Bike of my dreams, not my wallet's nightmare?
June 6, 2011 5:07 PM Subscribe
I am absolutely in love with this bicycle. However, it's well outside my price range. What's the best quality and style I can get in a bike for around $300?
I'm moving back up to Portland for school, which has proven to be very bicycle friendly. I'm living only a few blocks from campus and from work, so the majority of the time I'm going to be riding, it will be fairly flat and short distances, with the occasional trip downtown. I want to get a safe bike, but it doesn't need to be super performance-oriented-- I'm more concerned with style. I love absolutely everything about the Bella bike linked above, except for the price. I've looked at stores like Target, etc., (at this bike in particular,) but want to make sure that whatever I buy will at least hold up through the next 2-3 years. I also want at least 3 speeds.
What details are important in assessing quality/safety in bikes? I've looked at these two posts, but haven't found the kind of bike I'm looking for. I really can't afford to spend more than $300, since I'm still sort of navigating the "paying for college" situation. Advice?
I'm moving back up to Portland for school, which has proven to be very bicycle friendly. I'm living only a few blocks from campus and from work, so the majority of the time I'm going to be riding, it will be fairly flat and short distances, with the occasional trip downtown. I want to get a safe bike, but it doesn't need to be super performance-oriented-- I'm more concerned with style. I love absolutely everything about the Bella bike linked above, except for the price. I've looked at stores like Target, etc., (at this bike in particular,) but want to make sure that whatever I buy will at least hold up through the next 2-3 years. I also want at least 3 speeds.
What details are important in assessing quality/safety in bikes? I've looked at these two posts, but haven't found the kind of bike I'm looking for. I really can't afford to spend more than $300, since I'm still sort of navigating the "paying for college" situation. Advice?
Buy used. The closest you're going to get new and from a quality manufacturer is Globe's Daily line. Your next best bet would be Bikes Direct (more city bikes from BD). But they take a little knowledge to assemble after shipping.
Highly highly recommend that you don't buy from a big-box store.
posted by supercres at 5:15 PM on June 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
Highly highly recommend that you don't buy from a big-box store.
posted by supercres at 5:15 PM on June 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
You might take a look at an entry level Electra Townie. (I learned how to ride a bike on my Townie.) They're a bit above your price point; Clever Cycles has the 7d for $439, but a good bike is worth spending a bit more on.
Otherwise, yeah, probably a used bike.
posted by epersonae at 5:22 PM on June 6, 2011
Otherwise, yeah, probably a used bike.
posted by epersonae at 5:22 PM on June 6, 2011
Don't buy a bike from a box store. In Portland, Craigslist is your best buddy for a used bike...we also have a buhjillion great bike shops if you need something fixed or need a safety check. Go ask for Spencer at A Better Cycle on Division. He is amazing, and everyone there super nice, as well as budget conscious.
And stay away from the Recyclery. They have an (uh, alleged, i guess) habit of selling stolen bikes, for cheap.
If you want to PM me with the size of bike you're looking for, my wife has an old sturdy peugeot that we're looking to sell for WELL within your budget. You'll need to get the brakes checked out and redone, but that should still put you well within your budget. It was her first 'get around Portland' bike when she started Grad school here in Portland.
posted by furnace.heart at 5:22 PM on June 6, 2011
And stay away from the Recyclery. They have an (uh, alleged, i guess) habit of selling stolen bikes, for cheap.
If you want to PM me with the size of bike you're looking for, my wife has an old sturdy peugeot that we're looking to sell for WELL within your budget. You'll need to get the brakes checked out and redone, but that should still put you well within your budget. It was her first 'get around Portland' bike when she started Grad school here in Portland.
posted by furnace.heart at 5:22 PM on June 6, 2011
I don't know that one bike is really any safer than another, if they are well maintained.
It's in reference to department store/Walmart/Target bikes, which are are made of cheap stuff in the first place, then poorly assembled. Ask around enough and you'll get lots of tales of wheels falling off, forks installed backwards, brakes not hooked up properly, etc. Most of those can be fixed without too much trouble, but only if you know what you're doing and what to look for.
How patient can you afford to be? Yard sales are your best bet--you should be able to get something for well under $100 that needs some inner tubes and maybe tires. If you have a bike-knowledgeable friend, bring them along to make sure there's nothing sneaky wrong (bent forks and derailleurs are not usually obvious). My road bike cost me $10 plus about $80 in parts (well, before I went crazy upgrading things).
posted by Dr.Enormous at 5:23 PM on June 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
It's in reference to department store/Walmart/Target bikes, which are are made of cheap stuff in the first place, then poorly assembled. Ask around enough and you'll get lots of tales of wheels falling off, forks installed backwards, brakes not hooked up properly, etc. Most of those can be fixed without too much trouble, but only if you know what you're doing and what to look for.
