How to buy a good campus/city bike?<$300

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My son wants to buy a bike for getting around a very hilly campus, and hopes to live in the Twin Cities next summer and use the bike there. I'm torn between telling him to get a cheap bike that won't be devastating to have stolen, and allowing him to get a $3-400 bike like his wealthier friends use on campus. I found an article by Myra Simon about how to buy one's first mountain bike (which he wants.) The article recommends starting at the $200 range with a decent rigid or "hardtail" frame, and one can always add on or trade up. He was looking at a TREK 4500, but does he really need the front shocks (Judy something or other ?shox?) , the separate braking and shifting system, and so forth for a first bike? (Not counting his "little kid" bike, as he refers to the one in the garage.) Our -and his- incomes are limited, yet we also don't want to waste money on something unsatisfactory. The salesman at the local shop dismissed the lower end bikes immediately as something "you wouldn't want to ride." (We're talking $280 bikes!) I think it's only because my son made the mistake of suggesting a range up to $400. We still have a few other local shops we can try, and might even go back to the first one once we have some better information.

Seth, Seth, Seth...welcome to adulthood where what we want and what we can afford is often located in two separate parts of the universe and sometimes never intersect. Unfortunately, my Trek 520 touring machine that is the bike of my dreams lives in a decidedly tonier neighbourhood than my wallet. Maybe someday but until then....I'm on the "less than optimal" plan.

Nevertheless, this doesn't mean a good bike is out of the question. By all means, go to a bike shop as opposed to a dept store. You'll get a decent bike that can be fixed and upgraded as time goes on. Most important, you'll get a bike that fits you.

Shocks? Whatfor do you need shocks when you're riding in an urban environment? Seriously...it's another thing to get broke and another thing to have to take care of. And they're expensive. I've seen shocks that cost more than my entire bike but then again, I've seen bikes that are worth more than my car but I digress...

Get a good "urban jungle" bike that's going to serve you well for commuting. Can it take fenders or is that going to turn into mission impossible? I know mudguards are about as cool as a brick in the head but that muddy skunk stripe up your back is not a fashion statement. Cargo carrying? A necessity for the commuter and from experience, I'll tell you braze-on mounts for a package rack work much better than anything else. Alloy rims provide better stopping in rain than stainless steel ones.

Don't neglect "used bikes". Check the classifieds and "bargain swapper" papers in your region once you've got an idea of what you want and what you need (and a clear fix on the difference between the two). A lot of bike shops either have good trade in bikes in the back of the shop or know of a customer who wants to get rid of their XXX because they just upgraded to YYY. Check around. Good bike shops will help because they know if they get a customer hooked on cycling, they'll be back when their wallet expands.

And theft is an issue for campus bikes. While most of our bike thefts around here have been "joyriders" snatching an unlocked bike and dumping it after they've gotten near their destination, other jurisdictions are "blessed" with more organized bike theives who know their market and will go to considerable lengths to steal something for its components.

My suggestion would be to wait until you get to school, I don't think things have changed much since I graduated ( 1989 ) and it would surprise me if you couldn't find something that you'd be happy with advertised in a school paper, or on a bulleitin board.

If you could wait until the 1st semester ends, or even better the end of the year, anything that a departing student can't fit in the car can be had at a very good price.

Good Luck

If you head into any bike shop, you'll be hard pressed to buy a decent bike for less than $300. There are lots of bikes in that range, but the components are decidedly cheap and less durable. If you buy used, you can get lots more bike for $300.

One thing to look at is how to make the bike as unattractive to thieves as possible. The couriers in DC wrap the frames with handlebar tape or electrical tape. They spray paint the bikes matte black, the logos on components are rubbed off. Basically they create "rat" bikes that no thief would be able to sell.

If Seth is less concerned with keeping up with his friends, he could score a decent used Trek/Giant/GT hardtail MTB that would keep him riding throughout his time at school. If he wants to keep up with the Joneses, he'll need to get a job at a bike shop to afford the cool stuff that he'll see on campus.

I agree with the folks who advise waiting until he's on campus. There are often bikes for sale in the paper, on bulletin boards on campus, or online. If your budget is really tight, that may be the best place to look. I know of a few friends who have bought very respectable bikes online through auction sites like Ebay. You'd be surprised what quality you can find if you know what you're looking for.

That said, be somewhat wary of the bike shop. Like anywhere else you go to buy something, the less you know, the more likely you are to be sold to, rather than catered to. If you come in with a specific idea of what you want (you should know what frame, what component manufacturer and what line, what the primary use of the bike will be, etc. etc.) then you're less likely to have to listen to and parse through sales pitches. You can get someone to talk to you about what you want if you can show them up front that you know what you want.

I would guess though that what you were told (below $400 isn't worth riding) is probably not too far from the truth. The fact of the matter is, if you're looking for quality & durability, and you're making an investment for a longer term, you want to spend in line with your level of commitment. Think of the bike as something with lasting value -- a $400 bike that lasts for four years is a $100 bike/yr. A $200 bike that you trash in a year costs you twice as much, and you have replacement cost.

As for theft, a set of good locks (I ride in DC and use a u-lock on the front wheel and the frame, and a chain locking the back wheel to the frame) should protect you about as well as anything else.

Good luck, and let us know how things shake out.
--dwj444