Recommend good bike off craigslist that I can get (Irvine, CA )

[Sri C.]

Mustachians, what is a good bike to get?

I am 5' 11", 182 lb and don't have anything specific in mind. I want to buy a bike off craigslist (unless that's really a bad idea) and I would rather not spend more than $100.

The model should be somethign that is reliable becuase I intend to get it off craigslist.

Nothing fancy needed. I would have said no gears but some regions here are very hilly and it might not be an option.

I paid approx $200/mo premium on staying closer (~5mi bike trail) to work (there are areas ~15mi away from work that are cheaper) and hope I did not make a mistake.

I still do have a day left to sign the lease but I am pretty sure this is the best commute distance-to-rental-price ratio.

I am in Irvine, CA and would love to meet and network with Mustachians around the area

Wish me luck on my journey to" Mustachianism"

[Johnny Aloha]

I'm almost the same height & weight.  I bought a Trek 7.2FX off CL for $300.  It's a great bike - once per week I commute 22 miles one way through a variety of conditions (urban and trail).  Very versatile and pretty comfortable. 

It's a little heavy though, but heck, that makes for a better workout!

[napalminator]

If you want reliable, the simplest solution is buy a bike store bike, not a Wal-mart bike.  There's not going to be much functional difference between, say, a used Specialized and Trek at that price point. 

[Russ]

http://biodieselhauling.blogspot.com/2012/01/buying-bikes-from-craigslist.html

You will probably spend more that $100, but not much more

[Joet]

I picked this up on CL for $300 last year, I love it
2010 Specialized Sirrus [hybrid road bike], even has carbon fiber fork. seat is uber comfy. shifters/brakes suck [to be expected in this price range] but they work, whatev

I like hybrid road bikes as comuters [mtbikes too tho]

[GuitarStv]

I picked up a Giant Escape 3 for a few hundred bucks on craigslist last year.  It was my winter commuter and works great for that purpose.  Fits fenders, rear rack, is lightweight aluminum but has steel front forks so it absorbs some of the vibrations from the road.  I stuck some bar ends on mine and flipped the stem to lower the handlebars a bit, but other than that it was perfect as is:

[mikefixac]

If you want reliable, the simplest solution is buy a bike store bike, not a Wal-mart bike.

I'm not familiar with bikes and their quality, but I've bought my bikes at @ Walmart and I've been happy. Both were around $100. I still use them both. The one is a mountain bike and the other I take on 25-50 mile rides. Like I say, I'm happy with them and I'm just not a bike person to know the difference. Not sure on how it would do going cross country.

[Sri C.]

Appreciate all the responses with the pictures! Keep it coming :-D

I suggested an experiment here: https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/ask-a-mustachian/elephant-in-the-room-part-0-(preface-experiment!)-bikes-from-retail-stores-(w/

If you want reliable, the simplest solution is buy a bike store bike, not a Wal-mart bike.  There's not going to be much functional difference between, say, a used Specialized and Trek at that price point.

I'm not familiar with bikes and their quality, but I've bought my bikes at @ Walmart and I've been happy. Both were around $100. I still use them both. The one is a mountain bike and the other I take on 25-50 mile rides. Like I say, I'm happy with them and I'm just not a bike person to know the difference. Not sure on how it would do going cross country.

mikefixac, you live very close to me! Great to meet a fellow member in the same area.

How often do you cycle and what's the avg. distance per commute?

I will need to commute 10mi every day to and from work and would appreciate your views on my experiment above.

I picked this up on CL for $300 last year, I love it
2010 Specialized Sirrus [hybrid road bike], even has carbon fiber fork. seat is uber comfy. shifters/brakes suck [to be expected in this price range] but they work, whatev

I like hybrid road bikes as comuters [mtbikes too tho]

That bike sure has good reviews but what I am afraid of is that getting LBS that can handle Specialized bikes is going to be challenging becuase they seem to use custom parts?

The two closes LBS near me explicitly mentioned that they do not entertain the Specialized brand.

I'm almost the same height & weight.  I bought a Trek 7.2FX off CL for $300.  It's a great bike - once per week I commute 22 miles one way through a variety of conditions (urban and trail).  Very versatile and pretty comfortable. 

It's a little heavy though, but heck, that makes for a better workout!

That Trek 7.2FX model sure has good reviews and is available for $300 on CL AS WELL. If I hate this bike and want to sell it off again, what price could I expect to sell it for?

What maintenance and work do I need to put into a used bike right off the bat?

[Russ]

That bike sure has good reviews but what I am afraid of is that getting LBS that can handle Specialized bikes is going to be challenging becuase they seem to use custom parts?

The two closes LBS near me explicitly mentioned that they do not entertain the Specialized brand.

