LF: Bicycle

[madknife]

I'm looking for a men's bike (street or suspension) <$150 just for regular biking to school.
where would be a good place to look for them, besides CT?
thanks

[LarryHo]

If you're looking for a new bike with decent components for under $150, then it's not gonna happen... I think there's a guy selling a virtually new norco plateau commuting/comfort bike for $300 on RFD... I'm sure you can talk him down a bit...

[madknife]

uh...even CT has bikes for $99...
full suspensions frequently go on sale for $150...

[dasaylay]

a new bike with decent components for under $150, then it's not gonna happen

uh...even CT has bikes for $99...full suspensions frequently go on sale for $150...

yes, but that's caust CT bikes are junk and do not have decent components on their bike. Usually they are bottom of the line parts. And full suspension bikes aren't worth buying unless you're willing to part $1500+ for a good one. Stick to a hardtail (just front suspension) from maybe Sport Chek but at that price range, you might not be able to get a very good one. If you like the one at CT then go for it, but $150 for a decent bike is very hard to come by.


Check this thread out also:
http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=306637

[madknife]

all i'm looking for is something with 2 wheels and a break....
all i use it for is to bike to school, 10 min's travel....
so...

[prod]

try http://toronto.craigslist.org/bik

[dasaylay]

If you're happy with a basic no frills bike then go for that $99 CT one then.

[madknife]

If you're happy with a basic no frills bike then go for that $99 CT one then.

not if i can find a cheaper one.... with no tax :)

[madknife]

try http://toronto.craigslist.org/bik

Ah! many thanks! found a few good ones!

[Daijoubu]

:-0 not sure if it's any good for the money, but 160 for a roadie is damn cheap (sale start july 15)
http://www.canadiantire.ca/assortments/product_detail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=140847439 6669601&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474396670271&bmUID=1152762186804&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524443291317&assortment=primary&fromSearch=true

http://images.canadiantire.ca/media/images/Assortments/PrimaryAssortments/Recreation/BicyclesAccessories/BikesAdult/0711395_450_CC_5908d.jpg

[voided]

:-0 not sure if it's any good for the money, but 160 for a roadie is damn cheap (sale start july 15)
http://www.canadiantire.ca/assortments/product_detail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=140847439 6669601&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474396670271&bmUID=1152762186804&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524443291317&assortment=primary&fromSearch=true

http://images.canadiantire.ca/media/images/Assortments/PrimaryAssortments/Recreation/BicyclesAccessories/BikesAdult/0711395_450_CC_5908d.jpg


long story short you dont want that although the frame could be decent enough the rest of the components look like a disaster.

[prod]

I think its great that CT is selling low end road bikes again. Choices for those are very limited these days. Remember, almost everyones first bike comes from crappy tire :) They are getting better too, no more boat-anchor frames, non-indexed shifters or gravel-grinding bearings.
Almost bought a schwinn SantaMonica as a second MTB for my girlfriend this week, at $179 it has all the features of her specialized expedition which cost almost three times the price. An experienced rider would notice the difference in riding, but there are more people out there who need something cheaper.

[ITsupport001]

Yes, DO NOT buy one at CT.

Even when you feel like all else is lost, don't buy a bike from Canadian Tire.

I gave in once, because they were cheaper and I now have the scars to prove that ALL of their bikes are garbage.

I would try Sportchek... they usually have bikes on sale, and they are all good quality.

Oh and the scar I'm referring to is the big slice across my knee... The handle bars snapped in half, and chain skipped at the same time, sending my poor knee flying at the newly cut metal... I lost a decent pair of jeans in the process too. And when I took it back to CT, they told me to go F myself, politely.

Just goes to show that you can't trust anything with wheels to canadian tire.

[rfdghost]

i would never buy a bike at sportchek. i walked into the yorkdale location and they were assembling one and i watched they just slapped it together without tuning the gears. i asked the guy why he didn't and he said they come perfect out of the box. yeah right.

that road bike from CT also avoid. it comes with a mountain drive system, meaning the parts are not even road bike parts, also the handlebars are 2 peices which connect in the centre so not sure how much stress that can take.

in the end it depends if the person assembling the bikes at your CT knows what they are doing, and also if the rider knows how to maintain their bike also. don't just go crying that a CT bike is a piece of crap b/c you don't know how to maintain it and something breaks.


sales on bike for the week after (july22 - july28) at CT are

SC Hooligan: 299.99 > 159.99
Raleigh Ambush: 299.99 > 199.99
Raleigh Tomahawk: 349.99 > 249.99

[dasaylay]

he said they come perfect out of the box.


