AD1985

Anyone have any good suggestions for a cheap bike for less than $150? I know it's cheap, but I really don't want or need anything expensive. i just want a nice cheap bike that is reliable and has at least a couple gears (I say this because I see some single speed cruisers)

I had a nice monterey bay cruiser with a internal shimano gear shift which did the job nicely but I gave it to my dad so he would have something to exercise with. Walmart doesn't sell those anymore so I'm looking for something else again,

wahoonc

Best bet in that price range is going to be used. Walmart apparently keeps lowering the quality of their bikes to meet a price point and the quality keeps slipping. Their current 3 speed (which I have yet to see in a store) is running around $250.

Aaron

sonatageek

I will make the requisite 'go used and check Craigslist' comment. That really is the best way to end up with a nice bike on the cheap. The bike I currently use as my daily rider is a rigid Raleigh mountain bike that cost $45.00. A little clean up and a new set of non-knobby tires and it was ready to go. I spent more on the tires (Schwalabe Marathons) then I did for the bike, but good tires are something that really effect the quality of the ride. And the tires are tough so I don't have to worry about the occasional glass strewn road or path. Total outlay for the bike, tires, rear rack and trunk bag was under your $150 threshold, and it is a might better then anything you are likely to get at Walmart.

ac220v

Cheap bikes by definition aren't reliable.

$150...
At least $50 of those are taxes, profit margins, shipping&warehousing, etc... That leaves us $100 on the parts...

That 3-speed hub alone retails for $60-80, so, manufacturer can get them maybe for $40...

Ok, do you belive that the rest of the bike could be built from anything but cheapest junk for $60? No, really?

Having said that I do ride supermarket cruiser But I've bought it only because it was singlespeed, and was made in EU (Maybe still sweatshop, but LOCAL sweatshop ). It was also closer to $250 than $150 even on sale, and although assembly was horrible, it works fine (so far) after tuneup.

politicalgeek

See if you a bicycle co-op in your area. The bikes offered at many co-ops are decent quality and usually under $100.

Buglady

+1 on looking for a used bike. There are a ton of Raleigh 3 speeds hiding in garages and they are THE nicest utility/cruiser bikes ever made, in my opinion...

e0richt

well, walmart sells a denali "road bike" (very low end...) for 129.00, which has 21 gears on it...
I used to own one and its ok.

you might try craigslist for a "classic" road bike/tourer which you can get for around 100-200 depending
on type of bike (but you have to be somewhat knowledgeable about bikes and repairs so you know what to look for...)

I purchased a dawes lightning sport off of ebay and I think its a great bike but it cost me 240 (including the shipping...). the seller was "chicabike"...

ShinyBiker

Try Performance bike for their base Schwinn Sierra or Voyageur. That should be around $150. Both are multi geared. The Sierra has 26" wheels and the voyageur has 700c wheels. You get lifetime tuneups too.

I don't like to recommend craigslist too much because most of the really good deals are snapped up very quick and the fixer uppers you have to put more $ into them like new tires, saddle, etc. Might as well buy new.

AD1985

Neither of those schwinns were close, both were in the 200's.

I think my best option is that $129 walmart road bike

DataJunkie

used > walmart IMHO
but it does take a bit of patience.

ac220v

Well, if you insist... Then just one advice, - your bike is not properly assembled until proven otherwise. That means:

1) Check that brakes are working (lean on saddle and press the lever Wheel should skid, not turn.)
2) Check that seatpost and handlebars are properly tightened.
3) It is possible to leave some types ov valves "open" in such a way that you do not notice it, - air in tires should not be held by plastic cap alone.
4) Expect a few weeks of shakedown and tuneup.

5) If you dont have 'em, - buy set, any set of Allen wrenches IMMEDIATELY. adjustable spanner is good too.

All(!) of the above, except seatpost, was misdassembled/under-tightened on my bike. Don't know what gotchas are there with derailleur gears, never used them for extended periods of time.

mtnwalker

If you have your heart set on that walmart bike then you will want to look at the "official" BF Denali review. The reviewer actually stayed with the bike and he was quite successful with it. Make sure to read the tweaks, adjustments, and problem solving he did. Its well worth it.

cldarnell

It seems that even Wal-Mart and Target are lowering their standards even more. A couple of years ago, I made the mistake of buying a Wal-Mart Schwinn MB. It was a piece of crap, but, for the money, it was a decent piece of crap. I couldn't help but browse the other day, and for the same money I spent then, you can't buy even their junk bikes now.

