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Looking to buy myself a bike.


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#1 Austin55

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Posted 16 November 2012 - 01:07 AM

Hey Bikers of Fort Worth! Like the title says, I'm looking for something to blow my Christmas return money on ;P
I live in suburban Mansfield for the time, but I'd like to ride around here and occasionally take it to the city and ride around different places. So basically I'm looking for a road bike. Something not to expensive, either. 200$ or so.
What kind of bikes do you guy around here have? Would you recommend it? Single or multiple speeds? How much does weight matter? What else do I need to consider?

#2 mmiller2002

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Posted 16 November 2012 - 08:54 AM

Buy used. There's probably lots of great bikes that were ridden for 6 months, then retired for a fraction of the cost of a new bike.
I'd recommend something with sturdy wheels and tires for our roads and curbs. Lightweight really does matter (to me at least) for a good ride. Multi speeds are nice, but add complexity and maintenance if that matters to you. Front shocks are nice, and disc brakes are better all-weather perfromance.

#3 JBB

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Posted 16 November 2012 - 09:25 AM

What he said. I picked up a Trek mountain bike on Craigslist last spring for $270. The same bike would have run me $600 brand new and this one was in pristine condition. Most of the mechanical parts were brand new and the frame was in perfect condition. You have to be patient and wait for the right deal. I combed Craigslist for a month before I found what I was looking for. And be prepared to spend a little on accessories. I spent more than a $100 on a helmet, gloves, a water bottle, a frame pump, and a trunk rack for my car. Some of the more experienced cyclists on the forum can probably answer some of your questions a little better. I'm a pretty casual rider.

#4 Doohickie

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Posted 16 November 2012 - 12:25 PM

Check Craigslist for bikes in that range. Stay away from the brands you see in Wal-Mart. Schwinn *can* be good, but Schwinns are sold in Wal-Mart. The better "bike shop" Schwinn line is usually marked on the seat tube with "Schwinn Select" or "Schwinn Signature". Trek, Specialized, Marin, Surly, etc. are all good brands.

When you say road bike, do you mean classic road bike with drop bars, etc., or just something you can ride on the road? I would suggest hybrids- a blend of road bike and mountain bike features- usually a rigid frame (no suspension) with flat bars and relatively smooth (not knobby) tires. If you're riding the streets and roads around here, you may not want super-skinny road bike tires, but smooth tire treads will be good.
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#5 NSFW

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Posted 16 November 2012 - 02:16 PM

Both my bikes cost $500 each, so I can't really recommend anything in the $200 range. Craigslist is good place to look for used bikes, but also check out your local bike shop, I know bike center of Mansfield carries some used bikes.

Single speed vs. Multi-speed. For me a multi-speed is better. Shifting gears to get up some of the hill's in the area makes things easier.

Make sure the bike fits you properly. Stand over the bike, there should be 1 to 2 inch gap between you and the bike frame.

Giant Bicycles is having a demo day at Trinity Park Saturday. Giant bicycles are built solid! very good quality.

http://grapevinebikecenter.com

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#6 Austin55

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Posted 16 November 2012 - 02:39 PM

Thanks for all the input everyone! I've been looking on Amazon and craigslist, and so far I really like http://www.amazon.co...pd_rhf_gw_p_t_1 Pretty cheap, targeted to what I'm looking for, good looking, and great reviews on Amazon.

For accessories I'll probably go to Trinity Cycles, I'd like to support local business regardless of price difference.

#7 John T Roberts

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Posted 16 November 2012 - 03:43 PM

For what you had been describing, I probably would recommend a hybrid bike. The one that you have shown a link to is a road bike. I would definitely consider one that has gearing because there are quite a few hills around that would be difficult to ride up on a single speed bike. All of the others have given you some good advice. Trinity Bicycles is a great shop and Bernie Scheffler is a great guy.




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