Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Commuting
Reload this Page >

Advice on buying bike for commuting

Notices
Commuting Bicycle commuting is easier than you think, before you know it, you'll be hooked. Learn the tips, hints, equipment, safety requirements for safely riding your bike to work.

Advice on buying bike for commuting

Old 07-14-19, 09:25 AM
  #1  
Blu3b3ar
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 6
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Advice on buying bike for commuting

Hello! My commute is 10 miles each way. I have been taking the train in the morning and biking home after work. I have a Bianchi Osprey but want to upgrade. I'm looking at getting a road bike and adding on thicker tires. I'm on a limited budget so trying to get a used bike but if I don't find one soon I might get a Motobecane or Windsor from Bikes Direct.

I'm thinking of getting a 2008 Fuji, description for the bike is "50 cm 2008 Fuji Finest 1.0. Aluminum frame with carbon fiber fork and seat stays. Bike is in excellent shape, wheels are true and spin smoothly - no work is needed, it’s ready to ride. Drivetrain is 10 speed Shimano Ultegra/105, FSA crankset, new Jagwire cables and housing, with an upgraded Specialized Avatar saddle. Original price $1460 - asking $500."
Blu3b3ar is offline  
Old 07-14-19, 03:28 PM
  #2  
noglider 
aka Tom Reingold
 
noglider's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Posts: 40,691

Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem

Mentioned: 510 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7287 Post(s)
Liked 2,361 Times in 1,380 Posts
That could be a good bike, but it's hard for any of us to say without seeing pictures. Do you know that a 50 cm bike would fit you?

A used bike is definitely a better value, but you have to spend more time looking and educating yourself.
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog

“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author

Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
noglider is offline  
Likes For noglider:
Old 07-14-19, 06:39 PM
  #3  
Sapperc
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Lompoc, CA
Posts: 153

Bikes: Specialized Roubaix SL4 Comp, Trek 930, Nishiki International

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 64 Post(s)
Liked 25 Times in 15 Posts
A couple of things to consider: First, does the bike even fit? Second, how large a tire is large to you, because 23c - 25c is probably the widest that will fit that frame. Third, $500 for an 12-year old model bike (the 2020 models are out now) is not necessarily a great bargain. Good luck!
Sapperc is offline  
Likes For Sapperc:
Old 07-14-19, 06:49 PM
  #4  
alloo
Full Member
 
alloo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Posts: 490

Bikes: 2022 Priority Coast, 2022 Priority Current

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 175 Post(s)
Liked 137 Times in 99 Posts
I do a similar commute. I would look on craigslist for a used bike, tune it up, maybe get tubes and tires. It takes me about 45 mins to ride. How much time do you want your commute to be? Are you commuting every day, every other day? Do you have showers at work to clean up? My commute is about 11.5 miles each way, downhill going to work, uphill and against the wind going home. I got used to it. 50 mins to work, 70-80 mins going home. I opted for an ebike after two months to cut my commute times to 40-50 mins both ways. I no longer sweat that much and am not tired. I also have only used level 2-3 assist, depending how much I want to work out. Level 1 is good too, but I want to be near 15 MPH. I've lost 15 lbs so far and my insulin levels have been decreased by 50%. Lots of neat bikes out there. I ride a beach cruiser style bike, so it's slow.
alloo is offline  
Likes For alloo:
Old 07-15-19, 06:29 AM
  #5  
Aletifer
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 18

Bikes: 2015 Fuji Track, 2017 Fuji Cross 1.5, 2019 Cannondale Quick NEO

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Couple of things I consider, that you may want to as well:
  1. Sealed hubs and bottom bracket. I like these for commuting because it means less maintenance, especially if/when I ride in wet conditions. (Even if I wouldn't want to ride in bad weather, everyone gets surprised with it at some point, and lower maintenance over time is still a good thing.)
  2. When I ride in bad weather, fenders are my friend. I look for bosses in the frames that allow me to install good ones.
  3. There's also the question of how to carry my stuff. I did the messenger bag thing for years, but got tired of the sweat patch on my back and the occasional strain on my shoulder. So now I either go with a hiking bag when I'm on my singlespeed (it has a waist strap that keeps the weight off my back, which is more comfortable, and allows my backside to breathe), or commuter panniers and a rack when I'm on my ebike (I use some waterproof Ortlieb ones so again, foul weather isn't a problem.)
Aletifer is offline  
Old 07-15-19, 07:33 AM
  #6  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,520