:lol: :cheesygri

[LarryHo]

i would never buy a bike at sportchek. i walked into the yorkdale location and they were assembling one and i watched they just slapped it together without tuning the gears. i asked the guy why he didn't and he said they come perfect out of the box. yeah right.

that road bike from CT also avoid. it comes with a mountain drive system, meaning the parts are not even road bike parts, also the handlebars are 2 peices which connect in the centre so not sure how much stress that can take.

in the end it depends if the person assembling the bikes at your CT knows what they are doing, and also if the rider knows how to maintain their bike also. don't just go crying that a CT bike is a piece of crap b/c you don't know how to maintain it and something breaks.


sales on bike for the week after (july22 - july28) at CT are

SC Hooligan: 299.99 > 159.99
Raleigh Ambush: 299.99 > 199.99
Raleigh Tomahawk: 349.99 > 249.99

Com'n now... just because SportChek hires people who may not know much about bikes, doesn't mean the bikes they sell are bad. It's a compromise... the lack of service and bike tuning translates to less overhead and cheaper costs for the consumer... I know for a fact that SportChek sells a brand called IronHorse, which is in my opinion are very good bikes... Specifically, I was in the market for a new mountain bike a couple months ago and I compared 3 bikes: Ironhorse Warrior, Devinci Camelion, and Norco Charger... All three bikes are very similar, except the Warrior is half the price of the other 2 (i.e. $500-600 compared to $1000+). The Ironhorse Warrior has a 6061 Aluminum frame, SRAM or Deore drive-train components, truvativ cranks, Hayes disc brakes, and other good stuff... the Devinci and Norco bikes are similarly equipped... I got 30% off MSRP for the Norco Charger, and it still came up to $800 + tax... but if I didn't get that deal, I'd be all over the IronHorse Warrior bike from SportChek... I guess this kinda goes for the same with CT bikes... if it's a good deal, who cares if it's not tuned... you can tune it yourself!!! It's a good excercise anyways... you learn a lot.

[ITsupport001]

i would never buy a bike at sportchek. i walked into the yorkdale location and they were assembling one and i watched they just slapped it together without tuning the gears. i asked the guy why he didn't and he said they come perfect out of the box. yeah right.

that road bike from CT also avoid. it comes with a mountain drive system, meaning the parts are not even road bike parts, also the handlebars are 2 peices which connect in the centre so not sure how much stress that can take.

in the end it depends if the person assembling the bikes at your CT knows what they are doing, and also if the rider knows how to maintain their bike also. don't just go crying that a CT bike is a piece of crap b/c you don't know how to maintain it and something breaks.


sales on bike for the week after (july22 - july28) at CT are

SC Hooligan: 299.99 > 159.99
Raleigh Ambush: 299.99 > 199.99
Raleigh Tomahawk: 349.99 > 249.99

I've seen that happening too... but somewhere different.... CYCLE PATH

[madknife]

wow... attracted a lot of pros with a noob thread...
I know CT bikes suck, and i'm not expecting it to last any more than 2 years...
the sole purpose of the bike is for me to ride to school (less than 15 min ride)
so i'm not going to get anything >$150
any suggestions?

[LarryHo]

wow... attracted a lot of pros with a noob thread...
I know CT bikes suck, and i'm not expecting it to last any more than 2 years...
the sole purpose of the bike is for me to ride to school (less than 15 min ride)
so i'm not going to get anything >$150
any suggestions?

Then it seems that your easiest solution is to buy a Canadian Tire bike... it's not like they're UBER crappy... they'll do the job just fine.
In fact, if you're riding it during school, the bulk of your commute will be during the winter... which will rust and corrode the hell out of your bike (due to the salt), no matter how good/nice/expensive your bike is... just spray your drivetrain regularly with WD-40 or some other type of dry-lube.
Also... schools tend to have the odd delinquent or two: my bike ($500+ bike) was stolen at UofT with a fairly hefty lock... and my bro's bike was beaten and bashed to a pretzel at Western university. You don't want that to happen to you with a nice bike...

