930 Forums
=> GENERAL DISCUSSION => Topic started by: nkotb on July 17, 2006, 09:29:00 am
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I woke up this morning to find my bike stolen from my yard. It's not too much of a bust (the bike was a mountain bike from Target that set me back $45 more than a year ago), but now I'm in the market for a slight upgrade.
I don't need anything too fancy; I generally only use it to get from home to work and back, which is about a 3.5 mile trip each way, and occassionaly a trip around town. I'd like to keep it relatively reasonable too, although I know absolutely nothing about buying a bike. Any suggestions?
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i bet if you take a stroll around your neighborhood you will find somebody offering a great deal on a bike a lot like your old one :D
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where markie and chimbley when you need em?
I would try Craiglist first.....lots of people trying to offload impulse purchases/stolen goods at a fraction of the price
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craigs list or pawn shop
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Sorry to hear that your bike was stolen. That is infuriating. So you're not looking for anything fancy.
What do you consider reasonable pricewise? Below $700?
Originally posted by nkotb:
I don't need anything too fancy; I generally only use it to get from home to work and back, which is about a 3.5 mile trip each way, and occassionaly a trip around town. I'd like to keep it relatively reasonable too, although I know absolutely nothing about buying a bike. Any suggestions?
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Thanks for the tips, and I'll definitely see what kind of deals I can find, but I really need suggestions of what I should look for in a bike. The past two bikes I had were both department store floors models, and were purchased because they were quick and cheap. I know absolutely nothing about anything else.
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get a hybrid type bike....mountain bikes are too slow for commuting, roadies too uncomfortable, but its all down to personal preference
or buy a mountain bike and put slicks on it
if the main goal is to get from A to B and thats only 3.5 miles theres no need for anything too fancy
I commute 17-20 miles a day and my wife got me this (http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/2003-bikes/2003-hybrid-bike/fuji-america/PRD_139107_4340crx.aspx) for xmas - I think it was around $500 - its fine and I have not experienced any of the spoke problems mentioned in these reviews and I am not gentle with it
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I'm very happy with my Trek I purchased at Spokes in Vienna,I don't ride much and wasn't willing to spend a ton of cash.....I would hit a Spokes or a Performance Bicycles,etc. and just tell them what you're willing to spend and what your needs are and let them hook you up......gotta be comfortable or it just ain't worth it!....
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The Specialized Sirrus is a nice bike, although it sounds like it might be more than you're willing to spend.
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If Markie ever read the board he would probably recommend this: <img src="http://www.hiawathacyclery.com/blog/wp-content/25Feb2006redline925_1.jpg" alt=" - " />
The Redline 9-2-5. No gears and around $500.
Personally I would steer well clear of craigslist and second hand bikes in general until I was more bike savvy. There are so many scam artists offering there shimanoe $3000 top of the range bikes for $600 when in reality the bike only cost $400 and is 5 years old.
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poorlulu, funny you mention the redline. I spent like a weekend on bike boards/mag sites, etc., and, though I haven't bought one, that model was the clear frontrunner. I believe citybikes in DC carries them. Dig the fenders!
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Originally posted by poorlulu:
Personally I would steer well clear of craigslist and second hand bikes in general until I was more bike savvy.
what websites would you guys recommend for bike reviews and whatnot?
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Originally posted by HoyaSaxa08:
Originally posted by poorlulu:
Personally I would steer well clear of craigslist and second hand bikes in general until I was more bike savvy.
what websites would you guys recommend for bike reviews and whatnot? [/b]
www.930.com (http://www.930.com)
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Check my PM to you. I may be able to help you with a deal on a bike.
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I agree with the decent mtb then put some slicks on it.....because I can almost guarantee that once you start riding a decent bike, you'll start taking the long way home.....then going out for rides during the nice evenings.....then getting up early on the weekend for a spin....then before you know it you'll be getting withdrawal symptons if you don't get 150+ miles in per week. And it would suck for you to have to upgrade yet again once the bike-bug bites you.
I've had a trek 850 for years and the only thing it's needed are new brake pads, so for mtb's I'd have to say I'm a trekkie :D , although I love the Kona "Jake The Snake" but can't justify buying one myself as long as my Trek keeps rolling along. Roadbikes are a different story, but you don't want one of those as a commuter anyway.
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Originally posted by HoyaSaxa08:
what websites would you guys recommend for reviews and whatnot?
bigyawn.net
or
mtbr.com and roadbikereview.com are the leaders.
The local mtbers are very helpful though: more-mtb.org and there is always dirtragmag.com
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Originally posted by dfmcpete:
poorlulu, funny you mention the redline.
Yeah, I was tooling around on the redline 29er last week. It didn't feel like a cheap bike in any way. I'll probably end up getting one.
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There is no reason to get a bike with no gears unless you're 1) a track racer or 2) trying to prove something.
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Originally posted by poorlulu:
If Markie ever read the board he would probably recommend this:
And if poorlulu were actually typing, she wouldn't use capitalization.
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Originally posted by They call me Doctor Doom.:
There is no reason to get a bike with gears unless you're 1) old 2) decrepit 3) A big fucking tool, loser.
The simplicity of no gears is well suited to a commuter bike. Less to break, less to maintain, less to steal, less weight.
