Theft/tow hitch bike rack issue Know your surroundings. Go to UCSD and USD at the end of spring semester. Definitely going to buy a lock, but after watching lock pick lawyer I don't really trust any lock lol. This is obviously 3x your current budget, but my mom wanted a super entry level bike for riding on pavement / trails while she was traveling in her van, and we found the rei 1.1 bike (whatever its actually called) for $600 and that was a perfect fit for her. We use cookies on our websites for a number of purposes, including analytics and performance, functionality and advertising. I wanna get into it, but my gf and I would each have to buy one and a tow hitch bike rack. This is an economist favorite type of question. What's the difference with mountain bikes? Twitter Maybe would have worked for someone that didnt want to use itever. store bikes will have old outdated technology and components made poorly. Destroyed the shit out of it on its inaugural ride and had to return it basically falling apart haha. If you can find a mid range bike (something that originally retailed for $1500ish 10 years ago being sold for less than $200. Instagram Department store BSO's can't take the abuse a real mtb gets. She keeps it in the van at night but on a rack during the day, and that works pretty well. Press J to jump to the feed. so thats nice since shes old and doesnt like to tinker with stuff haha. The downside of a $200 bike is all dependent on the rider and how the bike will be used. LinkedIn They also can replace tubes and tune it up for her in any rei since shes a member (they might do that for all bikes not just theirs?) Fourth, if you have never ridden a well built bike: a 10 year old BMW drives much nicer than a new Chevy. We mainly want it to ride around BLM land campsites and just little things like that. The dept. I've never rode mountain bikes before, used to bmx as a kid. I know the difference between a dicks bmx and custom $800 back then bike was weight and things like that. You should get someone who knows what they are doing to give the bike a full check over to ensure proper torque on all the bolts, the brakes are set up properly, etc. What bike did you end up replacing it with? I know most people arnt him, but a pair of bolt cutters work just as well lol. Couple of good things here. CL and facebook marketplace are great or maybe there's a local bike trade forum like we have here in the Twin Cities. Just want a simple thing to have a little fun with. No need to spend more than you need. Whereas people who spend $2k+ on a bike are not going to think twice to spend less than 10% of the replacement cost on new parts. You'll find college kids unloading all kinds of stuff that daddy bought them. Forms+Surfaces products complement both the interior and exterior of the building and include our LEVELe Wall Cladding System, ViviChrome Chromis Glass, Stainless Steel finishes, Knight Benches and Litter Receptacles, Vista Chairs, Column Tables, and Capitol Bike Racks. I've found 90's era free mountain bikes on craigslist that were better for trails than a new $200 bike. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Just throwing it out there that there since Id never heard of the rei bikes until shopping for her, and were all pleasantly impressed! The biggest problem you will face with a department store bike is poor assembly. For example; lets say two years in you break a chain and rear cassette (gear sprocket stack). LEVELe Wall Cladding System with Blind panels in ViviChrome Chromis glass with White interlayer and Opalex finish at Tractor Supply Company, Brentwood, Tennessee. I assume any professional bike shop where all they sell is bikes would be able to do something like that for me? So we'd like to get a set of bikes before we leave so we're ready. Components on bikes fail with time, both age and use. I'm traveling in a van so they'd be mounted on the back, so I'd rather not drop 1k on something that could be stolen, and something I'm brand new to honestly lol. Most bike thieves will steal the $150 shiny huffy instead of the beat up older Trek. Nothing extreme. Besides break pads, tires and tubes most of the other components on a cheep bike are as expensive as a new bike (of course you could upgrade components which quickly can cost more than the bike). Second you dont have the economic dilemma stated above (this is a quality bike, its worth fixing). No one has asked the crucial Q: what type of riding do you intend to do with it? I bought a dual shock from Academy Sports for around $300 a few years ago. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from F+S. 200$ bike = 1999 Ford Taurus with 200k miles. So we're really not trying to spend a fortune. The are not built to last, especially if you intend to do mountain biking. Third, dirty beat up bikes that work fantastic dont get stolen as often. If you intend to actually ride MTB type trails, then for sure go with used medium priced bikes. I would recommend buying used. The new Store Support Center was built with the company's employees in mind, with large windows to view the natural landscape, walking trails and an employee vegetable garden. So could anyone help me with some suggestions and reasonings I should be looking at? You could easily spend $150 to fix it, which is 3/4 the price of a new cheep bike. Buy a lock. First you have better components which last longer. People who spend $200 on a new bike think its absolutely insane to spend $150 to keep it going when cost of replacement is so close to repair cost. Will the ride be super uncomfortable making you not even enjoy it, so no motivation to want to keep riding it? As for the used bikes, do you know of any places that sell them in so cal? Facebook If you're looking for something simple for basic riding, a big box store bought bike will be fine. We're gonna be in San Diego for a bit then back to the mountains we go. YouTube Those parts are basically not upgradable to modern parts, or functional for offroad riding. My recommendation to minimize both problems: used mid range bike! The Tractor Supply Company Store Support Center in Brentwood, Tennessee, serves as corporate headquarters to the retail chain that has over 1,400 stores in 49 states. All that makes a lot of sense and I appreciate the write up. Pinterest I don't see my gf doing those things and no way I'm jumping straight into that lol. Or is that mainly for downhill high speed things? Vimeo. There is zero things wrong with a $200 bike.