hennyh

I occasionally like to ride a dirt/gravel trail at my vac. home at the coast. I'm looking for an inexpensive mountain bike.

Wal Mart has a Schwinn aluminum frame MTB for about $160 with a 5 star rating. I also see other brands at various stores.

I'm NOT looking for high end, special alloys, ultimate low weight or anything fancy. I just want best bang for the buck at the low end.

Any suggestions?? (The bike I have is a rusted out, one speed road bike w/rotten tires)

michiganboy

Get yourself a used bike on Craigslist or classifieds. You will get something 10 times better than the WalMart bike.

hennyh

Thanks. Can you suggest some decent brands/models that could likely appear on CL in the <$200 range.

If I shop used at CL I'd like to avoid getting an overpriced used Wal-Mart/K-Mart bike.

santiago

You want a hardtail from any of the following brands: Trek, Gary Fisher, Specialized, Kona. I've heard good things about Iron Horse and KHS. There are other brands that make hardtails but I don't know how cheap they'll be or if you'll even come across them: Scott, Commencal, Rocky Mountain.

squarewheels

I found an old GT Alterra for $49 on Craigslist. The fork was bent so I got another on eBay for $10, put new grips on the bars, bullhorns, and street tires and I have a quality commuter for $85 that I can take off road (switch back to the knobbies).

01amberfirewv

I've got a 14 year old GT that has been flawless. I have been thinking about selling and when I do (sorry not yet) I'll probubly sell it for $200 o.b.o. I am sure you can find others for similar prices and you'll be much happier with something like that than a department store bike. Look in local bulitin boards, and check local bike shops for used bikes. HTH

Stacey

Shameless self promotion....

https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/bik/414516214.html

Tra!l !

Craigs list is the way to go on this one. Trust me. You will be much happier on an older good bike than an X-mart bike that will break and lock up. Ride On!

Oleanshoebox

very nice.

Stacey

Thanks

crtreedude 

Man Stacey I would be all over that bike if I wasn't 6'2" and living in another country! Very sweet looking. I own a Cannondale hardtail - but that would make a great backup bike.

hennyh

OK, I'm overwhelmed with CL bikes. There are 100's of them with 100's of brand names and models. (from $5 to >$1000)

How do I ensure I'm not buying last year's used Wal Mart model under a famous brand name at an inflated price?

The poster a couple posts above mentioned a Schwinn Hurricane. I found one on CL. Is it a well respected mtb?? I also see a Mesa model. If I narrow my search to older respected Schwinns what models should I look for? Is there any list of good quality older bikes anywhere?

Are older "made in USA" Roadmaster bikes OK. The '90's models seem to have strong frames and decent components at low prices. (made in Wisconsin)

I'm not looking to enter the Tour De France or enter competitive events.

TIA

mtnbk3000

thats a rating of how fast it will fall apart, 1 being in a couple of days, 5 is like a week or so

probable556

Cool bike for $175. It's refreshing to see something that is in good shape instead of crappy rusted WalMart bikes.

probable556

Spend a little more on a Specialized Hardrock. PLEASE!

https://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=32288

It will actually be worth something in a couple years and it will be assembled by a PROFESSIONAL MECHANIC.

Good luck.

01amberfirewv

Head to you local bike shop for some test rides and find the brand that seems to fit you. I like my GT but the unique frame is not for everyone. You may find that some brands fit you better and you can see what is sold by specialty shops and what ones are sold @ Wal*Mart

junkyard

Don't buy from Walmart.

Flash

May I speculate that if you own a vacation home you might be able/willing to increase your maximum purchase price? I ride an Iron Horse Warrior Comp, 2006 model, and I've used it for everything from harsh trail riding to light dirt jumping. It is a wonderful bike and I got it for $400 brand new. If you look around online you will find this bike available. If you have your heart set on the $200 range, take a look at this Iron Horse:

https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...slisearch=true

Stacey

Thanks for the props guize! It is a sweet bike and didn't take long to sell either. Probably could have squeezed another $50 out of it but it would still be in my shed. I'd much rather keep the cash flowing than maximize return.

CRTD, it would have been just a tad bit small for you.

streetlightpoet

+1 on specialized, gary fisher, trek, gt, kona, jamis
-1 next, murray, huffy, et all.

https://cincinnati.craigslist.org/bik/418942107.html
That is your ideal find right there for bang for the buck. Later model bike with low miles that someone just wants out of the house because it's not used.

Flash

I'm not sure I understand why he should go with a used bike on Craigslist vs. a brand new, decent bike, in the targeted price range. I do understand the bang-for-buck argument, but bottom line is that you never know why a person is selling the bike. They can chirp all they want about how it has been babied, it's taking up space, gotta get rid of it, but do you think they will also go into detail about the time they bounced it off a tree on a tight hairpin?

Of course I'm not questioning the integrity of folks on this board who are known upstanding citizens, that is always a good route to check, but I am making a more general comment about buying a used bike from someone you don't know at all.

cheers

01amberfirewv

I see what you are saying but, my GT is 14 years old and has in no way been babied and is a great bike that I can count on. I had a huffy for one year before my GT and never had confidence in it.

hennyh

I found a Trek 820 on CL for a really good price. (ie $75). It's been a "garage queen" for the last 10 years or so with very little use. It's the perfect frame size for me. (once again, I'm not looking for an exotic bike - just decent quality)

I also came across a Cannondale M300 and it's been a "basement queen" for the last 10 years. However asking price is $220.

The third one is a Trek 4500 with very low use. However it busts the budget at $280. Is it superior to the other 2 bikes?

Any opinion on the quality of these 3 bikes??

Cyclist30907654

10 years? Talk him down to $40

Cyclist30907654

agreed. AFter going through $450 worth of Wal-Mart bikes, I just figured I could've actually bought a real mountain bike. I finally did. I haven't looked back