Getting a Craigslist Walmart *** bike for parts?
08-13-09, 09:37 AM
#26
Who farted?
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
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Bikes: '06 K2 Zed 3.0, '09 Novara Buzz V
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Don't buy a new bike from WallyWorld. I don't know about your area, but in Tucson I can get a *mart bike for next to nothing used -- my commuter for the first few months at college was a Murray mountain bike that I spent $15 on total. (Five for the bike, ten for the tetanus shot.) Look around at garage sales and whatnot.
Once you get a bike, don't crack the frame. Paint it and add a ton of stickers and reflective tape, maybe. But don't damage it.
Other than that, use common sense -- get good locks and always lock to something immovable. My bikes have never been vandalized, but maybe I've just been lucky.
Once you get a bike, don't crack the frame. Paint it and add a ton of stickers and reflective tape, maybe. But don't damage it.
Other than that, use common sense -- get good locks and always lock to something immovable. My bikes have never been vandalized, but maybe I've just been lucky.
nice.
08-15-09, 07:25 AM
#27
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Sometimes parts off an X-Mart bike won't even interchange. I've seen them use one piece cranksets and pedals which definitely won't pop off and be useful with a more expensive bike. If you want a "parts bike", check pawn shops and other places. IMHO, I wouldn't bother with a "parts bike" unless you can get one really cheaply (under $25 or so). You would be better off taking two spare tires and tubes in your backpack, or sticking those in your locker in case of emergency.
Vandalism is a nasty thing, but you can do a few things to discourage it. Take your bike seat, use screw-on pipe clamps to prevent flipping of quick releases, or replace the quick release skewers with bolt ons or locking ones. Of course, using a decent lock goes without saying. After that, the onus is on the school and school district to provide decently secure parking.
Vandalism is a nasty thing, but you can do a few things to discourage it. Take your bike seat, use screw-on pipe clamps to prevent flipping of quick releases, or replace the quick release skewers with bolt ons or locking ones. Of course, using a decent lock goes without saying. After that, the onus is on the school and school district to provide decently secure parking.
