msptotus

I recently had my regular commuter that I've had for years stolen (2 bikes stolen in 10 years isn't a terrible record) and need to get something cheap to replace it. I was using a Torker Graduate that I'd grown pretty fond of. Before that I had an old Fuji road flat-bar conversion that I discovered I hated the down-tube shifters on, and before that an old Schwinn that was great as long as I was going downhill. I commute about 5 miles each way (flat) and usually go on a longer 20-30 mile ride once a week. Have been planning on doing some touring for years but as of yet never done anything more than an overnight (and one RAGBRAI).

I found an old Jamis Diablo for $150 on craigslist that looks decent but have never had a mountain bike before. Any thoughts? Will it feel any more sluggish than the Torker? Any other suggestions for something that would be a reliable, cheap all around bike?

Darth Lefty 

Jamis Diablo name has been on different bikes over the years. If the one you are looking at is a 1989-ish rigid it could be a good commuter. If it's one with a suspension fork, well, opinions are split around here whether that's good. Make sure the seat post and stem aren't stuck, it fits you, the wheels and crank aren't rattling loose on their bearings, the shifters work. Count on doing some maintenance. You'll want to buy slick tires for commuting, knobbies will slow you down a lot.

If it's one from the 2000's with long travel full suspension, that would not be a good commuting bike at all.

Don't buy a bike for something you might do someday. That's marketing fooling you. Buy for what you're doing now.

Sorry about your Torker. Was it the one with the 5-speed hub or did it have a derailleur?

msptotus

Thanks for the feedback. I figured I would have to do a little maintenance (I'm moderately handy around a bike) and avoid suspension forks like the plague I found a late 80s one, along with a Trek 830 that looks like it's from the same era. I don't know if it's off season or what but the Tucson used bike market is very limited (and pricier) compared to what I'm used to in the midwest.

The Torker was actually a 9-speed with a derailleur. A surprisingly good, low-maintenance bike seeing as I paid $400ish and it's an off-brand.

banerjek

Agreed with Darth. MTB is not a good commuter, and you should buy for what you actually do.

If you like touring, wondering how you feel about a drop bar style bike? They tend to make practical commuters and would be faster than what you've had.

robertorolfo

The tires will probably make the biggest difference in perceived sluggishness. Take the knobbies off of a mountain bike and you will probably feel a dramatic improvement from that alone.

fietsbob

WalMart has a 1 speed, still least cost parts , but its simple so not many of them ...


Thruster I think was the name they gave it..

volvostephen

Could you invest in a better lock? If not, then cheaper is likely better. If you did go cheaper, then you could also buy a dedicated touring / weekend bike that is more fun to ride. I think figuring out a better locking situation should be the first place to start and that can dictate how much you spend on a bike. I ride a suspension MTB all winter and it is fine. 5 mile round trip. So it is slower - not a big deal when taking a faster bike results in a 1 minute difference. Perception here is key. I ride faster on my fast bike because it feels faster - and because I do ride faster, it is faster. If I ride with the same intensity on my MTB, it would be the same speed more or less - but it feels slower so I ride slower.

greatscott

2 bikes stolen in 10 years is not so bad? I live in California and I only know one person that had his bike stolen, the rest of the gang has never had a bike stolen and my gang is an older gang and have been riding for 30 years plus. Having said that there are two options, but a far better lock is the obvious choice, however an even better choice is to buy a well made but 20 year old something bike for around $300 and get a good $45 dollar locking system, and then save your good bike for riding on the weekends with. For the cheap commuter this lock gets high reviews for a low price: https://wikibuy.com/p/kryptonite-kry...c-47e1ff64627f

msptotus

Thanks for the advice everyone. I ended up finding a '91 Cannondale SH400 on craigslist that I think will be a good fit as a daily commuter. It was also only $150 so if something happens to it I'll survive. I'm definitely investing in a better u-lock too.

Korina

Yay! Pics when you have 10 posts!

As someone said, you only need a lock better than the bike next to yours.

Do you have plans for when your commute just isn't enough? Maybe plan some longer, more interesting routes? Find some old deserted roads to ride?