keithloomis11

Good morning!

This is my first post. I am trying to get a little more information about two road bikes. One is the Schwinn CrossFit. The other is a Felt F Lite Carbon Z Series. They are both for sale locally on Facebook marketplace for around $150. The Felt doesn't appear to be in as good condition (chain is rusty and looks like it's been outside). I cannot find the CrossFit online anywhere! Just trying to see if anyone knows more about these bikes and could steer me away from a bad purchase or guide me towards a good deal! No need for a very lengthy technical response. Just looking to hear some quick thoughts. Thanks in advance!

Iride01 

Felt is a much better regarded brand today. Schwinn hasn't been Schwinn since the early 90's of the previous century. They are just what many will call BSO's (bike shaped objects) made by a company that bought the name. Although if you were looking for a new bike and only had a budget of $200 or so, Schwinn today, you'll find new bikes at that budget. Felt, I don't think you'd come anywhere close to a $200 budget for a new bike. I'm thinking the person selling the Schwinn is hoping to get back what they paid for it new. The person selling the Felt is selling it for a lot less than what they paid.

Rust doesn't necessarily disqualify the bike. Surface rust can easily be dealt with. Which one fits? If everything works on the Felt it might be a excellent deal. But if the rust is indicating that other things might not have been taken care of and need fixing or replacing, then it could be a money pit.

Welcome to BF.

keithloomis11

Thank you so much! That is very helpful. I will go take a look at the felt and try to get an idea of how well it was taken care of.

keithloomis11

Since I got such a quick and solid response I’ll ask one more. Any thoughts on 2 hybrid bikes:
Diamondback Insight 1
Fuji Absolute Dx 1.9.

both are my size. Both about $120

icemilkcoffee 

Can you post links to these bikes? I promise you none of us will snipe these bikes ahead of you.

keithloomis11

I would love to do that. Would make this easier. Currently it says I have to post 10 times until I can post a link to a different website (Facebook)

SoCaled 

Quite a mix of bikes, the Felt is the oddball would have to assume there is a problem at that price.
Schwinn Crossfit - 90's bike, not high end Schwinn Cross-Fit but if it is in good condition probably a decent ride
Diamondback Insight - Is a Junky modern Walmart bike
Fuji Absolute DX - is a decent modern aluminum bike, but has low end parts, likely starts less than smooth and gets worse from there (based on reviews and my vintage bike bias)

Finding a bike that Fits is the most important piece. At your price point after fit I would look at condition (particularly tires).

Browse around the forum do a little more research, make 10 posts and then share some listings you find and we can help.

Iride01 

As others said, you need to find a bike that fits you more than anything else. You also should consider the genre of riding you intend to do and if the bike is appropriate for that. If your only goals for the bike are 1 hour or less rides at a leisurely pace, then the type of bike is less important. But if you think you will want to ride at more than a leisurely pace or for several hours at a time the bike really should be made for that type riding. IE. Road bikes for the road and paved trails. Mountain bike for the places with no road or very unimproved trails.

Gravel bikes are essentially road bikes. However they are made to accommodate wider tires that are needed for riding gravel roads. There are some other minor differences too. Hybrid bikes I have no idea what they are. Some to many seem to like them, And they ride them on the road. Some just for low effort to moderate effort rides and a few I've seen ridden hard and long. But for me the limited hand positions on the straight handlebar would be annoying for long rides.

keithloomis11

Everyone has been very helpful so far - REALLY appreciate it. I am continuing to research and post. Will get to 10 posts soon and looking forward to posting the FELT. Seems like that is the outlier bike that could be a steal.

I was thinking I might could get by without giving my whole background and plan, but it seems it would be beneficial to provide more details...

Im 30 years old. 5'10" about 170 lbs. Pretty athletic. Rode my mountain bike on the road every day of the summer as a teenager (couple miles a day). In my twenties I often rode my beach cruiser to the beach and to bars (mile or 2 per ride). For some reason I turned 30 and figured I would start biking all over the place. My work is about 7 miles away and I think that would be a good trial run to see if I am really a bike guy. I often dive headfirst into a task/hobby and am into it for a year and then my interests switch. My saving grace is I usually spend about $100 on most of these new hobbies, so i don't break the bank. Also my hobbies are usually good for me - something active or that teaches me a new skill.

