StarDestroyer.Net BBS

I know there are a few of you bike freaks here, so perhaps you could lend me a few minutes of your time.


I'm on the lokout for a new bike. Something within the $200 to $300 and slightly higher range, though if there's one just as good or equivalent for under 200, that'd be great. None of those insane $1000 and above bikes that simply scream "STEAL ME" pleasekthnx.

Basically, I'm just gonna use it to commute back and forth from room to campus and here and there around town. No serious terrain biking or stuff like that.

However, I'd still like the gear systems, and maybe a little extra nifty stuff (gears make things SOOOO much easier!!).


My local sports chalet currently has the best bikes, and were the ones in the $200 to $300 range. But do you recommend I buy them in a different way? Recommend any particular companies or brands?

Walmart always has a bunch of bikes... you can get pretty decent ones there, too, well within that range you suggested ($100-300, right?). Some are kinda flashy and all, but hey, that's what spray paint's for... in any case, it'd be a good bet. Just make sure you know what you want and be prepared to insist upon trying your possible buy out at least once (have the salesperson go out with you to the parking lot or something). Gotta make sure you're comfortable... that's VERY important... your ass will thank you the rest of your life!

A nice Diamondback bike would be in your range and is a pretty decent bike. I had one that I used on my paper route in all sorts of horrible weather and until it was totally trashed it never let me down.

Don't go to a big store like Wal-Mart. The bikes they sell at those places are cheap and crappy. Go to your local bicycle specialty store. Tell them you want a road bike and you have however much money and they should be able to help you out.

I've noticed a lot of bikes now come with hydraulic disk brakes. Are they any better than traditional rubber-pad rim brakes or are they just a marketing thing? (Hey maw, looky here! Hydrolical disk brakes! Kewl!)

I got my current bike at the pawn shop for $50.00 (was originally $200.00, but I know the owner well). I wouldn't trust Wal-Mart, I've had 3 bikes from there in 5 years, every one of them has fallen apart rather quickly.

I paid $250 or so for this Raleigh Retroglide a couple of years ago.

Mine is a cream/black color and it's held up pretty nicely through heavy (I weighed 350 or so at the time) use in my weight loss exercise efforts.

It's a 7 speed, so the gears you want are available.

My BF snagged a Kona Smoke for me to cruise around town on when I was in Nepal, I found it to be a really smooth comfortable bike to take for spins around town and the fenders are a godsend in wet weather. The bike is really nice and handles well and can easily be taken for off-road sessions if the mood strikes you. The MSRP is $349 but it shouldn't be too hard to find a dealer selling it for less. My BF approves of the bike and if it's good enough for his seal of quality it's something special.

Jean Paul wrote:I've noticed a lot of bikes now come with hydraulic disk brakes. Are they any better than traditional rubber-pad rim brakes or are they just a marketing thing? (Hey maw, looky here! Hydrolical disk brakes! Kewl!)

Huge, huge improvement if my BF's bikes are anything to go by. Disc brakes are a lot more powerful and easy to control. I find I slide out a lot less and can ride better faster lines with discs, they allow me to hold traction better without locking up the wheels by accident and sliding out. I'll leave it to my BF to bore you with one of his mechanic's rants.

The Giant Rock, Boulder, and maybe the Rincon should be in the upper end of your price range, the Rincon's probably a bit over. The Rock & boulder were our bread & butter bikes for people getting into cycling, they spec good parts on them and they hold up pretty well. The only problem in your case is the bright shiny paintjob that Giant uses on all their bikes, it literally screams "steal me now" so you'll want to get a good lock for it. The Kona Smoke which my GF has is much lower key and I feel it's better built, but you'll still need a good lock since bike theives know what to look for. Since you're using the bike for getting around town, have the shop swap the tires to smooth city tires, they're quieter, faster, and last a lot longer for pavement riding.

Jean Paul wrote:I've noticed a lot of bikes now come with hydraulic disk brakes. Are they any better than traditional rubber-pad rim brakes or are they just a marketing thing? (Hey maw, looky here! Hydrolical disk brakes! Kewl!)

Hydraulic disc brakes are the most important innovation in mountain biking since suspension. A good set of discs (Shimano, Avid, Hayes, Hope) dramatically increases braking power and control, you can hold wheels on the edge of lockup for maximum braking power, and on long downhills the brakes will not fade and lose power. On a downhill, I can gain 5-10 seconds/minute on a non-disc bike, at the bottom of a 5 minute downhill I can be almost a minute ahead. A long & steep enough downhill will cook a set of traditional rubber rim brakes, the pads glaze & harden from the heat and they will never stop well again, discs avoid this problem. Also, while the initial setup is a pain, once that's done you never have to fiddle with them again unless you really wreck your bike in a crash. They are very dependable. Just make sure you get metallic pads for them, organic or kevlar pads may be more grippy but they can't take the heat and don't last as long.

I got the Rincon on aerius' advice and I must say I really enjoy it. It has eight gears and about everything else you would need. It cost me $340 but it was well worth it considering some of the roads I exercise on are quite rough and the shocks hold well and I can sit for longer periods of time with thee comfortable seat.