Hi ozb. I recently moved close enough to work for a daily round commute on a bicycle but don't know much about them. Can you get a decent road bicycle that's fairly lightweight and good quality with a budget of about 1k? Prefer preassembled. Cheers
Looking for Decent Bicycle for Daily Commute (Budget ~ $1k)
Lbudgetgaming on 15/03/2016 - 05:28
Comments
are you after a road bike, mountain bike or hybrid?
will you need to carry anything? brief case or back pack? panniers?
how close is close?
hills or mostly flat?
I'd suggest a decent used bike at first to see if you're going to continue riding. then if you're into it then either upgrade to a better used bike or something new.
I just got back into road ridding last year and bought a used bike with shimano 105, ultegra hubs, gatorskin tyres, etc etc. great bike in excellent condition for $145 on ebay. added some clipless pedals for $29. BAM, ready to roll. I do 20km daily rides on it.
Yep used bike.
Get some advice on what is a good deal. You can then sell it on for the same price you paid if (a) you wish to upgrade or (b) you don't use it.So many used high spec bikes are 50% RRP but have barely been used.
Why do they lose value so quickly? Is it possible to buy a "lemon" if you don't know what you're looking for?
Bike manufacturers are always updating components. Also, carbon fibre can fracture or crack if stressed too much but it can be hard to find a hairline fracture etc. Not knowing how a former owner has maintained their carbon fibre bike or whether the carbon is cracked leads to people paying less for 2nd hand bikes since they dont want to take a chance on a cracked frame etc.
In terms of components, about 3 years ago most road groupsets went from a 10 speed to an 11 speed groupset. Last year Mountain Bikes did the same. Obviously bikes older than that now have 2 less gears than new bikes.
Bikes come in different sizes. When you buy from a shop they measure you and recommend the best size. Some people then pay a specialist bike fitter to tweak the general size to get the most effective and comfortable fitting for the rider. Buying 2nd hand normally means you take a chance on sizing.
Parts on bikes break and need servicing, not knowing how parts have been kept and/or maintained leads people to expect a discount for taking the chance bits wont break. The wrong part breaking at the wrong time could literally cost you your life. I was doing over 70km/hr down a hill on Saturday morning, if a crack in the carbon frame lead to a frame collapsing or 3 spokes broke or my rear deraileur came off and lodged in the spokes etc etc I would have been bouncing down a road, through the cars and into the guardrail at 70km/hr with only a polystyrene helmet and some Lycra shorts between me and the road!
It is definitely possible to buy a 'Lemon'. If you buy a bike with major issues like a cracked frame, no brake tracks left on the wheels etc you might endup spending more than the what you initially spent just to get the thing running again.
It is like anything.. as an OZB I would expect people to do the right thing. Search Ebay etc for newly listed and jump straight onto a good deal.
You are unlikely to get a lemon with a bike that looks in great condition. Limit your purchases to any bikes where the owner has hardly used it. But it needs to be the right size so check what size you are for each brand / type before you buy if possible.
As per the below comment, some people want the latest bike. The reality though is that most bikes are the same each year apart from colours and often (at least in the UK) either the spec went down or the price went up. Buying a Giant Defy 3 (as per earlier comment) in 2010 will be little different to 2016.
There is no risk with a carbon frame as long as it hasnt been crashed and somebody hasn't rammed the wrong seat into the seatpost or similar. You will get a nearly new carbon equivalent for the price of a new aluminium bike at the shop.
I am not an expert but i would prefer to buy a bike from somebody who (like you) got the cycling bug and bought a new bike..but then hardly used it. You will get a much newer bike with no wear. Getting one from a keen cyclist means a maintained bike (for brakes etc) but the crank etc will have been hammered for hundreds / thousands of hours and the value is not so good.
My opinion only :)
Bikes are like gym memberships. Lots of people buy them because they want to exercise but don't actually do it.
It's definitely worth getting a second hand bike.
I've been cycle commuting on two second hand bikes for 10+ years.