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5218 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
what about your current bike do you feel is lacking. or, why do you feel an upgrade is needed?
rumrunn6 is offline  
Old 07-15-19, 09:12 AM
  #7  
Skipjacks
Senior Member
 
Skipjacks's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Mid Atlantic / USA
Posts: 2,115

Bikes: 2017 Specialized Crosstrail / 2013 Trek Crossrip Elite

Mentioned: 43 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1002 Post(s)
Liked 237 Times in 155 Posts
For 10 miles I'd go with a slower but more robust frame that will make larger tires and pannier bags easy.

My commuter is a tank. It's not a bike I enjoy riding for 50 miles on the weekends (I have a lighter faster bike for that) but for my commute I can strap bags on a rack, stop at the store and pick up a heavy item I can bungee cord to the rack, run off curbs and hit potholes and it still gets me there everytime. On a faster road bike I might be able to shave a minute or two if I rode empty, but as soon as I pile all the gear on it the road bike would become slower and more cumbersome anyway.

The hybrid...pretty much rides the same no matter if I ride it empty or have it loaded down with stuff.

Plus...it's cheap. $500 buys a brand new half decent hybrid that comes with a warranty.

$500 on a 12 year old road bike that almost certainly has parts that are about to wear out....seems....like not such a great deal.
Skipjacks is offline  
Likes For Skipjacks:
Old 07-15-19, 12:32 PM
  #8  
slowpacer
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: SoCal
Posts: 119
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 25 Post(s)
Liked 24 Times in 17 Posts
There are plenty of new hybrid bike choices for under $500 that also accept wider tires and come with warranty.
slowpacer is offline  
Old 07-15-19, 04:07 PM
  #9  
Blu3b3ar
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 6
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by noglider
That could be a good bike, but it's hard for any of us to say without seeing pictures. Do you know that a 50 cm bike would fit you?

A used bike is definitely a better value, but you have to spend more time looking and educating yourself.
Thanks for the response! I ended up going to look at it as well as going to some used bike shops in the area and decided a 52 cm would be a better fit. Unfortunately the pictures in the ad were pictures from when they had purchased it from someone else and not the current condition. Between the fit, age, and condition I decided to pass and keep looking. Thankfully during my day of searching I found an awesome used bike shop with great staff so I might wait for them to have something that fits my needs.
Blu3b3ar is offline  
Old 07-15-19, 04:09 PM
  #10  
Blu3b3ar
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 6
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by Aletifer
Couple of things I consider, that you may want to as well:
  1. Sealed hubs and bottom bracket. I like these for commuting because it means less maintenance, especially if/when I ride in wet conditions. (Even if I wouldn't want to ride in bad weather, everyone gets surprised with it at some point, and lower maintenance over time is still a good thing.)
  2. When I ride in bad weather, fenders are my friend. I look for bosses in the frames that allow me to install good ones.
  3. There's also the question of how to carry my stuff. I did the messenger bag thing for years, but got tired of the sweat patch on my back and the occasional strain on my shoulder. So now I either go with a hiking bag when I'm on my singlespeed (it has a waist strap that keeps the weight off my back, which is more comfortable, and allows my backside to breathe), or commuter panniers and a rack when I'm on my ebike (I use some waterproof Ortlieb ones so again, foul weather isn't a problem.)
Thanks for the tips! I will definitely keep my eyes open for these features!
Blu3b3ar is offline  
Old 07-15-19, 04:18 PM
  #11  
Blu3b3ar
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 6
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by mtb_addict
My thought is Bianchi Osprey with good road tires is a much better platform for commuting than any roadbike.