I am currently borrowing my dad's Diamondback insight 1. It is sized for 5'6-5'10. I have only got it out twice briefly. I live in Norfolk VA and currenlty it is pretty cold and windy. Not that I can't go out, it's just a little tougher.

I also have a newborn at home. Turning 6 months old soon. SO that takes most of my time, and energy!

Final notes: I've only ridden a road bike one time and it felt awkward to me. I imagine a few hours/miles on one and it would become more natural. I feel comfortable on the diamondback insight right now. As for what kind of biking I plan to do: Only on the road (roads are a bit rough here in my opinion), and no more than 10 miles at a time. 20 miles tops in a day. I think my biggest problem at the moment is I am researching more than riding. I don't know what a better bike would get me. If there are upgraded components that reduce weight, are more resilient, make the ride more comfortable, etc... I don't even know that I could feel it, let alone know what is WORTH IT. I can tell a difference in my old beach cruisers and the diamondback. Night and day. Don't know if I would feel the same difference with the diamondback and the used FELT?


Thanks everyone!

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Maelochs

I might recommend a flat-bar road bike .... more upright seating (good for commuting if there is a lot of traffic) with a lighter frame than a hybrid, and easy to set up a al riding position which demands less core strength, whereas with most drop-bar bikes one tends to lean too much on the hands and sit too hard on the seat for the first few months, which makes riding a lot less comfortable.

I used to commute (well, on all kinds of bikes, but for the sake of this thread) for a while on a rigid late-80s MTB which was about perfect---unbreakable bike, wide enough tires for comfort over bad pavement and traction on gravel without being slow and heavy( I think I ran 1.6" which is about 38 mm,) 18-speed drive train so I could climb any hill with any load and still go fast when i wanted, plenty of rack and bottle mounts so I could carry as much as wanted ....

Any hybrid or road bike which fits and has a range of gearing to get you up the steepest his you face should be fine for 20 miles a day, If you think you might drop cycling in a year anyway .... sure, spend less. Don't go for any Walmart bikes but anything a little better ..... thing is, in a year you will either park it, or you will know what kind of bike you really want and will go buy that ... and it might even turn out to be what you have.

As for all the bells and whistles, and the top-level components and all that ... meh. For $700-$1200 you can get a bike with everything you will ever need for simple cycling .... 8- or 9-speed drive train, working brakes and shifters, durable wheels and you will (with minimal maintenance) be able to get on your bike and go any time you like.

Unless you are riding a lot I doubt you would notice any functional difference between Sora and 105 except the huge price jump. Hydro discs will stop you, but so will cable discs and rim brakes. saving a pound of bike weight won't matter much when you are running a rack and bags carrying a change of clothes, lunch, and a laptop or whatever. "Serious Cyclists" obsess over stuff i doubt the majority of cyclists would notice or care about. (I have a couple (road-ready--pedals, tools, spare tubes and such) ~16-lb CF bikes, while my old steel Raleigh is about 28 lbs, as is my Fuji with racks, bags, extra lights, etc for utility rides ... and I love riding them all. Not saying there are no differences, but for a lot of riders, the Joy of riding is not significantly improved, nor is the "performance"---which, for a commuter, is mostly "I got to work." And sure, you might time and track your rides and try to go faster some days, for that particular thrill, but unless you are racing, then it doesn't matter f you save 35 seconds from one day to the next ... so don't buy that $1200 wheel set even if it will cut 1000 grams off your bike weight.

if you are confident that you can tell a good used bike, then keep shopping until you find a used bike for sale which fits you and feels comfortable .... you can always make minor adjustments later---and so long as you haae A Bike and ride it .... in a year you will know better how to proceed.

Jay Turberville

Since you don't want to spend a lot of money, make sure that the bike is in pretty good rideable condition right now. You could easily spend the price of the bike getting the bike into good riding condition if it isn't already there. If you were in the Phoenix, AZ area I'd suggest you come down to our Bobs' Free Bikes shop and take a look in our "for sale" room (we sell some bikes to help finance the non-profit). The advantage is that anything we'd sell has been gone over by a mechanic. There might be a Co-Op or similar bike group where you live that could be of similar help.

Someone else already mentioned being sure the tires are good. I'd add that they should be road tires (smoother tread - not knobby) and probably something a bit toward the wide side (at least one inch wide an as wide as 1.5 inches.).

