Need a New Bike to Ride to Work (Melbourne CBD)

Lpippohippo on 09/07/2018 - 21:55

Hey All,

I have decided to start riding a bike to work once the winter ends and there's a bit more light after work just to be on the safer side since I haven't cycled in a long time and not familiar with the road!

I haven't decided on which route to take but currently there's one that's pretty much flat road or I can ride via the Maribyrnong/Yarra River but there is a big hill I need to go down and back up.

So I'm hoping someone can help me identify what is a good budget bike! I saw this on Reid . It's a Condor Flat Bar Road Bike for $250. It's the cheapest one on their site. Open to other recommendations. Don't mind too much about looks. Just want a durable and reliable one.

https://www.reidcycles.com.au/condor-flat-bar-road-bike.html

Thanks!

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Comments

  • hogwarts on 09/07/2018 - 22:02
    +1

    Aldi 29er Bike is awesome and really good for the price. Pops up every September. Here is the deal from last year - https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/326762.

  • specks on 09/07/2018 - 22:03

    whats your budget like? I recommend avoiding tram tracks at all cost. Got stuck in one and fell over; ended up dislocating my wrist.

    • pippohippo on 09/07/2018 - 22:53

      I'll probably spend around $300-500 but that's including helmet and other gears if required. I already have a lock, front and rear lights. Preferably on the lower end since it's my first bike in a long time.

      Will take note of that and stick to the bike lane/road!

  • bobbified on 09/07/2018 - 22:35
    +2

    There's a few yellow ones in the yarra that you might be able to use free of charge.

    Just need to fish it out first.

    • Godric on 09/07/2018 - 22:45
      +2

      Likely end up back in there

    • pippohippo on 09/07/2018 - 23:06

      Nice share! I'll have a look at it. Thank you

  • my mum on 09/07/2018 - 23:02

    Have you considered an electric bike? It makes the trip so much easier.

    • pippohippo on 09/07/2018 - 23:05

      Nope but I'm hoping to also have some exercise as well with the new bike ride

      • c0balt on 10/07/2018 - 10:11
        +1

        Thing is with an e-bike you can always not use the power if you want full on exercise. Without, if it starts raining when your far from home and your legs are a little jellyish from riding all day then your going to have a bad time.

  • StealthBargins on 10/07/2018 - 01:16
    +4

    that bike you posted is more of a weekend bike(BOT Bicycle of things), I wouldn't get it if i was you to commute to the city given that you are around 10+km away , you will have to many frequent breakdowns depending on how hard you push.

    it has alot of cheap parts to keep the price down, for example it has a quill stem and a 7 speed freewheel, and shimano tourney derailleur - this dates back to the early 90s where alot of well known bike brands stopped using them..

    Make sure you have at least 8 speed rear cassette, and proper headset stem
    In the reid range, you would need to go up to osprey or urban x1
    https://www.reidcycles.com.au/urban-x1.html
    https://www.reidcycles.com.au/osprey-flat-bar-road-bike.html

    Reid is probably the cheapest you are going to get at the moment (cell bikes has just closed down) and i would keep away from kmart/anaconda/aldi etc.. stick to a bike shop.
    OR if you dont mind doing some assembly your self, check out a HASA bike from cycling deal (these are similar quality to GT bikes) www.cyclingdeal.com.au/

    Speaking from experience, when i first starting cycling to the city, 13km trip, I purchased a cheap bike (BOT) and at least once a week something was going wrong causing me to get to work late. Ended up costing more than a decent bike in the end, it lasted about 1000km before it was UN-rideable with to many broken bits, i ended up getting a specialized sirrus, and have done 10000km trouble free over 10 years but they are a bit more pricey around $750

    • pippohippo on 10/07/2018 - 19:55

      Thanks for all that info! I wasn't aware of that. The two you have shared looks really nice.

      I went to a bike store today and they were mentioning about rim brakes vs disc brakes. Is there much difference if I'm really using it to cycle from home to work?

      • StealthBargins on 11/07/2018 - 19:44
        +1

        Disc brakes, while better can be more expensive over a rim brake
        They do offer Better braking in the wet and better control to prevent lock ups especially down long hills
        however they are heavier and more expensive to maintain and add more cost to the overall price of a bike than rim brakes. I personally have rim brakes on both my bikes used for communing mostly in the dry, and don't really have the need to switch to discs just yet. Given that you wont be riding in the winter you should be fine with rim brakes.

        • pippohippo on 15/07/2018 - 17:20

          Thanks!

          I had a look around and seems like the osprey is good value especially having a carbon fibre fork for its price range! Upped my budget to around $600 just to make sure I get a good value bike and other accessories if required.

