What's a Good, Cheap Bike for Some Casual Riders?

PurchaseAnxiety on 08/10/2016 - 21:19

Hi all.

Now that the weather is warming, my partner and I want to start going on some casual bike rides along the many paths of Canberra (btw, any other Canberrans, feel free to suggest some good paths).

Only issue is that neither of us have owned a bike since we were kids, so getting a new set of wheels is the obvious starting point. However, we're also realistic enough to know that after one or two rides, the bikes could very well wind up in the shed, only ever to be seen again the next time we move. So while we obviously want something that's comfortable and reliable, we also want to keep the cost at a minimum.

So I'd love to hear some recommendations on some bikes to get us started :)

Sports & Outdoors

Comments

  • PVA on 08/10/2016 - 21:26
    +1

    However, we're also realistic enough to know that after one or two rides, the bikes could very well wind up in the shed, only ever to be seen again the next time we move. ….

    I bet that happens to most bikes.
    Every one will say get a good bike but for a super casual user save money and get the cheapest you can, if you both really like biking later on then buy something better.
    No matter what others may say cheap ones from BigW Kmart etc last enough and are fine to start.

  • rambutann on 08/10/2016 - 21:30

    Bongo 90s mountain bike off eBay for $30 would be my best bet. Everyone goes out and buys a cheap new bike and spends at least $200 and uses it like 3 times before giving up, hence why its better to go for the bongo mountain bike. I'm not saying a piece of shit, you don't want that, but there are plenty of decent cheap older mountain bikes.

  • fruit on 08/10/2016 - 23:44
    -1

    Square wheels are better for exercise

  • scrimshaw on 08/10/2016 - 23:54
    +1

    I've been using my cheap "Supermarket bike" for well over a year now with no issues. I commute on it around 3-4 times a week!

    $100 dollars from BigW, called a Repco Tremor, heavy as a beached whale but for riding on perfectly level roads and bike paths, it's actually alright for a short trip down from my house to the train station.

    I do also have a bike that I use for actual bicycling activites, it's a hybrid road bike (Giant, not sure of model name) that was $300 from Anaconda.

  • inherentchoice on 09/10/2016 - 07:02

    I have owned a few different supermarket bikes in my time and I think the Big W ones are better than the Kmart omes.

    I saw my local Aldi is selling some cheap road bikes.

    Harvey Norman online has some cheap bikes: http://www.harveynorman.com.au/search/bikes/1065?q=Bike

    From time to time Anaconda has some good sales and clearances.

    Even Supercheap Auto has a mountain bike:

    http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/Product/Ridgeback-27-5-Dual…

    My local store has it discounted to $150, I don't think it's worth $179. Until midnight tonight you can get $25 off online orders with the code BATHURST25, and I think that includes click and collect orders.

  • Euphemistic on 09/10/2016 - 08:33

    Look for a good brand (bike shop brand, not huffy, cyclops etc) second hand bike on your favourite local second hand website. You can pick up a pretty decent bike for $200 or less. A lot of them haven't been ridden much and can be serviced easily.

    Please don't buy a Kmart/big w bike, it just encourages them to keep selling cheap rubbish that gets used twice and dumped (post above is the exception). If it needs a service a local bike shop is quite possibly not going to work on your Kmart bike because it isn't worth it

    Alternatively the latest bikes from Aldi are getting good reports, but they are in the $350 price range, equivalent to approx $500 in a well known brand, but with out the brand label.

  • Carpe Diem on 17/10/2016 - 13:19

    I bought my first bike since a child two weeks ago & I'm now absolutely hooked. Friends are the same.

    Cheap bikes are tempting & seem a logical choice if you're undecided but obviously bare in mind that they will weigh equivilient to the deathstar. When I was looking to buy my bike the weight was of paramount importance i.e. if it's heavy, then for me, it would be a major detrrent to actually using it. I don't want cycling to be a chore but exhilarating. I now have the later :)

    I spent $1.3k on a secondhand bike, which was a steal & now cycle at least 4-5 times a week.

    Look around BikeExchange, Ebay & particulary Gumtree, which is where I found mine & you can get a decent enough beginners bike for around $400-500.

    • PurchaseAnxiety on 17/10/2016 - 13:59

      Thanks for the write up. I'm more leaning towards 2nd hand now, especially after finding that a lot of the 'cheap' bikes are still a few hundred.

      Anything I should look for when shopping around, apart from weight and comfort?

      • Carpe Diem on 17/10/2016 - 14:17

        I had never ridden a dropped racing handlebar bike before (36yrs) & was apprehensive but now love it. I'm also 6'2ft.

        The most important aspect of any bike is the frame size. The wrong size can make it uncomfortable & lead to aches etc.

        When you now your rough frame size (it varies a bit based on the brand & style of a bike) e.g. I bought a 58 frame one but another brand could well be 60'.
        I assume you're after a road bike & there are two main types - Racing & Endurance. Go for Endurance. This will be more comfortable & with a more upfright geometry.

        The main part is trying to know what you're buying & basically not get ripped off! I knew nothing a few months back & now know a bit. Secondhand buying is obviously a bit risky so bring a knowledgably friend or get the bike tested in a bike shop for a small fee, if possible. I just read up online myself and felt fairly confident when I bought mine. Lastly, ask why they're selling it… This old guy I bought from purchased a top spec bike to get into cycling & then changed his mind & so left it in the shed! Bargains are to be had but be careful..

        • Euphemistic on 17/10/2016 - 16:22

          Don't worry about the weight so much. Other than cheap kmart bikes, a basic bike will be heavier than a flash bike, but over the span of bike models from the basic to the best every time you step up in price, you lose a bit of weight. You won't really get a light weight bike until you spend upwards of $2k.

          Definitely look for fit.

          Don't worry about suspension, it adds weight unnecessarily and doesn't provide much benefit unless you are smashing through rough trails. Your arms and legs will provide much better suspension than anything cheap.

          For casual path riding a road bike (curly drop bars) doesn't sound right, you may be better with a more upright hybrid style or flat bar road bike. A mountain bike will provide a tougher frame, but will also have chunky tyres that will slow you down on road/path surfaces. Then again, I'd highly recommend a mountain bike for getting out onto fire trails and into the bush around Canberra, haven't been there for a while but remember plenty of trails in the area.

          For second hand bikes, if you can find out the brand and model google will often help you find out how much it cost from the shop, giving a good indication of the quality of the bike. Don't trust the seller to tell you, I've seen quite a few overpriced kmart bikes claiming to be top quality a s a regular gumtree viewer. http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/maryland/bicycles/bike-never-… here is an example of someone advertising a bike for $1k that probably cost less than $600.

          I have several styles of bike to suit the riding I'm doing, aside from my good MTB they have been bought for less than $100 and repaired and upgraded quite easily, and after buying and selling bits and pieces owe me less than $300 each and while not fancy, each performs well.

  • Carpe Diem on 18/10/2016 - 07:23

    "You won't really get a light weight bike until you spend upwards of $2k." - For brand new yes but secondhand you can easily achieve this.

    • Euphemistic on 18/10/2016 - 10:40

      Of course, I did mean the value of the bike when new.

  • rowshow on 10/11/2016 - 17:46
    +1

    I bought a reid using a recent $50 coupon.

    https://www.reidcycles.com.au/reid-mtb-sport.html

    Its an excellent bike for the price. Only ended up paying $200.00 and its alot better than any dept store bike. Very happy with it.

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