Amatuer City Commuter in Search of a Moderately Priced Bike
05-30-11, 02:04 PM
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Amatuer City Commuter in Search of a Moderately Priced Bike
I am not new to bicycling, but I have no idea what makes one bike better than another. I live in Louisville, Kentucky but I will be moving to Chicago in the Fall, so most of my riding will be in the city but I do plan on making some small trips on the bike (50-70 mile days). I had some Peugeot I got at a trendy bike shop for about $200 a couple years ago and the frame was basically ruined by a big pothole. I was told by a friend with more experience that this bike was pretty crappy. I'd say I'll want gears but maybe a single speed may suit my needs. I am about 6'3" so I'll need a pretty big frame. I don't mind getting a cheap old bike and getting it fixed up at a shop. My max price range is $400 but that's really pushing it, I'd be more comfortable under $300. Any help would be greatly appreciated as I am totally clueless on this situation right now. Thanks so much guys!
05-30-11, 03:02 PM
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Here are some bikes to consider, in no particular order:
GT ZuM (on sale now at PerformanceBike.com, but not in your size there)
Schwinn World 21 (also at PerformanceBike.com - top of your range at $399, but has fenders and rack, so ready to commute)
Breezer Uptown EX ($429 including shipping on eBay, in large sizes, Breezer makes some good bikes)
Schwinn Willy (Steel frame may be heavy but price is low at $199 on Amazon for large frame, $37 shipping)
Scott Sub 40 (also has fenders and rack, on sale at Eastern Mountain Sports for around $350)
Hope this helps!
Best,
Rob
GT ZuM (on sale now at PerformanceBike.com, but not in your size there)
Schwinn World 21 (also at PerformanceBike.com - top of your range at $399, but has fenders and rack, so ready to commute)
Breezer Uptown EX ($429 including shipping on eBay, in large sizes, Breezer makes some good bikes)
Schwinn Willy (Steel frame may be heavy but price is low at $199 on Amazon for large frame, $37 shipping)
Scott Sub 40 (also has fenders and rack, on sale at Eastern Mountain Sports for around $350)
Hope this helps!
Best,
Rob
05-30-11, 03:12 PM
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Start looking a couple times a day on Craiglist and see if something interesting pops up.
05-30-11, 03:21 PM
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You prefer flat or drop bars?
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05-30-11, 03:29 PM
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Oh, one quick update for the Schwinn World 21 I mentioned above, there's an extra 15% off once you put it in the cart -- which brings it down to $339.99 before shipping.
05-30-11, 04:10 PM
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Check out this Used & Vintage shop on your cragislist:
https://louisville.craigslist.org/bik/2407516379.html
At 6'3 it might be a little hard to find bikes in your size. At this shop it looks like you might find a variety of styles in your size range in one location.
https://louisville.craigslist.org/bik/2407516379.html
At 6'3 it might be a little hard to find bikes in your size. At this shop it looks like you might find a variety of styles in your size range in one location.
06-05-11, 12:29 PM
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I prefer drop bars. Also, those posts from beginner cycling look unusual to me. Are they called cruisers? I'm only accustomed to road bikes but I don't know if I'd rather get one of those.
06-05-11, 12:43 PM
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visit one of your local bike shops, they will show you what they have,
and Know, you can change parts of any bike to meet your specific desires.
and Know, you can change parts of any bike to meet your specific desires.
06-05-11, 02:35 PM
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You might find a cyclocross bike (which usually come with drop bars but more upright position) to be a happy medium -- and many can accommodate fenders too. But you would probably want to change to slicker tires for commuting.
06-05-11, 02:39 PM
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Craigslist is your best bet for a drop bar bike with gearing for under $400. You might have to wait, perhaps even a month or longer, but a good deal will eventually pop up.
06-05-11, 05:06 PM
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I found a pretty appealing little "business" in town with several bikes large enough for me. Any suggestions for which bikes to avoid or pursue?
06-06-11, 12:36 PM
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forgot to paste the link:
https://www.oldbikesbelong.com/In_Stock.php
https://www.oldbikesbelong.com/In_Stock.php
06-06-11, 02:12 PM
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He's also got a Schwinn Le Tour III, a Schwinn World Sport, and Raleigh Record that would fit my size and price range well. I could not tell you the difference between them, is there one that would suit me better/be a better bike overall?
06-06-11, 02:55 PM
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World Sport or the Miyata would both be nice, with the Miyata getting my personal preference.
The bike would be fine as is, but significant improvements could be made somewhat easily, such as bar-end shifters and comfortable brake levers, if desired.
Also, I personally dislike the way the brake levers are set up on some of the bikes - way too high. This is easily adjusted to suit personal taste / fit. Miyata excepted
The bike would be fine as is, but significant improvements could be made somewhat easily, such as bar-end shifters and comfortable brake levers, if desired.
Also, I personally dislike the way the brake levers are set up on some of the bikes - way too high. This is easily adjusted to suit personal taste / fit. Miyata excepted
Last edited by canyoneagle; 06-06-11 at 02:59 PM.
