Originally Posted by
casek
Thank you all for the advice.
With regards to where I’ll be riding, I’ll be on paved trails and roads. Nothing super taxing on the bike terrain-wise. Keeping in mind that my tax return should be hitting soon, I’d be willing to up my price range to $400-$450. I’ll also be willing to up it significantly more once I know whether I’ll be receiving the stimulus check. The issue now is that I’m living on a teacher salary that just doesn’t let me toss $800-$1k on a bike regardless of how much I’m willing to commit to the sport.
I also live on the Indiana Illinois border. I know someone asked for Craigslist reasons.
I understand you are on a budget, but in the scheme of things, $800 isn't a lot of money for the increase in performance and enjoyment you will get over the next 10 to 15 years of riding. . You are not there yet, as all you want is a very basic bike that can hold your weight. The issue at this point is, because of your weight, whatever used bike you buy, you may have to spend another couple of hundred on a set of wheels that will hold your weight.
Going forward though, there is always the hope that as you lose weight, you will get the cycling bug and want to ride more. And should cycling become your thing, then get used to the prices of new bikes. $400 to $500 is really pretty entry level, $800 to $900 is still just a step above entry level. And the real sweet spot in terms of cost/quality/performance is probably closer to the $1,500 price point. Though that sounds like crazy money, hear me out for a minute or two. With cycling, most of your expenses are up front, with nothing but routine maintenance/repairs for the next 10 or 15 years after the initial purchase. Compare cycling to other activities such as classes where you have to pay for expensive monthly gym dues, or golf where you pay for expensive gear and monthly club fees, or skiing, where you have to pay for gear, plus lift tickets, lodging and transportation costs.