I commuting on 700x25 roadbike. Sure it's fast but speed isn't everything in a commute. I miss the sure footedness and versatility of a 26" rigid ATB.
Tbh my bike is no beauty but I love it. I'm the third owner (at least, there could be more than I know). I bought it on craigslist for $50 just to see if I would actually bike regularly and to teach myself how to work on a bike. I'm definitely still new to all this and learning but it's been great to already improve the bike just with some small maintenance. I'm getting to the point where I might need to make some bigger changes since I have been using it regularly and I'm not sure how much to invest in it rather than buying a different bike. I signed up for some co-op classes so I'm hoping I will be able to get some guidance.
Blu3b3ar is offline  
Old 07-15-19, 04:54 PM
  #12  
Blu3b3ar
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 6
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by rumrunn6
what about your current bike do you feel is lacking. or, why do you feel an upgrade is needed?
I love that I feel like I can do pretty much anything on my bike. Because it was cheap to buy ($50 for bike, rack, lights, and lock) I've been pretty confident working on it and riding. However it is HEAVY and when I do back to back commuting days it is more noticeable. I also need to make some fixes to my bike (not sure what exactly trying to go to bike classes to learn) and I dont know what is a reasonable amount of time/money to put into it
Blu3b3ar is offline  
Likes For Blu3b3ar:
Old 07-16-19, 08:46 AM
  #13  
RubeRad
Keepin it Wheel
 
RubeRad's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: San Diego
Posts: 10,238

Bikes: Surly CrossCheck, Krampus

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 26 Post(s)
Liked 3,399 Times in 2,510 Posts
Originally Posted by Blu3b3ar
Tbh my bike is no beauty but I love it. I'm the third owner (at least, there could be more than I know). I bought it on craigslist for $50 just to see if I would actually bike regularly and to teach myself how to work on a bike. I'm definitely still new to all this and learning but it's been great to already improve the bike just with some small maintenance. I'm getting to the point where I might need to make some bigger changes since I have been using it regularly and I'm not sure how much to invest in it rather than buying a different bike. I signed up for some co-op classes so I'm hoping I will be able to get some guidance.
Given that extra information, I think you are a good candidate for a motobecane from bikesdirect. Or maybe at the co-op you'll find something you like
RubeRad is offline  
Likes For RubeRad:
Old 07-16-19, 09:12 PM
  #14  
Viich
Hack
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,251

Bikes: TrueNorth CX bike, 88 Bianchi Strada (currently Sturmey'd), 90's Giant Innova (now with drop bars), Yess World Cup race BMX, Redline Proline Pro24 race BMX Cruiser

Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 343 Post(s)
Liked 181 Times in 127 Posts
Originally Posted by Blu3b3ar
I love that I feel like I can do pretty much anything on my bike. Because it was cheap to buy ($50 for bike, rack, lights, and lock) I've been pretty confident working on it and riding. However it is HEAVY and when I do back to back commuting days it is more noticeable. I also need to make some fixes to my bike (not sure what exactly trying to go to bike classes to learn) and I dont know what is a reasonable amount of time/money to put into it
My commute is just a little bit longer than yours. I understand wanting a bike that isn't slowing you down much - just realize that far more of the difference is the engine, probably followed by the tires.

I'd honestly start with new quality tires, and possibly new wheels on your existing bike - you don't give many details about your existing bike, but better tires and a tuneup / refresh (ie. replacing parts where necessary or there's a cheap upgrade) can completely change a bike. My main winter/snow/ice/rain commuter is a Giant Innova hybrid from '93 that would be a similar frame to your Bianchi Osprey. It was a little heavier than my Bianchi Strada before I put the Sturmey Archer hub on the Bianchi, but it rides quite nicely, has space for nice wide tires and fenders. I'm slightly slower on that bike, but it rides fine - I put drop bars and bar-end shifters on it, it had cantilever brakes which meant it was easy to find drop bar brake levers, but v-brake levers are easy to come by (amazon, chain reaction)

Bottom line is that your existing bike is a quality frame (either main triangle cro-mo or full cro-mo depending on year) and is worth keeping going and/or upgrading a little.

