cheap bike

Quoted message said:

Anyone know where I can get a good cheap bike? I got one at
Target once, but it was [censored].

How cheap, and how good?

try Wal-Mart this time

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Anyone know where I can get a good cheap bike? I got one at
Target once, but it was [censored].

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Anyone know where I can get a good cheap bike? I got one at
Target once, but it was [censored].

Used or entry level. Depends on your definition of cheep, but you can find
decent bikes at yard sales sometimes.

C.Q.C.

TopCounsel said:

Quoted message said:

Anyone know where I can get a good cheap bike? I got one at
Target once, but it was [censored].

How cheap, and how good?

And more importantly, for what purpose?

Do you want to ride 3/8/15 miles to work?
Do you want to use it for grocery shoppping?
Pootling about bike paths?
Mountain biking?
Centuries/Double Centuries/Audax Riding?
Multiple of one of the above?

The answers all change depending on what you want to do with it.

--
Dane Jackson - z u v e m b i @ u n i x b i g o t s . o r g
Radioactive cats have 18 half-lives.

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Anyone know where I can get a good cheap bike? I got one at
Target once, but it was [censored].

You're unlikely to get a good _new_ one for under about $250. Trek has
a few models of decent recreational MTB's between $250 and $300, and
Fuji has a decent entry-level road bike around $350

--
Dave Kerber
Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

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Quoted message said:

Anyone know where I can get a good cheap bike? I got one at
Target once, but it was [censored].

The used bike market is an excellent source of quality bikes.
Especially the bike that people buy, ride six times, then hand in
thier garage and forget. Bikes only a couple years old can be had for
a fraction of their selling price. If your really cheap (like me) you
can pick up quality bikes from the 80s for $40 in thrift stores,
garage sales, swap meets, etc.

To best take advantage of this you need to know something about bikes.
Perhaps a knowledgeable friend or local bike shop owner could help.

Tom

Quoted message said:

Anyone know where I can get a good cheap bike? I got one at Target
once, but it was [censored].

Well, you don't say where you are, but if you consider what you paid
at Target as cheap, then all we need is good for $100, d'accord?

There is no doubt that you are going to have to go used. The
problem here is that if you needed to ask the question (and I take
you seriously) you will need to strategize a bit.

The first thing I'd suggest is to enlist a friend or relative who
frequently rides a bicycle. This is not a guarantee of bicycle
knowledge, but it's almost a sure bet that this person has all ready
gotten at least part of the learning curve down pat.

To the extent, if you're lucky, that they can recognize subtle
differences.

The second thing is, educate yourself. One of the absolute best
resources for this is Sheldon Brown's encyclopedic website. This is
some of the best reading on the Web, if you're a fast reader it will
take a month or so of spare time to get a general idea of what's
what with regard to bicycles. Read the glossary first.

Third, now that you know what you're seeing when you look at a
bicycle, look at bicycles. Put your knowledge to use. Now you will
be able to say with confidence, "Aha, that is a 1978 Campionissimo
Targa Grande retrofitted with Shimano RV100 levers and dual Nitto
bottle cages."*

Fourth, learn about used bicycle pricing. This is very inconsistent.
What you ideally want is a seller with a good machine and a set price
that is too low in the context of your knowledge.

In other words you want a price that will make both of you happy.

It's been my experience that people who set a low price on an item
often do not know the market value of an item and will tend to price
it cheap in terms of the value to you.

So your $100 can easily get you a bicycle that far surpasses the
mundane, in many cases. Most of my bicycles are that sort.

Nobody got ripped off, I paid their price. Gladly. They didn't know
what my agenda was (I wanted transportation), and I was careful not
to inform them "Hell, dude, that's a Doble Garbanzo with Fsack stays".*

You are going to have to hunt around. Reynolds frames don't fall out
of trees for $100. But if you're in an urban area you may find the
ubiquitous thrift shop, which may be a little higher priced than a
private seller but which is required by law (in DC) to give you a bill
of sale, serial number noted, etc.

If you buy from a private seller you'll need a receipt with the same
information, the reason being that you'll want to REGISTER THE BIKE
if that is required in your community.

Posession is 9 points of the law but it's the tenth point that will
get you, don't buy a hot bike.

Bike shops will often sell used bikes. The prices will be higher
than thrift shops or private sellers but the bike will come properly
set up and often with some sort of short service agreement.

Fifth, if you go used you are going to have to learn basic bicycle
mechanics. Which means knowing how to use both common and uncommon
tools. If you have an inquiring mind, an ability to tell what to lube
or not, and a feel for what is "loose, tight, right, or too tight", as
well as a torque wrench and common sense you should be OK.

But you memorized everything you learned from Sheldon's website, right?

*Not to be confused with real bicycles.

--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________
------------------"Buddy Holly, the Texas Elvis"------------------
__________306.350.357.38>>[email hidden]__________

Quoted message said:

Anyone know where I can get a good cheap bike? I got one at
Target once, but it was [censored].

Be selective and work the garage/yard sales this spring. Your "good"
bike is out there for small money. Really. You just need the time and
transportation to get around on Sattidy mornings and find it.
Bernie

<< Anyone know where I can get a good cheap bike? I got one at
Target once, but it was [censored]. >>

Pawn shop.

<< Anyone know where I can get a good cheap bike? I got one at
Target once, but it was [censored]. >>

Bike swap.

Quoted message said:

Pawn shop.

Wrong eonomy, IMHO.

Most of the stuff I've seen in pawn shops is way overpriced.

--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________
------------------"Buddy Holly, the Texas Elvis"------------------
__________306.350.357.38>>[email hidden]__________

R15757 said:

<< Anyone know where I can get a good cheap bike? I got one at
Target once, but it was [censored]. >>

Bike swap.

But only if you know what you are doing, or can cajole someone who does to
come with you to help. I have seen people vastly overcharged for garbage
at swap meets.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | More people object to wearing fur than leather because it is
_`\(,_ | safer to harrass rich white women than motorcycle gangs.
(_)/ (_) |

I thought so, too, since most pawns carry gaspipe bikes, til I found a Trek
820 MTB for $50!

YMMV.

Horatio

"Eric S. Sande" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Pawn shop.

Wrong eonomy, IMHO.

Most of the stuff I've seen in pawn shops is way overpriced.

--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________
------------------"Buddy Holly, the Texas Elvis"------------------
__________306.350.357.38>>[email hidden]__________

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Pawn shop.

Quoted message said:

Wrong eonomy, IMHO.
Most of the stuff I've seen in pawn shops is way overpriced.

I talked to an insider once and he said that if a bike was pawned for $50,
they will mark it to sell for $200. Everything is priced at 400%. He said
they would bargain with people, too. It just depends how much they are
interested in getting rid of the merchandise. But, it does help to know
just what they have "invested" in it.

Pat in TX