livedarklions

Serious questions--when was the last time you rode a bike? Have you ever ridden frequently? What kind of bikes were you riding and did you like them?

Riveting

I sometimes find the BF Search tool to be useless, like this time.

How would YOU go about searching for threads about buying used vs. buying new? If I Advance Search just titles for "new used", I get this response "Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms. The following words are either very common, too long, or too short and were not included in your search : new, used", which is BS, just show the results and I'll decide how to further filter them based on additional keywords. Just imagine Google saying this during a search "sorry no matches".

If I instead search for "buy new or used", I then get some results, but nothing that's relevant (just try it yourself). If I were a newbie user of BF (or even a veteran user), I'd get frustrated with the search within seconds, and just create a new post asking about "new vs used" like everyone does.

Show me your search terms?

livedarklions

I use google to search BF. The BF search function is useless as far as I can see.

shelbyfv

Yes, just use Google and you'll get lots of BF threads.

Reflector Guy

The biggest frustration with most Search functions, on the forum OR on Google, is when so many searches just end with a thread where there is someone shouting "Do a Search!!". It's the ultimate dead end.

idk what to say

Maybe like 4 years ago, but it was on an awful bike and then the wheel popped (it was probably my fault). It was I think a gravel bike or a hybrid (its wheels were big but they didnt have that much grip).

livedarklions

Definitely don't jump right to an expensive bike then because you really have no idea if you're going to take to it. At this point, you wouldn't even know what kind of bike you prefer to ride so the expensive bike has white elephant written all over it.

Experiment with something relatively decent and inexpensive first, see if you want to move up. Maelochs has it right.

SpecK

You don't need to buy an expensive bike to get started. I am still riding my $450 bike and love it. With that said, I have probably spent more than the initial cost of the bike in replacing parts like saddle, handlebars and pedals to my liking. This however was not necessary to get started and to enjoy the bike, but as I rode more I started understanding and appreciating things differently. I will likely move most of these parts over to a new bike if I decide to upgrade.

My point is, you learn as you go along and only by having some more experience in what type of riding you'll be doing and what matters to you can you really decide if what you are getting from spending more money on a bike is worth it. For example, a higher end groupset might shift faster and smoother than an entry level one. However, that doesn't mean that the entry level one is crap or doesn't get the job done. And if all your riding is on flat trails where you stay in the same gear for a long time, a slight improvement in shifting performance might not mean that much to you. It all depends on what your personal goals are and what type of riding you'll be doing.

I bought my cheap bike with the idea that I would trade up if I really got into it. At this point I don't feel an immediate need to trade up as I still feel I am getting my current bike dialed in to my liking and what I learn from this will be valuable for whenever I do upgrade and spend more money. So my advice to you would be to get something that's decent quality to get you started. You can always upgrade later, and if biking isn't for you, then you won't be stuck with an expensive bike. If you buy online, you can find a decent starter bike for around $500, but be prepared to either learn how to set up the bike yourself or have a bike mechanic do it for you. If you buy from a bike shop you would likely pay a bit more, but they would likely then set the bike up for you and be able to advise you. I would steer away from department store bikes. There is also nothing wrong with buying used, but it can be hard to find decent used bikes that aren't overpriced, but that might depend a bit on your local area as well.

I did a lot of online searches and reading when I was looking for a bike, and some advised against doing what I ended up doing, which was buying a relatively inexpensive bike. Looking back, I think I was overthinking things. Just go buy a freaking bike and start riding. It is not a once in a lifetime decisions and it doesn't have to be the last bike you ever buy.

idk what to say

Yea, that is why I apologized.

1: I would like to ride on the road since it would be nice to go to work by bike (its not that far but it is quite time consuming to walk)
2: I am not that sure but for now I would like to say 400 max.
3: Ontario, Canada
4: Im quite short at 5.4 feet

livedarklions

A cruiser bike, maybe? I suspect whatever you're looking for, finding a bike in your size is going to eb pretty difficult right now.

Or maybe something like this?
https://toronto.craigslist.org/tor/b...358573190.html

Riveting

Thanks for recommending using Google to search BF, I never thought of doing it that way. It looks like the syntax to have Google search BF is: site:bikeforums.net buying new vs. used

livedarklions

To tell you the truth, I just add bike forums to whatever I'm searching, sometimes in quotes. Brings uo a bunch of BF stuff at the top, then other stuff that might be as useful.

Maelochs

If you are planning to ride short distance (under ten miles, not more than 15 at a time) in an urban environment I would look at one of those cheap BikesDirect bikes---look for one which takes wider tires (35 -38 or wider) and make sure you can attach a rack.

If there are no hills you could get a single-speed beach cruiser from a big-box store ---maybe US$100 brand new (or about $10,000 CAN) --- just to get started. The bike will be heavy and inefficient but if the roads are flat you could probably get a single-speed which would save a lot of money at the start.

After several months, if you are still riding, you will know enough about riding to ask questions which will lead you to a bike you could ride enjoyably for several years.

