Decent starter bike for commuting and beginner and 500$~$800

thegeezer3

Hi there,

few whiskeys here so please forgive the writing style. Im new to cycling in a long time and am looking to buy a bike to get me to work ( 12 km one way ). Ill be dong this everyday mon to fri with a laptop and lunch box for weight. Looked at a lot of posts here but totatly confused. I want a bike that is a joy to ride but is just good enough to get me A to B without looking like "all the gear but no idea".


So i need something new or secondhand below $500 to $800.

I live in a big city Yokohama in Japan i.e. concrete city so no trails, mountains etc purley road, maybe a littlle of cheeky curb hopping now and again.

Maybe sometimes it might be nice to take the weight off my back and onto bkie storage.

Any bike recommedations or general advice

weight 75kg
height 5.11
male

thel33ter

Welcome .

Your best bet would be to go to a local bike shop, and try out a few bikes, a road bike sounds perfect for you, not sure about what is popular/avaliable in Japan though.

thegeezer3

thanks for teh reply.

Yes i was thinking about a road bike but wondering for that price range, new or second hand what are some good bikes to try out.

I think Giant has scr and defys in that range. Not sure what the difference is between an scr2 and scr3 though.

Are they are any other bikes which are really good value for money in this range?

thel33ter

the giant defy its one of the highest rated entry level bikes around, the difference between the model numbers is higher or lower spec parts. Keep an eye our for discounted 2010 bikes, as dealers have started getting the 2011 models.

ndru

If you want to use it to get to work and carry stuff forget about racing bikes. Get a practical cruiser (Pashley roadster type) or a bike with frame mounted front loader, fully encased chain, proper mudguards, dynamo lights, pannier rack, drum brakes, upright (comfortable) sitting position and most importantly internal gears. This will allow you to use it in any weather, without worrying about maintenance. Thousands of dutch people can't be wrong - and they do use their bikes.
I used to have a road bike, but then changed to Pashley Princess and enjoy it much more for its practicality, comfort and being maintenance free in any weather. Plus I don't need any gear to ride it. Visit Velorution or Workcycles websites for ideas. Good luck and don't buy into the lycra racing culture

g00se

If you're carrying a laptop and bits and pieces, you are either going to have to carry them on your back - or used panniers fitted to a rack.

With it being 12km one way, I would really recommend the pannier/rack combination. But if you're going to use those, you'll need a bike with the appropriate mountings.

I just quickly googled the Defy and the SCR and it looks like they do have the right mounts - but double check. A similar range to look at are the Specialized Allez and Secteur bikes - the Secteur being the more 'long distance / all weather' of the two.