Whither my massive new steed?
September 15, 2010 1:40 PM Subscribe
Where can I find a cheap, large, used bike in Montreal.
I've just moved to Montreal, and I'm stoked about how prevalent cycling is here (on the island at least). The bixis are convenient... but they aren't the world's best bikes, especially for a tall fellow. Can you recommend shops where I can find large, cheap, good, used bikes? I am wiling to do some work on a bike if needs be.
I've just moved to Montreal, and I'm stoked about how prevalent cycling is here (on the island at least). The bixis are convenient... but they aren't the world's best bikes, especially for a tall fellow. Can you recommend shops where I can find large, cheap, good, used bikes? I am wiling to do some work on a bike if needs be.
I might have a bike for you, check your mefimail.
posted by L'Estrange Fruit at 2:08 PM on September 15, 2010
posted by L'Estrange Fruit at 2:08 PM on September 15, 2010
Freecycle Montreal (a email list) sometimes has bikes (for free!).
Those places have bikes in the $120-$450 range:
Velomakak - big selection
Vélo Urbain - got mine there!
Ecovelo is a charity that builds bikes from used parts, giving jobs to vulnerable youth. Last time I went there, prices ranged from $250 to $400.
D'Un Sport à L'Autre (on Bernard St, Mile-End) has a few bikes.
Cycle Pop
Near Mont-Royal metro station there's always some bikes parked for sale with a phone number. Some dude runs his business that way.
Ads:
Craigslist
McGill Classifieds
Bikurious is awesome, but they custom build their bikes from used+new parts, therefore they are somewhat expensive (like $500-$600).
You could easily get bikes for $60 bucks before, but now with cycling becoming more widespread (yay!) they got more expensive. But I bet patience + online ads could get you a cheap deal.
posted by TheGoodBlood at 3:03 PM on September 15, 2010
Those places have bikes in the $120-$450 range:
Velomakak - big selection
Vélo Urbain - got mine there!
Ecovelo is a charity that builds bikes from used parts, giving jobs to vulnerable youth. Last time I went there, prices ranged from $250 to $400.
D'Un Sport à L'Autre (on Bernard St, Mile-End) has a few bikes.
Cycle Pop
Near Mont-Royal metro station there's always some bikes parked for sale with a phone number. Some dude runs his business that way.
Ads:
Craigslist
McGill Classifieds
Bikurious is awesome, but they custom build their bikes from used+new parts, therefore they are somewhat expensive (like $500-$600).
You could easily get bikes for $60 bucks before, but now with cycling becoming more widespread (yay!) they got more expensive. But I bet patience + online ads could get you a cheap deal.
posted by TheGoodBlood at 3:03 PM on September 15, 2010
Feel free to memail me... I'm in Burlington, VT, about 90 minutes south. I'm a tallish guys and have several bikes, some of which I'm willing to part with. I could also check the prices at shops around my area if you let me know what you're looking for.
posted by brand-gnu at 3:39 PM on September 15, 2010
posted by brand-gnu at 3:39 PM on September 15, 2010
Found mine on Craigslist - $120 for an adorable three-speed. If you need to do repairs and are lacking tools and/or experience, there are several bike collectives around town. The volunteers at The Flat at McGill are quite patient with novices, but there's often a long lineup. Concordia's Right to Move/La Voie Libre is better suited for those with some experience in bike maintenance. The Flat is always free; RTM is free the first time you go, and $20 for a year's membership. Those are the only two I've used so far, but both collectives have a round-up of the Montreal bike community on their sites - RTM's one even has maps.
posted by Devika at 4:53 PM on September 15, 2010
posted by Devika at 4:53 PM on September 15, 2010
Just be careful buying second hand online - a lot of those bikes are stolen. If you have a problem with this, keep an eye out for suspiciously low prices, scratched off serial #s, no reason given for selling it, and a random street intersection rather than an address as the place given to meet up.
Bike theft is very common in Montreal - possibly no more than in many other cities, but make sure you get a good lock that fits around as many parts as possible, bring it indoors whenever possible, and keep a record/picture of the serial number if it still has one.
posted by Anali at 7:02 PM on September 15, 2010
Bike theft is very common in Montreal - possibly no more than in many other cities, but make sure you get a good lock that fits around as many parts as possible, bring it indoors whenever possible, and keep a record/picture of the serial number if it still has one.
posted by Anali at 7:02 PM on September 15, 2010
Response by poster: Well, I checked out Vélo Urbain today, and came away with a nice, large, fast, not-so-flashy, inexpensive bike. Thanks for the suggestions!
posted by Sustainable Chiles at 8:24 PM on September 16, 2010
posted by Sustainable Chiles at 8:24 PM on September 16, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by kuppajava at 1:46 PM on September 15, 2010