At the risk of annoying people with my evangelism: If comfort is the most important factor, you just can’t beat a recumbent bike. Unfortunately there’s none within your price range, though this one comes close. I ride this one.
You sound like me - I have a bike to travel the 2 miles to school and back. I’m kind of lazy otherwise but over the years I’ve been in school, I used to ride quite a bit. I have a Mongoose Pro DX3.3 and it is a champ, not the cheapest bike out (my bike geek friends tend to half sneer and say “it’s okay, but you need better shocks/tires”) but not a bank buster either. I’ve had it serviced once in five years, still runs like a dream.
I did a lot of hunting around on the web and found a bike that was brand new but maybe last year’s model - like I cared that it was an 02 model rather than a 01 - and I’m sure I paid less than $200 for it. I ride on streets and sidewalks exclusively - never go on trails unless you count Boston-area city trails, which are fine for mountain, touring, and road bikes.
I regularly hop curbs, ride down stairs, beat the shit out of the bike, etc. and structurally it’s in good shape. I added a headlight, good helmet, bike lock with clamp, and water bottle. My local bike shop works on the bike when needed and I know they stock Mongooses (Mongeese?).
Whatever, man. Have fun riding your 4 crappy bikes.
I’m from Japan and the bike prices there aren’t very different from the US. There are cheap $100 bikes available there as well, but those are treated as disposable bikes, to be left out in the rain and lucky to last a year. Middle-class famlies would typically buy $200 to $400 bikes. The Bridgestone Albelt series (aluminum frame, belt drive) is a high-end commuting bike at $400 and selling pretty well. More expensive specialty bikes are not unusual, like electric-assist bikes and child carrier bikes.
I sure do, but since it’s just a way to get to places and not a surrogate penis, probably not as much as some people. 
kawaiitentaclebeast, do you dispute that a $400 bike would be more reliable and easier to maintain than your $60 bike? I’ve owned everything from $20 used bikes and $100 Walmart bikes to $4000 titanium racing bikes and streamliners. I agree that a cheap bike is perfectly serviceable given proper maintenance. But it’s more work to maintain - cheap components are less durable, and they aren’t designed to be easily adjusted or replaced.
Used bikes can be a good deal, but it’s hard to find a good deal unless you’re knowledgeable and experienced with bike maitenance. If you want to make that effort, fine, but if you just want to use a bike for transport, I think a brand new $400 is a good investment.
scr4[, I have never owned a $400 or above bike so I cannot dispute that it is more reliable and whatnot, and I never did. What I CAN say is this: Both cheap bikes that I have owned, one brand new and one used, have not at all being any kind of maintainance burden, and are perfectly suitable for my needs, which as far as I can tell are not too far from those of the OP, in fact probably more strenuous.
I wouldn’t call myself particularly knowledgable about bike maintainance, most of my knowledge was gleaned from websites and trial and error on some older bikes that I owned, but I can say with confidence that anyone can learn to do minor maintainance and repairs with a minimum of tools and time. The idea of spending more money on a bike so I would not need to maintain it seems silly to me anyway, sort of like buying an expensive car because you don’t like to change the oil. Unless you are telling me that your super expensive bike never needs cleaning or lubrication in the drivetrain, and that the rims never bend, then there is no real difference in maintainance man-hours required, because that’s all I’ve ever done with my cheap bikes. Besides, putting on some music and tinkering with a simple bike for a hour or two is both fun and relaxing.
Based on my own experience I think the idea that $400 is the MINIMUM amount needed for the OP’s purposes is flat out wrong. It can easily be done with a budget under $100.
Seconded!!
I’m of the two-X-chromosomes persuasion, and I’m all in favor of getting a men’s frame on your bike. The men’s frames are better designed and much more stable than the so-called “ladies’ frame.”
And now, Fat, and Sassy, that I’ve read your post about being male, I feel like a dork. Ah, well.
I will say, though, that I agree with everyone who claims that a good bike is worth spending some money on. kawaiitentaclebeast may have a perfectly fine experience with his el cheapo models, but, having ridden both Wal-Mart (or Wal-Mart equivalent) and genuinely good bikes, I’m all in favor of getting a good bike.
I find this argument pretty unconvincing:
Yeah, well, a lot of people in many places get by on one meal a day, or without shoes. Does that mean that eating 3 meals a day and going around in your Keds is no more than conspicuous consumption?
Yes, there are lots of people who get by using ancient bikes in bad condition. Heck, there are places where no-one knows what a bicycle is, let alone what makes for a good or a lousy bike. Does that mean that getting a well-made bicycle is nothing more than pointless self-indulgence? Yes, Fat, and Sassy probably could get by with a cheaper bike for a while, but stinting on a good frame and well-made components is an instance of false economy. Sometimes, the value you get for the money you spend is actually greater with the higher-priced product. I’ve found that this generally tends to be true for many tools (excluding faddish gadgets and such), hiking boots, and bicycles.
No, it’s like choosing a new $20,000 Honda so it’d be more reliable than, say, a new $10,000 Kia or a $2000 used car. It’ll spend less time in the shop and it’s less likely to leave you stranded on the road. While a $2000 used car would be sufficient for most people’s needs, a $20,000 car would have real benefits.
