Thinking of getting this Reid Hybrid with disc brakes. It comes to $350 with a $50 discount.
https://www.reidcycles.com.au/collections/sale-commuter-bike…
Is there any commuter bike that's better than this for the same/similar price?
I've seen this bike mentioned in a different thread but it's around $550? Worth spending the extra $200?
https://www.99bikes.com.au/merida21-speeder-10-v-matt-black-…
Or this one for $280?
OP can still ride downhill without them.
Reid is cheap rubbish and they don't stand by their products. You'd think when the store IS the brand they wouldn't try to sleaze their way out of warranty issues!
Maybe I've just been burnt.
How much are you riding each week?
Do you plan to ride in wet weather? If so, discs are a good upgrade. But cheap mechanical discs such as in the Reid Will probably not be as good as the v brakes on the Merida.
Also the Merida has a cassette hub (unless I’ve rad the specs wrong) which is a stronger rear axle setup and easily upgradable.
IMO skip the Reid, unless it’s an ‘occasional path ride’ bike.
thanks for the info. What do you mean upgradable? is there a disc brake Merida you would recommend?
Hi mate I think I'm in a similar predicament as yourself, trying to upgrade to a hybrid from a BSO and snag myself a EOFY deal only if its an actual deal lol.
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/707713
There were a few suggestions given to me too:
Reid Urban S Hybrid, $329
https://www.reidcycles.com.au/products/reid-urban-s-hybrid-b…
Pedal Hawk Hybrid, $529
https://www.99bikes.com.au/pedal-hawk-hybrid-bike-green
$700 ish
https://www.bicyclesonline.com.au/2022-marin-presidio-1-city…
I don't necessarily think reid bikes are rubbish, contrary to what many other cycling enthusiasts believe. I've owned a reid (a slightly more expensive model than those you are looking at) for about 5 years now, and have not had to replace anything except the bar tape. The brakes are a bit shit, and don't hold up in wet weather (as others have mentioned, disc brakes mean nothing if they are low quality anyway - its a common marketing tactic). I've probably ridden ~1500km on it during that time which is probably considerably more than most would ride on a reid, as a lot of them are just rusting in peoples front yards. The reid was my main bike until I upgraded to a very expensive carbon road bike and now the reid is just a handy run around pub bike.
I think a lot of people shit on reid, and yes, it is a cheap low quality bike, but what other bike can you even get for that price? If you can stretch your budget, I probably would, but that is not always an option.
If you have a mate that knows about bikes I would recommend having them help you buy a second hand one. Otherwise the merida is probably a slightly better build quality.
Agree. Reid is not rubbish, just budget.
When I was bike shopping one key thing was weight limit.
If you're a larger person wanting to get into cycling I went into a lot of bike stores. The Reid store confirmed the info I had seen online, that their bikes have a 100kg weight limit, whereas my Merida I ended up with was like 130kg.
At the time, I was 105kg-ish and carried 5-10kg of camera equipment/water/misc, so the choice was made for me.
I agree with the above couple of posters, I have a Reid Falco (their 'road bike' of the time) as my commuter, it's from 2014 and still holds up well, unsure if their quality has dropped since then mind you. I guess get the best groupset you can afford, that was my aim at the time, and has held up well.
How many of those 21 gears does the average urban commuter use?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EQ0pmJxtOs
"The perfect number of gears for your urban bike is three. Here's why."
Depends on your riding. Most riders will use the models gears the most and use the highest and lowest occasionally.
Having more years makes it more efficient because you can change gears often to keep a most efficient cadence (pedal speed). It varies around 80-90 rpm between riders.
Having 3 on the front is more efficient than 2 as most of the time you are in the middle gear.
Ive recently bought the Reid Transit with discs for women and X1 my partner and I and I've been happy with them.
We don't ride often and was more just for casual fun with the little one who sits on an attached infant seat.
Whilst they probably aren't top quality, they feel good and way better when compared to the supermarket bikes at kmart/bigw etc.
The only oddity I noticed was they used a different handlebar on the X1 than was specified on the website, the one I got was thinner and when I fit a different attachment I had to add a shim so I could grip the handlebars correctly.
Try decathlon bikes, they have few options but slight above your budget.
Or polygon path 2, from bicycle online
https://www.bicyclesonline.com.au/2021-polygon-path-2-urban-…
Make sure it includes pedals.