Author Topic: Best site to buy Bike  (Read 5654 times)

GutsGloryRam

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Best site to buy Bike
« on: March 24, 2014, 09:37:21 AM »
Hi,
After reading forums here i decided to buy a Bike for myself. My plan is to bike to work. unfortunately at Nashbar there is very limited option for Hybrid bikes at XL size. I wanted to know from the experts other websites which provides good bikes at nice discount.

Also, any idea on when Nashbar updates with new bikes?

Thanks guys.

wizlem

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Re: Best site to buy Bike
« Reply #1 on: March 24, 2014, 10:39:36 AM »
If you don't want to spend much on a bike, look on craigslist for a used bike. I've noticed large bikes tend to be a little cheaper due to less demand.

You can look at bikesdirect.com but they take decent drive train components and throw in cheap everything else for the most part. Decent quality but you always get what you pay for in the bike world I'd say. A real bike shop is probably a better option in my opinion but don't get sold something you don't want there.

Personally I think "hybrid" bikes are usually a crappy option. Most are just mountain bikes with smoother tires.

If you are riding on pavement in mostly ideal conditions, I'd avoid these things:
1. Shocks (Your legs are way better shocks than anything on a bike)
2. "Gel" or excessively squishy seats
3. Steel (I love steel bikes but anything new made of steel is going to either be a piece of garbage or prohibitively expensive most likely.
4. Disc brakes (Rim brakes are cheaper and have worked perfectly fine for decades.)
5. Step through frames (Just makes it heavier. If you can't physically get on a standard bicycle can you really expect to ride it very far?)
6. Tires widerthan 28mm
7. Looking only at the number of gears (more gears isn't necessarily better)

Things to look for:
1. 700c wheels (standard wheel size, 26" wheels just don't have a good selection of pavement tires in my book)
2. If you want a rack, the frame should have the mounts. (This is a commuting bike after all)
3. Aluminum (cranks, wheel hubs, wheel rims, rear derailleur will always be aluminum on an inexpensive but still good quality bike)

As always Sheldon Brown is a great resource http://sheldonbrown.com/articles.html

I thought Bakari's guide to buying a bike was pretty good too http://biodieselhauling.blogspot.com/2012/01/buying-bikes-from-craigslist.html

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Best site to buy Bike
« Reply #2 on: March 24, 2014, 03:22:08 PM »
Buy it in person off Craigslist or at a local shop unless you really know what you are doing. Bikes off of Nashbar will require some assembly. It's not that hard, but it's something to be aware of.

At that frame size, it may be hard to find a used bike in your market. That said, I would give it a few weeks, unless you simply MUST have a bike today.

I would disagree with the previous commenter. I love my hybrid bike, in this case the older version of the Trek 7.5 FX. Tires as narrow as he/she recommends will be less capable of dealing with snow or rain, or bad pavement transitions. My bike has 700x35 tires and holds up really well in awful weather.

For commuting, make sure that if the bike doesn't have a rack, it at least has pre-drilled eyelets for mounting one. Eyelets for full-coverage fenders are a bonus.

Some local bike shops will rent bikes, that way you can try it out on real pavement versus an indoor trainer.

FuckRx

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Re: Best site to buy Bike
« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2014, 06:30:50 PM »

i needed a commuter bike over my mountain bike and so i just emailed all my friends and one replied to me. "dude, come get my piece of shit bike, i bought it 1 year ago, rode it once, crashed and i was about to throw it out"...and now i have an awesome little foldable commuter bike.

wizlem

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Re: Best site to buy Bike
« Reply #4 on: March 24, 2014, 09:42:14 PM »
Buy it in person off Craigslist or at a local shop unless you really know what you are doing. Bikes off of Nashbar will require some assembly. It's not that hard, but it's something to be aware of.

At that frame size, it may be hard to find a used bike in your market. That said, I would give it a few weeks, unless you simply MUST have a bike today.

I would disagree with the previous commenter. I love my hybrid bike, in this case the older version of the Trek 7.5 FX. Tires as narrow as he/she recommends will be less capable of dealing with snow or rain, or bad pavement transitions. My bike has 700x35 tires and holds up really well in awful weather.

For commuting, make sure that if the bike doesn't have a rack, it at least has pre-drilled eyelets for mounting one. Eyelets for full-coverage fenders are a bonus.

