lamanda

If I had $1000 I would get a Cannondale T-2000, a Trek 520, or something like that. But I only have about $300 and I have a two month bike trip coming up. Any suggestions on what kind of bike I should get?

chipcom 

You're not going to find anything new for that price. Even used, you will be hard pressed. You might try finding a used Trek 7200FX hybrid. It can take wider tires, fenders, front & rear racks and is geared decently for touring. Take a look around E-bay and Craigslist for some used bikes, but you'll still need money for any required repairs, gear and accessories. What kind of trip is it, self-supported, meaning you have to carry everything you need, or supported, where someone else will carry all of your gear?

lamanda

Self-supported trip. Maybe I could spend $400...

dbuzi123

at that price you will be hard pressed. Perhaps a pretty good used 90's mtb with maybe a butterfly bar or some bar ends as an addition...

Cyclist0094

$179.99, The handlebar bag is $10 extra

gregw

I bet it's a steel frame, so therefore it has to be great!!!!! Slap some Barbie bar-end shifters on there and you will be set!

Michel Gagnon

Check at garage sales for a 10 or 20 year old touring bike. Either that or shops/stores that have small ads. Depending on your luck, you could get something relatively decent. Still expect to spend 50 - 100 $ to repair and customize the bicycle: get a new saddle, a longer/shorter stem, fix whatever needs to be fixed, etc.

AndyGrow

Keep an eye out on ebay. Just the other day a beautiful Trek 520 sold (buy it now) for right around $250 or so. Someone got lucky.

chipcom 

What kind of gear do you already have and what kind of budget do you have for the things you don't have, besides a bike?

NoReg

Get the Barbie bike it only cost 35 bucks. MLP stuff is way over-priced.

These guys know custom bikes, but they got pretty far on Walmart 150 buck bikes. Slicks would help if you are going on the road. Also cruise a lot of bike shops leaning as much as you can about bikes so you can pick a "walmart" bike with solid simple features.

https://www.rayjardine.com/adventures...03-iua-2.shtml

Cyclist0094

yep and if the frame breaks while riding through BFE any farmer with a stick welder can fix it

mtnroads

I posted this same suggestion in response to another thread.

Buy a used 10-15 yr old rigid (no susp fork) steel mtn bike. Should be able to find one in good shape for under $200 or so. Try to get one that was fairly high in the line-up as it will have better frame and components. I recently got a 1993 Trek 970 (their top of the line steel mtn bike that year) for $150. It needed nothing but the headset adjusted, new pedals, and a bit of cleanup. It has a steel lugged frame, eyelets for mounting racks, a fairly long wheelbase, XT components and great wheels. The 930 is the same frame, slightly lower component level, butstill fine, and there are a lot of them out there.

I replaced the pedals, put a higher stem on it, a nice used leather saddle from my parts bin, and Continental Town and Country 26 x 1.9 tires. It rides awesome and my total investment in the bike is under $300. If you had something like this, all you need are some decent but cheap racks and used panniers from ebay. You could probably do it for $400-500 if you take your time and shop around.

markwebb

eBay is your best bet. Buy from someone with as close to 100% positive feedba ck as possible, and with a substantial volume of feedback. Look and see what the feedback is on - if it's on items that are as expensive as the bike you're buying.

You should be able to get a nice bike for touring for $300 on eBay. It may take a few weeks - be patient and you'll find what you need.

NoReg

MTroads old mtbs are great bikes if he can find one.

rnagaoka

I think the 1980's-early 90's MTB or touring bike recommendations are good options...

but if you want a ridable bike out of the box, here's a $400 "urban" bike:

https://www.konaworld.com/shopping_ca...4&parentid=253

Comes stock with slicks, low gearing, name-brand components, butted cromoly frame. (Even has fenders, horn, and a stealth black paint job.Take that, Barbie!)

All you need to complete the bike are rack(s) and some panniers. If you want barebones, super cheap but decent, I recommend the Nashbar Waterproof Panniers and Delta racks.

https://www.nashbar.com/results.cfm?c...it=y&pagename=
https://www.nashbar.com/results.cfm?c...it=y&pagename=

Dimkick

a two month bike trip?