        • StealthBargins on 21/07/2018 - 13:13

          @pippohippo:

          Ahh great. just bear in mind, the osprey - has road bike rim brakes, and not v brakes on most hybrid/flat bar road bikes.

          Just means if you dont like the 23mm tyres and want to go wider you might not have clearance for 28mm or wider. Especially if you are going through some gravel/dirt bits its not much fun on 23mm tyres.

        • pippohippo on 24/07/2018 - 21:47

          @StealthBargins:

          Sadly out of stock for the Osprey. They're clearing it out.

          They recommended going for either the Urban X2 or X2.5 mainly because of disc brakes.
          https://www.reidcycles.com.au/urban-x2.html
          https://www.reidcycles.com.au/reid-urban-x2-5.html

          I went to 99bikes and they recommended the Merida Speeder 20 D flat bar road bike
          https://www.99bikes.com.au/2018-merida-speeder-20-d

          Dad is happy to throw in the difference because he likes them better and feels it'll be safer on the road and the chance of random showers.

          Comparing the Urban X 2.5 and Merida which is better? I think the Urban X2.5 is better only because the gears are Alivio while the Merida are Tourney and Acera mix

        • StealthBargins on 01/08/2018 - 21:22

          @pippohippo:
          ohh that's a shame, its hard to compare bikes sometimes because at the end of the day, its all about price point and the parts used, i think you should be good with either.

          I think the reid urban 2.5 might have some better equipment and has a kick stand also plus wider and puncture resistant tyres. the merida while a better brand overall has no name inova tyres, with probably little or no puncture protection.

          also check out https://www.bikeexchange.com.au/

          sometimes you can search for older models that bike shops have going cheap

        • pippohippo on 01/08/2018 - 23:40

          @StealthBargins:

          yea it's a bummer! Went into a few other stores but they were mainly Giant dealerships at the same price point. Whilst they're a big brand they're using a Tourney/Altus or Acera with no disc brakes which I think seems to be a big focus (on youtube bike channels anyways). Sorta like in the PC World Macs vs Windows - paying for a premium brand (but generally 'reliable')

          I'll probably have to compare each bike and choose the one that has the better parts and rides better. And also check out the link.

          Thanks for being active and providing your comments! :)

        • pippohippo on 26/08/2018 - 19:42

          I finally got the Urban X2.5! Rides pretty well! Only rookie mistake was cross training because I still haven't gotten use to which shifter is for up and down! That won't happen again!

          Tough to decide which bike to get when on a budget and then the other costs associated with safety, maintenance and other accessories.

          Time to start saving up for a future road bike!

  • ms_caz on 10/07/2018 - 06:00
    +1

    Can I suggest that you buy a bike that fits you as a first priority, then look at cost after that. You want to make sure that the size/riding position etc is suited to you or else you won't ride it.

    • pippohippo on 10/07/2018 - 19:56

      thanks for the reminder, you made a really good point which most seem to always forget!

  • mskeggs on 10/07/2018 - 06:09
    +3

    You can get a lot of bike for not much cash secondhand.
    Budget $100 for the local bike shop to service it, or spend a weekend doing it yourself via YouTube videos (recommended).

  • iforgotmysocks on 10/07/2018 - 09:06
    +1

    You can probably pick up a Ninja 300 for under $3k, they're a great commuter.

  • Fergy1987 on 10/07/2018 - 09:18

    Check out Bossi Bikes

    Free shipping and they have some deals out now

    https://bossibicycles.com/collections/armada

    Id be hitting up that Endurance Road Bike - $850 for brand new Tiagra and disc brakes (cable not mechanical) sounds alright.

    • pippohippo on 10/07/2018 - 19:58

      A bit outside my price range. I do prefer seeing it in person since it's my first bike purchase. But thank you for sharing.

  • c0balt on 10/07/2018 - 10:10

    Leitner e-bike around $1k (many styles) based in Melbourne:
    http://www.leitner.com.au/electric-bikes.html

  • GG57 on 10/07/2018 - 10:44

    I consider Reid to be a good bike shop.
    They have a range of bikes at different levels of quality / equipment and $$, seem helpful in-store and happy to help you out with sizing etc. The staff are not over the top pushy (see what I did there).
    They regularly have sales that include helmets, pumps, locks, etc., with bike purchases.

    • pippohippo on 10/07/2018 - 19:59

      Most likely will stick with Reid since the price isn't too steep. Will look around a lot of stores and get my knowledge bank up before the purchase

  • TheBilly on 10/07/2018 - 11:49
    +1

    I think you are on the money wanting to go for a flat bar bike, with road/gravel tyres. I went for a drop bar and to be honest it is a pain in the ass. It is only helpful when I commute motorways which is rarely, most of my commuting is cycleways and lower speed and a flat bar would've helped alot.

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