dragonwalker

Hello there,

I'm new to the forums and seeking advice. Since the start of June I have been riding to work pretty much every day Monday-Friday. The ride is just about 9 miles round trip on mostly flat suburban streets with about 90% on pavement and 10% concrete sidewalks. I’m currently using a very cheap Walmart mountain bike that was sitting in the garage for 5 years and after a few months is falling apart.

I’ve just done some preliminary research and the concept of the hybrid bicycle sounds interesting to me. I’m looking for a bike that is sturdy but not heavy and can stand up to a little punishment when necessary. I like the idea that a hybrid has an edge in speed over a mountain bike while still being comfortable sitting on the bike.

Reliability is important to me and I’m looking at a budget between $200-$400 and I’m not opposed to used bikes. I could spend more if there is some general consensus of some really great bike for my needs.

I’m 5’7 and about 180 (although I’m trying to change that and I have a goal of being my former self at about 150ish) so on the heavier side if that helps to point you in the right direction.

JAG410

You should be able to find a good bike in that price range. Either a hybrid/comfort bike, or a mountain bike with smooth tires. I'd go to the local bike shop (LBS) and ride a few bikes to get an idea of what you like/don't like, then do some research between those models.

Or just buy the one you like the most

dahut

I'll be riding an older 90's vintage off road bike this coming season, A Specialized 'Hard Rock' in the large, 22" frame size:



This is my second one, the first being too small and cramped for me. Originally sold as a 'mountain bike', these things change personalities when set up the way I've done here. They weren't really like todays mountain bikes in the first place, particularly in the larger sizes. They remind me more of a road bike on steroids. The stand over height is just right for me at 6', and the ride itself is high enough off the ground to offer good clearance.

Now, such bikes are heavy-ish. It is all ChroMo steel and will come in around 25 pounds. There is no carbon fiber or even much aluminum in this thing. This makes for a stable riding machine that absorbs a lot of road shock without jarring. It is also very rugged and can take a licking - you'll give out before it will.

I'm keeping the stock 26" wheels because they are fit to the brakes. I'll be replacing the large tires seen here, however, with smaller, more road-like rubber. The tires Im running are these:

- Geax 'Street Runner' 26 x 1.6's for the rear
- Forte 26 x 1.5's for the front.

Both of these have a very light street tread and can be pumped up hard for low rolling resistance. Now, I say "more road-like" rubber because others would opt for even smaller tires in the 1.25-1.5 range, to decrease rolling resistance even further.
But I did this simply because I like a little more meat in the rear, with a front tire balanced to the rear. I sacrifice a little speed for the slightly larger tires, but that is my choice.

This bike has plenty of room for fenders, too, should I choose them and it runs cantilever brakes for good stopping power.
I have a light duty rack installed now and bright lights are coming. I don't like to carry a ton of crap with me, and I commute at night part of the time.

It is geared a little low to qualify for real "road bikiness," but it's speed potential is limited to a degree, anyway. Not only is the weight a factor in speed, but above 15-17 mph, the lack of aerodynamics tends to limit your zip. You want fast? Get a road bike.
However, all is not lost. The gearing can be changed later, adding larger chain rings in front or a lower range cassette on the rear wheel. Some people ride single speeds/fixies for commuting, I know, but I don't widely recommend it.
Having a range of gears available is a good thing...especially when you start going beyond a few miles on a regular basis.

Road bike drop bars could also improve the aero qualities to a small degree. I may do that, eventually. For now, I'm going with the more upright posture afforded by low-rise MTB bars, with knob and bullhorn bar ends to give different hand positions.

The drawback here is that I had to do all this myself. It didn't come this way. It was kinda cruddy, in fact.
I stripped and repainted the frame, adding custom graphics. Bright John Deere yellow was chosen for visibility, and becasue I had a can of it handy. I can learn to live with it in time. Red reflective tape trim is next to be added - lightning bolts, of course!
I also gutted the fittings and reworked everything so I knew it would be reliable. I wanted a project bike, and doing it all at the lowest cost was part of the plan. All in, total cost will be around $150.

