Bike advice?

[Kazak]

Bike people, give me some advice here. Someone stole my bike this weekend. :mad: My own fault, I guess, I left it unlocked for an hour and when I came out, it was gone. No biggie I guess, it served me well, and I must've ridden thousands of miles on it. I bought it more than 10 years ago, so it's probably paid for itself many times over since then. But, now I need a new one. Since it's been so long since I was in the market for a new bike, I'm pretty lost and I need a little help. I want something solid/durable that will last me for years (assuming I learn to lock it up), but I don't want to spend more than, say, $500.00. I realize I'm asking a lot, but I'd like to be happy with it, and feel like I made the right purchase, and have all my biking needs fulfilled for the foreseeable future, any recommendations? My old bike was a Specialized Hardrock. Should I just look at getting a new model, or something else? Help!

[cwydro]

1. I got a really nice Trek

some years ago for less than $400.

[Deep13]

2. I have a Cannondale which is very nice.

I forgot exactly how much it was, but I know i paid more than a Trek was because they were made in America.

[Kazak]

3. Thanks for the replies thusfar. Is Schwinn any good?

I have visions of banana seats when I hear the word Schwinn.

[sammythecat]

11. Go to Ebay

and get yourself a 60yr old Schwinn with a 50lb frame and steamroller wheels. Those things can survive an IED. You'll have it forever. Nobody gonna steal that from ya. :)

[Sequoia]

16. I like Schwinn.

I had a blue 10 speed once with turned-down handles that I'd ride to Vencie Beach. I sure liked it. Now I have a Trek which is okay but it weighs too much. I'd rather have a Schwinn. I don't like bike stealers. This gal I used to ride the bus with was at the bus stop with a bike (you can load them on the front of the bus). I said, nice bike. And she said she stole it from a guy who was using it to collect cans. I said, But why would you do that, that was the only way he could get around. Her reply...I needed it. Damn, you know?
A week later she said the bike had been stolen from her and I said, That's karma for you.

[Kazak]

4. Also,...

I ride about 6 miles round trip/day, mostly residential streets and sidewalks. I have a mountain bike in mind, but is it worth considering a "cruiser" for this purpose, or should I just stick with the mountain?

[jobycom]

6. They make variations called "hyrbid" or "urban," too.

Hybrids are mixes of mountain and road bikes--usually 700 rims on a fixed fork mountain bike frame that doesn't stretch you as much. Good for cruising without the racing posture. Urban bikes or also fixed fork mb frames with bigger tires for curbs, and often a rack and fenders and packs and stuff like that. I can never tell what they are supposed to be by looking at them, but basically a hybrid would let you ride faster, and an urban bike would let you jump a curb or cut across gravel faster. Depends on your route. Also depends on how a company defines its bike--one person's mountain bike could easily be another person's urban bike.

I started looking at bikes a short while ago, and there are so many different styles than there used to be that I had to read up on it. You don't need to learn every style, just know that there are more specialized styles than there were ten years ago.

[no name no slogan]

13. I've got a hybrid for the same reasons you mentioned

It's a bit heavier than a road bike, but good for your average urban commute/errand running-type situation. I live in the inner city and ride most everywhere when I can. I have a road rack and saddle bags, and do a lot of my grocery shopping with that bike.

[jobycom]

5. Check out some bike review sites, and shop on an online site that lets customers comment.

You don't have to buy from that site, but you can get an idea of what complaints might be. Aside from that, try to buy from someone who will let you at least sit on the bike, and ride it if possible. A quick spin could tell you whether you hate the feel of it. $500 should get you a good bike. At that range, worry more about the frame than the components--you can replace components as they wear out.

On your stolen bike, make sure to report it to the cops, and give them a description, so it they find your bike one day, they can return it, and just as importantly, they will have something to charge the thief with. They busted a bike thief here in Austin not long ago, and he had a storage unit full of bikes and parts they knew were stolen, but they couldn't prove it on most because no one had reported them. (Not to fear, they matched up several high-end bikes and he got four years for it).

Also, if you get the time, search Craigslist for your bike. You'd be surprised how often that works. They steal bikes and put them on Craigslist with a generic description ("Red mountain bike, $80") so no one can find them by googling their own make and model. I saw one person find their bike, which was stolen in Columbus, Ohio, offered on CL on Austin, TX. Theft rings steal lots of bikes in one city and truck them to another city to sell.

That's all I got. You probably knew all that. But I couldn't stop myself typing it anyway.

[Kazak]

7. I thought about it, but...

I don't have any serial numbers off of it to identify it, and I really don't want to have to deal with the cops if I can help it. I don't have high hopes that they could find it anyway. :cry:

[jobycom]

9. They probably won't find it, or even look for it, but they sometimes accidentally

stumble across them. You don't have to do much to report it. Here in Austin you can just call 311 and give them a description over the phone, along with your name and number. You'll probably never hear from them again, but it might give them what they need to arrest someone. Depending on the city, it was likely stolen by a ring who wholesales bikes elsewhere.

[LeftyMom]

14. Report what you have, just in case.

The kid's Dad got a stolen bike back that way. Somehow it wound up several counties away but the cops have databases for that kind of thing, so when they busted a known bike thief they ran the info on the bike she was on in the database and figured out it was his.

[bikebloke]

8. Touring Bike

Touring bikes are built to carry loads and long distance durability. Even if you're not making a trek, it's a good commuter. As I hate hanging around bike shops, when I buy a part, I always tell them I don't mind extra weight as long as it's durable. Some people with their gram shaving are ridiculous.

[sammythecat]

10. "Some people with their gram shaving are ridiculous."

Really. It's a silly obsession with some.

[Kazak]

12. What about those reclined style bikes I sometimes see people riding?

I'm guessing they're probably way out of my price range, but I can't seem to find much information about that type of bike. Could someone give me the run down?

[LeftyMom]

15. Buy used from somebody who isn't sketchy.

The kid's Dad got a $450 Marin hybrid for $30 from some suburbanite who rode it a few times, garaged it for a year or three and then decided he wanted a cruiser instead. The same guy may have a cheap deal on a barely-ridden cruiser by now. ;)

My Giant hybrid was $18 at Goodwill, and just needed tubes, tires, a saddle and a good cleaning.

[Kazak]

17. 'Bought one of these yesterday...

It's ugly. I like it!