Post some pictures and/or details about your existing bike, and what it is you want most to change about it!
Viich is offline  
Old 07-16-19, 11:03 PM
  #15  
downtube42
Senior Member
 
downtube42's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 3,802

Bikes: Trek Domane SL6 Gen 3, Soma Fog Cutter, Focus Mares AL, Detroit Bikes Sparrow FG, Volae Team, Nimbus MUni

Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 878 Post(s)
Liked 2,019 Times in 1,055 Posts
I understand sometimes you just get an itch for a new bike, and that's that.

OTOH, in my view a full-rigid MTB is an excellent commuter platform. Strong frame, strong wheels, usually have eyelets, not particularly attractive to thieves. Tires are available and inexpensive in a huge variety of performance/flat protection/ride quality tradeoffs.

It looks like some Ospreys have front shocks, which would be the first think to look at changing. You'll have to get a front fork that compensates for the lack of shock, which I guess could get pricey. It's worth looking at.

Or you could just scratch that new-bike itch and have n+1.

Cheers.
downtube42 is offline  
Old 07-17-19, 05:26 AM
  #16  
Jim from Boston
Senior Member
 
Jim from Boston's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 7,384
Mentioned: 49 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 800 Post(s)
Liked 218 Times in 171 Posts
Advice on buying bike for commuting
Originally Posted by Blu3b3ar
Hello! My commute is 10 miles each way. I have been taking the train in the morning and biking home after work.

I have a Bianchi Osprey but want to upgrade. I'm looking at getting a road bike and adding on thicker tires. I'm on a limited budget so trying to get a used bike but if I don't find one soon I might get a Motobecane or Windsor from Bikes Direct
Originally Posted by downtube42
I understand sometimes you just get an itch for a new bike, and that's that.

OTOH, in my view a full-rigid MTB is an excellent commuter platform.
I have often posted to various threads about buying bikes, and in particular reference to a commuter bike, I think almost any bike will do, though depending on your needs, e.g. road surface, carrying capacity, distance, weather, physical condition…
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
"Newbie Requests Advice”

I usually only suggest buying strategy [not technical specifics]...
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
"Help with choosing a bike."

...My shopping strategy for something important is to look at the high end (expensive) models first, just to know what’s available and then whittle downwards to find what’s acceptable, the so-called sweet spot of price/value.
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
Whenever I’m asked about buying a bike my questions are what do you want it for, and how much to spend? IMO bikes of similar quality by brand names stratify in groups of about approximately $US 200 intervals.
So FWIW as an illustration of “top of the line” cycle commuting in a four-season urban environment:
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
Now here’s where I’m coming from. I have described myself as a decades-long, year-round lifestyle cyclist [including year-round commuter], and my favored bike is a high-end carbon fiber road bike costing thousands of dollars...

I also have a aluminum beater road bike costing about $1500, and for me that was a minimal road bike, to be used in bad weather [with studded tires]….
BTW, my one-way 14 mile commute is from downtown to a suburb, and as an off-peak, reverse commuter, I’m allowed to bring my fully assembled bike on the convenient Commuter Rail either way, out or back.

This is a great, relatively rare, perk of living in Boston to make cycle commuting possible, so if I may ask, @Blu3b3ar , where do you live?

Last edited by Jim from Boston; 07-17-19 at 07:56 AM.
Jim from Boston is offline  
Old 07-17-19, 07:31 AM
  #17  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,520

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5218 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
fwiw: my commuting bikes evolved over a cpl years until I settled on a light, drop bar, road bike. the time, energy & money I spent on 2 MTBs, 2 old road bikes (+ a dozen or so old bikes for parts) & 1 heavily modified hybrid, could be considered wasted. but I had fun & I had time on my hands. also learned a lot. but knowing what I know know, if I were to start from scratch, I'd go straight for the light, drop bar, road bike
rumrunn6 is offline  
Likes For rumrunn6:
Old 07-19-19, 07:35 PM
  #18  
Blu3b3ar
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 6
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
I live in Maryland. They used to have a rule that you couldn't take bikes on the train during peak hours but this January they changed it so bikes are allowed during all hours.
Blu3b3ar is offline  
Old 07-20-19, 11:10 AM
  #19  
SactoDoug
eMail Sold to Spammers
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 522
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 53 Post(s)
Liked 19 Times in 13 Posts
If I were to buy a new commuting bike today, I would take these things into consideration:
  • How much stuff am I carrying with me and how do I want to carry it. The more you carry, the fatter your tires need to be. Also, if you want to put cargo carrying bags on your bike, it is easier if the frame already has the mounting points for a rack. Also, the more stuff you carry, the bigger a gear selection that you want, especially if you are going up hills.
  • What type of terrain will I be covering. My bike choice changes dramatically if I am on a nice smooth bike path vs. a gravel road.
  • What type of weather am I willing to ride in. If I am only going to ride in sunny weather, I don't need fenders and I can ride on slick tires.
  • Do I have secure way to store my bike. I am not going to commute on a bike worth more than $500 if I have to lock it up on the street.
SactoDoug is offline  
Old 07-21-19, 05:31 AM
  #20  
tim24k
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: NW
Posts: 747