While it meets my needs, it may not be for you. Nevertheless, the features it offers are universal for a versatile commuter bike:

Rugged construction
Right-sized wheels (larger is better: 26, 27, or 700C)
Right type rubber
Selectable and adequate range gearing.
Room for fenders and racks
Strong brakes
Visibility aids
Enough comfort for an hour or more in the saddle.

These things can be had for new money, too, with some New Age styling tossed in for good measure. Good Luck to you and Happy Riding. Comments welcome.

fietsbob

A 3 speed perhaps?.. you have a cruise along gear, flanked by one for the wind against you,
and one with a tail wind ..
when you come to a stop in high, while stopped you can shift to low to start out.

can be in all sorts of wheel types and diameters.

you did the wall mart BSO thing, visit a real bike shop and see what they have.

Rockfish

For used bikes, you could pick up a lot of used hybrids for well within that budget, and have money left for a bike shop tune-up. Trek, Schwinn, Cannondale, Specialized and Giant made millions of them over the last 20 years. Check your local craigslist. Most will have an aluminum frame and fork (or steel fork) with 700c wheels that will roll better than your current bike.
There are a few options for new bikes if you go that route. Nashbar makes a few commuter bikes that are inexpensive and have received some decent reviews. You'll need to know your size if you order online. If you can spend a bit more, and find one, the Torker Graduate is a fantastic commuter bike for $500.
I would also say the LBS is good option, but if you live in the northern half of the US, where the bike season is ending soon, you need to be careful that they don't try to sell you whatever they have left over, rather than the best bike for you. Stay away from cheap hybrid bikes with suspension forks, for one thing. They are heavy and not necessary on the street.
If you can tell us what brands you local shop sells, we might be able to recommend specific models.

ThermionicScott 

I know this isn't the question you asked, but what all is "falling apart" on the Wal-Mart bike? Learning to fix those things would build valuable skills, and a heavy-ish mountain bike provides a lot more of a workout than a zippy road bike. (For that reason, I've considered switching back to my roommate's 36lb Schwinn for commuting.)

If nothing else, this would allow you to save up your "bike money" while you do more research on BF.

- Scott

bent-not-broken

I recently swithced to a 30 mile round trip commute, but for six years I commuted 10 miles though a small town. I filled a garage with garage sale bikes and used probably ten of them for my commute. If you are buying used the first question is can you maintain your bike? The minimum is to fix a flat and adjusting derailleurs is a plus.

I started out on a mid 1990's hybrid. The 700c tires are nice and it had canti brakes. It was a good bad weather (rain) bike. It was heavy. I also used a couple of 1990 mt bikes with slicks and they are indestructable. Again a little heavy and not aero. My favorite were 1980's road bikes I converted to flat bars. For my current longer commute I now use drop handles, but I liked the flat bars in town. The 1980's sport and touring bikes are light compared to the hybids and with touring width tires nearly indestructable.

dragonwalker

@dahut I actually rode on the exact same bike a few years ago while I was in school but it got stolen. It was a stock bike and from what I remember it was great to ride. It is an option I am considering.

@the...scott among the few things that are falling apart on it are the rear rim bent so badly that I can't even use the rear brake since there won't be enough clearence when the brake goes back to neutral position, the tension wires are all frayed and worn, the brakes don't function completely because of the tension of the wires being off, worse of all and the reason I'm now considering a replacement is I've been told by a bike enthusist that the lower bracket is either broken or lose so that after several minutes of pedaling I will hear loud clicks and feel a vibration that rattles through the seat, and all of this on a bike that was less than $100 new. Yes I've definately been practicing bicycle maintenance on this piece of work like changing tires, brakes, adjusting cable tension for brakes, derailer so I'm not a complete novice.

I'm going to a local shop this Sunday to check out their selection and I'll report back. I've been looking at a few options and what do you guys think of a new Specialized Sirrus model or a used Cannondale M300 specifically like this one: https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv...558397965.html