Looking for help for an Old Mans Bicycle

[COcheesehead]

You can buy any bike with HSA funds, but it has to be prescribed as “treatment”

 

[CO-guy]

I bike instead of drive when doing errands and small shopping ventures.

Thanks for explaining what you plan to do with your new bike. I would suggest getting a "townie" style bike with a more upright riding position and the ability to add a rear rack to carry errand items. Lots of "townie" style E-bikes to choose from. What's your price range?

 

[COcheesehead]

If hauling is your thing, you need a big dummy

Big Dummy

Take Your Longtail Bike Anywhere Since its introduction in 2008, many a family have ditched one or both of their cars thanks to Big Dummy. We’ve also seen many entrepreneurs and small business owners minimize their carbon footprint and incorporate Big Dummy into their business model. Big Dummy...

surlybikes.com

 

[JohnnyPHX]

If hauling is your thing, you need a big dummy

Big Dummy

Take Your Longtail Bike Anywhere Since its introduction in 2008, many a family have ditched one or both of their cars thanks to Big Dummy. We’ve also seen many entrepreneurs and small business owners minimize their carbon footprint and incorporate Big Dummy into their business model. Big Dummy...

surlybikes.com

You could do deliveries for Amazon on that bike too... LOL

 

[old medic]

I delivered papers on a Schwinn with a basket and pulled a shopping cart.

 

[street]

Thanks for explaining what you plan to do with your new bike. I would suggest getting a "townie" style bike with a more upright riding position and the ability to add a rear rack to carry errand items. Lots of "townie" style E-bikes to choose from. What's your price range?

Of course You had to ask that question. Lol Be a frugal old guy I'm always looking for the best buy even if it is a stick of gum. Lol
Ah, I'm thinking 500$ or less. I'm still studying and comparing, like a bad habit to break. I'm leaning for an old school ovah Ebike for now, because of how I would use it.

 

[COcheesehead]

$500 bikes are scary. Just make sure you read the reviews.

 

[street]

$500 bikes are scary. Just make sure you read the reviews.

Thanks, will do!

 

[old medic]

Ah, I'm thinking 500$ or less. I'm still studying and comparing, like a bad habit to break.

Well says currently unavailable, but we got a pair of these 2 years ago and no issues.

Amazon.com

 

[COcheesehead]

The biggest issue with cheap bikes is some were never meant to be repairable. So if something happens parts or repairs may not be an option and it then becomes a brick.

 

[ArmchairMillionaire]

If you're looking for just a relatively inexpensive old-school pedal bike for running errands in town, have you looked at Wal-Mart? You must have one of those somewhat local?

Concord Cycle

It gets good reviews if you can get one already assembled. The negative reviews say the assembly instructions leave a little to be desired.

Looks to be a decent inexpensive runaround bike. I know there are a lot of cycling purists here who would scoff at getting a Wal-Mart bike, but If I were in the market for a new bike, this is the one I would look at first.

Hope this helps.

 

[CO-guy]

Of course You had to ask that question. Lol Be a frugal old guy I'm always looking for the best buy even if it is a stick of gum. Lol
Ah, I'm thinking 500$ or less. I'm still studying and comparing, like a bad habit to break. I'm leaning for an old school ovah Ebike for now, because of how I would use it.

I was waiting to hear a few things: 1) what you plan to do with it and 2) how much you plan to spend.

To me it sounds like you're looking for some sort of townie bike. I have a townie bike that I ride almost every day. It cost under $500 and is maintenance free after a decade. Although mine has fat tires and is more of a cruiser bike, I cannot recommend the Nexus 3 speed shifter enough. It's an internal shifter that requires virtually no maintenance and has one uphill gear, one downhill gear and one gear for flat ground. My townie gets ridden year round to run errands around town. About once a year I spray the chain down with WD-40 to scrub some rust off, rinse it off and lube it back up. I've never had to adjust the shifter.

If you're thinking 'old school' along with low cost, low maintenance, and mostly just to run errands around town, then Schwinn has the Nexus 3 on some of their bikes. I just noticed some of them on sale on Sierra.com marked down from $500 to $149. Also, the lack of a front or rear derailleur and shocks should assuage many of the durability concerns with a cheaper bike. There's simply not a lot that can break on these and fenders and chain guard are standard.

Schwinn Huron on Sierra

 

[mystang52]

If you're looking for just a relatively inexpensive old-school pedal bike for running errands in town, have you looked at Wal-Mart? You must have one of those somewhat local?

Concord Cycle

It gets good reviews if you can get one already assembled. The negative reviews say the assembly instructions leave a little to be desired.

Looks to be a decent inexpensive runaround bike. I know there are a lot of cycling purists here who would scoff at getting a Wal-Mart bike, but If I were in the market for a new bike, this is the one I would look at first.

Hope this helps.

I don't see myself as a "cycling purist" but my concern with buying a bike at Walmart, Target etc is 'who assembled the bike?' I picture some 16 year old kid, who the day before was working the linen department.