Bikes: To many to list. I like them all!

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 60 Post(s)
Liked 43 Times in 32 Posts
I to commute twenty miles a day. I like touring bikes with steel frames also I run 1.50 tires. As we have a lot of chip seal roads here. Touring frames are comfortable, the steel frames soak up the vibration of the chip seal, and the 1.50 are a good compromise of speed and comfort.
tim24k is offline  
Old 07-21-19, 08:27 AM
  #21  
zacster
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Brooklyn NY
Posts: 7,699

Bikes: Kuota Kredo/Chorus, Trek 7000 commuter, Trek 8000 MTB and a few others

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 22 Post(s)
Liked 455 Times in 357 Posts
Originally Posted by Blu3b3ar
Thanks for the response! I ended up going to look at it as well as going to some used bike shops in the area and decided a 52 cm would be a better fit. Unfortunately the pictures in the ad were pictures from when they had purchased it from someone else and not the current condition. Between the fit, age, and condition I decided to pass and keep looking. Thankfully during my day of searching I found an awesome used bike shop with great staff so I might wait for them to have something that fits my needs.
You found out what I was going to say when I read the original post. "wheels are true and spin freely" = maybe they are still round, and they spin because we loosened the cones. "Ready to ride" = ready to ride to the next corner and back at most, otherwise the pedals will fall off.

I tried buying a bike on craigslist once and they were all just junk no matter how good the ads made them sound. And for some reason the pics are either too fuzzy to see or just a generic pic of the same model. It also always turns out that they were not being sold by an individual looking to clean out the garage or apartment, but by some guy that picks up junk bikes, lubes the chain and sells them as "ready to ride". And by "picks up", well you can imagine...
zacster is online now  
Old 07-21-19, 08:37 AM
  #22  
Brocephus
Professional amateur
 
Brocephus's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Ga.
Posts: 665

Bikes: Does a Big Wheel count ?

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 295 Post(s)
Liked 133 Times in 89 Posts
I've had really good luck on Craigslist a couple times, my Trek mtn and Fuji roadie came from my local Craigslist, and I've seen a couple that were really yanking my chain, but before I talked myself into taking a swing, someone would snag them..
Obviously you have to have a decent base-level of knowledge when buying used, and examine it closely, but I see lots of solid deals, especially up around Atlanta, all the time. It happens so often it's become a cliche: Folks buy a bike, then barely ride it, then park it in the garage for a couple years, then sell it cheap. Those are obviously the ones you want.
For something that doesn't know much about bikes, then yeah, CL can a disaster waiting to happen, and they should just go to their LBS.
Anyway, for a new commuter-type bike, I'm liking some of the Fujis I'm seeing ( the Fuji Absolute line, IIRC)

Last edited by Brocephus; 07-21-19 at 08:41 AM.
Brocephus is offline  
Old 07-21-19, 10:54 AM
  #23  
tim24k
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: NW
Posts: 747

Bikes: To many to list. I like them all!