So many people buy fancy bikes and don't ride them much and then sell that it's definitely worth getting one.
Also check out panniers. It's nice not to have stuff on your back when you ride.
I second peoples opinions on sourcing a decent used bike. So many uber-serious riders offload their bikes for a song, its just crazy.
If I had around 1000 to spend, Id think about something like this:-
http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/mcdowall/bicycles/avanti-inc-…
TBH, I think there's still a fair bit of room for negotiating, but if I could justify it I would love to have a bike like that. So hard to find a decent bike with IGH and aftermarket drop bar conversions. This would be a kickarse commuting bike.
Most of my cycling mates sell to upgrade. They need that $1K as part of the $8K they are spending on a new Pinarello/Colnago etc. Ideally you would keep all of your old bikes but unreasonable things like wives, the cost of storage space etc all conspire to necessitate moving on a trusty old companion. I've had my Trek Domane for nearly 3 years now, still goes great, cost me about $3500 ish, have ridden thousands of kms on it. If I hang onto it too long it will become worthless, i wonder if there is an optimal point where I could sell and maximise the resell price and minimise the changeover cost.
Well, Im not complaining. Gives me an opportunity to buy bikes I could never justify buying new. Just seems insane to me though. I mean bikes aren't like cars, girls are not going to want to come home with you just because you're riding a Trek Madone. Plus its the man that maketh the bike, and not the other way around. A lot less expensive than having a trophy car fetish though I suppose.
If you're new to cycling, I probably wouldn't sink $1k into your first one, because the habit might not stick. You can Gumtree a decent bike for around half that.
For bicycles the saying is: "Light, strong, cheap. Pick any two"
For a first commuter I'd be picking strong and cheap over light. Buying a new bike in the $1k range will get you to that mark, it is the entry price for a 'good' bike. Below that is a solid, basic bike. Above is starting to get towards the bling factor where increasing dollars do not return quite as significant benefits for a newbie.
Second hand you could be lucky to score something for $200, but I'd recommend setting budget of $500 for second hand and having the skills to assess, repair and maintain it will be more necessary, or the costs could blow out in servicing.
I ride a 20 year old road bike as my main commuter. Cost me about $200 to get it going as a commuter, $70 to buy and some parts, but I do all my own maintenance and upgrading. It's been nice and reliable so far.
Something else to consider is security. A new flashy bike will be a thief magnet, so a good lock and even better a secure storage location is very important. An old beater bike with good maintenance is less of a target, but equally reliable/comfortable to ride. I'm not at all worried about leaving my commuter bike locked up at the shops with a $3 lock on the way home, it doesn't look flash and it didn't cost much to replace if it does get nicked while I spend 5-10min in Coles. At work it's in a secure depot so it's only locked to stop work pranksters hiding it.
All of the advice in here is good, the issue is what would suit you best. There are great bargains on used bikes, no doubt. I have bought used bikes and replaced groupsets and wheels to revitalise older bikes into newer bikes. I've bought cheap frames and built them up etc etc.
The biggest question you have to answer really is whether you are likely to 'get into' cycling. If you are looking for a cheap form of transport to roll along some bike paths and get a bit of exercise along the way then you can definitely get a 2nd hand bike that will do this pretty well for a lot less than $1K, even a brand new fitness bike will likely cost less than $1K.
If you are interested in road cycling and might make it a hobby, if you arent intimidated by lycra and if you have ever heard of Fabian Cancellara, Eddy Merckx or Alberto Contador then perhaps a road bike might be for you. There is no right or wrong, i have been flogged senseless up a hill by an A Grade crit rider on a bike that looked like he pulled it off a hard rubbish collection on the way to the ride, buckled wheels and all! I've also sped past guys on $14K Pinarellos that looked like they've eaten half the peloton on their way to the coffee shop! I ride regularly with a retired guy in his 70's that rides a 'fixie' up 12% hills to strengthen his legs, I've ridden with cycling hipsters that have paid thousands for custom 'old school' steel framed bikes handmade in the old tradition of the famous italian artisans like ernesto colnago etc. Other guys get bike fitters to measure them up and they get a custom titanium frame made for them. There is no right or wrong.
