fore0121

I've been looking/planning/preparing a second bike for the rain/trainer/etc. for a few weeks now to limit 'my baby's' exposure to bad weather and undue stress. I have a 105 9sp component group that is going to be migrated from my old bike (which is the wrong size) to a new frame. Originally this was supposed to be just a 'beater' bike, but as with anything I do I get to over-analyzing and start to buy based on 'want' and not 'need'. I'm about to over buy for this frame, but then I figure if I'm going to buy a second bike it still should be a great ride. It should be something I still want to ride, not just thrown together out of necessity.

So what's your second ride like?

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GuitarWizard

It's a 95 Trek 2100.....while not really a "bad" bike, I like my 5200 significantly better. The drivetrain kinda sucks on the 2100.....

Grasschopper

03 Marin Mill Valley. Flat bar roadie with fenders and panniers. Shimano drivetrain using the R440 flat bar shifters, Tiagra RD, Ultegra 6500 triple crank and BB, Avid Shorty 4 brakes and 105/Salsa DelgadoX wheels.

Got it for $468 shipped off of ebay and have been upgrading (wheels, cranks, fenders and rack) so that it is a useful daily beater.

EURO

$60 frame, Mirage, mismatched wheels, ebay bits. I heard a clubmate the other day say 'I wouldn't spend more than (equivalent) $1800' on a winter bike.

I nearly fell off! Beaters/winter bikes are supposed to last about 2 years before they wear out/fall to bits!

Spend the money you saved on upgrading your nice bike!

Phantoj

My "beater" is an 80's Centurion with mostly 105, 7-speed, 53/42 chainrings, indexed downtube shifters. I like it a lot and it's been maintained well. I'll ride it anywhere, anytime.

I have an old Schwinn converted to fixed, but it's pretty dodgy.

It doesn't make sense to have two bikes that are pretty much the same.

clfjmpr44

Funny, Funny question, I have been embroiled in the process of trying to find a "beater bike."
My first thought process was just to go out and find a 1970-something for $100. The idea behind that is I could ride it in the worst weather and lock it up anywhere without a care in the world. That plan lasted a couple of weeks before I figured out that I probably wouldn't be happy riding a true "beater" bike, shifting problems and all, because it would be such a large step below my main ride.
Now the thought process is towards a mid-level cyclocross bike, which I would buy used and ride in foul weather, but it could also be used on trails such as the C&O Canal in DC, thus creating more utility and giving me the "big three" bikes, MTB, Cyclo and roadie.
Of course this takes out the "be able to lock it up anywhere without a care" plan. I was looking at picking up a Salsa la cruces (like the one another forum member has), but it is a bit pricey for me now. The perfect scenario would be to have a lightly used, couple year old Kona Jake the Snake or Jake, or Surly cross-check pop up for around $500, but alas I am still looking.
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goodall

I have an 80s Motebecane, converted to fixed gear. The top tub is crazy short, but I use it to get around town and throw it on the trainer once in awhile. I'm thinking of getting a low-end cyclocross bike, which could double as cross-racer and road-beater.

EventServices

An $1800 beater?

Probably owned by some guy who says the economy is in the tank.

Blackberry

Does a 1980-something Giant Boulder that you lent to a friend who left it outside for a year and a half and whose only upgrade is new tires count as a beater? Amazingly, it still rides pretty well.

merlinextraligh

1989 Paramount OS with a 9 speed D/A group (moved off the Merlin when it got upgraded to 10sp) The Paramount has a brand new paint job (thanks to Waterford) Problem is it's too nice to ride as a beater. So now I need a true beater, but how do I convince the wife that we do need to add a 10th bike to the garage?

DXchulo

Mine's somewhere between the 2nd and 3rd options. It's a true beater, but I commute on it everywhere, in all types of weather.

It's a 70s or 80s Takara steel frame with 27'' tires. It was some kind of ugly blue-green color, so I sanded it down and spray painted it black. My spray paint job wasn't perfect, but better than expected. The only problem is that it chips super easily (I put a couple coats of clear coat on it, but it still chips), so I have random gray spots on there.

It could use a new chain and I can't get the RD to work on more than 3 gears, but I only use 2 anyway. It had a plastic saddle on there, but that thing broke and I got a cheap one at Nashbar that actually doesn't look too bad.

I ride this POS 12-24 miles a day. It makes me appreciate my good bike (which isn't all that special, really).

caloso

My second bike is an REI Novara Triumpho with a mix of Ultegra 9 and RSX parts. It's a fine bike that's fast enough for a hard group ride and solid enough to commute on everyday. I upgraded the wheelset from the original Mavic CPX-22/RSX hubs to Open Pros with Ultegra hubs. Nothing fancy but not a beater by any stretch.

I do have a true beater, an 80s-era GT mtb, for pulling the kids' trailer, errands, and foul-weather commuting.

gurana

I put 'true beater, only for bad weather', but that's not exactly correct. My only other bike is a schwinn ranger (xmart mtb). I really use that if I'm going to be on anything besides roads/trails or if I'm going somewhere I'll need to lock the bike up.

linux_author

- the Specialized hybrid in sig ($100 pawn shop special)... still don't know what year it is, but according to one Specialized shop, the 6spd gearing/frame is late 80s...

- bought for running errands, food shopping, street riding (road bikes are for local MUPs)...

zhmontana

'03 or '04 Trek 1500, not great components but upgraded to ultegra deraileurs, everything else is 105 or bontrager components. The wheels are race lites. Over all a great 2nd bike. Of course my madone 5.9 sees most of the action.

inkdwheels

A beater should be any older steel bike capable of at least 32c tires and converted so a singlespeed or a fixie. It will make you appreciate your road bike more and will make you a better rider.

SpongeDad

Second bike is my recently demoted, much loved Trek 1500, so I hate to call it a "beater." For now it's my bad weather / commuter / indoor trainer bike, but it may evolve into a TT bike or a extreme (for me) hill climbing bike next year.

fore0121

Kind of what I'm looking at for my second. Not a true beater, but a good second ride.
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jslopez

Bianchi pista (fixed gear) in Chrome!!!

Ironically I gt more compliments on it versus the orbea.

minder357

There is such a thing as a "low-end cyclocross bike"? I never see any less than 600$ used. . . how can that be a beater bike?

cydewaze

The guy at the LBS laughed at me when he saw that my "beater" bike has a Dura-Ace group. Old 8-sp DA, but DA nonetheless. But it's what I had sitting around in a box, and the frame/fork was only $200, so to me that's a beater.

pedex

hmm, like this:

GuitarWizard

So my 2100 isn't really a "beater" then.....DAMMIT, now I gotta go buy another bike....

richardmasoner

Ditto, except my Centurion's now fixed.

My other beater bike is a pre-Pacific GT mountain bike I got from a garage sale.

RFM

pedex

above bike has seen about 20,000 miles in 2 years, not bad considering I paid $100 for it

nope 2100 isnt a beater really, but then again, the bike is just a tool, best bike in the world aint worth sheot with a weak out of shape motor