Best bike under $200?
 

I've been looking around at a few online but I'd like to spend under $200 if possible. Single speed is ok. Just want something that will get me around quickly without going over my budget. Can you guys point me in the right direction?

Boardwalk from Dahon.

The Boardwalk seems pretty good. You can get a used Raleigh Twenty for <$200 in good shape too, it seems, and they're also nice bikes.

Look for used Dahons on Craigslist.

Yeah, if you can find a good Twenty, get on it like white on rice. Boardwalk would be a good choice for a new bike. But don't discount used bikes, either.

Find a used bike.

I also recommend a Boardwalk S1. I have had mine for almost 5 years now. They are very flexible little
bikes.

I do not recommend to buy a used one. A new one has a warranty, some parts/labor/legal protection for it's new owner, and will last for years like mine did with just a little care on your part. You do not know what the previous owner did with the bike for sure.

I really don't understand the draw of a used bike with better options available with a new one. The prices are not too far off comparing used with new.

One certainly pays a price for buying used. But one does use less cash in the process. And a little patience usually results in pretty big discounts, IMO.

+1 Boardwalk or Raleigh Twenty

The good thing about the boardwalk is you can slowly swap out the components for better ones as time goes on. I know that if the frame on my Hon Solo ever kicks the bucket, I'll just buy a boardwalk and slap all the Hon Solo components on it.

NOTE: Don't get the Citizen Tokyo. Absolute crap. The girl I work with just has hers sitting at the office here, collecting dust. She's always trying to sell it to everyone, but no one wants it. :lol:

Thanks for the warning, I was actually looking at a Tokyo Citizen.
Does Dahon still make the Boardwalk? I don't see it in their 2009 lineup?

I think im looking exclusively for a single speed folder, not a geared bike.
Are there any besides the Boardwalk and Raleigh twenty?
I like the Raleigh but it seems a little hard to find.

I think Thorusa has the best price on the Boardwalk with shipping--$219

http://www.thorusa.com/dahon/2008/boardwalk1.htm

There are some other vintage single speed folders out there like one by Peugeot. You'll see them pop up on Craigslist. However, they are freakin' heavy (usually 30 lbs) and don't fold as compactly.

If you can find a Dahon Boardwalk from a dealer for under about $190, I'd jump all over it. My wife got hers from Bikecology in Marina Del Ray for $180 this year. They had 2 others in there at the time. Single speed, pedal brake and a front hand brake. Rides like buttah; better than my Dahon Curve D3 in some respects.

Downtube or Dahon, probably used. All other new stuff like Citizen under $200 is so bad it manages to be overpriced.

I rode a Boardwalk S1 today, and it was my first time riding any folder after riding a Gary Fisher mountain bike for years. It is definitely different. The movement in the handlebar post was noticeable as it probably is with any folder to some extent.

Actually, as I eventually learned from people on here, the movement is NOT something that you have to live with. It will go away if you just tighten the little bolt next to the white plastic cube inside the post. You'll see it when you fold the handlepost down. It takes all of two seconds, but most people don't know about it.

I forgot to ask, but you didn't specify whether or not a very compact fold was important to you. If it was, the Boardwalk would probably be a better choice than the R20, as the 20 doesn't fold down as nicely. It is a very solid, enjoyable ride though, so I wouldn't discount it if all you need is the occasional fold that doesn't need to be ultra-compact.

How about the kent superlite? Any good?

Dahon's website doesn't list the Boardwalk, either 1 or 6-sp, in their current lineup. They might be reacting to the current bike boom by paring down the low-profit models, who knows? But that should change the debate over buying new vs used for a low-price folder. One of the best alternatives is disappearing, and what's left looks mostly like boat anchors of dubious quality. A new/barely used Boardwalk 1 speed looks like a bike that will hold its value.

They do have the Boardwalk D3 and D7 under their global bike models. Though, you're right, I don't see the single speed on their site.

You might try eBay too. eBay is the burial ground of bad commercial ideas so you might find something, My caribike was originally an electric bike that did not work out so they stripped the electric stuff fitted it out with cheapo parts and sold it for $160 with shipping.