cdnorth

Hello everyone,

New to the forum and looking for some advice. Recently decided that we no longer need two cars in our household and sold one off and am therefore looking for a bike to start commuting with. My commute will be 6-8 miles depending on route, each way. I would like to search for a used bike to begin with and am leaning towards a road bike but that's where my question comes in. What bikes, componenta, etc. should I be looking at? I'm thinking a realistic budget for a used bike would be somewhere around $600, less being preferable but I do have more if it is really worth it. I just feel overwhepmed with manufacturers, models, components, etc as there are a lot of bikes available on Phoenix Craigslist. Ive seen cheaper bikes with more expenaive components and more expensive bioea with cheaper components and am not sure how to prioritize. Also, if anyone has advice about what to look for when checking out a bike, that'd be awesome. Thanks in advance for any help!

mr geeker

I would recommend going to your local bike shops and doing some test riding of bikes that fall in your price range, unless of course you are willing to not only purchase the second hand bike but also take it in to a shop to get it taken care of (tune up and what not). of course this is assuming you're not comfortable doing the wrenching your self.

At a bike shop they'll be able to fit you to the right size bike... sure you can ride one that's the wrong size and/or geometry but it won't be as comfortable for ya.

alan s 

+1. Your question is so broad, you'll get all sorts of random advice and suggestions from random people. Go to several shops and do some research. If you were interested in buying as car and asked the same question on a car forum, what do you think the response would be?

NormanF

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Either will be fine for commuting and day to day errands.

mcours2006

Questions the come to mind are why a road bike? What sort of riding experience do you have? Is it just for commuting and nothing else, e.g. fitness rides, group rides, running groceries, etc?

I'd also start with your LBS. They can help you narrow down your choices, as well as help you find the right size if you choose to buy there, which BTW, is not a bad idea since you will get service support from them after purchase. Obviously buying new with $600 isn't going to get you as much as something that's a few years old, but since you are relatively new to his you might not know what to look for. It is difficult to say there's one thing to look for when buying a used bike, but I suppose the condition of the frame is most important as it is the most important part of your bike. Everything else can be easily and cheaply replaced.

Bike Gremlin

All my knowledge and advice are put here:

Buying a second hand bicycle - Cycle Gremlin

RubeRad

What to look for: FIT, FIT, FIT. How tall are you for starters? We can point you to what size range will probably fit you; smaller variables include whether you are long in the torso or long in the limbs, do you have wider shoulders, etc.

And then look for mechanics; does it brake, does it shift, does the rim rub on the brakes, do the tires/tubes hold air. If any of those are no, it's not a dealbreaker, likely it is quite simple to fix, but you have to either learn how to fix it (fun and rewarding for many people), or pay for a shop to fix it. Bring your own pump, if the tires are flat and the seller can't even deal with that, likely the bike is perfect and neglected. But if the tires are punctured (won't hold air when pumping), then you can't do a test ride. New tubes/tires is an easy fix though, and you should be able to check shifting, braking by lifting a wheel off the ground. If all those things are ok, then either the seller is enough of a mechanic to take care of those things (good), or they paid a shop to tune the bike up for sale (good), or the bike is essentially brand new and hasn't had time/use to get out-of-tune (good).

After that, look for extras: does it come with rack, fenders, frame pump, seatbag, helmet, bell, lights, gloves, shoes, spares (tubes, tires, wheels, pedals) -- I've seen bikes for sale with all those accessories before, but not usually. If the bike doesn't come with those things, are they at least possible to add-on? I.e. are there places to bolt on a rack and/or fenders if you want them? (in phx you can pretty well get away with no fenders)

As for parts, a somewhat-recent thread around here discussed the 'sweet spot' in the Shimano lineup and the consensus was that it is either Tiagra or 105, i.e. pretty much everybody agreed that the extra price of Ultegra and Dura-Ace gets you less weight, but not more reliability (probably less reliability); and below Tiagra you are saving cost, but sacrificing reliability.

Post some links to some PHX craigslist ads that interest you, this crowd loves to look at bikes and give their opinions about them!

jade408

Make sure you can add a rack to your bike bare minimum. You'll want to carry stuff and a backpack will make you hot and sweaty.

cdnorth

Thanks for the responses, they are very helpful! While in college, I had a hybrid bike and really liked it so that may be an option. I've just always thought of possibly doing some sprint (and possibly longer distance) triathlons which is why I was leaning toward a road bike. I've also owned a fixie because it was fast and cheap and good for while I was in school but now that I've graduated it was a little impractical for a decent distance commute. I'm 6'2" by the way so I'm guessing sewhere 58-62 cm would be a good fit. Here are some bikes I've found that may be decent. I didn't even think of posting them here but seeing as that was suggested I'll give it a shot, let me know what you think.

Cannondale
2013 Specialized Secteur Road Bike XL
Aluminum Le Champion Motobecane 61cm
Cannondale R2000 Road Bike
****2009 Masi Gran Corsa Large 58cm Road Bike****
2014 Specialized Secteur

NormanF

All nice, but my bias is for a gravel road/adventure bike. If you can have only one bike, a do-it-all bike is essential.

If I can't have that, I'd want an urban 29er like the Marin Muirwoods or Giant ToughRoads SLR.

Why? I want to be able to go anywhere, something I can't do on a road bike.

cdnorth

Would that be something like a cyclocross bike? I know I've seen a few of those around. Do you have any suggestions?

NormanF

Besides the Omni Strada, Schwinn Fastback RX Cyclocross on Nashbar only in XL at $599.00 is on budget! MRSP was $1000.

