nom_de_plume Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 I am thinking of buying a bicycle, mainly to ride to/from work (about 10km each way), and because my primary aged kids would like to ride to school. Also for family rides on the weekend.I currently have a very old (bought at least 10 years ago) mountain bike and I know very little about bikes in general.Can anyone offer me any suggestions on brands, ballpark costs etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Bicycle Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 So what's wrong with your mountain bike? Could you take it in for a service and get some road slick tyres, new saddle etc put on? That would be the cheapest and easiest option. Do you need a rack put on the back to carry your stuff or are you happy with a backpack?Bikes are scarce at the moment, like really scare. I just went past a bike shop and there was a queue out the door waiting to go in.Price wise, how long is a piece of string? If you want a new bike, for quality, you need to budget at least $ 500. And probably more like $ 1k to get a communter bike. If you are looking for electric assist, budget over $ 2.5k. FYI I am talking about a bike from a bike shop, not Kmart, Anaconda etc.By the way, a bike isn't very old at 10 years, as long as it has been cared for properly. My 15 year old tandem and DH's carbon fibre road bike are almost as good as current bikes. Really old to me would be a bike from the 80s or 90s. If these prices freak you out, look for a good brand second hand and budget a bike service. Good brands are-Avanti, Merida, Giant, Trek, Cannondale, Specialized, Malvern Star Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nom_de_plume Posted November 2, 2020 Author Share Posted November 2, 2020 There's nothing really wrong with it. I just thought it wasn't the best for commuter riding? It's a Giant and from memory I paid about $650 for it when I bought it.For work I use a backpack, although some extra storage capacity could be good for small shopping trips?Price wise I don't want like a $10k e-bike, but I would spend $1-1.5k on a new bike.I guess I might start by getting it serviced and getting some slicks and a new saddle as suggested before investing in a new bike. We're not going back to the office until next year so I'm not in a hurry. My family is just asking me what I want for Christmas and I don't really want anything so I thought a bike could be a good idea but if they're in short supply then maybe not ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contrebasse Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 I have a fairly old shogun metro hybrid bike that I got as a free hand me down. My commute is only 5km but does the job perfectly. I have a basket on the back that I put my backpack in as I find it more comfortable.I’ve noticed that my colleagues who are a bit more into fitness tend to have racing bikes with clips for their feet. I’m sure I’d fall over in 5 minutes!And people with smaller kids often have bikes that can take passengers behind (sometimes with electric assist).Even with my short (but uphill) commute I had to get some bike shorts to avoid chafing.I am a fairly reluctant cyclist, now that I have been wfh for 7 months I hardly ever touch the bike any more... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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