Bike advice requested

[LuckyTheDog]

I have been giving careful consideration to retiring my 17-year-old Schwinn Sidewinder in favor of something lighter and better for urban commuting. But I am stymied by indecision.

I don't want to pay a high markeup for a trendy name. But, on the other hand, I don't want a pile of junk that will fall apart. Non-expert that I am, I can't tell why the $600-$800 bicycles in bike shops are better than the Schwinns I could by at Target for less than $300.

Does anybody have any advice on the topic?

Basically, I want something light (aluminum frame might be best?) but rugged enough for pothole-ridden Detroit streets. And I can't spend a lot.

[taterguy]

1. Go to a local bike shop

Will Target fix the bike you buy?

Will they make sure it's properly fitted?

Just find someone in your area that you trust.

A decent bike will last much longer than a cheap bike you buy at Target.

And if you actually use it for commuting ask your HR Dept at work if they participate in the Bicycle Commuter Act. You could get $20 a month for cycling expenses.

[LuckyTheDog]

5. Any specific advice on brands?

All the local bikes stores here sell different brands. My guess is that each will tell me their bikes are better than all the others.

One local place has the advantage of taking trade-ins to re-sell. So, maybe my old Schwinn could find a good home. :)

[taterguy]

7. I like Treks and Gary Fishers

Trek is the only bike company I know of with a factory in America, if that matters to you.

[LuckyTheDog]

9. Thanks

That helps.

[midnight armadillo]

2. the frames may be very similar...

...but everything on them may be different.
don't want to pay a high markeup for a trendy name. But, on the other hand, I don't want a pile of junk that will fall apart. Non-expert that I am, I can't tell why the $600-$800 bicycles in bike shops are better than the Schwinns I could by at Target for less than $300.

The $200 Wal-mart specials probably have shitty brakes, cheap cables, cheap shifters, and crappy wheels. The wheels in particular won't survive long on pothole'd streets. The frame material is not as important as the stuff attached to it.

Do you have a bike co-op or similar in town? That'd probably get you your biggest bang-for-your-buck. A rebuilt used bike can be a really good bargain. Add some wide smooth tires, a u-lock, a rack for a crate or panniers and you'll be stylin'

[triguy46]

3. If you want to commute...

then you need a bike that will last. Cheap bikes are cheap, cheaply made, cheap components. $600-$800 bikes will be more comfortable, be repairable, be more adaptable, be lighter yet stronger. Go to your local bike shop, tell them what you want, get fitted and get pedaling. Good luck.

[jobycom]

4. My input.

A good bike is worth the extra money, a bad one is worth horsewhipping the bike makers for bilking the customer. And just because it is inexpensive doesn't mean it's a better value--some of them are crap marked up even more than the high dollar bikes.

How much you should spend depends on how much you ride it. If it's a daily rider, you should spend more on it, it it's occassional there's not a lot of reason to spend much unless you just like high end performance.

Which brings up why some bikes are justified in asking a lot. It basically is for three reasons--name, durability, or performance (or any combination of the three). Forget name, you're not trying to impress anyone but yourself. So in an appropriately priced bike the things you are looking for are construction of the frame and components. The frame is the durability factor, the components the performance, althought but affect each other.

Unless you want to put on a jersey and ride in a peloton along the shoulders of your roadways with the other yuppies, probably you should worry about frame mostly. You can replace components as they wear out, but replacing the frame is just replacing the bike. Don't get really cheap components or you will hate the thing pretty quickly, but put the money into a good frame with decent components, and you'll use it longer. Especially in Detroit, if my image of the city is close to accurate.

As for frames, good aluminum frames are good, bad aluminum frames are awful. Bad aluminum has no flex, so it can crack, pull apart at the welds, and dent--and a dented aluminum frame is a sculpture, not a bike. I love steel frames, but they are also either great or really awful. If you can find a good double or triple-butted steel frame, you'll have a frame that flexes, will last forever, and isn't really any heavier than the aluminum ones in real world situations. I have an old Gary Fischer double-butted steel frame, and it's the best bike I've ever owned, and yes, you can tell the difference between that bike and the ones from Sears I've used.

Just my thoughts. Not much help, but maybe it will give you a place to start asking questions. Find a bike store near a college--that's where you'll get the best advice, and maybe even some good bargains. Other than that, there are a ton of places on the web to look up whatever bikes you narrow it down to.

Oh yeah, and look at Craigslist. There are some good prices on used bikes, but talk to the owner long enough to be sure he or she owns the bike and didn't just salvage it from a bike rack with a pair of bolt cutters.

[flvegan]

6. Buy from a bike shop, not Target.

You're going to have a relationship with these people, just like you would your personal mechanic.

The $800 bike is better because it's probably better made and has better components. I spent roughly $2k on my Gary Fisher Sugar around 8 years ago. I have beat the crap out of that bike both during urban assault and in the woods. It's failed me one time, when the frame broke. Alas, Gary Fischer replaced it for free and the bike shop (from whom I bought it and formed a relationship with) stripped it and put it back together for me for nothing. I'm not suggesting spending that kind of money, I'm saying that sometimes you get what you paid for.

Value for money, not just a price tag.

Good luck.

[seemunkee]

8. Like others have said, it's all about the components

Lighter weight and stronger components that will last. In your price range most bikes will have similar components, but they will all be better than what you can buy at Target.
Lots of good brands in that range
Cannondale
Surly
Bianchi
Trek
Gary Fischer
Specialized
Giant
Fuji
Try a variety of models and brands. The geometry of the frames will be different and depending on your build and ride position some will feel better than others.

[LuckyTheDog]

10. Thanks to all (nt)

[imkindofabigdeal]

11. I bought a wonderful bike by the Breezer company in 2005

It's been through the ringer (I ride in winter, it has fallen down and gotten nicked hundreds of times). With tax, it was $600. Why that much? It was aluminum, it has an internal gear thingie, it has fenders, headlight, back rack, and was made in the USA!!!! Best bike I have ever owned. I have a small quibble, though I notice that lots of companies do this: they should have metal brake levers instead of plastic! During some of the falls, the handles have snapped off!:mad: How much more would it have cost to put in decent levers? Hell, all those used Schwinns probably have the original levers!

Which brings me to...If money is an object, I'd just go get a used Schwinn ten-speed. Even if not aluminum, they are durable, light, and easy to tote on bus racks. If you live near a big city, there are usually stores which sell them or look in the classifieds.

[Kashka-Kat]

12. What that greater price translates to is....

more speed, lighter weight! Which translates to greater ease & enjoyment in riding it. Durability is part of it too, such as deraillers that don't fall apart right away and which operate smoothly.

I just love love love my new bike, a Trek FX 7.5 which is very light and fast, for about $600 marked down from $800 (last years model). I use it extensively for commuting and occasional overnight travel. That said, you can still get a decent Trek for around $250-400 – maybe not as light and fast but certainly very serviceable and much better built than the cheap chintzy bikes. Actually if you hit a good sale at a bike shop the price could very well be cheaper, and for a better bike - or used/rebuilt as someone suggested.