How patient can you afford to be? Yard sales are your best bet--you should be able to get something for well under $100 that needs some inner tubes and maybe tires. If you have a bike-knowledgeable friend, bring them along to make sure there's nothing sneaky wrong (bent forks and derailleurs are not usually obvious). My road bike cost me $10 plus about $80 in parts (well, before I went crazy upgrading things).
posted by Dr.Enormous at 5:23 PM on June 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
Also, you might be surprised how unnecessary multiple gearing is on a city bike. I know it's hard to tell for sure before you try, so maybe go to a local bike shop (even though you don't intend to buy from them) and try a city bike to see how it handles on hills of roughly the same grade that you encounter daily.
posted by supercres at 5:23 PM on June 6, 2011
posted by supercres at 5:23 PM on June 6, 2011
I'd suggest going to a local bike shop when you get there. I have a Raleigh Route 3.0, which is basically a comfort bike. Less stylish than the Bella bike, but it was around $300, and I know they have a few other similar step-through type bikes. The benefit of going local is that they will have put your bike together for you, so even if it's a cheaper bike you have somewhere to go if you have trouble. Plus, they might have last year's closeouts, or whatever.
I was sure I just wanted a cheap bike from Target too, and I am super glad I went to a real bike shop instead. Heck, even REI is going to be better than Target in this regard.
If you get a comfort bike, you won't want to go for rides of more than 10 - 15 miles or so because it's heavy and the cushy seat actually starts to hurt after awhile. So keep that in mind.
posted by cabingirl at 5:24 PM on June 6, 2011
I was sure I just wanted a cheap bike from Target too, and I am super glad I went to a real bike shop instead. Heck, even REI is going to be better than Target in this regard.
If you get a comfort bike, you won't want to go for rides of more than 10 - 15 miles or so because it's heavy and the cushy seat actually starts to hurt after awhile. So keep that in mind.
posted by cabingirl at 5:24 PM on June 6, 2011
The American version of the uber-trendy Dutch-style bike is the Schwinn or schwinn-esque cruiser. They're old, they're heavy, they're ubiquitous, and they're usually quite cheap if they haven't been extensively rehabbed. I'm in New York, where "vintage" bikes cost exponentially more than they do in the rest of the US, and an old cruiser in average shape costs somewhere in the neighborhood of $150 on craigslist.
If you want something shiny-pretty and are willing to pay more like $200-300 (possibly cheaper outside a major east coast city), you can find models in bike shops that have been completely worked over, often including paint jobs and new decals.
Your main problem with a bike like this is that vintage ones in raw condition often have shifting problems, as the internally geared hubs tend to fail after 30-40 years and are expensive to replace. Most of the cheap cruisers I see are either de facto single speeds or have been retrofitted that way.
posted by Sara C. at 5:38 PM on June 6, 2011
If you want something shiny-pretty and are willing to pay more like $200-300 (possibly cheaper outside a major east coast city), you can find models in bike shops that have been completely worked over, often including paint jobs and new decals.
Your main problem with a bike like this is that vintage ones in raw condition often have shifting problems, as the internally geared hubs tend to fail after 30-40 years and are expensive to replace. Most of the cheap cruisers I see are either de facto single speeds or have been retrofitted that way.
posted by Sara C. at 5:38 PM on June 6, 2011
I have the same bike as cabingirl except mine is silver. I freakin' love that bike. I tow my huge three year old in a trailer up and down hills easily and I am in no way an athletic person. I paid about $350 for mine, but I bought panniers and a book rack and had the store install them.
posted by TooFewShoes at 6:03 PM on June 6, 2011
posted by TooFewShoes at 6:03 PM on June 6, 2011
Have you checked out the Linus Dutchi 3? It's a little out of your price range, but cheaper than the Bella.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 6:06 PM on June 6, 2011
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 6:06 PM on June 6, 2011
Your dream bike looks a hell of a lot like an old Bridgestone La Vie.
They're not all that rare here on the west coast (I have one in my basement).
You could find one in Portland, I imagine. Pictures I've seen make it look as if they were very common at one time in Vietnam-- the picture I linked was shot in Hanoi, if I'm reading it right-- and Portland does have a Vietnamese community. You might be able to find a La Vie through a church bulletin board or the like.
posted by jamjam at 7:28 PM on June 6, 2011
They're not all that rare here on the west coast (I have one in my basement).