I would be wary about buying 2nd hand carbon. Simply over tightening the seat collar can damage the carbon. I know guys that have had bikeshop bought bikes crack and they've had to get their frames x-rayed as part of their warranty claims for the new bikes they bought! There are pictures somewhere on the net of guys forgetting their carbon bike is on the roofrack when they've driven into the garage! All it would take would be to drop the thing onto the wrong surface and you could damage it. Big trust to have to buy from a stranger and believe his bike has been wrapped in cotton wool since new!
It is not too hard to replace worn parts but some parts cost more than others and not all parts are compatible with each other. There are loads of different types of bottom bracket for example, from English or italian thread, Campagnolo or Shimano/SRAM, BB90, Mega Exo etc etc etc loads of things to consider if you need to do major works, none of it too hard but you would need to know what to do and how to do it. Straight or tapered steerer on the forks, rim or disc brakes? the list goes on!
On top of all this you need to get the right size bike and you will also need all of the right extraneous kit. Seasoned cyclists will pick through the bargain sites looking for that reduced pair of Assos socks or a 10% off deal on some Castelli knicks but if you are new to the sport there are some essentials and you need to know what to get. A decent bike shop will get you off and rolling with the basics. You can normally ask them about the merits of a pump over a Co2 inflator, Cork or Gel tape on the bars, tubes, latex tubes or tubeless tyres? What should i have in my saddle bag etc. The other big reason to buy from a Local Bike Shop (LBS) is that if you find a good one they will let you test ride the bike first, they will adjust/setup everything for you from pedal cleats to saddle height and if its a good LBS they will be the centre for your local cycling community. My LBS organises group rides, functions throughout the year and is a great hub to meet cycling buddies and go on cycling adventures. I've made loads of friends and taken part in many of the big mass rides as a part of teams etc organised by my LBS.
In terms of avoiding being somebody that bought a bike and never rode it…I am definitely NOT that guy. Out of the blue I decided to give cycling a try and dropped $3500 on a carbon bike. i am the typical middle aged 40 something business guy with a sedentary job. I struggled through the first few rides and may have been in danger of becoming a lapsed MAMIL until I discovered the LBS and the massive support group of other blokes like me. Since then i havent looked back, I've even taken up drinking coffee and using the odd french or italian word here and there! Cycling has been fantastic for me and in the 3 years or so since i bought my bike cycled thousands of Kms and made a stack of great new friends through cycling. We flog ourselves senseless up some hills then make fun of each other like 15 year olds in a coffee shop somewhere. I live in the outer suburbs of Melbourne and Last Saturday was a little bit wet and gloomy, not great cycling conditions and over a long weekend where many go away for short breaks. We had 60+ riders turn up to the LBS ride.
Thanks for all the replies guys. I'm not looking at "getting into" cycling as a hobby like the Sunday riders but will be looking to do it daily. I know I'll stick to it as fitness/exercise is already part of my daily routine just never on 2 wheels previously. I'm wary about buying second hand as I don't know what to look for when I inspect it. Have there been any good deals for the 1k price point for road bicycles recently - any particular brands you would recommend for this price range?
Thanks
Cell bikes, or Reid bikes have their own brands that are apparently good value. Handy to check them out if you are near their store. Otherwise go to your local bike shop/s and see what they have. Most of the big brands (Giant, Trek, Specialized, Merida and others) will have a bike in your budget and typically they are very close in specs overall. Some might have an edge in one part, while others in different parts.
At the end of the day, buying a new bike from a reputable bike shop will get you a good ride with your budget. Just make sure you are fitted properly, it feels good to ride and you like the colour.
There's a great Wiki on Whirlpool that gives you some options.
A co-worker who started cycling recently ended up getting a Giant Defy 3 after doing a lot of test riding and research. Might be worth a look.
Reid Cycles is also mentioned on here quite often and seem to have good quality components in cheaper bikes.