I am looking for something for casual riding around. Some path and pavement. Since my needs are simple, I don't want to spend much.

My wife wants to buy me something for my birthday. She got me a Huffy Parkside at Walmart, but I had to take it back. I don't expect too much for $165, but that really had to be taken back.

Here are some of the problems I am having:

• Walmart has good prices but they have very little selection in the stores and some of the bikes are junk.
• Walmart does not supply specs, or gives misleading specs. For example: I tried a Walmart bike that is supposed to fit up to 6'2". It was too small, and I am just under 5'10". BTW: I am finding that many bikes are oddly small.
• Most places want to ship bikes. I don't like the idea of buying a pig in a poke. Also, I have come across many stories of impossible instructions and/or missing or broken parts. And again: just because the bike is supposed to fit does not mean it will.
• Bike stores around Denver seem to have very little inventory, and what little they have is very expensive, and not what I want.

My wife does not want to get something from craigslist. But there may be little choice. I hate the idea of buying something that I cannot return. Also, a lot of sellers want full brand-new retail for their 4 year old bikes. I suppose they can get away with that with such little inventory in the stores.

What’s the point of your post?

Try Dick’s Sporting Goods. They carry bikes a notch above Walmart. Bought our kid a college bike there for about $350.

I find bike stores carry a variety between affordable and unobtainable. Just have to look around. The stores in my area seem to be getting better stock, and seem to have a variety in stock.

Probably help to define “not too much” as far as budget.

It seems like walterbyrd is just looking for some advice on where one can procure a basic inexpensive bike with a reasonable level of quality. Walmart can be a good source for bikes, but only through their online marketplace (where other brands and a much wider selection of bikes is available). The stuff on the shelves is generally not very good. Dick's Sporting Goods is actually not a bad place to try, either. Their bikes have been somewhat expensive since the pandemic hit, but at least they've had stock lately. Many of their bikes come with sized frames and they have a reasonable return policy if you end up not happy.

The Nishiki Tamarack might be a good starting point. It comes in sizes to fit many bodies and shapes and its components are basic but name-brand. It's under $300, and is probably a reasonable value at that price for a new bike with a warranty for light duty use.

As you know, there are used bikes out there for the choosing. You can often find quality bike shop bike brands for pretty good deals online. Comfort bikes are usually not the most sought-after and can sometimes be bought for 50% or more off the new price. Don't overlook an older bike in good shape. However, this means you need to either have the skills and desire to tune it up yourself, or a willingness to pay for this service from a bike shop, traveling bike mechanic, etc. If you're paying for that, then a used bike may not really save you money in the long run. Something like this Specialized hybrid for $165 could be a great option. I have no idea where you live, and that particular one appears to be sold...but deals like that are out there.

I tried the Nishiki Tamarack from Dick's Sporting goods, and hated it. Dick's was good enough to take it back. I got it for $217 with tax, I thought I got a great deal. But it turned out to be too uncomfortable, and I did not think I could fix that.
The saddle position has the front up too high, and the only way to adjust it, is to make it worse.
Strangely, "comfort bikes" seem to be the least comfortable.

It just goes to show that every bike will fit different people...differently. You really do need to have some seat time on a bike before knowing if it's right for you.

So how much is too much?

What is your budget?

Are you looking for a specific style of a bike?

Can you go to $500 in terms of budget? Something like a Giant Escape, a Trek FX or a Specialized Sirrus should have a $500 price point version, and they're going to be immeasurably better than anything you'll get from Walmart at the $150-$200 price point. If you take to riding seriously, you're going to need to spend the $300 difference between the Walmart and the bike store brand bike on repairs and new parts if you go forward with a Walmart type bike. The Walmart type bikes are designed to be ridden for a total distance of a few hundred miles over their lifespan, they just don't stand up to serious riding.

When I was starting out I had a shockingly heavy Walmart type copy of a Cannondale Super V and I started riding it 10-30 kms every morning for exercise. Within a week or two it was suffering, and the death knell came one morning when I was climbing a hill and over torqued the hub; I looked back and saw a bunch of ball bearings, some of them so dry they were rolling and bouncing on the concrete path. I bought a $500 bike that afternoon that lasted me for 10 years and which is still being ridden by the guy I sold it to 15 years later. The point of that story is that a $500 bike often has components that are easily replaceable and can last for years; Walmart type bikes often have strange proprietary parts that are all but unavailable for replacement, as they just want you to buy another $200 bike instead of fixing the one you already have.

>>Can you go to $500 in terms of budget? Something like a Giant Escape, a Trek FX or a Specialized Sirrus should have a $500 price point version<<

Once maybe, but certainly not now. (unless you're talking used that is)

There is a Trek 750 being advertised on craigslist for $80. Supposedly in "like new" condition. I'm thinking, if I buy something like that, and I end up not using it, I can probably sell it for close to what I bought it for. Maybe I should go that route. Find a good quality name brand, that somebody bought, did not use much, and just wants to get rid of it.

It may work out for you but.......

Do any of your bike shops sell used bikes? A few of the ones around here do, you might be able to find something that way, or if they have something on consignment. I recently got my wife a new bike, and she decided against the n+1 methodology I believe a lot of us have, so I sold her Cannondale Quick 4 that I had upgraded extensively over the years for $250 to one of her friends. Do any of your friends have a N+1 problem? That could also be something to look into.

Last time I looked, about a month ago, bike shops around Denver have almost no inventory at all, new or used. Their prices tend to be high. If I bought something from craigslist, and did not like it, I could probably sell it for about the same amount I bought it for. Not familiar with N + 1.

It's an inside joke among bike hobbyists. The correct number of bikes is N + 1, where N = the number of bikes you currently own. In other words, the math proves that you can never have too many bikes.

An $80 Trek 750, in almost any condition, is almost certainly sold by now. In fact, it was probably sold by the time you saw the listing. The 750 is near the top of the line of the '90s Trek MultiTracks and they're pretty sought-after bikes for those looking for a traditional, high quality, steel framed bike. Trek made millions of MultiTracks, so they're somewhat common, but nice examples of the higher end models don't appear too often.