In my quest to be less of a lard-ass I want to get a bike. Anybody have an old mountain/hybrid bike for sale?
Wanted: Mountain/Hybrid Bike
- Thread starter Ben Ruset
- Start date
If you can’t locate a used one don’t make the mistake I made when I bought bikes for my sons and get a cheap one from one on the big box stores. Even if they have Shimano shifters and derailers, they are usually bottom of the line versions and are good for only the most casual use. The Trek mountain bike I bought 21 years ago has outlasted several of the cheaper ones I’ve bought (not to mention three trucks) and was well worth the investment. Besides using it to keep the lard on my own ass at bay, I find it a great compromise between driving and walking when exploring sand road and trails. You can cover much more ground than walking, but see and hear much more than when driving. Exploring on a bike also affords a more “stealthier” approach than in a truck or car, for those occasions when discretion is called for.
Yeah. When I first started looking I found a gorgeous bike on Target's website, but after doing some research I'm leaning towards trying to find a used Trek.
I agree! I like good bicycle machinery and I hate those Walmart things, pretty colours but crap.
"... a used Trek"
The name on bikes means little. It all depends of what kind of frame and components they are using, tho surely something like Trek would be much better on the average than bozo brand in the Walmart or Target.
I'd check out used bikes. If you don't know anything about them a good local bike store might have some nice ones for sale. I like small wheel bikes lately. they're compact and fun. I have a Xootr Swift folding bike, made in Brooklyn of all places. Bike Fridays are swell. Not cheap though. I've always coveted a Moulton...
I used to race bikes and build them. I like muscle-powered vehicles - bicycles, canoes...
More about bikes here than you ever wanted to know:
http://www.bikeforums.net/forum.php
Well, I'm saying something better than the quality of the X-mart bikes, but not super high end. So Trek seems to be a nice middle ground to start with.
I'm trying to find a used bike. Kopps Cycle in Princeton had a grand total of four adult used bikes chained up on the side of their building, all with rusted chains and flat tires for $250-300. Seems that they're in that condition to encourage people to buy the new bikes inside.
I've been reading through BikeForums. Tons of info. Hard to digest.
I'm trying to find a used bike. Kopps Cycle in Princeton had a grand total of four adult used bikes chained up on the side of their building, all with rusted chains and flat tires for $250-300. Seems that they're in that condition to encourage people to buy the new bikes inside.
I've been reading through BikeForums. Tons of info. Hard to digest.
Trek makes a good Bike. Just remember there bikes at $1000 and under are made In China.Trek has there own Factory in China. They ship out of there warehouse in Swedesboro NJ. If you can do your own work you save alot of money.Find a good shop and go test ride some bikes. No test ride Don't shop there! Let them size you up on a bike.Just do yourself a favor if you need accessories, Buy them online. Thats where shops make there big bucks is the accessories.Bikes shops markup on bikes is between 23%-42%.Accessories 35%-75%
I'm looking at something like a used Trek 730. It's from the mid 90s. I think that may have pre-dated their Chinese factory. I'm looking in the under $300 range.
In recent years I’ve come to disagree with the last part of your advice. I agree that a good bike shop is the place to go to be properly set up with the right bike, especially for someone not well versed in them. But suggesting that one avoid buying accessories from the same shop because of the markup puts that shop one step closer to going out of business. As it is, small shops, be they bike, hunting & fishing or hardware stores, are all facing almost insurmountable competition from the big boxes and internet sales. Yet none of those sources can give you in-person advice or service that a small shop can when you need it. If you think they are the best place to buy a bike, wouldn’t you want them to stay in business? Given the fact that the pump, water bottle rack or whatever other accessory you buy will likely be a small percentage of the cost of the bike, is it really going to break anyone who can afford a new bike to also spend a few extra dollars over what it would cost online to buy their accessories there too? Sorry for getting up on my soapbox. I guess I’m just getting old and am not ready to see Main Street, USA go the way of the passenger pigeon.
One of the first things I'm going to do with my bike (if I can find one) is go to the local bike store and pay for a tune up.
I also think a nice Brooks saddle is in my future.
I also think a nice Brooks saddle is in my future.
i deal with Action Wheels in Woodbury, but there is probably a bike shop near you. they can always help you as they know who wants to sell to upgrade.
There's two big local bike shops in Princeton. Their used selection kind of sucks, though. However I'll be using them for tune ups and parts.
I can always count on the sound reasoning, sage advice, and great wisdom to be found in a post by German. You have challenged me to think so many times.
Seriously.
Seriously.
I can always count on the sound reasoning, sage advice, and great wisdom to be found in a post by German. You have challenged me to think so many times.
Seriously.
