If you want help picking out a bike, post your height, what you will use the bike for, and a link to your local craigslist.>I want to buy a new bike. What should I watch out for?Don't buy Wal-Mart garbage.Don't buy department store garbage.Beware of amazon and alibaba garbage.>Should I buy from Bikes Direct?If you are clueless enough that you need to ask, no. If you have no mechanical ability, no. If the alternative is walmart, maybe. Ask first.>I want to buy a used bike. What should I watch out for and where should I buy?Craigslist is good for old bikes. Pinkbike.com/buysell is good for used modern mid- to high- end mountain bikes.Ask in /bbg/ if uncertain.Be aware that a used bike will need some repairs and adjustments. The most likely parts to need replacement are tubes, tires, brake pads, and chain. Chains are a wear item. Inspect all of these things as well as sprocket teeth, brake performance, shifting performance, and check bearings (bottom bracket, headset, and wheel hubs) for play, and check wheels for wobble. If there is a lot wrong with the bike, you may have to put a lot of money into it for parts, and money or time for repairs.>What size bike should I buy?The right size.https://goodcalculators.com/bike-size-calculator/
https://lynchburg.craigslist.orghttps://richmond.craigslist.orgI'm familiar with both these cities but I would have to travel to both of them>>1993008I'm looking for an older road bike, ideally something that I could put a rack on. I'm not well versed in bicycles, I've only rode cheap mountain bikes from when I was younger. I would be using it mostly on paved roads, bikepacking being the end goal. I'm 6 foot.
>>1993010if you're inexperienced, looking for vintage and don't want to spend an arm and a leg, i suggest buying a $20-$50 pos, and spending the rest of your budget on basic tools and new tires. this way you can learn what you like and don't like without spending a lot of money. you'll also learn basic maintenance which will be beneficial in the future. if you hate the bike, you just put the old tires back on and re-list it for the same price you paid and try something else. 80s jap bikes are a great value. Miyata, Nishiki, Centurion, Panasonic, Shogun, etc.
>>1993003Putting bikes direct and amazon/walmart bikes in the same category shows you have no idea what you're talking about. Just because there is a cultural taboo against swapping the 105 crankset and putting in fsa and still calling it a "105 build" doesn't mean it's in the same league as grip shifting monstrosities. I agree the marketing is skeezy and the bikes have negative prestige and many of the customers are probably pretty clueless but it's still better than a random craiglist dumpster dive, and btw you'll need mechanical ability on a mail order bike, unless maybe it's a canyon or something where it's meticulously done except for clamping the bars and sticking the front wheel in the dropouts
How much do fork materials _really_ matter on a bike? I'm looking at Cannondale vs Trek for a hybrid and there's a $400 difference between otherwise similar bikes with Steel/Alloy/Carbon forks.
>>1993021also you should mention how awful b*cycle bl** b**k is and how it should be ignored. much more relevant than bikes direct which is only mildly distasteful
>>1994782If it takes wide tires and you pump them up to the right pressure for system weight + conditions the difference will only be in weight.
>>1993011This is what I did. The bike itself was rubbish though and I ended up having to spend a lot of money replacing the steel rims, then brakes, then better levers to match those brakes, then new handlebars cause the diameter was too small for modern parts.I can’t put a price on experience though.
I know you're supposed to buy a quality used one if you're on a budget, but what's the best new bike I can get for under $300? Mainly going to be used on roads and dirt roads with maybe a little bit of trail use. I prefer thumb shifters over twist shifters. I can't buy used because I need a receipt. Insurance company is replacing one that was stolen.
>>1994835Can't you just use venmo to buy used and there's your receipt?
>>1994837I don't think they'll accept something that isn't from a major store. I was thinking of ordering one online from Academy Sports or Walmart and picking it up. I looked at the bikes they had on display in those stores; I didn't like any of them.
>>1994835something from decathlon
>full carbon gravel bike frame for $500 from chinks>Barely any reviewsAm I investing for a huge hospital bill or are they decent enough to get?
>>1994865I’ve heard that the low grade stuff has very poor quality workmanship. It’s carbon, don’t risk your death.
>>1994867You're right. Found some guy on leddit and it cracked open like glass.