Schwinn Fastback RX Cyclocross Bike

From the description, it sounds like it ticks all your boxes:

Schwinn Fastback RX Cyclocross Bike

"Part adventure bike, part touring bike, and all-around fun to ride on any terrain, the Schwinn Fastback RX Cyclocross Bike is more versatile than a Swiss Army knife. The triple-butted aluminum frame and aluminum fork keep the bike light and responsive while the Shimano Sora shift/brake levers and derailleurs offer excellent performance without emptying the bank account. Mechanical disc brakes ensure reliable, consistent stopping power no matter the weather or conditions while the aluminum wheelset is the paragon of reliability and strength. The FSA compact crankset -- with 50/34T chainrings -- combined with the 9-speed 11-32T cassette provide the means to scale the toughest ascents and still mix it up on the descents and flat ground with ease. The 700x32 Kenda Small Block 8 tires provide ample traction on trails and dirt roads while still rolling smooth on firm tarmac. And with the ability to mount fenders, racks, and fit 700x45c tires, you've a bike that's perfect for commuting as well as serious long-distance exploring."

RubeRad

Some nice bikes in there, I agree with the cyclocross/gravel/adventure suggestion just for the all-purpose-ness, but I'll comment on a few of these. The cheaper c'dale looks ok, the more expensive one is I think overpriced, and if your 6'2" is heavy, you don't want low-spoke wheels. The secteurs look pretty nice, I think the 2013 looks nearly new; but the stem jacked up so high looks weird, it seems like a bike that didn't fit that is trying to be bigger than it really is. The Masi I think seems overpriced. The Motobecane looks pretty damn good. That's a bikesdirect.com bike, as far as I can tell, they are only selling "LeChampion" models with Ti or CF frames nowadays. That one claimed at "originally worth $2500" was probably the bikesdirect slightly-inflated "we're not selling it for this much" price, I would guess it probably sold originally for $1500. But I don't see any rack mounts on any of those bikes, I'm just sayin...

cyclocross/gravel/adventure, searching phx cl for 'cross', there are a bunch of CrossChecks, but currently all too small for you. Take a look here, see if anything looks interesting. Or from BikesDirect's outlet, bikeisland, here's a 61cm cross bike that is at a lower price because it was returned.

GovernorSilver

Maybe 5 years ago we could say "get a cyclocross (CX) bike" and be done with it. But what has happened is that CX bikes have evolved to be more and more specific to the sport, and consequently less comfortable (at least for me) for commuting 6 miles or more each way. I test rode a couple of current-gen CX bikes and my back was starting to ache already after just 15 min. of riding.

Adventure bikes have evolved from older CX bike designs to be something you can commute on, go ride all day on weekends, etc. as opposed to racing. That is why Jamis now puts their Renegade bike line under the Adventure category instead of Road or CX. The competitors to the Renegade include the Bianche Volpe (Classic and Disc), Kona Rove, GT Grade, Fuji Tread, Felt V85, and there may be others.

You mentioned triathlon. Triathlon bikes are yet another animal - you've got that weird looking handlebar and all that. My friends say they're uncomfortable for anything outside the sport, but I've seen one or two riders commuting on that type of bike.

turtlespeed

I have been personally eyeing the fuji tread 1.0 as an upgrade to my current bike. It has good components and is flexible to handle multiple different uses in my opinion.

cdnorth

Thanks for all of the help everyone. I have settled on a used 61 cm motobecane le champion SL (CL link is above but will probably be deleted soon) and just brought it home. The bikes in really good shape and I'm surprised at how light it is and the ultegra components are really smooth. They even threw in some aero bars and extra tubes so I should be good for a little while. I bought for $400 and all I have to do now of decide whether to buy clip in shoes to go with the pedals or a new set of pedals, thoughts?

GovernorSilver

What's wrong with the pedals?

Have you ridden clipless before?

Darth Lefty 

Hope they included the cleats, they come with the pedals and not with the shoes!

You will find advocates here for clipless bindings, old fashioned toe clips with straps, and platform pedals with no clips at all. They all have their advantages. I say try it and see if you like it but nbd if you don't.

RubeRad

Good job, I remember that one, it was a nice looking bike. Ultegra if I recall, so the drivetrain should work very well.

For pedals, a bike of that 'calibre', common opinion would say that the appropriate pedal/shoe system to use would be something road-specific, like shimano spd-sl, or maybe speedplay.

Next most 'acceptable' would be a mountain pedal/shoe system (also commonly used/marketed as 'touring'), probably shimano spd, but maybe crank bros or speedplay frog. It's easier to find mountain/touring shoes that are not too hard to walk in. Also there are dual-sided pedals which are spd-clips on one side, and platforms on the other, so you can use cycling or street shoes.

Another option that would be looked on as unusual would be "clips", i.e. cages and straps. That would be a classic/vintage vibe that would look odd on that bike.

Another option would be just platforms and whatever shoes you want. Either bear traps (super cheap, will bite into soft shoes and lead to numbness) or platforms, preferably with 'pins' (distributes pressure evenly for soft shoes, pins bite in and give grip -- can also tear up shins)

But all the above measures of appropriateness are just opinion/fashion. In terms of functionality, any can be as good as any other, it's up to you to choose. Because of the cost of cycling-specific shoes, my (personal/subjective) recommendation is to start with pinned platforms and sneakers you already have, ride it for a while, and decide whether you want to spend $100-200 to upgrade to a pedal/shoe system.

Wellgo MG-1, MG-2, MG-3 are all very good pinned platform pedals, pretty lightweight, and can be had for a little over $20/pair/shipped, if you shop eBay carefully.

But of course, you've got a bike with pedals right now that you want to ride! So maybe the best solution is to buy shoes (and replacement cleats if you don't have the cleats that would have come with the pedals) to fit the existing pedals.