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Where can I get a bike for $150?
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 2006-02-20 2:26 PM |
Elite  3201    South Florida |  Subject: Where can I get a bike for $150?Can anyone help me with this?? I desperately need a bike but only have about $150 to spend. I thought about fixing up my old mountain bike and just using it for the year (I won't get to do more than 2-3 races, tops), but it is so heavy I don't know if it's worth it. I've looked on ebay and craig's list - of course there's nothing that cheap. The only place to get one is Wal Mart and I know they are supposed to be crap. But is it crap that will last me a season and be better than my two-ton mt. bike? |
| 2006-02-20 2:44 PM in reply to: #350237 |
| Crystal Lake, IL | Subject: RE: Where can I get a bike for $150? I don't know if you can wait or if you have time to shop but garage sale season is coming up and you might be able to pick up a decent road bike 10-15 yrs. old at one. On the other hand if you do the races on your heavy mountain bike and then next offseason get a better bike you'll automatically improve your times for next year! Bonus!
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| 2006-02-20 2:51 PM in reply to: #350237 |
Master 2033 | Subject: RE: Where can I get a bike for $150? If it is a high quality mtn bike I would recommend putting road slicks on it and just riding it for the season. LOTS of people race their first season on a mtn bike. |
| 2006-02-20 3:01 PM in reply to: #350237 |
Champion 7558  Albuquerque, New Mexico | Subject: RE: Where can I get a bike for $150? Some bike shops carry used bikes. They may not carry anything that cheap even used. Watch the garage sales. Check to see whether your police department auctions off unclaimed items. I've bought several bikes that way (none for me). I'm sure you can find something on E-bay, but you really need to know exactly what you want in terms of size. Some Schwinn/Roadmaster/Huffy road bikes may go for $10-40, plus another $50 or so for shipping. Expect to find something 15-20 (or more) years old with downtube shifters. Upgrades and repairs may be problematic since the industry switched from freewheels to cassettes between then and now, so replacing the rear cogs if they are worn becomes a challenge. (Your LBS should be able to get parts, but they may not offer much selection with a corresponding price range.) You can easily run into $40-50 just replacing tires, tubes, brake pads, handlebar tape, cables, etc. (doing it yourself), so you need to decide if $150 is for the bike alone or the bike plus all of the things you might need to do to make it roadworthy. |
| 2006-02-20 3:57 PM in reply to: #350237 |
| Memphis, Tn | Subject: RE: Where can I get a bike for $150? Just saw this on Amazon a little bit ago. I don't know if this is what you have in mind. It's probably about the same quality as a Wally World bike, but it's a road bike. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000BTEIIU/002-545005... |
| 2006-02-20 4:08 PM in reply to: #350370 |
Pro 4541 A farming town in MN | Subject: RE: Where can I get a bike for $150? I actually saw the bike Frank is talking about at a Target here in the Twin Cities. Had to do a double take. (When's the last time you saw a road bike at a department store?). I believe this one did have an aluminum frame and aero brakes. I think the components were even Shimano. Of course you most likely will get what you pay for. I agree with 'pigpen.' Spend $25 and put the 'skinniest' mountain bike tires that you can on your mountain bike and strip the bike down to the 'bare' essentials (take off the kickstand, etc.). You might be surprised! |
| 2006-02-20 6:43 PM in reply to: #350237 |
Pro 4909 Hailey, ID | Subject: RE: Where can I get a bike for $150? I purchased my road bike for 20 dollars at the DI (like a salvation army). Spent another 50 getting a tune up and it works great. It's my first season bike, then I'm buying a real tri bike with money I save through the year AND getting closeout and saving 300-700 dollars  |
| 2006-02-20 7:13 PM in reply to: #350237 |
Expert 1070 North Carolina | Subject: RE: Where can I get a bike for $150? Bikes in this range usually do not get posted unfortunately but they do exist for sure. Most people do not want to pay the money to post them b/c they do not think people will want them and the bike shops will not take them b/c they are old. The best thing to do is to talk to some one at the LBS or local cycling club and see if they will talk to the local roadies. Usually they will have an old one they have been waiting to give a new home to. That's how I got my first one. $150.........now it stays on my trainer most of the year. In the summer I take it off and ride it a couple of times. Its like taking that old dog out for one last hunt. |
| 2006-02-20 8:28 PM in reply to: #350237 |
Pro 4292 Evanston, | Subject: RE: Where can I get a bike for $150? pawn shop |
| 2006-02-20 8:49 PM in reply to: #350387 |
| 62 | Subject: RE: Where can I get a bike for $150? sparco - 2006-02-20 4:08 PM I actually saw the bike Frank is talking about at a Target here in the Twin Cities. Had to do a double take. (When's the last time you saw a road bike at a department store?). I believe this one did have an aluminum frame and aero brakes. I think the components were even Shimano. Of course you most likely will get what you pay for. I agree with 'pigpen.' Spend $25 and put the 'skinniest' mountain bike tires that you can on your mountain bike and strip the bike down to the 'bare' essentials (take off the kickstand, etc.). You might be surprised! Which Target? I'm lookin for something cheap! |
| 2006-02-20 10:09 PM in reply to: #350237 |
Master 2314 Gulf Shores, AL | Subject: RE: Where can I get a bike for $150? I actually saw a schwinn road bike in Walmart for 190. I hadn't ever noticed a road bike in Walmart and am not a Walmart fan but for someone getting into the sport with a limited budget with a limited budget its probably serviceable for a year of training. That being said, my first year of riding would have been disastrous without the LBS service for when I tried to break every component on my $1500 bike. |
| 2006-02-21 8:37 AM in reply to: #350237 |
Elite 3201 South Florida | Subject: RE: Where can I get a bike for $150? I saw a road bike in Wal Mart for about $150 as well. I didn't check Target yet. I was planning on putting the skinny tired on my mt. bike (pretty good quality at the time - I think it's a 1993 Trek 830 Antelope), but the bike is just so heavy I dind't know if it was worth it. I borrowed my brother's bike for my only tri last year. It is a Gary Fisher hybrid - still not ideal but way better than my bike (except that it was too big!) I think I'll go to the bike store this weekend and see if they have any ideas. I hadn't asked yet since I figured even the good used bikes were more like $300-400. Also, my boss is a huge cyclist and he's short - maybe I can ask if he has any extras around the house. |
| 2006-02-21 10:00 AM in reply to: #350721 |
Giver 18427 | Subject: RE: Where can I get a bike for $150? I think you'll find the dept. store bikes aren't any lighter (and may be heavier) than your MTB. But here's the thing about weight" you live in south Florida, so I assume you'll be racing htere as well. Bike weight is almost irrelavant on flat courses. It'll take a little longer to get up to speed, but once you're cruising, extra weight has no real negative affect.