So yeah... a nice decent cheap bike from CT will do well for school commuting... then you don't have to worry about scratching it, or breaking a durailler or two, or even having it stolen...

[madknife]

hahaha!
my bike has been stolen 3 times already...
2 of them are the CT-dual-suspension-50%-off $150 ones...
so... i have a thing against CT $150 bikes... :lol: :cheesygri
so yeah... also, i really only need a second hand crappy bike to get my somewhere... no need for anything fancy....

[dasaylay]

just spray your drivetrain regularly with WD-40 or some other type of dry-lube.


NEVER use WD-40 on your gears. It's not the same type of lube that your gears and moving joints use. Dry-lube is best, and I recommend Pedro's all-purpose/drivetrain lube for bike parts. It can be found at MEC ($5 membership fee however) but it can be found at SportMart seldomly.

[thesober]

:-0 not sure if it's any good for the money, but 160 for a roadie is damn cheap (sale start july 15)
http://www.canadiantire.ca/assortments/product_detail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=140847439 6669601&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474396670271&bmUID=1152762186804&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524443291317&assortment=primary&fromSearch=true

http://images.canadiantire.ca/media/images/Assortments/PrimaryAssortments/Recreation/BicyclesAccessories/BikesAdult/0711395_450_CC_5908d.jpg

Is that a kickstand i see ?:lol:?

[dasaylay]

Is that a kickstand i see ?:lol:?

lol I didn't even notice that. Wow. That shoes you how 'pro' CT road racing bikes are :lol:

[LarryHo]

NEVER use WD-40 on your gears. It's not the same type of lube that your gears and moving joints use. Dry-lube is best, and I recommend Pedro's all-purpose/drivetrain lube for bike parts. It can be found at MEC ($5 membership fee however) but it can be found at SportMart seldomly.

Well... it's not terrible to use WD-40 on your drivetrain... especially to mitigate rusting and corrosion you get from salt during the winter...
The point is... you don't need anything special for a second hand or an entry-level bike from CT (that you're expecting to lock outside a lot of the time)... most people have cans of WD-40 kicking around their house, so it's convenient to use... also dry-lube is more expensive than WD-40... I have the lubes from MEC, and it's $9.95 for a fairly small bottle (like 300 ml or sth), and it's a squirt bottle, not a spray...

So... crappy bike - ok to use WD-40
nice bike - don't use WD-40... use dry-lube or wet-lube (or whatever MEC calls it)

[CoffeeAddict]

From a guy who used to be a real gearhead....

You can get a cheapo bike if you want but DON'T GET A SUSPENSION BIKE PERIOD if you're gonna go that way. It'll just mean more maintenance and more things to break later on. The simpler the bike is, the longer it'll last with minimum fuss. If you can even find a single speed bike I'd say go that way.

Case in point.... my dad's raleigh glider from the early 70s... 3 gears and has lasted up until this year with no repairs or maintenance except the occasional chain lube.

Speaking of lube... do no WD-40 your chain or anything else on your bike for that matter. You'll just accelerate how fast you're gonna hose your bike. CT sells proper chain lube.... go pick some up while you're grabbing the bike. It's worth every single penny to get proper lube even on a $20 used hunk of crap.

Proper lube does wonders for shifting, chain life, etc etc... stuff that WD-40 jsut won't do. It'll make riding a whole lot more enjoyable.

[Daijoubu]

especially to mitigate rusting and corrosion you get from salt during the winter...
That's what WD40 is for, to get rid of rust, it doesn't "stick"/stay on the metal
A small bottle of chain lube last alot and you'll want a squirt bottle, you only need one drop on every link, you'll be wasting a lot with a spay/aerosol kind, also if it gets on your rim, it will affect your braking :)

Edit: And while you're at MEC, get thier cheap chain cleaner and solution

[dasaylay]

That's what WD40 is for, to get rid of rust, it doesn't "stick"/stay on the metal
A small bottle of chain lube last alot and you'll want a squirt bottle, you only need one drop on every link, you'll be wasting a lot with a spay/aerosol kind, also if it gets on your rim, it will affect your braking :)

Edit: And while you're at MEC, get thier cheap chain cleaner and solution

Screw V-brakes! Disc brakes all the way! :-0

but yes, WD-40 is thought of as more of a degreaser to remove dirt and grime off of the chain. I personally would use a dedicated degreaser, let it dry, and then apply some chain lube onto the chain to keep it in good condition.

