Hi all, I am looking to get a bike, I am not handy with bicycles and not looking to buy a used bike as I have no clue about bicycle components.
I want to get a basic bike which I will use for easy trails and riding at parks with my daughter. Not wanting to spend more than $600, but want something which requires minimal maintenance
I was looking at the below and wanted recommendations on what to get:
Thanks guys.
seems pretty chunky, looks like this is built specifically for trails
"Fat" bikes are for soft ground like snow or beach sand. They are utterly stupid anywhere else.
Go to a bike shop and see what they have within budget. The less features the better so no full suspension, in fact probably no suspension at all if you can find it as that means the drive train is likely a little higher spec. A hardtail mountain bike would suit. They'll also be able to size you properly.
Cable disk brakes, preferably a single chain ring at the front (not sure if this exists at this price point) for simpler mechanics, some kind of budget front suspension if you're older or heavier and don't have the wrists of a 20 year old.
(Can't be arsed googling around for each of the four models.)
Id argue that hydraulic discs are significanlty better. Cable discs are harder to adjust and keep in good order. Stopping power is better.
IMO good rim brakes out perform cable discs.
They are better but they do require more maintenance and cost more. I'd stick with rim brakes at this budget.
The hudraulic brakes on my bikes have had very little maintenance. I do agree that rim brakes are simpler and easier to deal with and would pick them over cable disc.
@Euphemistic: How old is it? The fluid should be changed every 2 years at least and you need to monitor the seals.
@apsilon: Thats what they tell you to do. Mine are all older than 2years and work just fine, closer to over 5yo. Several bikes, some ridden regularly, others not so much.
If they fail, a new set is only a couple hundred. Havent had any fail yet. From memory ive only changed fluid once but topped it up occasionally as pads wear.
@Euphemistic: Yeah they tell you that because brake fluid is hygroscopic, the moisture content effects performance.
@Euphemistic: Interesting, I've never seen one that uses mineral oil but I have bought a bike or brake set for a few years.
@apsilon: I havent used hope, but after the Avid Juicy brakes i had years ago gave me grief i went to shimano and havent looked back.
Ive got a set of Tektro xuriga on my commuter bike that work well and take shimano pads. Household has about 6 sets of shimanos. Theyre no trouble. The MT200 are great budget brakes.
Hydros tend to cost a bit more (OP is budget sensitive), cable disks are cheap as chips and close to impossible to get wrong and dead easy to adjust if they do go wrong (one hex key). Bleeding hydros need some mechanical aptitude or paid service.
Rim brakes need one extra steep to get a wheel off the bike if you ever need to fix a flat- most beginners forget this then faff around trying to figure out why their wheel won't come off. And rim brakes are a PITA when the cheap rims go out of true over time- something that disks tend to avoid.
I have all three types.
I have had all 3 types too. For me i find that hydro pretty much doesnt go wrong of need adjusting. Yes, bleeding can be a pain but fiddling with cable discs is too amd i find they dont have the performance of v brakes or hydro.
@Euphemistic: OP is riding in parks with his kid. Performance isn't an issue. Even cabble disc is stillmfar more powerful than v brakes.
If you're finding the opposite, you must be running some really terrible cable brakes. I've compared BB7s and even shitty Tektros to XT/XTR v brakes. The difference is especially huge in the wet.
@rumblytangara: Sure any disc is better when its wet, but i will take v brakes over cable discs any day, especially any shimano v brakes. For riding in the park with kids, any brakes will do. it'll probably only be fine weather anyway.
Admittedly i havent run cable discs much, but ive hated them all. Theres a good reason even budget friendly bikes are coming with hydro discs these days.
I would recommend Trek.
Trek fx or Trek Marlin
They are bit more expensive at RRP. Depending on the retailer, you will be able to negotiate a bit. They are quite maintenance free and last a lifetime.
I am not handy with bicycles and not looking to buy a used bike as I have no clue about bicycle components.
Bicycles are not very complicated mate. Used bikes usually offer great value. Just ride the bike up and down the street and you will know if there is any issues!
I would recommend Trek. They are bit more expensive at RRP. Depending on the retailer, you will be able to negotiate a bit. They are quite maintenance free and last a lifetime.
I'd have to disagree with this. At this price point, "Trek" is just two low tech aluminium triangles welded together in some Chinese factory that makes the same frames for a dozen other brands.
All other parts are generic/budget bits from other manufacturers- Tektro/Suntour/low end Shimano drivetrains. Stuff that Trek or any other company sources based on cost.
There is no point worrying about Brand A vs B vs C. Reliability will come down to luck, usage, and maintenance.
Where brands start to matter is when you are talking about proprietary full suspension designs, or ultralight carbon road frames made to exacting specifications. Or custom frames. Where you are starting at the 5K mark or going much higher.
Bicycles are not very complicated mate. Used bikes usually offer great value. Just ride the bike up and down the street and you will know if there is any issues!
But yes, on the last point- secondhand is a great option. As long as it fits, the gears shift, and the brakes stop the bike quick without squealing, a secondhand basic bike is probably fine.
thanks for the suggestion, what bike would you recommend if I go for second hand?
I would personally look for Trek or Giant.
Or specialised, or merida or a whole bunch of other brands in bike shops that put out basically the same product.
Minimal maintenance would call for a single speed bike I rkn. Just 1 gear.
Probably not in your budget unless you buy second hand but a belt drive bike with disk brakes only maintenance is pump the tires. Really can't beat those for low maintenance. Something like this would be ideal: https://bikes.com.au/products/avanti-bike-inc-2-black?varian…
This is almost in budget (but not in stock): https://bikes.com.au/products/mbc-brunswick-7-sp-disc-charco…
You don't need to spend anywhere near that much, and definitely do not need the complexity of the bikes you've listed if you just want to "ride around" casually.
