If Your Clueless, Click Here!Jul 22 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
Popular Products in Sport and Outdoor
The Bottom Line Avoid Department Stores if You can, go Mongoose if you can't
When I write about cheap bikes, I'm looking at bikes that are under $300, but over around $175. I am not writing about the Blue-Light Special Huffy that's going for $49.99. That's not inexpensive, or even cheap. That is what I call dangerous. That bike is most likely thrown together by a 16 year old who's paid minimum wage and can give a darn about the quality of his work. The same goes for $150 department store bikes. A Huffy I bought a few years ago had gear problems, brake problems, and a lot of other minor problems, even though it was the top of the line K-Mart bike there. While you're probably not gonna find a $150 new bike at a bike shop, you can scrounge around local dealers for a used bike that was traded in by somebody else that is going for around $125-$175. These bikes are usually checked over by the bike shop for excessive wear and tear, and they are often reconditioned (new grips, tires, maybe a new chain, brake pads and other stuff that is relatively cheap for the bike shop that allows the bike to look good.). While these bikes are far from ideal, they are far better than the throw together Sears, Wal-Mart, Target et c bikes. So, is there a new bike that is cheap and is fit to be bought by anybody who is halfway serious about using the bike? Actually, yes. They are called leftovers. When new models come in, bikes from the previous year (or even the previous two years) that are perfectly new and rideable have to be sold to make room for the new bikes. Often times, the price of these bikes is cut by up to 50% off of the original price. Case in point: I saw this ad too late, but because new 1998 models were arriving on the showroom floor, there was a Trek 920 that was marked down $200, to $375. While this is still out of the range of this epinion, you get the idea. Shopping at the end of the year (but before Christmas) can get a perfectly good, no previous owner bicycle for about $200. As for any specific recommendations: Trek and Giant each have a model in the $225 range that is good (unfortunately, I don't have the name of the Giant). The Trek 800 sport, with a Hi-Ten frame and Shimano Tourney (SIS) components, is a good enough ride for college campuses and around town. Actually, any bike manufacturer would have a bike with those two basic specifications, it's just a matter of price: Trek and Giant have the volume to sell these bikes fairly cheap, giving them an edge over other manufacturers. If you must go to a department store to buy (cant find a leftover bike, can't stand buying used) then you might as well look at Mongooses that are in department stores. Yes, this is the same company that makes those high end bikes, but they also make lower end bikes. Just, when you buy this, have a biker or other mechanically adept person check the bike before you ride it. One last tip: If you plan to park your bike outside (like outside of a college dorm) go aluminum. otherwise, the steel will rust before the end of the first semester. But don't be tricked: at this price, aluminum has no weight advantages over steel, but the bike companies just try to sell them at a higher price.  |
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