Cheap commuter bike?
 

Long time lurker, first time poster :D


Short Story: I'm looking for a cheap work commuter on a $200-300 budget to ride to a train station/gym daily (approx. 3 miles to train, then another 2 miles to gym). I would really like fenders/chainguard, a rear rack, some gears for Atlanta's hills, an upright(-ish) riding position. I may be asking too much.


Long story: I visited DC a while back and loved getting around on the bike share. Since then I've had the bug to ride, but alas no bike. My internet fantasy bike is a Paper Bicycle from Scotland. I don't want to order one without trying it out first, but as it turns out I'll be in the UK for new years and will have a chance to try one and make a decision to buy then.

Until then, I'd like to enjoy the coming fall weather for my commute (and save on some gas money too!) My thought is that riding anything helps me learn what I need/want better than riding nothing. Also, I'm looking for something good enough to last me through the first part of next year and then become my beater. I've tried Craigslist but haven't had much luck and really don't know enough to not get fleeced. The LBSs I've tried don't have much inventory that's used/cheap enough for what I'm willing to spend right now.

What should I be chasing:

• a BB Schwinn?
• an entry level Breezer (like this)?
• Or do I need to keep watching the used market (suggestions as to what to search for?)

Suggestions welcome, and thanks!

In your price range I doubt that you could do better than that Breezer, especially since it's on sale a Performance. Ride MARTA to one of their stores and check it out.

Ride it home and save your first buck off of transit fares!!! Unless you have a monthly pass.

Breezer is good.

But, I wouldn't overlook a single speed bike.

Single speed for hills though?

I don't have great experience either way, but I thought singles were for more moderate terrain. Am I incorrect and it's actually a viable option for a commuter bike to the office?

I'd check the Craigslist. An older Hardrock for around 100 should leave you extra for a tune up and whatever else you need. I would recommend prioritizing a rack/bag over fenders/chainguard for the time being. Other options (not sure of your height):
Panasonic Sport 1000 (1983?)
GT Palomar 16"
GT Singlespeed
Overhauled Schwinn 4130
?KONA Mountain Bike MTB Trail Save on Gas Go Green!
Raleigh 21 speed Road Bike

This is just a small sampling - the last two are more expensive, but still in your budget. The others would probably be fine and you would get your $$ worth from them. My philosophy is if the bike is of LBS quality and works and isn't rusted out, it is almost always worth 100 to someone.

Oh, and don't forget to budget for a couple of locks if you are leaving it out all day.

For a six mile round trip I would suggest going on line and looking at Citizen folding bikes.I own a Citizen Maimi I ordered for 199+30 dollars shipping anywhere in the US.I also own a Brompton folder H model priced at $1850,so I have examples at both ends of the spectrum.The Citizen is a very good bike for the price,good range of gearing(6spd) for any hills,20" tires,all steel rugged construction(30lb) and rides very well.I use it alot and if you get the rear rack it will carry a ton if stuff.An extra point is that it folds and can be taken inside just about anywhere, the office,walmart,the movies,coffee shops,supermarkets,etc.The 30lbs is not something you want to carry with you,the trick is to roll it just like a shopping cart or baby buggy and fortunatly the Citizen is one of the easiest to roll once folded up.You just leave the handle bars up right and they become the handle you push along.
And if you want something cheaper look at the 16 inch wheeled Tokyo for only $169.

+ 1

I love fixies for commuting, but you would need to be a pretty strong rider to push a single speed up some of those hills in Atlanta. I also never advise anyone to buy a craigslist bike unless they already know a lot about bikes and can work on their own bike. I have seen people get a "great deal" on craigslist then spend more paying the LBS to fix it up than if they would have just bought a new bike in the first place. Finally, I wouldn't get a folding bike, unless one of your requirements is to have a folding bike. I had one on a sailboat that we used for exploring local towns while cruising. It was perfect for that purpose, but I wouldn't commute on one (especially in that price range) unless I needed it to fold to take it with me on the train for example.

You're going to have a hard time doing better than that breezer at your price range. It's a much nicer bike than that schwinn for an extra hundred bucks or so, and 8 speeds should be fine for your purposes.

Folding bike. It allows for multi-mode commute.

Check out bikesdirect.com.

Save Up To 60% Off City Bikes | Classic, Stylish Three Speed City Bikes | Urban Bikes | Commuter Road Bikes | Windsor Oxford from bikesdirect.com

If you're on a low budget,and don't know bikes well enough to do CL,you might want to see if there's a bike kitchen/co-op near you:
Bicycle Collective and Co-op Links

Most sell cheap bikes in good working order.

Used, or the Breezer. Breezer makes great bikes.

That Breezer bike looks great-- I'd say you've found your bike!

I think craigslist is the way to go also. Some of those hybrids or older mountain bikes should be great rides.

That Breezer looks good. You might want to test ride the Giant Escape 3 too.

May be the lower price is not the good one for you.you can choose the better one .such as Breezer

I bought a Nishiki Hybrid in that price range at dicks sporting goods. Fenders and rack etc had to be added separate. If you want a bike that comes with all the stuff you are looking for then best bet is craigslist.

+1. You can get a lot more bike for your $200-300 on Craigslist than you would buying a new piece of junk. Go used or save up more money.

I'd order one of the inexpensive road bikes from Bikes Direct.

I know that MARTA encourages taking bicycles on the trains. I've never seen one the dozen or so times I've been on the train and I don't know how well it would go over when the train gets filled up. So an alternative that I'd be searching for would be an inexpensive folding bike, if something like that exists online.

I'm gonna just say, if you're looking for a basic commuter bike and you can afford that Breezer, get it.

Used bikes can be great, but Craigslist is a crap shoot. You can get some good deals, but be prepared to do a tune up on the bike yourself or spend the money to have a shop do it.

I won a Breezer Uptown EX brand new in a contest from People for bikes back in like 2009. It's a great bike and would suffice as a commuter for just about everyone.

Thanks for the replies everyone, I really appreciate all the insight! I had a chance to test ride a Raleigh (2013 model), a used Canondale Bad Boy, and the Breezer I linked to above. Equipping the Raliegh and the 'dale would have added to the cost, and to be honest I enjoyed the ride of the Breezer the best.

I'll head down to the shop this week and have them order a Breezer for me. I suppose I'll need to pick up a lock, helmet, and lights while I'm there (suggestions welcome as always!).

Thanks again for everyone's insight, especially those that have experience with MARTA.