Cycling is (broadly speaking) a hobby in Australia, rather than a serious means of transport for most people, which means that most mainstream bikes you buy are more geared towards people who love gear or "sport" cycling, as opposed to practical commuting or "riding around".
When I lived in Europe, I had a single-speed Dutch style bike which I picked up for like 100 Euro used, and was a pretty standard bike that most people used for commuting. No fancy materials, so it was heavy, but tough, upright riding position, simple single gear drivetrain, so easily serviceable, no need for suspension as it's mostly made for pavement / roads…etc.
Would suggest something similar for a casual bike - will last forever, don't need to take care of it, probably don't even need to lock it up in most places, easy to ride, won't need any maintenance really.
When I lived in Europe, I had a single-speed Dutch style bike which I picked up for like 100 Euro used, and was a pretty standard bike that most people used for commuting. No fancy materials, so it was heavy, but tough, upright riding position, simple single gear drivetrain, so easily serviceable, no need for suspension as it's mostly made for pavement / roads…etc.
Can you find these here easily? Every bike shop I see has low end geared mountain bikes instead. My regular bike is dead simple- singlespeed dirtjumper with one brake and a random front shock, but it was put together out of spare parts, from a shop it would be a niche product and hard to find. It rides a damn sight better than the dutch style step through bikes and needs zero maintenance besides air in tyres.
Dont discoint a used bike. They are cheap as chips and not hard to service and maintain. Generally you can find a bike shop brand bike thats been hardly ridden for under $200. Even if you need to pay for a service youll probably end up spending less than a new bike.
Find one in your size, that you like the colour of. Make sure it looks clean and tidy, the brakes work and the gears sound good and change well and itll ljkely be a good buy.
DO NOT BUY A KMART BIKE!
I disagree with not buying a kmart bike. I had a big W mountain bike for a good 6 years before I bought a cheapo Reid road bike which is still going strong after more than 10 years. Regular maintenance and care for your bike makes a massive difference.
I don't see a point spending close to $600 on a bike if it might not get used much. Start off with a cheapo bike and see if cycling is your thing, then upgrade the bike down the track or sell the cheapo bike and try a different activity.
If you only want to spend kmart bije money, buy used. The ones from kmart are poor quality. They only make one size which does not fit most riders correctly. They are heavy, they rust, they arent assembled with enough grease. The bearings are rubbish. The gear shifters, derailleurs and brakes are terrible and go out of adjustment too quickly. Bike shops often wont service them because the repairs cost more than they are worth. I used to pick them up from council cleanup for parts, but there is nothing worth keeping. They are worth nothing as a used item.
Sure, they can be servicable but they just arent nice to ride. Why buy something new and poor quality when you can buy used and get something that will be more pleasant to ride, last a lot longer and be easy to service. The majority of kmart bikes would only do 50km before they are tossed as scrap. A waste of resources.
If you think a kmart bike will do the job, don't buy one new, get one for free second hand.
I know that was a joke, but training wheels went of of style a decade ago. They slow down how quickly kids learn to ride- balance bikes are where it's at.
They slow down how quickly kids learn to ride
Do they though? I've been trying to find any research/evidence on that.
Or is it just that 'balance bikes' are trendy and so all the shops and manufacturers have followed the money?
I've watched plenty of kids try both when mine were growing up. The kids that start off on balance bikes have a lot of fun gliding and then naturally pick up the concept of countersteering. When my kid transitioned from balance bike to pedal bike, it took him about ten minutes to learn how to pedal and balance.
On the other side you see kids on training wheels try to drive the bikes like a car- they don't learn how to countersteer, which is essentially how anyone maintains balance on 2 wheels. Training wheels actively prevent countersteering.
It's not just a trendy thing to sell balance bikes- my advice to other parents at the time was just take the bike you have, pull off the training wheels and the pedals and let them run on the bikes.
I double there have been rigorous, scientifically conducted research programs on something as basic as this, so research/evidence is going to be scarce.
My experience with this besides my own kids were with parents who were semi-pro BMXers and downhill racers, guys who were seriously, seriously good riders who were all hitting parenting age. They had access to all the equipment they wanted for their kids. They all started their kids with simple balance bikes. Some of those kid are on their way to World Cup downhill racing- they've got their own sponsorship and social medial setups.
@rumblytangara: Thanks for sharing your experience. Good advice and tip esp pull off the pedals.
What age was your kid when they were learning on a balance bike? I've got a 3 year old nephew not sure if that's too young?
@tenpercent: Mine started about 3, as long as he can walk stably he was happy using the bike as some kind of assisted walking device that he dragged around. It helped that he saw me on bikes a lot and wanted to copy me.
One big difference between a shitty bike with training wheels and a proper balance bike is the second is fair bit lighter and easier to move around by a 10kg kid. Kid bikes with training wheels will be built like boat anchors- heavy straight gauge steel frames, extra shitty heavy components, really tiring for a little body to move around, which is why you see those kids just sitting on top of the bike resting so much instead of trying to move.
Training wheels are only really used becasue its what oarents knew when growing up. Balance bujes are far better to learn to ride on. Once youve mastered balancing and steering adding pedalling is easy. Its harder the other way around. Trainijg wheels train the wrong way to steer and balance so its reprogramming, bit just learning a new thing.
My kids used balance bikes. Picked up pedalling easily.
https://www.costco.com.au/c/Reid-Alpha-Fat-Bike-26-x-4-Inch/…