decent used road bike under 200$



collegeboy1

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Mar 8, 2014
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Hey this is my 1st post here!
Is there such thing as a decent road bike around 200$?
I only have about 200$ (college) and need to upgrade from my crappy old no name mountain bike.
I bike 30 miles to school and back on nicely paved bike trails, with a generous hill at the end of my route.
Ive been trying to do research, but there is so much information out there that Its easy to get lost in it all. So far all I know is that I need a 56 cm frame as I am 5 foot 10.
It should be an aluminum frame right?
are these good deals??

http://www.ebay.com/itm/mfg-refurbished-used-56cm-mens-road-bike-bicycle-tour-de-france-yellow-700c-/151248256598?pt=US_Bicycles_Frames&hash=item2337193e56

http://www.ebay.com/itm/56-cm-mens-entry-level-used-mfg-refurbished-road-bicycle-bike-700c-blue-/151248282516?pt=US_Bicycles_Frames&hash=item233719a394
 
If you find something new in discount from previous years models it will probably be a 350$ bike, which is not that much...

So yeah, used is probably the way to go.

But not Aluminium. Alumium doesnt age well, so probably a steel one.

Quote: Originally Posted by Volnix .
Plus its aluminium and aluminium doesnt really have the same time durability as steel.

(How many times did I write that in this forum allready? I think I am becoming like one of those old people that were doing something for some time and ended up being obsessed with a certain aspect of it.

I was watching this old racer on tv once making a review about a bike and in the 10 min he spoke about it he mentioned "getting into corners" about 20 times. He must have had alot of accidents whilst "getting into the (damn) corners"...)



Plus, brake-shifters (aka brifters) cost around 200each in some cases, so it will be hard to find something with 200$ for the total.

I think that there might be a Surly Crosscheck for that money somewhere:

Bar end shifters, cheap and reliable. Steel construction so check for rust and apply a rust protector on the inside (nasty stuff, might do that on the LBS). Cross bike so it's ok for potholes etc.

If it had new-ish tires it would be great too. A lock might be a good idea too...



 
Volnix said:
If you find something new in discount from previous years models it will probably be a 350$ bike, which is not that much... So yeah, used is probably the way to go. But not Aluminium. Alumium doesnt age well, so probably a steel
Sorry, I can not agree. My 2003 Alum TCR commuter has done 80 000 km and still going strong. Sure, corrosion has grown under the paint, blistering it up but I am am happy and confident to still ride this every day.
 
Originally Posted by Scott2468


Sorry, I can not agree. My 2003 Alum TCR commuter has done 80 000 km and still going strong. Sure, corrosion has grown under the paint, blistering it up but I am am happy and confident to still ride this every day.
Cool... But "technically" its true. At least thats what lab tests say.

Otherwise Aluminium is much cooler then steel, as it is thicker walled for dent resistance and it also doesnt corrode as much as steel.

Weight wise you can probably treat both materials in a way that they are somewhat equal but with bigger sections for Alu.

There is also the ride feel issue but that's a different story.

I only had 1 frame cracking. It was a BMX bike that I had when I was 14yo. At some point the headube got detached from the downtube whilst in motion. That was long ago and it actually was a steel bike but not Cro-Mo.

Btw all that reminds me that I need to pick up a commuter...
big-smile.png
 
Volnix said:
If you find something new in discount from previous years models it will probably be a 350$ bike, which is not that much... So yeah, used is probably the way to go. But not Aluminium. Alumium doesnt age well, so probably a steel one. Plus, brake-shifters (aka brifters) cost around 200each in some cases, so it will be hard to find something with 200$ for the total. I think that there might be a Surly Crosscheck for that money somewhere: Bar end shifters, cheap and reliable. Steel construction so check for rust and apply a rust protector on the inside (nasty stuff, might do that on the LBS). Cross bike so it's ok for potholes etc.  If it had new-ish tires it would be great too. A lock might be a good idea too...
hey thanks so much! does the bikes I posted not meet those requirements?
 
Originally Posted by collegeboy1

hey thanks so much!
does the bikes I posted not meet those requirements?
Dont know either make. But an Alu frame with a steel (non cro-mo) fork usually indicates a cheap bike of the "not so nice" kind...

Are there any of them Surly's around?
 
$200 is a pretty small budget. Pickings look pretty slim in my market for <200. You will likely end up with a very old model (which is OK) or a fixer upper. You may end up spending as much in repairs and improvement as you have in your initial purchase.

Check your local thrift shops and police department auctions - maybe you can score something really cheap that is worth throwing $100 at to make rideable.
 
$200 is a bit low to find a good road bike, you should have a budget of at least $300 in order to have a pretty good road bike. I can recommend your "The Schwinn Prelude" which is the probably the best option for you according to your price range.
 
The prelude is far overpriced at $300. It is a functional bike, I bought 3 when they went on clearance for $50 at Target.

They are too small for me to ride, ended up gifting them.
 
I would say look for a 90's road bike that is in good condition. It could even be steel frame. No matter what though, it will definitely be of higher quality and durability than a newer bike that you find for 200.

I just bought this bike http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/bik/4367276397.html (let's see how long this guy keeps the add up). Everything was pretty much in good condition except for the tires which I replaced ($80). I think I got a great deal on it, and it would likely go for 300 I in many places outside new york.

What I'm saying is, if you find a bike from 2008 let's say that someone is selling for $200, that bike would have been 4 or 500 new - pretty cheap. However, you can find a 90's road bike that would have gone for 1200 new for about 300, even with everything in decent condition.
 

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