Shopping for a used bike

The Game Room
1

So I’m looking to buy a used bicycle for exercise. I want to try to get one cheap if I can. I want to see if it’s something I can stick with - if it is, I could invest more later to get a properly fitted new one at a bike shop. So I’m hoping I can get something decent for under $100. Realistic?

I figure craigslist is a good place to look, since shipping a cheap bike would probably cost more than it’s worth. Any other suggestions?

What sort of bike do I want? I don’t understand the difference between the various touring, hybrid, and other types. I would probably use it 90%-100% of the time on the road, generally on flat ground. I’ve been told to get a mountain bike before because it can do everything, but I’ve heard they’re relatively difficult and unpleasant to ride around on the roads.

What measurements are important?

Are accessories like bike shoes and padded shorts and stuff really something that matters?

I’m pretty much a bike newbie - haven’t owned one since I was probably 15 - so tell me anything you think might be helpful to know.

Also, those racks you attach to your car trunk or whatever - do those work effectively? Are they a hassle to mount? If I could take my bike to parks or more scenic areas that’d be nice. Or is it easier just to pop off the wheels and stick it in the back seat of a sedan?

2

Craigslist or ebay local pick up is a good starting point and you can absolutely get something for $100 as a starter.
Someone else will be along to explain the differences between a road / tourer / hybrid / mountain bike. All can work fine for recreational cycling so it will depend on what is on offer.

The rule of thumb measurement is your height, with maybe some adjustment either way depending on how proportionate your limbs are. Frame size is usually measured according to how long the seat tube is. Here is a good summary:

http://www.evanscycles.com/help/bike-sizing#road

For example I am 6’ and ride a 56cm road bike, plus 18’’ and 19’’ mountain bikes. Each individual bike geometry is different, and the seat tube height is a crude measure, but we’re just looking to ballpark things here. You can fine tune the fit by adjusting the seat height and position forward or back, plus the stem length (and height to a degree).

Bike shoes not necessary at this stage. Padded shorts a good idea from day one.

Bike in back of car is the best way to transport it - you just need to be comfortable with your car getting a bit scuffed up / chain oil on the upholstery. This isn’t even an issue if you throw a tarp down. If you don’t want the bike inside then a rear-mounted rack can be fine also. You need to take some care with which one you use - some will be rinky-dink PsOS that are unsafe on the highway. A well designed one will be safe and reliable and they tend to be quite cheap. Not sure what a sedan is with respect to the shape of the car - the best ones I have used were on a hatchback where the straps threaded into the car’s interior through the hinge area, onto two stops. Very safe - no way can the rack fall off with this arrangement.

3

Bike shoes make pedalling a lot more efficient, but if you want a bike for $100 your shoes and pedals will probably be worth at least twice as much as the bike. Bike shorts are great (there’s a very good reason serious cyclists use them), they are more comfortable, help wick sweat from your bum/groin, and help prevent saddle sores, but they are not at all necessary. If you are worried about how they look, you can get mountain biking ones that have normal shorts over the top.

None of that is necessary though, get a bike first and take it from there. If I was to choose between bike shorts and shoes/pedals I’d go for the shoes/pedals, they make a big difference in how you ride, but I’d probably get a better bike before any of the other stuff.

4

Good bikes can be had on Craigslist but everybody seems to think their Walmart $100 bike that is 5 years old is worth $90 ( it isn’t)
Also beware of a bike that needs work. I bought a bike for $25 dollars in Vancouver BC to keep in my office there. By the time I got new tires, cables etc I had about $150 invested.

5

Depending on how much time you want to invest, I’d suggest going to a few local bike shops first, and finding one that’s willing to either sell you a used bike (best result) or is happy to overhaul and fit a used bike you bring in (and ideally give you some tips on what to look for when you’re buying a used bike). If they treat you with disdain because you don’t already know everything about bikes and/or don’t want to spend multi-thousands of dollars on the newest bling-blangiest stuff, then go on to the next shop.

But you want someone to overhaul and fit your used bike, because if it’s crappily set up, you won’t enjoy riding it, so there’s no point (maybe you won’t like it anyway, of course, but no reason to guarantee failure).

I would not bother with bike shoes yet. They really do help and make it easier and more fun to ride, but there’s a learning curve and they’re not cheap. For $20 or whatever, you can add toe-clips to pedals, which get most of the benefit of bike shoes for much less investment.

Bike shorts are probably nice, but not necessary; I wouldn’t get them until you notice a problem (such as chafing) that they can help with. But if you’re a boxers kind of guy, you might want to invest in some tighty-whities or generic athletic shorts with elastic lining or something, to make sure the boys stay where they should, rather than slipping between your legs and the seat.

Fancy expensive rooftop racks probably are a little more secure (until you go under a low bridge!) but I’ve used a cheap sit-on-the trunk rack a fair amount with no problems. Get three or four bungies to attach the bike and keep the front wheel from moving around.

I would also get a decent floor pump as soon as it seems you might keep up riding at all. Not much $, but well-inflated tires make a huge difference. At the same time buy some chain lube and keep that up. You can let the shop do all the other maintenance.

As far as anything else, it’s all either nice in some situations but not necessary (a water bottle holder on the frame) or just excuses to spend money/impress others (fancy neon-logo covered bike shirts. Believe it or not, they don’t actually make you go faster).

6

What sort of bike is best for casual exercise and road use? I don’t know the difference between touring/hybrid/etc. Number/types of gearing? Any brands I should look to buy or avoid?

7

Hybrid: upright seating like a mtn. bike, tires/rims suited for the street but can handle fire road/light trail use.

Touring: drop bars like road bike but with more stable frame geometry(think station wagon/sports car), eyelets on frame for mounting racks. 3 chainrings up front for more and lower gears (for climbing loaded) usually slightly wider rims/tires than road bike

8

There really isn’t a single answer that works for everyone. Are you comfortable riding a traditional road bike, bent over with your hands on the drops? It’s most efficient but a little uncomfortable especially if you are in stop and go traffic with lots of lights.

A hybrid (upright seating, straight handlebars without drops) probably makes the most sense for casual exercise and around town riding. But I wouldn’t use one for long rides as they are less efficient, heavier, and IMO much less comfortable when you’re in the saddle for extended periods of time.

If you’re buying a bike for $100 brand names don’t mean much. You make get lucky with one of the big names (Giant, GT, Specialized, Trek, etc) but more than likely you’re just going to have to deal with what you find.

9

Just want to say that drop-handlebars are a little more uncomfortable for beginners and short rides, but after a while, especially on longer rides, being able to move your hands around to different positions is much more comfortable (plus, I know a couple riders who think the sideways wrist position on a mt bike causes much more strain than the front-and-back wrist position on a drop bar).

10

You should probably get a geared bike. A bike with just one gear, a singlespeed, has simplicity in its favour but it’s not a good place to start IMO. Most modern geared bikes will be some variant of 3 x 7, 8, 9 or 10 and it honestly does not matter when you’re starting out. Much more important that the gears work.

Suspension systems are common on mountain bikes, less so for hybrids, and should be avoided IMHO - go for a rigid frame and fork as entry level suspension systems are poor. Certainly don’t even look at a rear suspension MTB for $100, it will be heinous. Having a mediocre front suspension fork is not the end of the world, though, so if you found a bike you generally liked with front sus then I wouldn’t let it put you off.

Guess you just need to swing a leg over a few bikes and see what you like. There’s a limit to how much tyre-kicking is acceptable when responding to the small ads, so it would be good if you could take a friend’s bike(s) out for a ride to get a reference point.