I am just curious because I too plan to voyage on a bike, for about two months..Will your trip include non-stop riding and camping at night...or will it be more complex? Reason I ask is what do you plan to pack/ how much/ and how heavy would the pack be for your trip. I ask these questions myself.

Travelinguyrt

Loacal area Craigs List, you can see and ride it before buying buyin anything on EBAY is like "buyin a pig in a poke", not for me

balto charlie

I scored a mid 80's Miyata touring 1000 for $200.00 on Craigslist. It was practically new. Just needed tires. There's another list on yahoo that list lost's of steel framed tourers from all over the country on ebay, craigs, recyclerer etc... It's called bobishbikes
https://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group...guid=100727184

HansZarcov

Honestly, thats a tall order for true unsupported touring, The gear alone can add up to 400.00 easy. tents/ sleeping bags Panniers,racks etc etc.
you might pick up a Jamis Aurora fairly reasonable, but get the 2001 model. It just happens to have great tour geometry, frame material, and fender clearance.

But consider... A bike trailer, like bob yak, used for a couple hundred. cheap camping gear from thrift stores, and most any old mountain bike. Buy it one size larger than traditional mountain riders use. you get much of the geometry you need for touring, you can select tour tires easy, and if the bike goes sour in the middle of nowhere, just hook up the trailer to a diffrent bike and go on.

Thulsadoom

It's all in your perspective. My first tour I had my older brothers hand-me-down, no-name bicycle, a cheap tarp for a tent, smelly old discount sleeping bag, tied everything on the bike with bailing twine, etc. The bike probably weighed 30 pounds, dry. Picked up some new tires for the bike and did 500 miles in about 10 days. The whole trip probably cost me 75$. Of course, I was much younger and up for anything.

I see old, heavy, steel, durable bicycles at garage sales all the time for almost nothing. Just got to keep your eyes open. Check the local classified ads, call the local bike shops, keep an eye on Ebay, etc. If you're not worried about having the latest equipment, something will pop up that will work. Of course, if you will be riding with people that do have good gear, that's another thing.

cyclintom

Here's the score - if you live in a fair sized city you should be able to find a used bike that fits your needs for a couple of hundred bucks and then make the touring modifications you'll want.

Although it is very rare a guy that goes into the local bike shop stopped at the Salvation Army and bought a LIKE NEW Schwinn World with some upgrades on it for $16.50!!! And I mean LIKE NEW. It also had a high grade rear derailleur, a new expensive saddle and was really really clean.

If you maintain a vigilance at the Salvations Army stores and their like you'll be shocked at what you can find though most of the time the bikes are pretty junky.

And of course this assumes that since you don't have a lot of money you're willing and ABLE to make modifications to your own bike. Bicycles are perhaps the last mechanical contraption that just about anyone can work on. But I would suggest leaving headsets and bottom brackets to a shop. Otherwise with relatively few tools you can do anything you like on a bike with care and self criticism.

lamanda

Well, I'm not tall or a guy, but your offer was nice! I saw a myiata on craigs, maybe I'll check it out. Thanks for everyone's advice, especially the barbie bike, although I'm not really a fan of hot pink, beggars can't be choosers or so they say.

NoReg

My wife went on a May to September bike trip on a three speed she picked up for 50 bucks. She traded here backpack in for paniers. Got it at a bike store.

Guest

Get a used Specialized Sirrus. I toured on one, and it did me well. Just get bar extenders for your wrists, that's all.

I got my Specialized new for about 500 bucks back in '02. I'm sure you could find a used one for 250 bucks or maybe even less.

Koffee

linux_author

- depending on where you live, you can sometimes find excellent deals at Goodwill or Salvation Army, or in my case, a pawn shop, for a decent bike in good shape...

- you'll need a discerning eye, and the ability to invest some elbow grease and at least $20-$50 additional to get the bike up to snuff (racks, etc.)...

- i wish you good luck and am confident you'll acquire a great ride at a great price!