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
"]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].

<[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.

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.

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.

[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].

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-

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

[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-

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

[email hidden]__________

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"------------------ __________306.3-
50.357.38>>[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