Are you sure they didn't mean they don't sell Specialized? Yes, some of their bikes do use S branded parts, but only the high-end $2000+ ones, and even those unique parts are generally still serviceable without needing any special tools. Any Specialized commuter/hybrid/entry-level mountain or road bike will use off-the-shelf parts that any bike shop should be able to service. If your local shops were unable or unwilling to even touch a Specailized bike, well, I'd be looking for a new bike shop.

That Trek 7.2FX model sure has good reviews and is available for $300 on CL AS WELL. If I hate this bike and want to sell it off again, what price could I expect to sell it for?

Well you should be able to sell it for at least as much as you bought it for, right? If you couldn't that would mean you overpaid.

What maintenance and work do I need to put into a used bike right off the bat?

Depends on the bike. Ideally, none.

[napalminator]

If you want reliable, the simplest solution is buy a bike store bike, not a Wal-mart bike.

I'm not familiar with bikes and their quality, but I've bought my bikes at @ Walmart and I've been happy. Both were around $100. I still use them both. The one is a mountain bike and the other I take on 25-50 mile rides. Like I say, I'm happy with them and I'm just not a bike person to know the difference. Not sure on how it would do going cross country.

the quick list: weight, durability/reliability, ease of maintenance, assembly quality. 

More specifically, the brakes on inexpensive bikes are absolute garbage.  The rims are heavier (and possibly steel), the tires are thin and flat-prone.  The bottom bracket, headset, and hubs use low quality bearings and you're lucky if they come properly adjusted.  The cables are probably not properly adjusted.  Bars, stem, seatpost, and saddle are made of inexpensive, heavy materials. The frame is made from cheap, heavy metal, and if it's a mountain bike with with shocks, the pivots and such are going to be far more likely to break than those on a quality bike.

Other than that, there's really no difference!

[napalminator]

Also, I'll emphasize that Specialized bikes do not use custom parts.  Same standard sizes, threadings, etc.  Same bottom bracket threading, same brake mounts (be they rim or disc), same rear derailleur hangar... have I made my point?  I've owned several Specialized bikes over the years and have never had an issue replacing or upgrading using standard off the shelf parts that you can get at any LBS, online store, or craigslist.

[Sri C.]

Also, I'll emphasize that Specialized bikes do not use custom parts.  Same standard sizes, threadings, etc.  Same bottom bracket threading, same brake mounts (be they rim or disc), same rear derailleur hangar... have I made my point?  I've owned several Specialized bikes over the years and have never had an issue replacing or upgrading using standard off the shelf parts that you can get at any LBS, online store, or craigslist.

Understand that all the information I have are second hand and I actually trust what you say (you being a person who uses/used the actual bike). I am just trying to gather information and share it with you all to get useful feedback.

I apologize if I gave incorrect information, I was sharing what I was told, and I am thankful for  the information that all of you have provided me with :-)

[Sri C.]

I ended up buying an used sliver Trek 7.3FX that came with stock items (nothing was upgraded) off craigslist. The asking price was $400 and I requested for a "cash discount" and got it down to $380.

Perhaps I overpaid by $30 but I didn't want to wait for a cycle.

I expect to sell it in a year or two for $300 (or is that being too optimistic?!)

My next challenge is getting some U-lock(s), a cable and flashing lights at a resable price (all of these new seems to add up to well around $100!). Sources for used items like these would be appreciated!

[GuitarStv]

http://www.amazon.com/Kryptonite-Kryptolok-Standard-Bicycle-FlexFrame/dp/B005YPK8G2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368537581&sr=8-1&keywords=u-lock - U-lock and cable (with mount for your bike) for 35$

The kind of lights you need depend on the conditions you're expecting to be biking in.  If you're mostly doing in town, I like the 1W Planet Bike superflash turbo rear light (VERY visible), and any cheap front light will work OK.  If you ride in extremely dark areas (unlit bike paths, etc.) you will need a more expensive front light.

[napalminator]

$100? hrm.

http://www.rei.com/product/745550/cateye-el135-tl-ld130-combo-light-set is $30 for a nice light set.
http://www.rei.com/product/832892/onguard-bulldog-dt-u-lock-with-4-cable is $45 for a decent U-lock and cable which should suffice for most areas.
That's $75, and I didn't even have to hunt around. Living in CA, there's probably an REI close to you.  If you're a member, you get 10% back on full price purchases, and a few 20% off coupons every year.  If you're a cyclist/skier/camper/etc, an REI membership is a no brainer.


here's a cheaper u-lock: http://www.departmentofgoods.com/cutter-u-lock


http://www.performancebike.com/ has sales on stuff constantly.  See if they have a store near you.

http://www.nashbar.com/ often times has coupons and cheap stuff too.

http://dx.com/ has a lot of stuff for dirt cheap, but it's not name brand.  Still good enough for light to medium duty.