This is an example of the kind of bike that I think would suit your needs.
https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/b...680598900.html

Iride01 

If you are use to sitting in the more upright position many mountain bikes give, then it does take some time to get use to the head first position that you get on a proper fitting road bike. Staying upright becomes a noticeable issue of drag as your speed increases. Even going from my somewhat aero head first position to a very aero and low position I the difference in power I put into the pedals when at 18 mph or greater is very noticeable. Even at less speeds there is some noticeable difference in energy expended.

So again maybe not for your current purchase, but for your purchase after that, think about how the energy savings of a aerodynamic position is cumulative over the time of your entire ride. So too are the energy savings of less weight. But aero tends to win out in all facets of the ride. Less weight wins on climbing and acceleration.

It might be the difference of barely finishing a century ride and being all tuckered out. Or finishing the century ride and being ready to go another 50 miles after you fill your bottles.

If you decide your riding is going to be off road, then of course a mountain bike is more proper. But if you ride mostly improved roads and paved trail, a road bike or gravel bike is more proper.

keithloomis11

Thanks jay. I appreciate all the good info. I’ll definitely look at tires for whatever I get. I see the bike you posted. I think I will have to wait till I can post stuff to show examples. I do t have enough knowledge to know what’s junk and what’s a a gold mine.

keithloomis11

Thank you Iride! I understand what you are saying about resistance vs weight. I really am only planning to ride on roads in Norfolk VA. No hills at all. Even potential trails around here are really nice and flat. Mountain bike is out. I’m between hybrids and road bikes. I think I will be happy with either! Just want to get the best bang for my buck and I have to admit I am a sucker for getting a good deal on something. I LOVE IT. and it makes me enjoy/like my purchase more.

keithloomis11

I also just found ANOTHER felt that I think looks really good! It is a single gear / fixie which does bring a new factor into the equation. however, because how flat my area is, I don’t see this as a problem. Would love to hear more opinions on this. The felt looks like it’s in great shape. It’s listed for $150. I think it is a TK2

keithloomis11

So far it looks like the felt TK2 has an aluminum frame - most people are bashing this.

it also looks like this bike is probably older thank it looks. Like 2005 ish??

last, it’s a track bike. I assume the is means an aggressive body position (I.e. not comfortable for a longer ride, more leaned over and less upright) and stiff/rigid suspension. Probably the opposite of my current hybrid bike.

Jay Turberville

I've never owned a "fixie." But if you do get a single speed, I'd suggest you not get a true "fixie. I'd suggest you get a bike that will freewheel - meaning it let's you coast with your feet stationary on the pedals. A true "fixie" will force the pedals to turn as long as the back wheel is turning. Its a "fixed" gear wheel that doesn't freewheel/coast. Some fixies with have a flip wheel that allows you to turn the wheel around and ride the bike as a fixie or with a freewheeling single gear.

As I kid I did own a single speed coaster brake bike. That actually worked fine for the most part. But once I got my first 10-speed in 7th grade, I never looked back. These days I think of a fixie or single speed as an enthusiast's bike and wouldn't recommend it to someone relatively new to cycling. I think most people will be better served by having a few gear choices. If you are looking for simple bike, then a three speed with an internal hub could be a good choice. Actually, any kind of internal gear hub system could be a good choice. They come with 2,3,4,5,7,8,11 & 14 gears. The last one will be pricey for sure.

Jay Turberville

There is absolutely nothing wrong with aluminum as a bike frame material. In cycling, you'll find people that will bash pretty much anything. Some subjects are treated nearly as religions. Frame material discussions sometimes end up there. Brakes are another good area for some mighty proselytizing.

What is more important for you is that the frame and bike be of "bike store" quality. Consider any bike that has a label (usually on the downtube) showing a bike shop to be a mark in the plus column. Of course, getting someone knowledgeable to confirm the general pedigree of the bike would be better.

keithloomis11

I wish i could have posted the listing on here. It did say it is a flip wheel hub. I have read about fixies - not interested. I do wonder if I’d be okay with just a single gear. I’m looking up the internal gear hub systems now! Thank you for adding this info. I’ve not seen these yet

Jay Turberville

The three speed (usually Sturmey Archer) has a long and storied history for utility/commuter bikes. None of the internal gear bikes are as common as derailleur equipped bikes. So you won't see many for sale. Derailleurs are inherently more efficient and hence the system of choice for racers. Enthusiasts have a strong tradition of riding bikes similar to racers. So there you go.

