"Bandit" (2bandit)
09/03/2015 at 00:20 • Filed to: bikelopnik
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"Bandit" (2bandit)
09/03/2015 at 00:20 • Filed to: bikelopnik | 0
| 16 |
I’m looking for a new cheap beater college bike to replace my late 70s early 80s Huffy 10 speed I inherited from my grandfather and have been riding for the past few years. The wheels are so far out of true it is comical, the brakes don’t work any more because it is impossible to find the right style of pads, bearings are totally shot (even after repacking), and the whole thing is just sketchy. Plus the thing is starting to get some good surface rust. I’ve been looking at single speed bikes for around $200, so far this is the one I’m leaning towards after I swap the handle bars to pursuit or drop style. Anyone ever heard of !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ? Second, anyone have any suggestions of a bike to buy? I have a really nice trek 4300 hard tail mountain bike for trail riding, so I’m only interested in bikes that are road use. I realize all bikes at my price point suck, but which one sucks less? Sadly, the used market in my town is dreadful
And a photo of my beater Huffy after new bar tape:
Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed
> Bandit
09/03/2015 at 00:28 |
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If you want a fixie, just go on craigslist for your nearest city. You can get one for a song now that all the hipsters are getting back into 8 speeds and such.
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Bandit
> Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed
09/03/2015 at 00:30 |
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Yeah haha, i’m not into the fixie part as much as the flip flop hubs that allow it to be a single speed. I purely want a single speed because my derailleurs have taken such a beating over the last year at school and I’m tired of readjusting them
PyramidHat
> Bandit
09/03/2015 at 00:39 |
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I’d actually recommend getting another 80’s road bike off of Craigslist. The Japanese made some excellent models - Nashiki, Centurion, etc - in addition to the normal raft of Trek, Raleigh, etc...Hell, there’s probably about 17 thousand million Schwin Varsity’s out there, as well. Stay away from French (Peugeot, Puch) as they’re hard to get some parts for (bottom brackets, mainly). I mean, go ahead and get a new bike if you wish, but if it’s going to be left out in all weather, overnight at bars, drunkenly left somewhere while you’re off getting laid, etc..., I wouldn’t go for new. I say this having bought a new Raleigh Record Ace for strict road bike service (no commuting or errands) A nice bike, but in the end, I realize I could have saved a shit ton of money. Live and learn.
Haven’t heard of Critical Cycles, but I’ll say that price seems too good to be true. If you are really needing a fixie, then I’d see if I could find one off of Craigslist (etiher that, or buy an old road bike and convert it - it’s not that hard). The question I’d have is why you want a fixie (not challenging, but questioning): I built one up for shit/giggles. It was fun from a novelty standpoint and I did some commuting on it (all flat) but when I moved to a place that has hills, I got rid of it. I, of course, made sure I had brakes on mine; fuck that skidding to a stop bullshit.
Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
> Bandit
09/03/2015 at 00:43 |
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How bad is the frame on the huffy?
CPT Speedbump
> Bandit
09/03/2015 at 00:53 |
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For 200 dollars I’d go craigslist or a used bike shop, or maybe finance a bike if you don’t want to spend a lot upfront, in my mind a half decent single speed starts at like 400
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Bandit
> Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
09/03/2015 at 00:53 |
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Truly not bad. It is pointlessly heavy very thick steel. The frame would clean up very well with some new paint. But it is everything attached to the frame that is getting bad. Bearings are going out (if not missing a few balls) on both wheel hubs and the crank (I repacked them all last year). and everything else. I love the pedals though. Sadly the thing has zero value so it isn’t worth fixing with nice new parts.
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Bandit
> PyramidHat
09/03/2015 at 00:58 |
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Most cheap-ass fixies can be turned into single speeds with their flip flop hub, I’m tired of readjusting derailleurs after having to dump the bike trying to avoid murderous buses and kids standing in the bike lanes. I’ve looked on CL in my area at good vintage bikes but that’s the problem with living in a exclusively a college town, everything online is cheap walmart stuff. No decent quality roadbikes. I’d love a Peugeot from the 80s but could never afford the parts for it.
