eventides

Heyyy,

So I am a student at UCSD and the campus is very bike-friendly. It's also huge. I've been looking at bikes for the past couple of days and I'm pretty sure that a road bike would be best for me. I don't really see any reason for me to go on grass, gravel, or anything like that. Also, I'm 5'2" or 5'3", haven't really checked, and from what I know, I should be getting a bike with a 49cm frame or so, yeah? I don't really know for sure. Anyway!

The thing is, I have a limited budget. My mom's saying my max is probably 250 or so, and that's fine with me. I've heard of so many bikes being stolen during my first year that I don't really want to pay more than 250. Even that alone is alot of money to lose if my bike were to be stolen ):

I'm not into fixies. A couple of friends at UCSD have them and, well, they seem difficult and I don't really trust myself to not have brakes.

so far I'm looking into the following:
48 cm Mixte Centurion (w/ fenders. are they even called fenders?)
48 cm Mixte Centurion
Vintage Super Star
with this bike, I called the owner and she says it fits her fine and she's about the same height as me.

I don't know which one to try to get and I don't know much about fixing up bikes. How would you guys recommend fixing it up and about how much would fixing it up cost?

Kimmitt 

I think the reason you're not getting a lot of response is that those are a ton of questions, and each of them is pretty big.

Might try the regional forum to look for a local bike charity and recs for local repair folks.

HIPCHIP

Check to see if the campus has a bike shop of some type, I know UC Davis does. You may be able to pick up a nice used bike for cheap from them, or maybe a fixer and they can help you fix it. Otherwise, $250 ain't gonna get you a great bike, so look at Craig's list to see what they have, check the local recycle shops like the Salvation Army, Goodwill too as that may work. If you can get a $500-$600 bike for $250 you'd be better off than going to K-Mart, Walmart, etc and getting a $250 bike.

If the campus has a bike club, check with them too as they may know of some student friendly stores that can help.

Did a quick look. Check this: https://bikeshop.ucsd.edu/ and https://ucsdgrads.wikidot.com/pedal-club
and https://www.ucsdcycling.org/

I'm sure someone there can give you some good info.

:}

laura*

Mixte frame (ie twin top tubes) bikes are a popular item this year. If you get one, there will be an increased chance of theft by professional thieves that drive around looking for bikes. Get a good U-lock (or two!) to lock it up. Don't get a cable lock.

On the other hand, thieves will probably cross the street to avoid this one. You should avoid it for the same reasons. Huffy is a very low end brand. Considering that it's a "10 speed", this bike must be ancient. If something breaks, you might not be able to get it fixed.