Where are you all buying bike that don’t hurt your wallet to replace? I guess there are Walmart bikes but I’ve literally had a huffy fall apart while in motion.
I just bought a Raleigh hybrid on Craigslist for $50 and it’s now my main rider. It dates from 1999 but it was virtually unridden in all that time and required very little tuneup. As long as you don’t feel the need to consume all the modern bicycle total bullshit (e.g. electronic shifters, disc brakes etc.) bikes cost about as much as a nice dinner out.
To be fair, both electronic shifting and disc brakes are substantially better than their old-school counter parts. It’s just that both are also wildly expensive and very difficult to do maintenance on (in my experience, at least). They’re also hugely over-kill for city bikes. So I guess I mostly agree with you
If replacing the bike is a concern (I’m assuming due to theft etc), then buy used. Not only do they cost less, they also look cheaper. It does require you to put in some work if you want to be cheap. But that’s the same with a car, it won’t magically change its brakes either.
Auctions by municipalities, police and the like are a good tip if you have time and the skills to determine what is a hopeless trash pile and what is slightly rusted but good quality.
Online listings, but it requires patience.
Bike groups/coops/repair shops, if you have decent ones.
Buying used makes a lot of sense, especially for commuting. The design of the bicycle was basically perfected in the late 1800s, anybody trying to tell you different is a fart boofing Tesla fanboy with an engineering degree and zero cycling experience.
(Admittedly, I ride a carbon frame road bike with electronic shifting, not because I’m a shit sniffing engineer with a hard-on for Musk, but because I’m a middle-aged man with lycra for brains).
I currently ride a 15-or-so-years old KTM trekking style bike with an assortment of random parts Frankenstein-ed to it. Apparently that and never cleaning it makes it ugly enough to not be stolen in a medium city.
Also, I technically do have an engineering degree, which is why the lights and wiring are, ahem, functional. Most of the time.
Keeping thieves away by never cleaning the bike reminds me of the old bicycle touring strategy of hanging sweaty and unwashed clothes to dry from your handlebars when parked. Bonus theft deterrent!
Also, I technically do have an engineering degree, which is why the lights and wiring are, ahem, functional. Most of the time.
To be clear, having an engineering degree is cool – it’s the very specific (but all too common) type of engineer that wants jerk off into his own mouth when he sees a Cybertruck and organically follows Elon Musk on Twitter, that is lame and has a lot of bad ideas, sometimes about “innovation” of bicycles.
Where are you all buying bike that don’t hurt your wallet to replace? I guess there are Walmart bikes but I’ve literally had a huffy fall apart while in motion.
I just bought a Raleigh hybrid on Craigslist for $50 and it’s now my main rider. It dates from 1999 but it was virtually unridden in all that time and required very little tuneup. As long as you don’t feel the need to consume all the modern bicycle total bullshit (e.g. electronic shifters, disc brakes etc.) bikes cost about as much as a nice dinner out.
To be fair, both electronic shifting and disc brakes are substantially better than their old-school counter parts. It’s just that both are also wildly expensive and very difficult to do maintenance on (in my experience, at least). They’re also hugely over-kill for city bikes. So I guess I mostly agree with you
If replacing the bike is a concern (I’m assuming due to theft etc), then buy used. Not only do they cost less, they also look cheaper. It does require you to put in some work if you want to be cheap. But that’s the same with a car, it won’t magically change its brakes either.
Auctions by municipalities, police and the like are a good tip if you have time and the skills to determine what is a hopeless trash pile and what is slightly rusted but good quality.
Online listings, but it requires patience.
Bike groups/coops/repair shops, if you have decent ones.
Buying used makes a lot of sense, especially for commuting. The design of the bicycle was basically perfected in the late 1800s, anybody trying to tell you different is a fart boofing Tesla fanboy with an engineering degree and zero cycling experience.
(Admittedly, I ride a carbon frame road bike with electronic shifting, not because I’m a shit sniffing engineer with a hard-on for Musk, but because I’m a middle-aged man with lycra for brains).
I currently ride a 15-or-so-years old KTM trekking style bike with an assortment of random parts Frankenstein-ed to it. Apparently that and never cleaning it makes it ugly enough to not be stolen in a medium city.
Also, I technically do have an engineering degree, which is why the lights and wiring are, ahem, functional. Most of the time.
Keeping thieves away by never cleaning the bike reminds me of the old bicycle touring strategy of hanging sweaty and unwashed clothes to dry from your handlebars when parked. Bonus theft deterrent!
To be clear, having an engineering degree is cool – it’s the very specific (but all too common) type of engineer that wants jerk off into his own mouth when he sees a Cybertruck and organically follows Elon Musk on Twitter, that is lame and has a lot of bad ideas, sometimes about “innovation” of bicycles.
Used bikes can be had for like 20 bucks. You even find them for free on the side of the street, but you just need bolt cutters.
Not even that. You have no idea how many bikes I found abandoned on the side of the road that needed just a minor fixing (about 3 now).
anything is free if you have the required equipment and skill
And no morals
Hah! Shows your morals! He could have meant you could build it, but your thief brain went straight to thieving, eh, thief?
/s
There’s your problem.