Help me buy my first bike max $400!

[ZJC123]

Hello!

I'm new to all things cycling, I have not had a bike for about 12 years now (BMX was my last) and I'm looking at trying to use the car less and get fit so want a hybrid/road bike to get to work, now work is a 26km round trip so I'll be starting out by getting the train part of the way so the trip each day will be a 10km round trip, I have a very limited the budget so I want to spend about $300, but could push it up to $400 if I had to, I want a bike that can have a rack at the back to carry shopping/work stuff but other than that I'm very open to anything as long as its reliable. I was looking at the Reid city 1 bike for $299 if that's any good? only problem with that is its not in stock for two weeks(edit 8 weeks now) and I want to pick something up in the next few days.

Also I have been looking at Gumtree for bikes and have seen a few that seem good but its hard to get the right size... I'm 6.2 so I need something big.

Anyway if you can help that would be very much appreciated.

PS I'm in Reservoir, Melbourne.

[ZJC123]

Did a test ride of this today, gear changing was not great but over all it seems nice, get 12 months free serviceing as well
http://melbournebicyclecentre.com/bikes ... tery-sport" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[zero]

Tourney (shifters and FD on your test ride bike) is bottom of the range stuff without a lot of QC on it, sometimes you can get units which work well, sometimes they are just ugly. I wouldn't count on the bikeshop having actually spent much time on adjusting it, nor would I count on 12 months free servicing being thorough on such a cheap bike - they presume you won't ride it much more than 750kms a year on those price points.

The other option is ebay - set it to cycling, search for hybrids and you'll be there all afternoon. There should be some in pick up range for you.

If you are riding to work, your best setup has a rack, some sort of guards (makes heaps of difference when it rains), lights and a d-lock - you may find it a lot easier to stretch your small budget to all of those things if you find one on ebay that's obviously seen little use, may well have been stored inside and has most of those things. Hybrids as they come from the shop, usually lack many things that make a bike a commuter bike.

At the risk of sounding like game of thrones, winter is coming, you'll need the lights to get home from work - cheap bike lights these days can be remarkably good - ie LED+lithium ion+USB rechargeable so all you need is a usb cable if you have a work computer, or a phone charger. I currently use a $70 each pair of (relatively cheap) lights, which I replaced a $300 lightset with - which have been more reliable than the expensive unit, and if one fails - I'm not stuck without a light - I ride heaps at night.

[nickobec]

The alternative to ebay is the Bicycle Market Australia group on Facebook.

Get on facebook search "Bicycle Market Australia", join, post want to buy ad and include your size

As Zero said budget for helmet, lights, D-lock, rack & mudguards ( half your budget there)

[GoRide]

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/171750837149" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Soooooo nice... rack compatible.

[ZJC123]

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/171750837149

Soooooo nice... rack compatible.

Its very old... Still I'll look for bikes like that

[ZJC123]

OK help! One of these 3 bikes I'll be getting today

I did look at Gumtree and eBay but I really don't know what I'm looking for so I just want to get something new this time

1 - Now I would be getting the 2014 model that's $399 but they don't have that online anymore, but you get the idea of the bike with the new one
http://www.reidcycles.com.au/osprey-fla ... -bike.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

2 - this one has not as good gears but over all I do like this bike the most as its the most comfortable to ride, and you get a free light set yay lol
http://melbournebicyclecentre.com/bikes ... tery-sport" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

3 - OK so this one is a bit over what I wanted to spend but it is fully compatible with adding a baby trailer at the back, could not confirm if the first 2 where compatible or not
http://www.99bikes.com.au/bike-pedal-dodger-black-blue" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I will be riding 10km to work and also just cruising the streets/trails, not going to be doing any 50km rides anytime soon haha

Also the first 2 have one year free servicing that's worth like $150

[rodneycc]

The Reid Osprey I reckon is the best out of those. Not a bad buy for $399. Just make sure they check it over at the shop ( insist if they can double check it).

