12-29-2010, 12:28 AM
RJ is forgetting that his used bikes fell apart in 6 months.
I really dont like used bikes. Bikes can wear out fast if they arent taken care of and you really dont know what you're getting. And if you dont have a $hundred or so to spend on bike tools and time to learn how to fix stuff then you're really going to be hurting.
With the top tier brands like Specialized and Trek you arent getting much bike at all for the money. Youre paying for the brand and at that price range they are all about the same especially for a hardtail.
Personally for that budget I would go with a 2nd tier brand like GT or Fuji or even a house brand. Catching a good sale at Performance Bike will get you a killer deal. Bike snobs will look down on you since Performance is the walmart of bike shops, but its a great way to go for a beginner and they have great post sale support with lifetime free shifter adjustments.
For example this GT beats the pants off the Trek and Specialized in the same price range <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1078446_-1_1563505_20000_400308">http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1078446_-1_1563505_20000_400308</a><!-- m -->
and if you can catch a 10% or 15% sale (hopefully will happen soon for after xmas) then its even sweeter.
I really dont like used bikes. Bikes can wear out fast if they arent taken care of and you really dont know what you're getting. And if you dont have a $hundred or so to spend on bike tools and time to learn how to fix stuff then you're really going to be hurting.
With the top tier brands like Specialized and Trek you arent getting much bike at all for the money. Youre paying for the brand and at that price range they are all about the same especially for a hardtail.
Personally for that budget I would go with a 2nd tier brand like GT or Fuji or even a house brand. Catching a good sale at Performance Bike will get you a killer deal. Bike snobs will look down on you since Performance is the walmart of bike shops, but its a great way to go for a beginner and they have great post sale support with lifetime free shifter adjustments.
For example this GT beats the pants off the Trek and Specialized in the same price range <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1078446_-1_1563505_20000_400308">http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1078446_-1_1563505_20000_400308</a><!-- m -->
and if you can catch a 10% or 15% sale (hopefully will happen soon for after xmas) then its even sweeter.