It took me a long time to be convinced about off-roading with no gears, but on the road it is a no brainer.
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Originally posted by vansmack:
Originally posted by poorlulu:
If Markie ever read the board he would probably recommend this:
And if poorlulu were actually typing, she wouldn't use capitalization. [/b]
Hey I Resemble that!!!!
as you would say
;)
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Originally posted by bad-toothed Limey git Markie:
on the road I am a no brainer.
true... on the board, too.
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My commuter is a singlespeed that works great for me. Granted, my commute is only about 15 minutes one way.
Originally posted by They call me Doctor Doom.:
There is no reason to get a bike with no gears unless you're 1) a track racer or 2) trying to prove something.
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Brennser, I saw this (http://www.veloclothes.com/prod1.aspx!Null!1!Brand!All%20Brands!SID!1!Product_ID!802!Mode!34!Category_ID!178) and thought of you.
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Originally posted by They call me Doctor Doom.:
Originally posted by bad-toothed Limey git Markie:
on the road I am a no brainer.
true... on the board, too. [/b]
If you cannot back up your arguments and just want to trade insults: <img src="http://www.trephination.net/gallery/macros/dumbfuck.jpg" alt=" - " />
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Econo, I suspect you're not an average bike rider. There are no practical arguments for a one-gear bike. It's not like bikes with gears are monstrously complex and break down all the time -- in fact, they hardly ever require any maintenance at all.
So it really comes down to personal preference, and if that's your preference, that's fine. But the original poster of this thread is not an enthusiast, and for an average rider, that was simply bad advice, and was more about Markie going on about Markie than any serious effort to help.
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Originally posted by They call me Doctor Doom.:
blah blah blah.
There is a long tradition in commuting and utility bikes being single speeds. You would not know this because you know as much about bikes as you do everything else.
Bikes that are never ridden need no maintenance, try putting in 100 plus miles a week commuting and any bike will need some TLC before too long.
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Originally posted by They call me Doctor Doom.:
There is no reason to get a bike with no gears unless you're 1) a track racer or 2) trying to prove something.
So, are you implying that poorlulu's single speed is really just a surrogate for a penis?
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Originally posted by poorlulu:
Brennser, I saw this (http://www.veloclothes.com/prod1.aspx!Null!1!Brand!All%20Brands!SID!1!Product_ID!802!Mode!34!Category_ID!178) and thought of you.
awww, thanks Lulu (Markie?) I have the non bib version of those
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Originally posted by brennser:
I have the non bib version of those
Yeah,
I saw you fly by in them. I just had not seen them on sale before.
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Originally posted by poorlulu:
Originally posted by brennser:
I have the non bib version of those
Yeah,
I saw you fly by in them. I just had not seen them on sale before. [/b]
I used to get pretty good deals on them on ebay - I think the guy who imported them was selling em on ebay for less than retail
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Thanks for the bike suggestions everyone, but it looks like I won't be needing them after all. My wife just called a few hours ago, and apparently the thief was kind enough to return my bike back to our front porch! I always said that bike wasn't even worth stealing!
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Originally posted by nkotb:
Thanks for the bike suggestions everyone, but it looks like I won't be needing them after all. My wife just called a few hours ago, and apparently the thief was kind enough to return my bike back to our front porch! I always said that bike wasn't even worth stealing!
You're welcome. If I had known it was yours, I never would have "borrowed" it without asking. I was just drunk and felt like a a ride home.
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Originally posted by nkotb:
Thanks for the bike suggestions everyone, but it looks like I won't be needing them after all. My wife just called a few hours ago, and apparently the thief was kind enough to return my bike back to our front porch! I always said that bike wasn't even worth stealing!
This is unfortunate, because it will deprive Markie of a reason for talking about what a k00l biker he is (despite having trouble with basic maintenance and staying on a bike)
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Just an FYI...
It seems my bike was partially stripped when it was stolen. The bike itself is in perfect (well, as perfect as it ever was) working condition. They did see fit to keep my helmet, which cost almost twice the bike itself, my rusted-out cable lock, and my front headlight. Thankfully, the back light was left.
How odd...
Originally posted by nkotb:
Thanks for the bike suggestions everyone, but it looks like I won't be needing them after all. My wife just called a few hours ago, and apparently the thief was kind enough to return my bike back to our front porch! I always said that bike wasn't even worth stealing!
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Originally posted by They call me Doctor Doom.:
Originally posted by nkotb:
[qb] This is unfortunate, because it will deprive Markie of a reason for talking about what a k00l biker he is [/b]
Well Markie bought one of these today <img src="http://bikemag.com/gear/bikes/redline-29-450.jpg" alt=" - " />
His old one-geared MTB that was $280 from ebay was starting to get very tired. The new 29er is heavy, but looks pretty durable, but it was only $470
Dr D.If you have nothing useful to say, why bother?
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I just bought a Trek Hybrid Fitness Bike for about $500.
Model TREK 7.3FX Disc I like it thus far. Plus the hydraulic disc brakes are great for quick stopping.
<img src="http://www.yorkcycleworks.com/smsimg/2/807-1946-main-7-2.jpg" alt=" - " />