Ok here goes i'm planning on getting a new bike under $150.00. the bike that my lbs suggested was a Ross MT.Snow is that a good bike for commuting ? its only $99.99. i will probably be using this to get to and from school since i need the excercise I'm so lucky my school has a fitness room also and i go there everyday . my trip will be about 10 miles to go and come back . any advice for me ?

23 views and nothing ? i thought this was a commuting forum........

I've never even heard of them bikes, but that isn't saying much.

Since it's a cheap bike make sure it has a year warrenty. I have a guy that subs for the district. He's been commuting for atleast 5 years. I haven't asked him, but I've been here for that long.

He buys a wal-mart special bike with the waranty & by the time the tires where's out he get's a free bike. Well I guess it's not free, because he initially payed for the first bike, but the rest are free. He commutes every day no matter what(rain, snow, freezing, heat index). Doesn't own a car & doesn't have a license. So he goes through them quickly.

I don't even know if that helps.

ty for the info on the warranty thing . i wonder why no one knows about my bike.. i need to talk to my lbs to get some more info on it lol.

Advice? Make sure you get some tubes and a frame pump. Walking 5 miles pushing a bike is no fun.

As for the bike, I know nothing about it, but it is probably pretty heavy, can't be upgraded, and may take more than the average amount of fiddling to keep it running smoothly. But, that is not to say that it won't do what you want. See Cyrus's post for how well that can actually work out.

k i will definetly get some spares and a frame pump (hopefully it fits) . and walking isn't too bad but i will always have a free metrocard .

I know nothing about that bike. Make sure it's put together correctly. Last year Dirt Rag did an excellent piece on cheap bikes. They found that bottom brackets often contain oil (instead of grease) and assembly is typically shoddy. An LBS typically adds $50+ to the price of the bike for assembly. If the total cost is $99, then it can't be of any notable quality. Any bike is better than none. However, if you plan on doing any regular riding I'd bet you'll only be disappointed with this one. If your budget can only afford $100 for a bike, find a good used one. Craigslist.com and ebay.com are great places to start. Good luck!

Well I seen one of their mountain bikes on ebay. It said it had "a host of deluxe components" they don't name most of their components but the "SHIMANO SIS DERAILLEURS" & "RIGIDA ALLOY RIMS".

Most everything is aluminum. Handle bars, Forks, Frame, Seat Post & Rims. Hopefully not heavy. Doesn't sound like it.

I got a Gary Fisher Mamba Mtn bike used on Craigslist for $140; don't forget to check the used forums - there are some fine bikes being sold in your neighborhood for cheap.

its not heavy i tried it out and i trust my lbs but i was just wondering if there was anything that is a bike u actually heard of that is under 150.00 that is made of great quality. i had a $60.00 huffy tempas and it lasted 4 years and the only thing stopping me from riding it now is a bent frame due to someone stepping on it while it was in the garage without the back wheel on it.

hmm i don't like used bikes very much but i might take a look there anyway.

here is my story... i have been riding bicycles since i was 4. my first bike was a stingray. i hated the bike at the time, but damn i wish i had it now. anyway, i have always been in a situation where i had some dough to work with regarding the purchase of a bicycle. a few months i was robbed, everything was cleaned out... including my bike. to complicate matters it was days before a considerable move. so i was without a bike with not much money to buy one. so i hunted and pecked... after careful networking in a new town i found out about a bicycle collective. there i bought my astra. the bike is about as old as i am (27). but it is the proverbial ****, unlike the proverbial piece of **** walmart (the 1st evil empire) will offer you. perhaps there is no bicycle collective where you live, but my guess there is some sort of bicycle community. in every bicycle community there are jerks, jerks in the making, and people you can love. unfortunately the jerks are easy to find, my advice is kick them in the junk. BUT when you find the people you can love within the bicycle community, hold onto them. THESE are the people that can aid you in finding a bicycle that works for you. 100 dollars is more than enough to find an older bicycle that will work better for you, fit you better, and bring more enjoyment to your commute. to prove my point, i bought my astra frame and fork for 25 dollars. for 10 more dollars i could have bought the bicycle complete. the society we live in dictates you to consume the product of the masses. with that in mind, it would seem to make sense to buy something new instead of reusing something older and less desirable. my overestimation is that my 27-28 year old bicycle is lighter and faster than the average 600-700 dollar bike. given, i have spent some more money on the bike than just 25 dollars. but thats the thing, i gladly can upgrade my bike. sadly the walmart (or alike) bicycle is a waste of time, money, and energy. enough said... bicycles are great for transportation, fun, economics, terrorism, and your soul. i encourage you to not take the obvious answer, but search... search for the right answer. hopefuly in your search you will find a bike that not only works, but that you love. in the event that you can not find anything, send me a note and perhaps i can help.
love,
a drian

I don't usually buy anything new. You always pay too much. Never bought a new car/bike. Just be patient & obsrevant then you'll find the right deal.