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 60 Post(s)
Liked 43 Times in 32 Posts
Originally Posted by Brocephus
I've had really good luck on Craigslist a couple times, my Trek mtn and Fuji roadie came from my local Craigslist, and I've seen a couple that were really yanking my chain, but before I talked myself into taking a swing, someone would snag them..
Obviously you have to have a decent base-level of knowledge when buying used, and examine it closely, but I see lots of solid deals, especially up around Atlanta, all the time. It happens so often it's become a cliche: Folks buy a bike, then barely ride it, then park it in the garage for a couple years, then sell it cheap. Those are obviously the ones you want.
For something that doesn't know much about bikes, then yeah, CL can a disaster waiting to happen, and they should just go to their LBS.
Anyway, for a new commuter-type bike, I'm liking some of the Fujis I'm seeing ( the Fuji Absolute line, IIRC)
I to have had really good luck on Craigslist buying bikes, but I know what I'm buying and yes I have walked away from more than one deal. I look for a bike that's on a top of a hill from some rich person with view properly. They buy a new bike wanting to get in shape then they ride/walk it up once or twice up the hill then sell it. I also will only pay half of what the bike sold for new regardless if it's like new condition.
tim24k is offline  
Old 07-22-19, 09:03 AM
  #24  
robertorolfo
Senior Member
 
robertorolfo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Queens, NY for now...
Posts: 1,533

Bikes: 82 Lotus Unique, 86 Lotus Legend, 88 Basso Loto, 88 Basso PR, 89 Basso PR, 96 Bianchi CDI, 2013 Deda Aegis, 2019 Basso Diamante SV

Mentioned: 46 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 943 Post(s)
Liked 171 Times in 113 Posts
Your Bianchi Osprey is most likely a high quality frame, even if not the lightest and/or most advanced. Something new might not necessarily be better, and adding the right components to the Bianchi will give you a good ride that you can depend on.


Originally Posted by Blu3b3ar
Between the fit, age, and condition I decided to pass and keep looking.
I think you made the right call. Without even seeing that bike, $500 sounded like WAY too high a price.

Originally Posted by Blu3b3ar
I live in Maryland. They used to have a rule that you couldn't take bikes on the train during peak hours but this January they changed it so bikes are allowed during all hours.
Good for you guys. Just this past Friday I got kicked off a commuter train (LIRR) that was at about 10% capacity, simply because it was during peak hours. I had found a spot on the train that was completely out of the way and wouldn't have inconvenienced a single person, but that wasn't good enough. The conductor preferred that I get in my car and sit in traffic for a hour, because, you know, policy.

Originally Posted by zacster
I tried buying a bike on craigslist once and they were all just junk no matter how good the ads made them sound. And for some reason the pics are either too fuzzy to see or just a generic pic of the same model. It also always turns out that they were not being sold by an individual looking to clean out the garage or apartment, but by some guy that picks up junk bikes, lubes the chain and sells them as "ready to ride". And by "picks up", well you can imagine...
I got my Basso PR from a guy in Forest Hills, and the entire experience was rather pleasant. He had good pics (he was a part-time photographer, so I was lucky in that respect), but most importantly the guy was a serious rider so the bike was in absolutely perfect condition.

Now that I think about it, I've pickup up 5 Criagslist bikes in the NYC area over the past couple of years, and I have very few complaints about any of the transactions. On a couple of the best deals I had to be super patient with somewhat flakey owners, but the good discounts I got made it worthwhile.
robertorolfo is offline  
Old 07-22-19, 10:02 AM
  #25  
Skipjacks
Senior Member
 
Skipjacks's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Mid Atlantic / USA
Posts: 2,115

Bikes: 2017 Specialized Crosstrail / 2013 Trek Crossrip Elite

Mentioned: 43 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1002 Post(s)
Liked 237 Times in 155 Posts
Originally Posted by Blu3b3ar
I live in Maryland. They used to have a rule that you couldn't take bikes on the train during peak hours but this January they changed it so bikes are allowed during all hours.
If you're towards DC then Craigslist is a valuable resource for bikes. Shop around there for a great deal.

If you're in Baltimore, Craigslist is hit or miss at best. Lots of cheap Wal Mart level bikes and overpriced higher end bikes from sellers who don't understand depreciation. Not usually much in the middle but there is an occasional good find if you're patient.

Anywhere else in MD....I have no idea but I bet it's 1 of those 2 or you wouldn't be riding a train.
Skipjacks is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.