milofilo

Hi all, I know basically nothing about bikes. I live in Chicago and use the bike share bikes to commute to work year round.

I am looking for a bike to start some short touring trips around the midwest on weekends. I am a former thru-hiker so I have ultralight camping equipment and i would like to go on 100-200 mile trips overnight around Illinois/Wisconsin carrying 10-20 pounds. I am pretty frugal so not planning to spend much money unless I can be convinced that it's worth it.

I have a Specialized Allez from around 2000 at my parents house in Maine that I could have shipped out (would cost about $50?). I used it all through high school and it is in decent shape but has always been a bit too large for me so is kind of uncomfortable.

I also found a 70s single speed Jeunet Franche-Comte bike here for $125. It has been fixed up (new tires, brake pads, cleaned insides etc) and is in OK shape (some paint chipping) but is more comfortable/upright than the allez. The downside is steel rim wheels.

I don't plan to live in Chicago forever, so I would possibly end up selling either bike when I move in a couple years anyway.

What is the best option here?

bikemig 

This looks like a double post but if looking used, I'd post a few bikes on the C&V valuation forum where you will get some feedback. I wouldn't buy a bike with steel rims. You're best bet if you want to be frugal on a bike is to find a used sports touring bike. They're out there and they can be found at a reasonable price. You want a bike with eyelets and with long reach brakes. That way you can use a rack if you want and you can mount at least a 28c tire with fenders. You may not use the fenders but you do want that option. Tires have a large impact on the comfort and ride quality of the bike. Also you will probably want some pretty wide ranging gearing esp. if you ride into the driftless region.


Here are some ideas, https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...g-bicycle.html

RedandBlack

Welcome to the forum! For overnighter's with 10-20 lbs of gear you don't need anything super fancy of heavy duty. Some modified road or mountain bikes would suffice. There are a lot of options in Chicago. I bought my '14 Surly LHT from Comrade Cycles in Ukrainian Village. Amazing shop, personalized service, reasonable prices, and no sales pressure (plus it's worker owned which is important from an ethics standpoint). This is the place to go if you're looking to buy a new bike. If you are looking for a cheaper, more DIY option check out the bike collectives.

The Recyclery
Ciclo Urbano: A Community Bike Shop | West Town Bikes
Working Bikes | Giving old bikes new homes

These sell new and refurbished bikes and offer mechanic classes so that you can fix your bike on the road. Also, if you volunteer at them you can learn the skills, buy parts as you come across them, and build your own bike. It may take longer, but you'll get a better bike for less money and greater sense of accomplishment.

When you're ready to start riding take a look at traillink.com. Open a map and select the "nearby trails" option so that you can see how they all link up. For reviews on some Chicagoland trails check out my site at https://redandblackhorizons.wordpres...aths-illinois/

Good luck!

Squeezebox

I've heard good things about the Trek 520, Masi does a nice looking touring bicycle. Don't buy a bicycle so cheap that you have to fight it all the way. Don't buy one the damages your wallet either. Get them adjusted properly. Do some weekend group rides, learn to ride properly. You'll find them better than the bike share stuff. But hey bike share is a fantastic idea. Enjoy! Welcome to cycling! The train to St. Louis is easy to do the Katy Trail.

mantelclock

I don't think that you'd be happy with the Allez; it is more of a fast road bike than a tourer. It can't take tires wider than about 28mm, and if you want to ride on unpaved trails, you'll want to go wider than that. I would especially advise against a bike that doesn't fit you properly.

If you're comfortable using flat bars, I would go with a light hybrid. They are easy to find used, and typically have plenty of attachment points, take wide tires, and are geared low for carrying loads over hills. If you want a decent drop bar touring bike and don't want to spend a lot of money, the Fuji Touring would be a good choice. If there's an REI near you, the Novara bikes are worth a look as well. Given your load requirements, there's not an awful lot of science here. Just find a bike that you like to ride and go with it.

mstateglfr 

Define frugal. There are consistently bikes on the Chicago CL which would work and are $200-300 and refurbished so you wouldnt have to do much work or any at all.

With your proposed gear weight, most any sport touring bike, touring bike, or converted rigid frame mtb would work.

LeeG

The best option is the one suggested by Redandblack, get thee to a place where you can educate yourself and learn how to identify a good deal. The old steel wheeled bike is a definite no and the cost of shipping your old bike will be close to the price of a cheap acceptable bike. So first off identify what your proper bottom bracket to seat height is and preferred handlebar position. That way when you find a bike you can at least tell if it fits.
. Without tools and knowledge it sounds you're hoping for a rideable bike for under $150 that doesn't need any parts replaced. That's possible but not likely w/o knowing if something needs replacing or not. I'd go to a coop and see what they have.

just did a quick look at Chicago Craigslist. Awful lot of junk bikes I wouldn't go near asking $125 when they should be $25 at a yard sale. This is the kind of bike worth looking at IF it's the right size and IF you can tell if the wheels, hubs, bb are good.

https://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/bik/5500621518.html

CliffordK

There are some people who tour on single speed or fixed bikes.
I would not be one.

As far as the road bike. Some might depend on your riding style. How many miles do you plan on putting in a day? 50, 100, 150, more? Gravel or paved roads?

If you wish to take the slow lane, then get the appropriate fat tire bike. On the other hand, if you're pounding out the long distances, then I'd go for the Allez or similar.

milofilo

Thanks for the resources! Super excited to learn about the traillink site and I am signing up for a maintenance class!

milofilo

How could I tell if the wheels, hubs and bbs are good on this bike? I emailed the owner and believe it is the right size but am worried about the possibility of getting a worn out bike or a bike in bad shape...

https://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/bik/5500621518.html

mstateglfr 

Short of opening the bike up, tou never know for sure if the bearing points are in good shape or not.
With that said, you can be 95% sure.
Spin the wheels- if they dont spin freely for 30sec or more, there could be an issue. They might just be tight and need a simple adjustment or it might be worse. Most likely its just a too tight issue. Listen to the wheel spinning at the hub. If you hear any clicking or grinding or hitch as the wheel spins, there is an issue. Again, could be a small issue or big, which is determined with opening it up.
The headset should move freely. Move the handlebars back and forth. If there is a hitch or and click when turning, its most likely set too tight. Too long of that use could mess the headset up, but that chance is small.

The bike will have a sealed cartridge bottom bracket. So if the current one is shot, a new one can just be swapped in. There is no servicing a bottom bracket for this bike. Thatll cost $20-50 most likely.
Spin the cranks forwards and backwards. If there is any sticking or grinding then something is up. Its easiest to spin the cranks with the chain off, fyi.

Most likely none of what I described would apply to the bike you linked. More importantly, run the shifting thru all the gears and make sure shifts are fast and accurate.
Then when spinning the wheels, look for wobble and hops. The wheels would need to be trued if thats happening. Figure $20ish per wheel to be tensioned and trued.

milofilo

WOW thank you all so much for the help... I just stumbled across this forum and am blown away by all the generosity to help out a complete beginner. Thanks again!