If $150 is your top price it's kind of limiting, but here's what I could find for ya:

The only info I found on Rand/Ross bikes was a 1998 recall of 11,000 mountain bikes with faulty components that injured 5 people and prompted a full recall of 4 models. (The Mt. Snow was not one of them. Maybe it wasn't available at the time.)
I did some looking around and found the following in (or close to) your price range:

Wal-Mart has a Schwinn Aluminum Comp hardtail MTB with SRAM 21spd Grip Shifters. It's $159. A bit on the heavy side I think, but for that price just chalk it up to training weight and go for it.

Target has a Schwinn Ranger hardtail MTB with SRAM 21spd Grip Shifters and Shimano derailleurs for $139. Again, a little weighty, but it sounds solid enough. The only concern is the suspension fork which I'm sure could be sub'd out in the future if needed.

Both have 36h wheels, so even if the rims aren't the strongest in the world, they should hold up reasonably well.

I got my commuter for free. I know this guy who always has something to give away. Just walked up to him and asked "Do you have a bike you want to give me?" And he pulled one out from WAY back of his garage, pumped up the tires, and said "Its yours". Look around yard sales and such.

For $100, you can get a really decent used bike that will hands down be better than that $100 new bike. And yeah, the bike I'm converting to my commuter was free too, and it's perfect for commuting...

Hell no, don't spend that money on a new bike. You can get yourself a really good used tourer for that money. It'll have downtube friction shifters, but really, get a 531 or equivalent tourer - there seem to be loads of Japanese bikes from the 80's in the States. Pick yourself up one of those. It'll love you back like no bargain basement bike will.

I would second what Sammyboy has to say, with $100 you can get a pretty decent used touring bike, spend another $50 on some tubes, tools, pump and you will have something that will last far longer than the new bike would.

Check out craigslist, garage sales, etc.

I wouldn't waste the money on the new bike either. If you are going to buy a low end bike at least get it the thrift shop for $20 instead of a $100. It amazes me how all it seems that Americans want is shiny new crap at a cheap price. My 34 year old English 3 speed is still going strong after years of abuse and with minimal maintenance. It has probably been ridden over 30,000 miles with nothing more than the occasional adding of oil to the hubs and a replacement chain. It has had at least 5 sets of tires that I can recall but those are wear items. I also have an old Motobecane from the 70's that is still rideable, you can pick those up for $50-$100 and still come out ahead of the game. So what if they don't have SIS and only 10 speeds, they are still a better bike in a lot of ways than the current crop of bottom feeders. I am not against new bikes, I actually bought on this year. But I can't see wasting money on a new cheap bike when there are so many good used ones out there for a fraction of the price. The advice on the bike co-op is good. Unfortunately they only seem to exist in the larger metro areas.

Aaron

cool lots of info To:Clifton GK1 thanks alot i might go to target to see if they have those. now to everone else who suggested a used bike i think that will be a better desicion. but when buying a used bike what should i check on the bike before buying it ?

Bearing wear, most of all. See if you can wobble the cranks, the wheels, the handlebars. See if the everything turns smoothly, make sure that when the bars turn they don't stick anywhere. Check that the wheels are true. Ride it, and brake hard etc.

The best commuter I have, I picked up for £22 (around $40). It didn't even need tyres.

ok thanks

My Trek 800 cost me $2 and then $18 for the LBS to rebuild the BB. that's it. any other $$ I've put into it has been for fun stuff. there are great deals out there if you can find them

Get a used bike - craigslist, tag sales, laying on the side of the road. A $99 dollar bike sounds like you'll put in a lot of time fixing at home and on the road. There are some pretty good used bikes out there for $100. Use the extra $50 for a pump, visibility, spare tubes, multitool, etc.

i found a few nice bikes near me i just need to wait for a response. ( Craigslist ROCKS)

Yeah it does! That's where I got mine.