First Bike for around $1,000

Lotatoop on 23/03/2021 - 15:22

Hi all,

I haven't rode a bike in a few years and I'm trying to get back into it with a good entry level bike. I'll be using it to sometimes commute about 5km one way on bike paths/quiet roads and do some longer recreational riding. I also need to cross a hill to get to my bike path with a 5% gradient over 700m so good hill climbing capabilities are preferable.

Looking to spend around $1,000 though my budget is quite flexible. (Happy to get something okay and then something better down the line, n+1 and all that)

I'm currently looking at the Giant Cross City 2 Disc ($799) https://www.giant-bicycles.com/au/cross-city-2-disc
Though people say that getting a drop bar road bike is ideal. I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions!

Sports & Outdoors

Comments

  • jv on 23/03/2021 - 15:23
    +6

    This is good and it includes the pedals…

    • jee on 23/03/2021 - 15:40
      +2

      no band 28

    • Mokr on 23/03/2021 - 15:45
      -1

      Product weight: 13.5kg nope.

      • jv on 23/03/2021 - 16:19

        My First Bike weighed around 18kg

        • DashCam AKA Rolts on 23/03/2021 - 18:34
          +1

          Penny farthings are always a touch on the heavy side.

  • iamherenow on 23/03/2021 - 15:45

    Weight: not telling!

    • Euphemistic on 23/03/2021 - 17:41
      -1

      Weight: doesn’t really matter. It’ll be somewhere Kmart bike and a $3k bike.

      • iamherenow on 23/03/2021 - 18:02

        It's a good indicator if you are getting a fancy looking POS.

        • Euphemistic on 23/03/2021 - 22:20

          It doesn’t make that much difference. Any decent quality bicycle from a reputable brand ($700+) will be built reasonably light for its spec. The difference between comparable bikes will probably be less than you dropped in the loo this morning.

          Saving weight on bikes is a lot more expensive than dropping relatively more weight off yourself.

  • Wilkshake on 23/03/2021 - 15:47
    +1

    I picked up a Trek FX1 back in July last year for around $650. Happy does the job of my 8km commute 3x a week in what sounds like similar conditions to yours. https://www.trekbikes.com/au/en_AU/bikes/hybrid-bikes/fitnes…

  • Tee Rex Arms on 23/03/2021 - 16:13

    Flat bar road bike is the way to go. Forget drop bars if you’re just getting into it.

  • innov on 23/03/2021 - 16:55
    +1

    FB groups for second hand bikes will sort you out.

  • BargainCowboy on 23/03/2021 - 17:04

    I have that bike you linked - it's excellent to get from A to B, have been ridden it for over 3 years (COVID exclusion). Just get it service every year and you're golden.
    EDIT: Mine from 2018 has a carbon fork, so YMMV.

  • brotherfranciz on 23/03/2021 - 17:04

    Have you considered second hand from Gumtree/FB?

    I've heard good things about Reid (I've never ridden them myself).
    https://www.reidcycles.com.au/collections/hybrid-commuter-bi…

    It'll leave you with a bit in the bank that you can save up for a better N+1 bike down the track…

    Always test ride of course.

  • SF3 on 23/03/2021 - 17:32

    These are the wrong bikes to join the Bikies.

  • Euphemistic on 23/03/2021 - 17:47
    +1

    Agree a flat bar is a better option if starting out, especially for commuting. For 5km any bike will do. For example, I had a 6.6km commute and the difference in time between a stupidly heavy Big W fat bike with one gear and a decent road bike was only a couple of minutes. A decent MTB and the road bike was only about 90sec with a similar effort.

    Hard to go wrong with a Giant. Most important thing is that it feels good for YOU to ride. You’ll likely find other bike shop brands have very similar models with slight differences in spec.

    Hydraulic disc brakes are great for riding if you get stuck in the rain and we’ll worth including.

    Second hand is good, especially for a decent flat bar bike like the cross city. But covid has decimated stocks and the second hand market. Prices are up for used. It may be returning to more normal pricing now things are returning to normal.

  • DashCam AKA Rolts on 23/03/2021 - 18:44

    I have a Giant CRX 1, the earlier version of the Cross City model. It's been a good buy. Great for road or bike trails with a reasonably good surface. (Mine has 28mm tyres.) It coped with the Port Fairy to Warrnambool rail trail recently, but would have been easier with 32mm tyres. I regularly ride this bike 30 to 45kms.

  • trongy on 23/03/2021 - 19:23

    For climbing hills the lowest gear ratio is relevant. That can be calculated by dividing the number of teeth on the smallest front chainring by the number of teeth on the largest sprocket of the rear cassette. The lower the number the lower (easier) the gear is.

    For example the Giant Cross City 2 Disc has:
    Crankset: Forged alloy, 30-46T
    Cassette: Shimano HG31, 11-34T, 8sp

    30 ÷ 34 = 0.88 That's should easily get you up your 5% hill.

    Drop bar vs flat bar is very much a matter of personal preference and you would have to spend a decent amount of time to figure out what you prefer. Flat bar is a good choice for a starter bike. Drip bars nomally come into their own when you are dong long rides (50km +).

    The Giant Cross City 2 Disc is a fine choice, but I suggest you test ride before you buy, there are plenty of other bikes if you don't feel comfortable on that one.

  • FocusRider on 24/03/2021 - 13:17

    Have you considered S-works? they are reasonably priced.. =)

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