 

[COcheesehead]

Why many Colorado bike shops won’t repair e‑bikes purchased online

A Colorado man said his online e‑bike purchase turned into a repair nightmare. Local shops said that safety concerns, scarce parts, and warranty issues mean many won’t touch direct-to-consumer brands.

www.denver7.com

 

[Mark1]

I cannot recommend the Nexus 3 speed shifter enough

I have been riding a Milano with a Nexus 8 speed shifter now for 18 years without any maintenance other than this spring the bike shop replaced a ceramic bearing on one of the small cogs that was wearing uneven. A just hop on and ride shifter for sure.

 

[savory]

For those that want to do some/all of their own repairs and maintenance, Park Tools, likely the primary of tools used at bike stores, provide great videos and explanations online. Their tools are also for sale online as is their bike stand. I'm the last person you want to ask about fixing stuff. But, with their videos, I am able to do a lot of stuff myslef.

Here is a link to a list of repair issues Repair Help Articles Or, if you search 'how to replace bike chain Park Tool', you will find their videos.

 

[Just_Steve]

I delivered papers on a Schwinn with a basket and pulled a shopping cart.

In the snow uphill both ways................Barefoot.

 

[old medic]

In the snow uphill both ways................Barefoot.

I was lucky.... summer job on Long Island.... no snow or hills

 

[Just_Steve]

Just my neighborhood or rail trail bicycle. Made by "Giant" pretty inexpensive but works well for my needs.

 

[savory]

You could do deliveries for Amazon on that bike too... LOL

(This was a reply to COcheesehead post above showing the Surly Big Dummy Bike but I did post it right it right, so I lost the photo). UPS and perhaps Fed Ex already do deliver by bike in dense city areas . As for the Surley, it may now be the preferred non-E touring bike and a good choice for Street short of the cost. At one time, Surly and the Trek 520 both steel frames were the leading bikes for touring. They are built for comfort and carrying stuff on a bike around town or the country. But the 520 has been discountinued by Trek.

 

[ArmchairMillionaire]

I don't see myself as a "cycling purist" but my concern with buying a bike at Walmart, Target etc is 'who assembled the bike?' I picture some 16 year old kid, who the day before was working the linen department.

When I was 24, I got a 2nd j*b evenings and weekends at a local PAMIDA store stocking shelves, retrieving carts, and assembling bicycles and baby strollers.

I was pretty good at it. While I was not given a torque wrench, after assembly I always took each bike for a test ride around the stockroom during the winters and around the loading dock and parking lot when the weather was nice. After each test ride, I always re-tightened all the bolts and verified the brakes were set correctly.

My experience with today's teens is through FIRST Robotics so many of them are quite mechanically inclined, but not all of them. If I bought a new bike, I'd be sure to check everything before I rode it any speed.

 

[CO-guy]

I have been riding a Milano with a Nexus 8 speed shifter now for 18 years without any maintenance other than this spring the bike shop replaced a ceramic bearing on one of the small cogs that was wearing uneven. A just hop on and ride shifter for sure.

That's great to hear! For a casual rider, issues with the derailleurs, brakes, and shocks are constant. Lots of clickity-clacking and squeaking brakes. Worse, as many folks on here have already said, those derailleur, brake and shock parts are not designed to last on those cheap bikes. It's why I recommend a Nexus (or similar) drivetrain for any casual, around-town rider regardless of the bike itself.

As an added bonus, no matter which Nexus someone gets, the hub includes a coaster brake (ie. pedal backwards to stop) which eliminates issues with crummy brakes on cheap bikes since there are none. Anyway, just my $0.02 for anyone interested in a near zero maintenance ride.

 

[street]

Update on bike. A few days I was biking past a second hand store and this bike was out front. I stopped and it was hardly every used and it had a rear carrier rack witch was going to be on my next bike anyway. I do use my bike to pick small items up from up town and need a carrier for items when riding. It has the spring loaded support that clamps down on the object when transporting.

I asked how much, they said 5$, so the carrier was 10 times more then what I paid for the entire item.

I ended up replacing one tube so 15$ into it and is so much better then my old bike. I put on about 500 to 600 miles a year on it so nothing major and all miles within 10 miles of home.

It is a Savannah Comfort Touring - Huffy nothing fancy but my frugal genes told me this will be an upgrade and checks the boxes.

 

[mystang52]

Perfect!

 

[ArmchairMillionaire]

Update on bike. A few days I was biking past a second hand store and this bike was out front. I stopped and it was hardly every used and it had a rear carrier rack witch was going to be on my next bike anyway. I do use my bike to pick small items up from up town and need a carrier for items when riding. It has the spring loaded support that clamps down on the object when transporting.

I asked how much, they said 5$, so the carrier was 10 times more then what I paid for the entire item.

I ended up replacing one tube so 15$ into it and is so much better then my old bike. I put on about 500 to 600 miles a year on it so nothing major and all miles within 10 miles of home.

It is a Savannah Comfort Touring - Huffy nothing fancy but my frugal genes told me this will be an upgrade and checks the boxes.
View attachment 63846

Very nice. You chose well and got a great deal!