Tight budget!!



Newbie17

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Mar 7, 2011
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Hey everyone! I have been making myself crazy for two weeks trying to find a good enough bike to do my first 45 mile tour. The longest I have gone up until now is about 25 miles on a mountain bike! I don't have much to spend, $250 is about the max I can dish put for a road bike right now. I know that's a tight budget for this, but I'm living on a students budget! I don't need anything fancy, I just want to be able to keep up with some friends I'm doing this with. They have some road bikes at target now...I'm sure they aren't great...but would they hold up for someone new? http://www.target.com/Tour-France-Stage-Raod-Bike/dp/B0048LR97O/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_2 I am about 5 foot 5, female.... Any and all suggestions would be such a big help! I just want to have a good experience with this and hopefully enjoy it. If this goes well, I will be investing in a much nicer bike eventually!
 
Have you looked at second hand road bikes? You can pick up some pretty sweet deals buying second hand.
 
Originally Posted by coneofsilence .

Have you looked at second hand road bikes? You can pick up some pretty sweet deals buying second hand.

+1 for the used bike route. Your 250 buget will get you way more value in the used market. Check sites such as Craigs List.
 
Absolutely, if money is tight second hand makes sense. I often buy second hand because i'm a tight a@#e, a little bit of research can save you hundreds!
 
If you buy second hand, try to find a bike that was as "unused and not abused" as possible. Many times people buy bikes with good intentions of riding, but then just let them sit in the garage or basement for years. You can google bike selection, bike sizing, bike maintenance, bike repairs, and specific questions, or types of repairs. There are even "how-to" videos online to help you out. If you buy used, give the bike a really close looking over and test ride it. Then be prepared to do a little maintenance on it. You can also catch good deals on bikes online from merchants like Nashbar, Performance, JensonUSA, and Bike Direct. They often have special promotions with added percentage off discounts. The bikes arrive at your door in a carton. You do a little light assembly, "true" (align) the wheels, and make any other brake or gear adjustments needed. Knowing how to do bike maintenance is a big help anyway for a cyclist, especially for commuters and riders who tour. If you need parts and accessories (cables, tires, tubes, tools, racks, panniers, lights) you can also get great deals online from the above merchants (Bikes Direct pretty much just sells bikes), as well as from Niagara Cycle Works in upstate New York. BTW, garage sales, church rummage sales, and even "out for bulk pick-up day 'specials' " are other sources for bikes in addition to Craig's List. You may also want to look into the variety of bikes available...hybrid, racing, cyclocross, commuter, touring ... and see which best suits your needs. Most importantly, get out there and get some riding in!
 
Thanks for all the feedback and advice. I really appreciate all the help I can get! I have been looking on craigslist and calling some sport consignment shops. So far, no luck. I live in New England, so maybe when the weather gets nicer there will be more out for sale. I am just looking for something good to start on!
 
I've done quite a bit of Craigslist shopping/selling. And these guys are pointing you in the right direction. The problem you run into is if you live in a non-metropolitan area. The pickings are slim. You may have to venture to one of the not-so-far-away bigger cities to find better selection. I sometimes look at several of the bigger cities in our state when shopping around. You get alot more posts and therefore more selection. There are some cities that have hundreds of bikes posted daily. It's amazing. Your future good deal may require a bit of a road trip to make it happen.
 
Originally Posted by doctorold .

I've done quite a bit of Craigslist shopping/selling. And these guys are pointing you in the right direction. The problem you run into is if you live in a non-metropolitan area. The pickings are slim. You may have to venture to one of the not-so-far-away bigger cities to find better selection. I sometimes look at several of the bigger cities in our state when shopping around. You get alot more posts and therefore more selection. There are some cities that have hundreds of bikes posted daily. It's amazing. Your future good deal may require a bit of a road trip to make it happen.
This is true. Not sure where in New England you are located Craigs List in Boston has 100+ bike postings on some days. I live around forty miles outside of Boston and have sold a bike listed on Boston CL. I met the buyer at a Dunkin Donuts right off of the highway 20 miles away from home.
 

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