A $400 bike is a high-quality bike, but nothing fancy. It’s the equivalent of, say, a Honda Civic. If money is tight, it’d make sense to save and get a used car or a cheaper new car instead. But someone can afford a new Civic, why talk him/her out of it?
With a top end budget of $400, I’d say look for a good used hybrid. Your LBS probably has used bikes on consignment or trade in. And many times the LBS will knock $50-75 off last years model. So let’s say you get a decent hybrid for $250, leaving $150. A decent helmet will go about $50, a good lighting system will run you close to $75. A decent pair of padded riding shorts (not lycra, the touring type) can be had for about $25. A good LBS will throw in a water bottle and probably a patch kit, saving you about $10.
Good to go, with most LBS’s offering free lifetime tuneups (cable, brake and gearing adjustment).
[I wasn’t going to mention, but what the heck, it really is based on what your perception is vis-a-vis how much to spend on a bike. I’ve got a $4K Kestrel, a $1200 K2 Zed mountain bike, a 20 year old Bianchi Limited that I sent to Simonelli in CA for a $300 paint job, and my wife’s six year old Stumpjumper that I got on consignment for $400. To each his own.]
I have a $100 department store special mountain bike and a $1000 road bike. Let’s just sa I don’t feel inclined to do a lot of off-road riding anymore. I can just feel the shoddy construction in my Pacific-made “Mongoose,” and it’s developed a drivetrain noise that is impossible to get rid of. Besides that, it doesn’t fit right (don’t get a lot of size choice at Wal-Mart, and I’m a big guy), and it weighs almost 40 lbs. That’s very heavy, even for a mountain bike.
Now don’t get me wrong. I despise people who get snobbish and rant on about “quality goods,” because I buy a lot of cheap crap and am generally content with mass-market kind of stuff. But I’ve learned, beyond a doubt, that bikes are not an area to go bottom basement.
No one is suggesting that the OP buy a $5000 Trek Madone…or even the $1000 Giant that I have. But I’d rather spend a couple hundred bucks on a quality used bike, or around $400 on a decent new bike, than any amount on a heavy, clunky, poorly-made toy.
For more compelling arguments, check out www.bikesrnottoys.com
I would recommend trying to find a steel road bike from the late 80’s.
I have EXACTLY this bike that I use as my commuter bike. I have a fancier rig for racing/riding.
That eBay bike has 12 speeds, shimano components, comfortable seat. It’s a comfortable geometry and a smooth ride.
You can actually do way better in the used bike market, but I’d recommend buying that bike for his “buy it now” price without reservation (well, if the size was right for you).
People get too anal about “getting the right size”. Different people are comfortable in different positions and with different sizes. You have to get it close, but if you’re not doing 40+ mile rides on it, really nailing the correct size isn’t essential.
I would START by going through the bike shops in your local yellow pages, and saying, “do you currently have any used road bikes?”
If you want to spend the whole $400, you can probably find something very good.
Also, you might want to google something like “tuscon bike clubs” and see if they have a website/forum. If they do, they probably have a “For Sale/Wanted to Buy” section. With bike folks, you’re probably not dealing with crooks, so you can feel good about it.
craigslist might work for you, too.
Getting that is worth it just for the conversational value of the biggest hunk o’ junk chainrings Shimano ever produced. Do you still ride the Bio-s, Trunk?
Yes, it does have the Biopace rings.
Like I said, it’s just my errand bike. I take it to the video store, friend’s house, errands, etc.
However, I have taken it for rides of 50+ miles at speed.
It wouldn’t be worth the labor to change out the Biopace. I even have a couple sets of chainrings just sitting around. Really, I can’t tell the difference.
Here’s some pictures of it. The handlebar tape is that old “fabric” tape with about 6 coats of clear shellac on it. It looks pretty cool.
I love what handlebars and stems look like on the old bikes. The new ones are way easier to work on, but those old ones look much better.
Nice bike, but I think that’s more of a hobbyist/enthusiast bike than a practical commuter. Don’t you have trouble finding parts for it? An 80s road bike probably has 126mm dropouts so new hubs won’t fit. I guess you can still get downtube shifters and 6-speed cassette (freewheel?), but it’s not something a LBS would have in stock.
Hey, the idea itself was sound. I use a more modern elliptical chainring on my commuting bike, and will probably get one for my racing bike too. (And yes, I realize I spent more money on one chainring than kawaiitentaclebeast did on a whole bike.)
I’m surprised the “anything other than round” chainring is still being produced. I just remember the hue and cry over how everyone hated the -Pace rings. I almost bought a Cannondale 3.2 that had -Pace rings, and didn’t because of that. (Sorry can’t see your link Trunk, it’s blocked by work)
I haven’t had the need to. Part of what I like about it is that there’s very little to go wrong with it.
The brake levers and down tube shifters are very simple to work on.
The wheels are SOLID, heavy aluminum with an overdose of spokes.
The frame isn’t going to give you any problems.
Availability of parts IS an issue, though, that the OP would be wise to keep in mind.
I just bought a perfectly good Trek Cruiser for $280 or so.
OK, single speed, but I’m a single speed freak.
Going single speed has real advantages.
[ul]
[li]Cuts cost.[/li][li]Lowers maintainance.[/li][li]Less to go wrong, when you’re 20 miles from home.[/li][li]Less attractive to the Bike Thieves that infest Universities. They like all the bells & whistles.[/li][/ul]