[LarryHo]

Screw V-brakes! Disc brakes all the way! :-0

but yes, WD-40 is thought of as more of a degreaser to remove dirt and grime off of the chain. I personally would use a dedicated degreaser, let it dry, and then apply some chain lube onto the chain to keep it in good condition.

You see... I'm assuming this is all too much trouble and effort for a guy who doesn't give a sh*t about his bike (since it'll either be stolen or busted-up)... it seems he wants any old bike for less than $150, just to get him from home to school and back...

[dasaylay]

You see... I'm assuming this is all too much trouble and effort for a guy who doesn't give a sh*t about his bike (since it'll either be stolen or busted-up)... it seems he wants any old bike for less than $150, just to get him from home to school and back...

Is it really that much work to spend 5 minutes more than just applying WD-40 to properly degrease/lube his bike when all the stuff he needs are available at Canadian Tire? :rolleyes:

[LarryHo]

Is it really that much work to spend 5 minutes more than just applying WD-40 to properly degrease/lube his bike when all the stuff he needs are available at Canadian Tire? :rolleyes:

You see... it's the thought and effort that you must conjure up before actually performing the required maintenance...
Yes, you're right in that it only requires a few mins to actually lube the bike... but first you must remember to do it (and when you do remember to do it, it's often at a time of inconvenience), then look for the lube (if you're messy and unorganized like me, you're gonna forget where you put it), and clothe yourself (jacket, shirt, pants) if it's winter and cold outside...
So you see... all hassle for a POS bike that you don't really care about...
That's what I meant about using WD-40... almost everyone's got it (and often people have them lying around all over the house)... and it's not TERRIBLE for the bike's drivetrain... I mean, it provides some sort of lubrication and protection against corrosion...

BUT... I may be preaching to the wrong crowd here... you guys seem like you take immense care of your bikes despite its worth and condition...

[dbcooper]

dont mean to hijack this thread anymore than it already has been..(hopefully help the op out)..but does anyone know of a good website re: cycle maintenance? This is my first bike purchase since i was about 12 or so, so im completely out of the loop on maintenance, what to look for and what to avoice. Would appreiate a site or something of that sort.

As for the op, have you checked the buy/sell portion of RFD? I saw a couple of bikes posted, hopefully some within your budget.

cheers

[Daijoubu]

Parktool.com? :)

[dasaylay]

You see... it's the thought and effort that you must conjure up before actually performing the required maintenance...
Yes, you're right in that it only requires a few mins to actually lube the bike... but first you must remember to do it (and when you do remember to do it, it's often at a time of inconvenience), then look for the lube (if you're messy and unorganized like me, you're gonna forget where you put it), and clothe yourself (jacket, shirt, pants) if it's winter and cold outside...
So you see... all hassle for a POS bike that you don't really care about...
That's what I meant about using WD-40... almost everyone's got it (and often people have them lying around all over the house)... and it's not TERRIBLE for the bike's drivetrain... I mean, it provides some sort of lubrication and protection against corrosion...

BUT... I may be preaching to the wrong crowd here... you guys seem like you take immense care of your bikes despite its worth and condition...


I'm on a mountain bike team buddy...so my bike isn't exactly dirt cheap ;)

Yes you are right that WD-40 does provide some bit of lubrication, but the actual bike lube is differnet in the sense that a lot more dirt will catch onto the drive train. What's wrong with getting a lube that's both a degreaser AND a lubricant? It does the same job at the same time with no inconveniences.

[Alexo]

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread but it seems like there's a lot of wisdom to be picked from the participants...

Anyway, I was thinking of getting a bike for commuting (save some gas, maybe get a long overdue workout in the process) about 10km each way.

The problem is, I'm a small person (about 5'3" - 160cm) and the one-size-fits-all types of bikes are really uncomfortable for my frame.

On the other hand, although I could probably get a custom fit bike at a specialty shop, it would be expensive, and I don't want to invest a lot of money in something I'm not sure I'll continue doing.

So, what would you suggest for:
* A short person (maybe a ladies' bike?)
* About 95% road use with occasional trail use (family outings, etc) - no "extreme" stuff.
* Inexpensive.

Thanks.