Some local bike shops will rent bikes, that way you can try it out on real pavement versus an indoor trainer.

The problem with most hybrids is they are just mountain bikes with smooth tires. They usually have terrible geometries for riding any distance. Most are cheap garbage with all the crap clueless consumers will think are good features to have(fat tires and shocks and nowadays disc brakes). Looking it up, the Trek 7.5 FX is a definate exception to this but it is also a more expensive bike than they sell on nashbar. This is an example of what to avoid in my book http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_559305_-1___202618

I don't understand how a wider tire performs better in the rain. It might in the snow just by riding on top of the snow slightly better but smooth tread makes a lot more difference than width. The main benefit of wider tires is comfort. 28mm tires are a nice balance of speed and comfort in my opinion. I ride 28mm continental touring plus tires and they handle light snow just fine.

GutsGloryRam

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Re: Best site to buy Bike
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2014, 09:05:12 AM »
Thanx guys....
As far as hybrid is good or bad, am not sure. I tried test riding few hybrids and mountain bikes and i felt hybrid is slightly more comfortable and easy to ride.
But I can see that the sales guy is pushing hybrid than the mountain bike probably hybrid is expensive.
But the sad part is even the bike stores have very limited options to select.
As far as craigslist is concerned, for used bikes here at my part of Michigan, there hardly any good bike at good price. Also i need XL which is one more limitation. I was about to buy GT Traffic 4 from Nashbar, unfortunately i was late & its out of stock. I will have to wait for 2-3 weeks times i guess.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Best site to buy Bike
« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2014, 03:54:18 PM »
But the sad part is even the bike stores have very limited options to select.

Really? My LBS overwhelms every time I go in for parts. They have easily 400 bikes in stock. And that's just one out of quite a few in my city, including at least one place that focuses on used bikes.

Good luck with the search :)

GutsGloryRam

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Re: Best site to buy Bike
« Reply #7 on: March 26, 2014, 08:25:42 AM »


400!!!!.....amazing....
when i went to the LBS at my area in Michigan, i was given with option of 2 hybrid and 2 Mountain bikes....rest of it they said its expensive,suits professionals etc....
Thanx & i definitely need some luck to find a suitable bike....:-)

Ishmael

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Re: Best site to buy Bike
« Reply #8 on: March 26, 2014, 08:34:13 AM »
Buy it in person off Craigslist or at a local shop unless you really know what you are doing. Bikes off of Nashbar will require some assembly. It's not that hard, but it's something to be aware of.

At that frame size, it may be hard to find a used bike in your market. That said, I would give it a few weeks, unless you simply MUST have a bike today.

I would disagree with the previous commenter. I love my hybrid bike, in this case the older version of the Trek 7.5 FX. Tires as narrow as he/she recommends will be less capable of dealing with snow or rain, or bad pavement transitions. My bike has 700x35 tires and holds up really well in awful weather.

For commuting, make sure that if the bike doesn't have a rack, it at least has pre-drilled eyelets for mounting one. Eyelets for full-coverage fenders are a bonus.

Some local bike shops will rent bikes, that way you can try it out on real pavement versus an indoor trainer.

The problem with most hybrids is they are just mountain bikes with smooth tires. They usually have terrible geometries for riding any distance. Most are cheap garbage with all the crap clueless consumers will think are good features to have(fat tires and shocks and nowadays disc brakes). Looking it up, the Trek 7.5 FX is a definate exception to this but it is also a more expensive bike than they sell on nashbar. This is an example of what to avoid in my book http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_559305_-1___202618
I bought and used a Trek FX hybrid for commuting for a couple of years, and I really liked it. It was along a hiking trail, so not perfectly smooth, either.

GutsGloryRam

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Re: Best site to buy Bike
« Reply #9 on: April 21, 2014, 07:23:16 AM »
Update guys.....
I bought GT Timberline 1 MTB. its been three days now....enjoying every moment on it...I biked to office for the 1st time....surprisingly its 15 mins ride...its 10 mins with car......I need to get sum rack so that the ride is even more fun....
Thanx to every one who motivated me to get a bike & bike to work....

PindyStache

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Re: Best site to buy Bike
« Reply #10 on: April 21, 2014, 08:21:30 AM »
Way to go, thanks for sharing back! A few months from now you'll be doing it in 10 min by bike!

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!