Which bike to buy? NYC/Brooklyn commuter

[BrooklynNYC]

i was thinking of buying a bike to ride around NYC as a commuter so about 1 hour a day, so no racing and little offroading/mountaining. Anyone got advice on which bike to buy? I was told a hybrid style bike works best for NYC. More than likely i would want to buy a used bike that is mid level. So used price like 150 to 300 I know bikes get ripped off very easily in NYC so i dont wanna lose too much $$ if that happens. ill probably keep it in my bedroom if im not riding it but i still want it to be high quality.

 

[Slick]

What's the biggest differences between commuting in Brooklyn and London or Glasgow?

 

[Milkfloat]

What's the biggest differences between commuting in Brooklyn and London or Glasgow?

Often the brand and model of bike available to buy.

 

[Cycleops]

I seem to remember it might have been @Gravity Aided saying that prices of bikes in big cities was generally higher. If buying second hand I imagine there are a fair few stolen ones around.

For your budget you’re not going to get a very high quality bike but it should be reasonable. Try to find something that hasn’t had much use. Many people buy a bike with good intentions and rarely use it, aim for one of these. If you have a pal who knows about bikes ask his advice and take him along if you can.

Don’t bother with suspension forks, they only add weight and not much extra comfort.

Good luck.

 

[vickster]

Single speed? NY pretty flat from what I recall

 

[BrooklynNYC]

For Brooklyn and Manhattan you probably know that the traffic both vehicle and pedestrian is just crazy!

What do you guys think of the Giant Escape series of bikes?

 

[Gravity Aided]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3sLBjsV4WQ

This guy does the commute from around the GAR memorial to the financial district in Manhattan, always has some interesting insights. It seems a drop bar 10 speed is what you see a lot of in his videos. I don't think his is anything fancy, just something off Amazon, which I think is pricey for what you get. My cousin has a Giant Escape and likes it. I'm in the Midwest, south and west of Chicago, and what I see mainly are older mid to better level drop bar road and touring bikes from the 70's, 80's, and beyond, with a smattering of hybrids. Anything that can take a rack and panniers, if need be. On city streets, wider tires would be good, but upright seating might give you a bit of a pounding in the back, over the long haul. I used an older Schwinn Cr-Mo MTB from the 90's, modified for drop bars, with fenders and racks, when I commuted. I also used it for some touring. A cheap and effective solution.

 

[eagles633]

i was walking around nyc over new year. nearly every bike i saw chained up was an old raleigh. like 1980's models. i think they must be the in thing in nyc. i was thinking there is money to be made buying a load of old raleighs of ebay and flogging them in nyc.

 

[Cycleops]

@Gravity Aided knows a bit about that!

Might be worthwhile to check out RJ the bike guy's videos on YouTube

View: https://youtu.be/GL2dR91NTkU

As well as repairs he's picked up quite a few bargains on Craigslist etc.

 

[Gravity Aided]

i was walking around nyc over new year. nearly every bike i saw chained up was an old raleigh. like 1980's models. i think they must be the in thing in nyc. i was thinking there is money to be made buying a load of old raleighs of ebay and flogging them in nyc.

I see a lot of Raleighs people commute to work on, Some really fine old specimens, but we had a quite active Raleigh dealer in the area in the 60's through the 80's. He also sold lawn mowers and garden tools. I also see a lot of Treks, one of their original dealers was here in town. Raleigh made some very reliable bicycles, and Raleigh USA did a pretty good job as well. I might stay away from Raleigh Techniums, as those were bonded frames instead of being brazed, and may not be reliable at this point. But I think the OP has made a good start by seeing what people prefer, and planning to fill that need. I fixed up and sold a few bicycle over the year, supplementing my income and paying for my own fleet of bikes.

 

[BrooklynNYC]

Hey guys yes the guy in the vid is riding way too fast for my taste personally but you get the idea about the traffic.

What do you guys think about the Raleigh USA M40 is it easy to ride? i know this is a UK bike company.

 

[ADarkDraconis]

I am from the US here, so better versed on the US brands than the UK ones. A hybrid might be nice if you are not keen on going fast, and the slightly more upright position would make you more visible in traffic. I would definitely not get a fixed gear (or 'fixie') if you are not yet comfortable riding in traffic as they take a lot of getting used to for cornering and stopping differences.

Try, if you can, looking at Craig's-list just outside the city as in the city prices are more likely higher. E-bay is another decent source but I would look for local sellers with a pick-up option so that you can see and try the bike before shelling out the cash. A lot of people buy a bike with the intention to ride it and keep it in the garage for years, only to sell it later because it's never ridden and just taking up space. Do make sure though that anything used is not stolen (I made sure mine had the original reciept). I have a Trek hybrid from CList that I love, but looked at a Giant while I was shopping around and it was nice as well. Also invest in a good lock, if you are planning on biking to lunch or to the shop you want to make sure it's not an easy target.

 

[BrooklynNYC]

Hey guys slight change in focus i will more than likely be buying a mountain bike since i like those better. Heres which bikes im into now:

Liteville 301 -way out of my price range but still thought i would mention
norco storm - niche canadian bike, pretty
trek marlin size smail, loved the ride
cannondale trail size smail, loved the ride
cannondale catalyst - i like the trail more but this is cheaper
raleigh redux - loved the triple black appearance
specialized pitch - this was ok, didnt like slanted bar
raleigh kodiak
fuji nevada
SE Big Mountain

 

[ADarkDraconis]

Hey guys slight change in focus i will more than likely be buying a mountain bike since i like those better. Heres which bikes im into now:

Liteville 301 -way out of my price range but still thought i would mention
norco storm - niche canadian bike, pretty
trek marlin size smail, loved the ride
cannondale trail size smail, loved the ride
cannondale catalyst - i like the trail more but this is cheaper
raleigh redux - loved the triple black appearance
specialized pitch - this was ok, didnt like slanted bar
raleigh kodiak
fuji nevada
SE Big Mountain

My brother's lady companion just got a Marlin 4 and really likes it (and I think it is a nice looking bike as well). Haven't checked out any others on your list myself. The Marlin does have braze-ons so if you wanted to add fenders or a rack you can.

However, if you are mostly riding in the city and said you'd do very little off road riding, may I ask why you are going for a mountain bike? They tend to be a bit heavier and slower on the road. I know speed is not your aim but if you have to work harder to get from point A to point B you may not enjoy riding it as much.

 

[BrooklynNYC]

I bought a GT outpost vintage 21 speed size small off craigs list, but this ill ride until i get a new one..

my bike

• BrooklynNYC
• 18 Mar 2018
• 2

my bike