[WhingingPom]

The Reid Osprey I reckon is the best out of those. Not a bad buy for $399. Just make sure they check it over at the shop ( insist if they can double check it).

I was fairly similar to the OP a few weeks ago. Haven't cycled for ages, then decided to start riding to work. Initially was using an old mountain bike we had hanging up in the garage and got the train part of the way in, going one or two stations less every week or so. Once I got up to 15km of riding, I "splurged" on a second hand Reid Osprey and am now doing the whole 30km ride into work (train home for now to get me more family time).

If you decide to go with the Osprey, budget for changing at least the rear tyre to something more durable - the tyres that come on the bike aren't the best and you'll pick up a lot of crap from the roads/visits from the puncture fairy when it rains (speaks the voice of experience). You might also want to look into some MTB pedals (I've put a set of Shimano SPD pedals on so that I can do short local rides without putting cycling shoes on) as you'll be more comfortable in the long run.

Other than the tyres and pedals, I don't feel the need to change anything that comes with the bike. Most of the extra that I've spent has been on clothes for riding to work in, a rack so I don't have to use a backpack and the odd tool that I don't already have. For any "non-contact" clothes (tops, socks, leg/arm warmers) I've bought them online. Anything that has contact with the bike (shoes, knicks, gloves) I've bought from an LBS so that I can try them on beforehand.

You should be able to attach a trailer the Osprey, but personally, I don't know that I'd want to attach one to a road bike. Fortunately, I've still got my old mountain bike, so that's become the "toddler taxi" with a removable seat on a rack.

Good luck!

[ZJC123]

I got a bike!

Not the bike I was expecting to get mind you haha.

http://www.samsoncycles.com.au/city-cro ... city-cross" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hope I did not make a stupid choice?

Regards, Zach

[WhingingPom]

Like everything in cycling - if it works for you, it's the right choice.

Have spoken to Ryan (the owner of Samson Cycles) a couple of times when I've been in there. Decent bloke, always up for a chat, helpful with any queries and really cares about customer service.

[ZJC123]

Like everything in cycling - if it works for you, it's the right choice.

Have spoken to Ryan (the owner of Samson Cycles) a couple of times when I've been in there. Decent bloke, always up for a chat, helpful with any queries and really cares about customer service.

Seems like its a good fit, mind you I was just told that its a girls bike? The guy at the bike store never told me that!

[WhingingPom]

I have a similar "top tube" on my mountain bike - kinda hard to get your leg over the saddle when there's a toddler seat in the way!

[ZJC123]

I have a similar "top tube" on my mountain bike - kinda hard to get your leg over the saddle when there's a toddler seat in the way!

So its not a girls bike? To me it looks like the kind of bike a lot of guys ride in places like Amsterdam but I don't want to get crap for it ever day if it is a girls bike lol

[WhingingPom]

They can be sold as women's frames, but TBH, if you're comfortable with it, it's the best bike for you. I used to ride a "woman's" MTB to work and didn't get any comments, then again if I had I'd probably have responded with something quite Anglo-Saxon.

Whereabouts are you riding to? I pass through Reservoir weekdays on my way to Docklands/East Melbourne from South Morang.

[RonK]

Yup - it's a girls bike. Seriously - you didn't know that?

[ZJC123]

They can be sold as women's frames, but TBH, if you're comfortable with it, it's the best bike for you. I used to ride a "woman's" MTB to work and didn't get any comments, then again if I had I'd probably have responded with something quite Anglo-Saxon.

Whereabouts are you riding to? I pass through Reservoir weekdays on my way to Docklands/East Melbourne from South Morang.

I'll be riding down to fairfield from north reservoir but to start of I'll take the train for part of the way.

[ZJC123]

Yup - it's a girls bike. Seriously - you didn't know that?

Well I talked to the owner of the bike store and he said its a unisex bike but he sells about %70 of them to guys...