in your area - which is a list of people wanting to give away stuff. And you can also check some of the Yahoo groups. My friend just picked up a MTB for $20. He took the wheels and swapped em with his "good" bike, then gave the one he took the wheels from away to a friend. (with his old wheels, of course)

I bought a 6-7 year-old unused trek 820 mtn bike from a friend for $100 and then started making it into a commuter bike. so far I have put another $100 in it. I bet you could find a good used road bike though and not have to do much to it. good luck!

My bike (red) and my friends bike (pink), on a recent trip to the store:


Her's has been ~$150 so far, including the bike itself + new tires, rear rack, baskets, lube, and some tape for the handlebars. It's a pink 1983 Nishiki mixte frame. No ugly stickers, but the reflective tape and baskets don't exactly make it look like a prime theft target.

Mine is the cheapest new bike they had at the bike store closest to my apartment. It's not great, but it works. I've put ~$300 into it including the bike + rear rack, baskets, slick tires, new saddle (brooks b72), lights, and a computer. I covered it in stickers as well as reflective tape. I suspect the stickers make it less likely to be stolen but more likely to be vandalized due to political content. Nothing has happened to it in the two months i've been using it to get to school and run errands though.

It would be horrible if that bike ever got stolen, the beer would be gone.

I would hate to see that bike get stolen, then the beer would be gone as well.

Nope. It's been put away and recycled.

I agree it's all good, and good for what is always debatable. But the OP asked for pictures of cheap bikes for commuting that aren't likely theft bait, not pride and joys of the with-it crowd that fit neither category. After a couple of goofy replies from jokesters, the OP asked for a serious answer and I provided such an answer. Not the only answer but at least one that is applicable. Grouchy? Nope, just tired of the same ole crowd pushing the latest trendy thing as the cycling answer, no matter what question was asked.

My Suteki track 10 cost all together. . 0$. I put in it. . about 16$. Its reliable as anything but the BB bearings really need to be changed. But that dosent take from the reliablity it just makes a tiny bit of noise. The suteki was rusting in my cousin's backyard. He had just bought the house and it was back there and he was about to throw it out.

Here are a couple shots of cheap comuters from my last business trip to Sweden.





My Commuter


All prices are in CDN dollars.

72 Falcon - $100
27" Specialized AC tires - $40
Crank Bro Egg C - $60
Fenders - $25
Rear Rack - $10
Blinkie lights - $20
Computer - $15
New bar tape - $15
Specialized BG saddle - $0 OEM on Allez
Panniers - Free (Christmas gift)
---------------------------------
Total $290

I would like to post a pic of my cheap commuter, but I'm too cheap to buy a camera.

$50 including the rubbing compound and wax it took to clean it up. Add $30 for new tubes and tires. Another $60 for the Brooks B-73 that it now wears (not in pic). This is a great ride.

I-Like-to-Bike: I love your Vaterland and I don't even own it! I also use pipe insulation when I take the Mercury out longer than 20 miles!

https://i2.tinypic.com/sq1toy.jpg

49.99 Huffy MTB from a mart store (went looking for a jacket) plus $50.00 for two lights and a $10 set of fenders. Already had the rack and helmet. Say what you want about Huffy, but it's the cheapest bike I could find new, and the thrift/sa stores came up empty week after week.