You could find one in Portland, I imagine. Pictures I've seen make it look as if they were very common at one time in Vietnam-- the picture I linked was shot in Hanoi, if I'm reading it right-- and Portland does have a Vietnamese community. You might be able to find a La Vie through a church bulletin board or the like.
posted by jamjam at 7:28 PM on June 6, 2011
The KHS Green is a little over $300 and has the same internal geared hub and similar styling. No idea who might carry it in Portland.
As far as quality and safety, buy from a reputable bike shop. Most bikes come from a few factories in China, but what really makes a safe bike is one that is checked over and built up by someone who cares to see your repeat business. Most good bike shops will inspect and correct a dozen or so things that make a bike a ton nicer than it came out of the box. These little things like making the sure the wheels are true, the shifting, precise, and the brakes well adjusted make a basic bike a real joy to ride.
posted by advicepig at 7:29 PM on June 6, 2011
As far as quality and safety, buy from a reputable bike shop. Most bikes come from a few factories in China, but what really makes a safe bike is one that is checked over and built up by someone who cares to see your repeat business. Most good bike shops will inspect and correct a dozen or so things that make a bike a ton nicer than it came out of the box. These little things like making the sure the wheels are true, the shifting, precise, and the brakes well adjusted make a basic bike a real joy to ride.
posted by advicepig at 7:29 PM on June 6, 2011
It's in reference to department store/Walmart/Target bikes, which are are made of cheap stuff in the first place, then poorly assembled. Ask around enough and you'll get lots of tales of wheels falling off, forks installed backwards, brakes not hooked up properly, etc. Most of those can be fixed without too much trouble, but only if you know what you're doing and what to look for.
A wal-mart bike is probably going to be aluminum or steel. Heavier than a good bike, sure, but nothing particularly wrong with it otherwise, most likely. There are some comapnies that supply bikes to wal-mart that also supply bikes to "nicer" places, Giant comes to mind.
It is not possible to install a fork backwards.
I doubt people are having wheels fall off - if so I really think this is a user failure as much as the person assembling it. Wheels are just attached to the axle with bolts - they have to be extremely loose before the wheel will come off, especially with newer bikes that have lawyer lips in the front and vertical dropouts in the back - gravity alone is enough to keep the wheels on with totally loose tires.
I mean sure, more expensive bikes are nicer, but you can get a good enough bike at wal-mart. I have rehabbed many bikes, some of good quality, and some from wal-mart (huffy, giant, etc) and they make perfectly good/sturdy bikes.
posted by RustyBrooks at 7:37 PM on June 6, 2011
A wal-mart bike is probably going to be aluminum or steel. Heavier than a good bike, sure, but nothing particularly wrong with it otherwise, most likely. There are some comapnies that supply bikes to wal-mart that also supply bikes to "nicer" places, Giant comes to mind.
It is not possible to install a fork backwards.
I doubt people are having wheels fall off - if so I really think this is a user failure as much as the person assembling it. Wheels are just attached to the axle with bolts - they have to be extremely loose before the wheel will come off, especially with newer bikes that have lawyer lips in the front and vertical dropouts in the back - gravity alone is enough to keep the wheels on with totally loose tires.
I mean sure, more expensive bikes are nicer, but you can get a good enough bike at wal-mart. I have rehabbed many bikes, some of good quality, and some from wal-mart (huffy, giant, etc) and they make perfectly good/sturdy bikes.
posted by RustyBrooks at 7:37 PM on June 6, 2011
I take part of that back, if by "installing a fork backwards" you mean "the handlebars are installed the opposite direction of the fork" which I guess would mean the fork is backwards if the handlebars are normal. I've never seen it though.
posted by RustyBrooks at 7:50 PM on June 6, 2011
posted by RustyBrooks at 7:50 PM on June 6, 2011
Look for Flying Pigeon bikes. It's a Chinese brand (almost all bikes are made in China these days anyhow). They're cheap, heavy, old-fashioned, and have a similar aesthetic to the bike you want. I'd be surprised if there weren't a place in Portland selling them.
posted by adamrice at 7:58 PM on June 6, 2011
posted by adamrice at 7:58 PM on June 6, 2011
My daughter has a beautiful Electra Townie (i think its a Townie-classic beach cruiser) bike in orange. Seems very well-made, comfortable ride. Google shows the list price at $420 or so, but we only paid $300 just a couple years ago (we are also in Oregon). My guess is if you are patient on CL or keep your eyes out for a sale you could get one close to your price range.