Thanks Bob. I don't think I'm deserving of such kind words. I’ll bet my wife and kids would certainly have a different opinion, if nothing more than extreme eye rolling or perhaps “opinionated old fart” muttered under their breath. Very untrue. I'm only 50
In recent years I’ve come to disagree with the last part of your advice. I agree that a good bike shop is the place to go to be properly set up with the right bike, especially for someone not well versed in them. But suggesting that one avoid buying accessories from the same shop because of the markup puts that shop one step closer to going out of business. As it is, small shops, be they bike, hunting & fishing or hardware stores, are all facing almost insurmountable competition from the big boxes and internet sales. Yet none of those sources can give you in-person advice or service that a small shop can when you need it. If you think they are the best place to buy a bike, wouldn’t you want them to stay in business? Given the fact that the pump, water bottle rack or whatever other accessory you buy will likely be a small percentage of the cost of the bike, is it really going to break anyone who can afford a new bike to also spend a few extra dollars over what it would cost online to buy their accessories there too? Sorry for getting up on my soapbox. I guess I’m just getting old and am not ready to see Main Street, USA go the way of the passenger pigeon.
Amen German.
I go out of my way to number one, buy American and number two, support the Mom and Pops.
Ordering online usaully ends up close to the Mom and Pop price after you factor in shipping.
I will mourn the day Atco Sports puts up the "Closed" sign for the last time. I have bought many guns and my ammunition and basic accessories from them over the last 28 years, all the while knowing I could have saved a few dollars by going to a larger store or buying online.
Rose and Walt at Atco Sports are good, honest, hard working people.
Too bad they don't sell bicycles.
Ben, You might want to check some of the bike forums, most have a 'for sale' section like the NJ one below. My 2 boys used to be heavy into it, not so much now. They like the Specialized & GT brands. Iron Horse is another decent bike at fair prices.
http://www.mtbnj.com/forum/index.php
My daughter Jennifer and I purchased new Trek 7100 bikes early this winter and I won't get into all the trouble we had getting them from a prominent store in Cherry Hill. It was frustrating. In any event, I did not really test ride the bike before purchasing, and once I started riding it I was very disappointed in it. I did not like the way I sat on it and felt the handlebars were way too close to me. I kept trying to slide back in the seat to get away from the handlebars and this was causing my ass to hurt.
After a few weeks I had had enough and purchased a gel seat which was recommended to me by the same store I purchased the bike at. It was a quality seat but it was not even close to the gel seat Jennifer transferred from her old bike. However, by spinning the handlebars almost 180 degrees, lowering the stem, and moving the seat (the store calls it a saddle) all the way back, I now have abandoned the idea of dumping it as fast as I could for a different bike. I can now tolerate short rides wthout getting sore. The suspension on this bike is really nice, and the shifting is sweet, but my 20 year old $89 bike could outrace this bike with no problem at all.
I would suggest that before you spend a dime on a Trek you ride the bike for an extended amount of time before purchasing. Don't make the same mistake I did.
Guy
After a few weeks I had had enough and purchased a gel seat which was recommended to me by the same store I purchased the bike at. It was a quality seat but it was not even close to the gel seat Jennifer transferred from her old bike. However, by spinning the handlebars almost 180 degrees, lowering the stem, and moving the seat (the store calls it a saddle) all the way back, I now have abandoned the idea of dumping it as fast as I could for a different bike. I can now tolerate short rides wthout getting sore. The suspension on this bike is really nice, and the shifting is sweet, but my 20 year old $89 bike could outrace this bike with no problem at all.
I would suggest that before you spend a dime on a Trek you ride the bike for an extended amount of time before purchasing. Don't make the same mistake I did.
Guy
Sounds like they did a bad job of fitting you for the bike. That's one of the reasons why I didn't want to buy at a department store.
I ended up buying a 1997 Trek 730 off of Craigslist. I overpaid for it, but it was the bike that I wanted. Now, to accessorize!
I ended up buying a 1997 Trek 730 off of Craigslist. I overpaid for it, but it was the bike that I wanted. Now, to accessorize!
One of my all time best bikes was a c. 1980 Specialized Expedition. I changed it from a 10 speed to a 5 speed by removing the front derailleur. Then I stoopidly sold it to a friend of mine who still rides it regularly. I tied and soldered the spokes, an old 19th century technique, and when I looked at it a few years ago the wheels were still precisely true after 25 years! The present owner only knows how to ride bikes not adjust them. He never touched the wheels. I prefer older bikes. The derailleur shift levers were on the down tube where God intended them to be, and, unlike the new ones, I knew how to fix and adjust them.
Yeah, bikeforums.net is an excellent website. there are a lot of good bike websites.
I used to race bikes in Central Park way back ~ 1961-62. I was the only American born racer in the club, I think. I imported my own bike repair books from England since there was no serious bike literature at that time prior to the bike boom in the '70's. The now legendary Thomas Avenia, who had a bike shop in east Harlem, recruited me.