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I'm looking for a cheap yet dependable bike to commute. Help? |
What I need is a bike that I can commute to work everyday from my apt. in Arlington to DC 3.5 miles. I would be willing to spend over 300 for a bike, but the problem is I will have to store it outside in a bike rack where it will get rained on and maybe stolen. I once bought a bicycle from K-mart for $80 but I hated it. The gears always slipped and I hated it so bad I just left it in the bike rack at my old complex and it is still there in Idaho if anybody wants it. Is there such thing as a good dependable yet cheap bicycle that I can use to ride to work?? Hey, I live in Maryland on the other side of DC, and can recommend you try this bike shop in College Park that sells tons of used bikes, so you might be able to get a good bike in your price range. The website is below: http://www.bike123.com/ never buy ANY bike from Walmart, Kmart, or any store like that (you will get what you pay for) go to a real, local bike shop, check out KHS, Trek, Specialized, and Giant sounds like the Specialized City or Globe will suit you well! http://www.specialized.com go to wal-mart it depends on if you want a road bike or a mountain/hybrid. i suggest a hybrid. there are great ones for around 300-400 shop around on the internet a little. look at trek or giant. or try fisherbikes.com they have a bike matcher. then after you see one you like head to your bike store exlain your situation get measured tell them wat u like and see wat they say The way you can achieve "cheap and dependable" is to modify the parts yourself. If you get a decent bike, say Specialized or Gaint within $300 range adn it will have really cheap parts on it. The key parts you need to improve the feel of your bike are shifters/brake levers (often come in a combo), derraleurs (front and rear) and brakes. Swap those parts for Shimano LX level parts and you'll have a great ride! Check web stores such as unversal cycles, price point, jansenUSA, bike cambria or wheel world for deals on parts (they will be way too expensive in bike shops). You can spend a fortune on good bikes. Why? I have a couple nice rides for specific purposes, but when it comes tomy commute, 18 miles each way, nothing beats my single speed bike. I am only suggesting this cuz you quite possibly can enlist a good local bike shop to help. I commute on a 77 Takara frame, 700 wheels, regular bolt on axles (no thefts with these babies) and single speed (42x18) and a bolt on seat post clamp. It is light, easy to roll on the terrain found in and around cities. It is light weight, comfortable, no shifter worries and easy to secure in my workplace. I ride everyday in Milwaukee on this. I have a total of 250$ invested. One can also find older (light use) KHS solo ones on ebay for about 300$ which is a great SS as well. The big difference being the solo 'shock' in the rear that provides about 1" of travel for relief from bumps. Either way, a good old steel frame is pretty easy on the back. Go single speed, you'll never look back! |
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