posted by purenitrous at 8:08 PM on June 6, 2011
posted by purenitrous at 8:08 PM on June 6, 2011
You might like Nirve bikes. I bought one about a year ago to tool around in and the pictures don't do it justice. The detailing on the frame and tires is really top-notch (and though I'm not a 'girly girl' at all, I squee every time I look at it!); ordered it from Amazon during the off season and had it assembled locally for about 30 bucks. Best $350.00 I ever spent.
posted by LuckySeven~ at 8:11 PM on June 6, 2011
posted by LuckySeven~ at 8:11 PM on June 6, 2011
It is not possible to install a fork backwards.
Wanna bet? :)
Courtesy of this compilation of department store bikes with horrible defects.
One of my friends literally had his handlebars fall off mid-ride because they weren't tightened onto the fork; ended with some pretty good road rash. I mean, you can fix that with a hex wrench, but you shouldn't have to worry about that kind of thing.
posted by Dr.Enormous at 8:11 PM on June 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
Wanna bet? :)
Courtesy of this compilation of department store bikes with horrible defects.
One of my friends literally had his handlebars fall off mid-ride because they weren't tightened onto the fork; ended with some pretty good road rash. I mean, you can fix that with a hex wrench, but you shouldn't have to worry about that kind of thing.
posted by Dr.Enormous at 8:11 PM on June 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
That KHS Green advicepig links to is snazzy! I hate telling people what bike to buy, but that one has a lot going for it given your preferences. Think of the black as a blank slate in which to put whatever the hell stickers you want on there.
I have one of the bikes direct oxfords linked to above and while I'm happy with it/dig its style, I wouldn't recommend anyone purchase it who didn't have some familiarity with (partially) assembling a bike and making basic adjustments. Or if they had a friend who could do it. Or if they wanted to add on the money it would cost for a bike shop to assemble it.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 8:31 PM on June 6, 2011
I have one of the bikes direct oxfords linked to above and while I'm happy with it/dig its style, I wouldn't recommend anyone purchase it who didn't have some familiarity with (partially) assembling a bike and making basic adjustments. Or if they had a friend who could do it. Or if they wanted to add on the money it would cost for a bike shop to assemble it.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 8:31 PM on June 6, 2011
I have a bike like this! Mine is a Pashley, which is equally expensive, but there are tons of vintage Raleighs around that have the same loop frame style. I would suggest setting up an eBay alert for "loop frame bike" in your area and trawling Craigslist, there are definitely affordable versions of the same style.
posted by ukdanae at 12:07 AM on June 7, 2011
posted by ukdanae at 12:07 AM on June 7, 2011
It most definitely is possible to install a fork backwards. My mother bought a low-end ladies MTB from a local bike shop (evidently not a very competent one.) She was complaining that it felt strange to ride, so I came and had a look. Yep, fork installed backwards.
nthing look second-hand, perhaps even on ebay. While the bike you linked to certainly looks pretty, the actual cost of the components that make it up would hardly come to 1/4 of the advertised price.
posted by chmmr at 2:19 AM on June 7, 2011
nthing look second-hand, perhaps even on ebay. While the bike you linked to certainly looks pretty, the actual cost of the components that make it up would hardly come to 1/4 of the advertised price.
posted by chmmr at 2:19 AM on June 7, 2011
I just bought this Trek hybrid for $315 at a local bike store, and so far I love it. It's not quite as retro-looking as the Townie, etc., but it does have a step-through frame. Trek also has a couple of beach cruisers that are under $400.
posted by rebekah at 5:08 AM on June 7, 2011
posted by rebekah at 5:08 AM on June 7, 2011
I would call that having the handlebars on backwards but I suppose it's nitpicking. The thing is, when you assemble a bike, you put the fork on first, attaching it with a nut, and then the handlebars. The fork itself can't be put on backwards (there's only one way to put it on), but it is possible to put the handlebars on in any incorrect angle including backwards.
posted by RustyBrooks at 7:31 PM on June 7, 2011
posted by RustyBrooks at 7:31 PM on June 7, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
In your price range, you'd probably do best looking at second hand bikes. You might even be able to find the one of your dreams, if it's 5-10 years old. Then take it to a good bike place and get it thoroughly tuned up, paying special attention to brakes and gears.
The keyword I think you are probably after is "city bike" or "commuter bike". That gives you the comfortable seat and upright frame.
posted by lollusc at 5:11 PM on June 6, 2011