Bikes

[dancerjodi]

Back in May I dropped our bikes off to get checked out/repaired/tuned up/whatever. I guess the number I gave was wrong so they couldn't call. I finally got around to calling them today.

First a bit of history. I bought Nepenthe01's old Univega years ago (wow, when she and Brian still worked at GTE). I have yet to ride it. It needed a tiny bit of minor work I probably could have done myself but I never did (and so it sat). I also bought another bike from a friend of a friend for $50 for Brian. I had no clue what it was, and it needed a ton of work (just by looking at it you could tell). Brian doesn't know how to ride so I was looking for something simple, comfy and cheap for him.

It turns out Brian's bike is a Nashbar touring bike. It need about $120 worth of parts and $100 worth of labor. He mentioned that you can buy a new Nashbar for around $250, so he suggested it probably wasn't worth fixing. Also, Brian just needs something cheap and comfy. Any suggestions? Would anyone want to take the one we have and try and salvage something from it?

He couldn't find the notes on my bike so he's going to dig it out and call me back. My guess is it probably just needs some new inner tubes, possibley tires, and some tweaking.

So after we get Brian a bike we should be on the road soon. I guess the delay works out a bit, we'll be ready for fall (or something) :)

Comments

[slickgothgurl.livejournal.com]

wait, what? my best friend melissa worked at GTE!

as for bikes, i love mine. it's a fugi comfort/commuter bike. expensive, but worth it. i got it at the bike shop on beacon st across from an tua nua.

[nepenthedreams]

Yeah, we acttually worked together.

[isolatory.livejournal.com]

I bought my mountain bike from toys r us for like $80. It's nothing special, but it looks nice and has shocks. Great for camping. If we go camping this year, we should do a bike ride too!

[legitimatelove.livejournal.com]

Amen. I got Tommy a mountain bike at Walmart, a Mongoose, and it looked great and was great quality, for like $100. In fact, last summer it got stolen from our backyard.

[cris.livejournal.com]

for cheap, comfy, and riding around city streets? I'd go hybrid¹ -- either Trek's 7xxx series, Giant's Sedona or Specialized's Crossroads series.

My first Boston bike was a Trek 720, and I've been riding some kind of 7 series bike until I upgraded to my long distance commuter. The Trek 7000 is a good, basic cheap bike, but it's a little harder to find as most shops sell the slightly more tricked out 7300 (which adds a front suspension and slightly better drivetrain). Either one should be fine for you guys. Expect to pay somewhere between $300 - $400.

You could, alternatively, go through craigslist. You can get some really cheap mountain bikes through there, and if you replace their tires with smooth road tires you can get almost hybrid like speed. Road tires for mountain bikes will usually run about $20 or so.

[cris.livejournal.com]

oh yeah, also forgot to add that for someone who's just learning, I'd also opt for a hybrid / mountain bike over a road bike. Wider tires and a more upright riding position make it easier to keep and maintain your balance.