Whatever you buy, it is probably best to stay under $400 and plan on upgrading in six months if you are still riding, or plan to spend $650-$850 or even $1000 (not real sure of the market everywhere right now, so unclear on the specifics, but there is a clear break point you will see if you go shopping)

My policy with bikes is that when I buy a bike I plan to ride it for a Long time .... so when I factor in how many miles I plan to get out of it, the cost per mile per day is so low that an extra few hundred doesn't hurt for long but it can really pay off over a long time.

A beginner bike can be a little heavy, have some cheap parts (particularly wheels and tires, saddle, cockpit parts, maybe brake shoes) but ti will still get you to work every day, so long as you maintain it. But once you have several months' experience, the first time you ride a nice bike, you will feel the difference.

Sure, a lot of people buy expensive bikes for a lot of reasons, but people on serious budgets who are also committed bike riders---by which I mean people who like riding enough that they ride continually---maybe not daily (unless you commute) but several times a week, twice the next week, six rides the week after----buy nicer bikes because the nicer bikes offer a Much better experience---once you learn to appreciate the differences.

A person playing guitar for the first time doesn't need a vintage Martin .... but if he sticks with it for a year or two, he will start to hear and feel how bad that cheap plywood box from Sears actually is. And he still might not need a vintage Martin, but he will definitely want to buy a "real" guitar, and he will definitely have to pay the price, but it will pay for itself every time he strums the strings.

If you ride a fair amount--I mean a "normal" fair amount, not a couple hundred miles a week or something--and if you don't intend to compete----then you will probably find that something like Sora (Shimano's 9-speed group) will meet your needs .... and you will buy a set of sort of light wheels, and you will start to see why a bike costing $1200-$1500-$2000 really makes sense---not because of the cost, but because of the quality of the frame and components.

I have a couple CF Wunderbikes, but I still love to ride my aluminum 2017 Fuji Sportif with a CF fork and 105 running gear. it was an $1100 bike in 2018, bought as leftover stock at a good discount, and it is just amazing. I swapped in a Wheels bottom bracket ($100) because they are bulletproof, and slapped on some cheap Chinese CF wheels which I had bought for another project which never got built. The bike feels Amazing to ride---quick, comfortable, and I can carry 50 pounds of groceries, or all my photography gear, or take off everything except just a seat bag with the essentials and ride it in group rides. It would cost me $1500 or so to replace it and I would do it in a heartbeat. I sincerely expect to be riding this bike for the rest of my life---or until bike tech is so far advanced that chains and mech shifters are no longer available.

If you like riding, that is the kind of bike you would probably want. You can put on some wider tires for gravel rides, some skinnier tires for quick group rides, you can load it with everything you need to bring to work, and it is simple and reliable while still offering all the performance I would ever need.

But first, you need to figure out if you even like bike-riding.

idk what to say

Aright, thanks!

livedarklions

For what it's worth, idk what to say , I think it's really cool that you reformulated your question and had a redo on this thread.

I hope you find a suitable bike and enjoy the heck out of it.

anna000

so far its not a stupid question but t all about requirement bikes rider mostly like to buy faster bikes so that it never be cheaper.

shelbyfv

OK

sjanzeir

"I'm sorry that I asked a stupid question. lol"

Hey, this is Bike Forums. We've all been there.

Dvdvija

Hey, I started biking again since the covid19 thing going on. I bought all my bikes used and not regretting. Fortunately, I knew what to look for in a used bike. I have 5 bikes of various types.

jay4usc

do what makes you happy! remember this is a hobby and it should be fun!

VintageSteelEU

Depends what you consider expensive and what kind of bicycle you'd like. If you go for newest tech, high end materials, you have to add together the cost of the developing these materials and technologies, cost of materials, cost of designing everything, manufacturing, shipment etc. If you go vintage, then a lot will depend on the make, type of tubing, condition etc. My preference is old steel bicycles, but even here, the time it takes to service all the parts, get replacements etc., also adds up. If I were to charge someone for the work I've done on my current bike and parts I had to get, the asking price would be way higher than what anyone is willing to pay. Still, highly recommended route for getting a nice ride and learning something along the way.
You can buy a cheap bicycle, even new, if you look around. Just don't expect it to be as well designed as a high end bicycle. Personally I would go the vintage route any time.

ShelterIslJoe

What kind of riding do you do/ how frequently you ride/who do you ride with/ what are your objectives when you ride? If you want to be a serious rider, don't look for the cheapest bike, BUT you can get a really good used bike for not too much money, and upgrade components as you see fit. Spending top dollar for a bike like anything else has diminishing returns, and is totally unnecessary unless you are a top athlete looking to win races. Most important is getting a bike that is the right size for you, and will meet your needs.

anna000

thx to sharing your experience

TX_master

My takeaway from that post is discovering that there are aquarium forums. And more than one apparently since he mentioned he's a mod on an aquarium forum, not the aquarium forum. I can admire a nice aquarium but they seem like a lot of work. The most I really know about fish is that they're delicious.

anna000