MomX3 - 2006-02-21 9:37 AM I saw a road bike in Wal Mart for about $150 as well. I didn't check Target yet. I was planning on putting the skinny tired on my mt. bike (pretty good quality at the time - I think it's a 1993 Trek 830 Antelope), but the bike is just so heavy I dind't know if it was worth it. I borrowed my brother's bike for my only tri last year. It is a Gary Fisher hybrid - still not ideal but way better than my bike (except that it was too big!) I think I'll go to the bike store this weekend and see if they have any ideas. I hadn't asked yet since I figured even the good used bikes were more like $300-400. Also, my boss is a huge cyclist and he's short - maybe I can ask if he has any extras around the house. Edited by run4yrlif 2006-02-21 10:03 AM |
| 2006-02-21 10:17 AM in reply to: #350237 |
Elite 3201 South Florida | Subject: RE: Where can I get a bike for $150? I was wondering if the dept. store bikes would be lighter. I just kind of figured they would since they're so much newer. I am planning on racing in flat FL for now (and if I do get to do the race I was thinking of up north I cna borrow my brother's bike again) so I think I'll go to the bike store and ask them how much it would cost to make my bike better. I do love my bike - it was one of the first "big" purchases I ever made with my own money. And it's purple - I love that. |
| 2006-02-24 8:53 PM in reply to: #350548 |
Pro 4541 A farming town in MN | Subject: RE: Where can I get a bike for $150? Calmdown - 2006-02-20 8:49 PM sparco - 2006-02-20 4:08 PM Which Target? I'm lookin for something cheap!I actually saw the bike Frank is talking about at a Target here in the Twin Cities. Had to do a double take. (When's the last time you saw a road bike at a department store?). I believe this one did have an aluminum frame and aero brakes. I think the components were even Shimano. Of course you most likely will get what you pay for. I agree with 'pigpen.' Spend $25 and put the 'skinniest' mountain bike tires that you can on your mountain bike and strip the bike down to the 'bare' essentials (take off the kickstand, etc.). You might be surprised! Lakeville Target off of I-35. Compact frame (top tube slopes down). I would guess it's about a 20" (50 cm). I think it was selling for $110. Can't tell you if it's still there. If I'm in the neighborhood, I'll check... |
| 2006-02-25 3:10 PM in reply to: #350237 |
Extreme Veteran 338 | Subject: RE: Where can I get a bike for $150? Canada!! If you're near the border check it out - you might get more bang for your buck. Alas, I have Canadian dollars so it does not work for me. But I say give'er where the money is worth the most. Cheers Megz |
| 2006-02-25 4:08 PM in reply to: #350237 |
Veteran 149 Laurens County, SC | Subject: RE: Where can I get a bike for $150? I looked on e bay and used the zip code search thingy....I found a used raleigh for 100 dollars, and I was able to cut out the shipping cost since it was local....and I didn't have to re-assemble it and all that. I bought a bike from this guy a couple of years ago, now my son rides it, he sometimes has some good deals here is the link http://www.discountbikes.net/road/schwinn-world2/index.html He doesn't have a lot listed now, but you can e mail him and he can probably get what you want, he changed the saddle and pedals on the one I bought from him and I used it in my first tri and rode iti n a century and countless training miles on it and it is still going strong. You may also want to look at goodwill and salvation army, I bought an old steel trek mtn bike at a hospice trhift store for 12 dollars, it had 2 flat tires, but with 5.00 with of tubes it rides great.... Also try play it again sports or something similiar in your city and look at classified ads, I am sure you have probably tried these though. I would ask the boss as well, those roadies always have tons of bikes and he probably is in a club where he can find you one really cheap. I trained for my first tri on a wal mart mtn bike...but I got the road bike a week before,,, Good luck, Buc |
| 2006-02-25 7:36 PM in reply to: #350237 |
Elite 2777 In my bunk with new shoes and purple sweats. | Subject: RE: Where can I get a bike for $150? Jim's advice is very sound. Unlesss your racing a hilly course the weight factor is not going to be much. Not being able to get aero sux but there's a ton or folks out there racing sprints with mtn bikes and I tip my hat to them all because they are racing with what they have available and will be better racers in the long run. Only other option for a quality road bike for $150: drive to seedy part of town and seek assistance from local crack addicts. (really, really, just kidding) Good luck and I'll be watching for your race reports. |
| 2006-02-25 11:04 PM in reply to: #350237 |
Elite 3972 Reno | Subject: RE: Where can I get a bike for $150? Walmart bikes - MAYBE they purchase something OK to ride - BUT - would you trust anyone working for Walmart to assemble your bike for you? |
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