This video is a good overview of the pros and cons even though it is more specifically about the Shimano Alfine 8 speed hub and the guy doing the video is an ultra long distance bike packer/tourer type.

This one may target your use better.

Maelochs

Small note---there is nothing at all wrong with aluminum frames. They can be strong and durable like well ... metal. I own a 1983 Cannondale which shows no signs of not outliving me.

I would argue against an Al frame with an AL fork as this Can apparently transmit too much road buzz ... but a steel or CF fork on an aluminum frame works fine (and I own one of each, I am not just asking AI for opinions.)

The only caveat regarding frame material would be aimed at CF bikes ... because bike commuters might not want to carry everything in a knapsack (but in my decades of commuting I have done that and it works.) Not all CF bikes are built for racks ... if that is an issue. Also, commuter bikes are sometimes parked in areas outside of the rider's control, and if someone knocks over your bike on a hard surface, anything plastic could break ....I have dropped on e of my CF bikes a couple times with no ill effects, but I would Never lock one on a bike rack somewhere. If I knew it was secure and protected I would commute on CF and I have met people in real life and online who do ... but do consider where your bike will be stored.

keithloomis11

Testing out posting from Facebook Marketplace.

📸 Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/xu139...ibextid=79PoIi

📸 Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/JZRzx...ibextid=79PoIi

Iride01 

Just testing or should we also comment on them? <grin>

Between the two bikes and for the longer rides you said you may want to do, the Schwinn appears to be the better bike for that in the current setup. The drop bars on the Schwinn will give you more choice of hand positions during those long rides to help let you keep your wrist from staying in one position and becoming numb. However the Schwinn also is likely pretty old components from the early 2000's. Maybe another can date them better. The drop bars are what they put on older bikes. They have a large amount of drop between the tops and the drops. It's more normal today to see shallower drops so your position on the hoods can be almost as aero as your position on the drops. And again, being aero saves you a lot of energy over the time of the ride that you will be able to use at the end of the ride if you need to beat your friends to the line in a impromptu show of your cycling prowess! <grin>

The Fuji has a straight bar. I'm biased against straight bars simply because they put your hands in one position. The fuji frame itself might be a good frame and lighter than the Schwinn. And lighter is also a energy saving thing for long rides or rides with a lot of climbs. But if the difference is only less than 5 or so pounds, I wouldn't worry about weight as a deciding factor. It also looks like old components on it too from the early 2000's. But they aren't visible enough in the photos to really tell.

Seeing to two bikes, I'd actually go for the Schwinn. Just because it's a road bike. As I said, I'm biased against flat bar bikes.

Jay Turberville

I'm pretty much on board with Iride01 's comments. For the longer 7 mile commute you mention, you may find the optional hand positions and more aero position to be an advantage. Given that your past experience is with a mountain bike and beach cruiser, maybe it's time to see if a road bike is something you'd like? It will probably seem a bit awkward at first. So if you go this route, be sure to give it some time to see if it grows on you or not. If it turns out you don't like the drop bars (I'm not a fan), you can sell the bike at little or no loss and try again. No big deal.

The Fuji is likely to be more comfortable at first and would be the thing for short trips to the beach etc. IMO. But you've kinda been there already. Right?

Both bikes look to be decent bikes in decent condition for your purposes. Just make sure the frame sizes are right for you.

GamblerGORD53

WTH?? Both those 2 are CLOWN around bikes. The Fuji with skinny rims/ geezer bars and the FAKE Schwinn BSO has unsafe clown spokes. ZERO use for transportation of stuff and a child. Both too small anyway.
The last thing you want is cheap old deFaileurs, tires less than 35c and drop bars on a family bike. WTF. And for sure REJECT any stupid steep slope MTB frames, they are the crazy fad on beginner bikes now.

>>> Get a proper tour or city bike with a rack and comfort swept bars. In flat land, all you need is a 100% RELIABLE 3 speed. I do centuries on it too, a 1973 CCM frame with one piece crank.
ALL my bikes have swept bars and IGH, 3/ 5/ 7/ 14 speed. Had ZERO back pains in 8,200 miles on tour. Weight doesn't matter a hill of beans.
I rode this roadster with SA 5w speed, 128 short hilly miles one day, about 52 lbs avg.
Plus XL DRUM brakes are 100% the BEST.