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Bandit
> CPT Speedbump
09/03/2015 at 00:59 |
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Yeah.... I already have my nice $450-ish bike though and the CL in my area (and also used bike shops) usually only have cheap walmart crap. I spent a few hours going through the warehouse at the local used bike store and couldn’t find anything that was in better shape than what I have already got.
Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
> Bandit
09/03/2015 at 00:59 |
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Don’t get a fixie. Just get a cheap used road bike with at least 10 speeds. And drop down handle bars are better because you have more positions to place your hands. Brands like Norco, Raleigh, Trek, Giant are decent brands among others.
Or you can get a cheap new Walmart road bike for under $200:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/700c-Men-s-…
http://www.walmart.com/ip/700c-GMC-De…
http://www.walmart.com/ip/29-GMC-Dena…
But don’t expect too much from a cheap Walmart bike. But even a cheap walmart bike will probably be a big improvement over what you currently have. But if you can spend a little more money, consider this:
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/dawes…
If I had to spend money on a new bike for riding long distances, I would get a Touring bike like this:
http://www.oxygenbikes.com/product/norco-…
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/winds…
And here is a link with some good general advice:
http://www.bikeforums.net/clydesdales-at…
When looking for used bikes (like a Gary Fisher Ragitoto I’ll use as an example) these sites can be useful:
http://www.bicyclebluebook.com/searchlistingd…
http://forums.mtbr.com/bike-frame-dis…
http://www.bikepedia.com/quickbike/Bike…
http://www.bikeforums.net/fifty-plus-50/…
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Bandit
> Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
09/03/2015 at 01:04 |
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I’m pretty good with my knowledge on bikes (president of my HS bike club for 3 years back in the day... 2012-2014 haha). I’ve researched what it would take to fix up my old bike and it just isn’t worth it because the thing has no value (it is also surprisingly hard to find 27 x 1 3/8 wheels). The last bike I actually bought was my lovely trek from the bike shop in town but that was years ago and has been my trail bike ever since. I love those touring bikes but can’t justify spending that on a nice bike... especially with the chance it will get stolen.
CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist)
> Bandit
09/03/2015 at 01:09 |
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Bandit, as someone who used to work at a bike shop, buy a older high end cheap geared bike (don’t give a fuck if the gears work, just make sure the front gears are a single gear ring, not a double/triple) and buy a single speed conversion kit from performance bikes (shameless plug). About 10 bucks for labor (trust me it’s easy as hell, it shouldn’t be more) and you have a much nicer single speed bike than any fixie.
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Bandit
> CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist)
09/03/2015 at 01:34 |
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That actually would be pretty ideal, if there was any availability of high end used bikes in my area at all (nothing but walmart stuff everywhere). Thanks for telling me there is a conversion kit option, I didn’t know that was a thing.
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CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist)
> Bandit
09/03/2015 at 01:47 |
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It’s a pulley pulled back by a spring screwed into the rear dérailleur dropout screw. There is a sprocket (make sure it’s the right one) and there are spacers to fit hold the single sprocket in place. Old worn dérailleur are shitty to work with, so this is a great resolution. Find a old Fuji (80s ones are the best) or even old Schwinns (Chicago ones are most well built) are the best. Those weren't Walmart shit then.
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Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
> Bandit
09/03/2015 at 02:27 |
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Why don’t you strip it and build it anew? Do you have a bike Co op near you? There’s one in Denver that has an overflowing parts bin full of cheap parts. If I had a frame, I could build a really decent bike there for less than $100.
Jayhawk Jake
> Bandit
09/03/2015 at 07:59 |
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I bought a Vilano fixie off of amazon and love it. It has a flip flop hub but I’ve never used the freewheel side. It cost the same as that critical one you linked. I'm sure either is fine. PureFix also sells a cheap fixie that looks nice
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CPT Speedbump
> Bandit
09/03/2015 at 09:17 |
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ah, lame..I forget that people live in cities that aren’t one of the 5 most bicycle friendly cities in the USA or near college towns, haha