Vindieselwalker

Hi! I recently started looking into different modes of transportation other than my car because I work downtown and hate paying for parking, finding parking, and all those city people problems. I really like the thought of a road bike because I dig the forward position and the more aggressive road tires that limit your friction. My brother and I would also like to take our bikes to the North Side where they have off road, mountain bike trails (exposed tree roots, steep hills to go down, etc.). I just need your guy's opinions on what bike to buy. I have a budget of $500 and willing to go to $750. I will be using this bike to get to work every Monday through Friday, so it will primarily be road bike with the ability to go to the mountain. I'd prefer if I could just swap tires and get ones that are skinny for the road, and fat ones to just throw on for the mountain. Any suggestions because I am lost...? Thanks in advance!

fietsbob

# 1, choose a Bike Shop you like, then (2) tell them about what your riding plans are...

(3) test ride some bikes they have..

Maelochs

I second @fietsbob: you need to get some basic information on bicycles before we can offer cogent advice.

Also ... how long is your commute, how good (or bad) are the roads, how much gear would you need to bring ... would you be riding rain and shine or just in good weather?

Further---how technical are those trails? A rigid fat-tired commuter (a gravel bike with racks) could handle some mountain bike trails, but would place a premium on rider skill. Smoother trails could be ridden more pleasantly, but a lot of the trails on most of the trail systems I have ridden would be nearly impossible on an unsuspended bike. But ... suspension will mostly slow you down on the road.

Go to some local bike shops. Don't Buy Anything. Tell the staff your plans, take some notes, look stuff up online, and come back here when you have a better idea of what you might want to do with the bike.

it is a bit of a process, but there are a lot of people here who will be eager to help you get a bike which you will love and which will do what you need it to do.

zarbog

Where are you going to park your bike when at work ? Unless it is going to be in a secure lock up, behind a security door or gate, it will be a target for thieves. That would steer me to a non descript used bike that I could afford to lose, if I had to leave my bike chained to a pole out on the street in the downtown area.

Phil_gretz

I've read your brief description. You've received good advice above: go to a bike shop and ask questions and look at various types. Ride some candidates.

If I were faced with your two different riding scenarios (paved commuting and single track off-road riding), I'd be led to two different bikes. And $500-750 will barely get you either one.

But there is an answer that I could live with, if I had to, and it would cost considerably less than $750, all in. I'd look for a rigid fork, late 1980s/early 1990s steel framed hard tail mountain bike that fit properly. I'd then set it up with a rear rack that could support waterproof panniers. I'd then buy a second set of 26" wheels, to which I'd mount road slicks. One set of wheels for commuting, the other for off-road (wider, knobby, lower-pressure tires). I'd bet that I could do this for under $400 in my area pretty readily.

I'm not advising that you do it, though. Go to a bike shop.

Maelochs

The perfect solution for a person who can repair and maintain a used bike.

TiHabanero

I have a 1985 Miyata Ridge Runner that has been in continuous use since new. It started life as a mountain bike and is now set up with cruiser bars and used for commutes under 10 miles. It never has trouble, and is a joy to ride every day.

If you are able to handle simple bike mechanics, a used 80's-90's mountain bike is the way to go. Remember that simple is the easiest and least costly to maintain, and presents the least amount of problems. If you can handle friction shifting, that is the way to go for absolute reliability and low, low maintenance.

CodyDog

I agree with the suggestion to visit a couple of local bike shops. Discuss your needs and they'll give you a good idea of what is avalible in your price range. Do some research. It is very easy to buy the wrong bike. Take your time. Once you know what you are looking for, check out the used bike market on Craig list. Based on what on info you provided, It sounds like a hard tail mountain bike with lockout front suspension.

ramzilla

In a large metropolitan area Craigslist advertises about 2000 bikes for sale every day. About 1/3 of them have only been rode one or two times. Used prices are a fraction of new prices. For your $500 budget you could get two bikes instead of one.

bogydave

Jim from Boston

Help with choosing a bike.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vindieselwalker

Hi! I recently started looking into different modes of transportation other than my car because I work downtown and hate paying for parking, finding parking, and all those city people problems.

I really like the thought of a road bike because I dig the forward position and the more aggressive road tires that limit your friction. My brother and I would also like to take our bikes to the North Side where they have off road, mountain bike trails (exposed tree roots, steep hills to go down, etc.). I just need your guy's opinions on what bike to buy.

I have a budget of $500 and willing to go to $750. I will be using this bike to get to work every Monday through Friday, so it will primarily be road bike with the ability to go to the mountain.

I'd prefer if I could just swap tires and get ones that are skinny for the road, and fat ones to just throw on for the mountain. Any suggestions because I am lost...? Thanks in advance!

Quote:

Originally Posted by fietsbob

# 1, choose a Bike Shop you like, then (2) tell them about what your riding plans are...

(3) test ride some bikes they have..

To add to that good, general basic advice, I recently posted to this thread, Now here’s where I’m coming from. I have described myself as a decades-long, year-round lifestyle cyclist, and my favored bike is a high-end carbon fiber bike costing thousands of dollars..

I also have a aluminum beater road bike costing about $1500, and for me that was a minimal road bike, to be used in bad weather.

FWIW, I also have a Giant Escape hybrid bike that I recently bought for rehabilitation, because I was having trouble with my neck and shoulders riding the drop bars. That bike cost about $600, and IMO was a good value as an all-round bike, certainly more amenable to off-road riding than my expensive carbon fiber road bike, and sturdy for my urban commute on the mean streets of Boston.

BirdsBikeBinocs

What I would do is go to Walmart or Dick's Sporting Goods and buy a $300 bike with 700x38c tires on it. I'm thinking Schwinn. They are good bikes for little money. I have about 1,000 miles on mine and the only repair I've had to make was changing out the gear wheel on the rear wheel. It's called a cassette. Make sure it has 3 chain rings at the pedals. Probably 7 gears in the back. That gives you 21 speeds. The tires are great for pavement and trails. Right up your alley. No need for a 2nd set of wheels. Put a rear rack on it. Get a Topeak Super Tourist rack for the back of your bike. Then buy a Topeak trunk bag(MTX) that fits securely on the rack. Get the Trunk Bag with Panniers for $72. The rack will cost you $39 through Chain Reaction Cycles. For about $6 in shipping you'll have the goods in 3 or 4 days. It gives you a lot of storage for your commuting. Here's a YouTube video of the set up and the bike should look something like the bike in the picture I'm posting up for you to see. That's my bike with about 1,000 miles on it. Your bike and rack system with a trunk bag will cost you maybe $500. Or less. Fantastic set up for you. Pavement and trails. Great storage for clothes and commuting materials. Perfect.

bogydave

adalah

Following!this seems like a very interesting thread