Craigslist or local E-Bay is the way to go for low budget minded folks (like me!). Shipping a bike on E-Bay would burn up half of your budget. Oh...and here in the Midwest, the garage sales will be starting soon! Keep your eye out when driving around!

Good luck...

fish0n

2001 Fisher Tarpon $95 Craigslist.

1979 Schwinn Voyageur 11.8 $130 craigslist.

2003 Fisher Tarpon $126 (including shipping) eBay.


Used would be the way to go. Plus the bike will have a greater resell value than a box-store bike.

PunkMartyr

Cruisers I don't really know. I ride a Schwinn Pathway that Schwinn calls a hybrid. I bought mine for $250 which the wally site still has them at, but I could swear I saw one marked down for $200 in the store. I kind of wish I had gotten the Schwinn Varsity which you can see here:

https://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=4698938

Not really because of anything about my bike I just wish I had gotten more of a road bike. My plan is to hold on to my Schwinn and go used when I am ready to spend closer to $500 (couple more paychecks perhaps.. also considering a kayak)

tjspiel

I don't know about cruisers either. I do have some experience buying road bikes on Craigslist. My sense is that whether or not you can get a decent road bike on CL for $150 depends highly on where you live.

Here you can if you're patient and you're definition of a decent road bike includes those that are 15+ years old with downtube shifters and 27 inch wheels. There's a lot of cheap road bikes with stem shifters that I personally would avoid because their quality is only a notch above what you can get at Walmart.

I don't consider downtube shifters ideal for commuting but on the positive side, they're simple and reliable. There's nothing inherently bad with 27" wheels but there's a constantly diminishing selection of tires available in that size. One good thing about bikes that are that old is that they usually have plenty of room for mounting fenders.

A quick scan of local CL listings showed only one bike in the under $150 range that I'd be interested in. It was a Univega for $100 and it looked like a steal for that price. It could be gone already and there was no mention made of frame material so it may not turn out to be anything special, -which points out a couple of other problems with Craigslist. If you see something you like you need to be prepared to move fast. Also what looks and sounds good on the posting may not be so great in reality.

duffer1960

Old electroforged Schwinns are common & cheap. Plan on a total clean-lube-adjust. Maybe not worth it unless you do it yourself & have the tools. Solid and reliable. I ride an old Speedster, an American version of the English utility 3-speed. These and the 10 speeds are fairly common in adult sizes. One problem is the Schwinn 26x1-3/8 tire is ISO 597, and only one make & model (Kenda) is available. No fancy puncture-resistant types. Have had a couple flats due to shards + wet road. Have more choices with the 27" but straight sided rims are another concern. I like 'em for nostalgia I guess as much as for practicality.

ShinyBiker

This may be an instore only deal, but I saw a Schwinn Voyageur SPORT model at my store for $179. I remember b/c I was seriously considering it for my wife. It seems that they always have 10% off all bikes on the weekends so that gives you $18 off. If you're a member, you get another 10% back in store credit etc. Also, if they don't have your size in stock, they can get it from any store in the U.S. and ship it to that store for free. Check it out.

LordBass

May I suggest an '80s steel road bike from your local Craigslist? I trade commuting duty between two bikes for my 10.5 mile ride:

'86 Puch 190 12-speed - $130 last fall from LBS. Not a bargain, but cheap for a clean, reliable ride
'86 Bridgestone 500 12-speed - $150 from original owner on Craigslist

Both are comfortable and reliable. From that vintage/price range, there are a lot of nice Japanese bikes that would fit the bill, and nearly all are light years better than a nice WalMart bike.

Javan

I would go used on a decent road bike. Or spend a little more on a comfort bike and slightly modify it. I have two "comfort" bikes that I ride and both were about $200, but they have both held up very well over the years. One is a Diamond back, the other a GT. I still plan to go for a decent ($500-$1000) road bike someday when the budget will allow it. But for now, the cheapies are fine and they still seem in good shape. I did not mod the bikes much, just changed the saddle, added clipless pedals, and readjusted the handlbars for a more aero position.

Mr. Underbridge

No, really, a used bike at $129 will be many times better than the Walmart bike. If you go used, you can get a bike that once had components and a frame that were once good. With the Walmart bike, you'll get crap that would never have been considered good. Spend $100 on an old bike, and maybe $50 getting it ready to ride if it needs it. Actually, at that price you should be able to get a solid, older bike that's ready to ride.

For reference, the bike that I've been riding all winter (an old bike I've had for 15 years) wouldn't fetch $50 on Craigslist, but I wouldn't trade it for a new Walmart bike.

Go used. Really.