So I want a bicycle primarily to accompany my kids to school once a week. Maybe it will grow from there into some sort of recreational activity, but I remember as a teenager having terrible trouble staying on by bike (much like my current relationship with my kite board).

What should I buy? I know I am comparing apples with oranges but I am looking at:

Target Cyclops $140 www.target.com.au/p/men-s-cyclops-alloy-dual-suspension-bike-66cm/53591418
Giant Roam 2 $700 www.bicyclesuperstore.com.au/

So a target bike and half a new kite board, or a Giant? Or something else?

I bought a new BMX in 1987 for $225, which is still going strong; since then I have never seen a bike costing <$500 last more than a year or two. I'm of the opionion that you buy a good bike, If you can't justify the price new, buy second hand. A good bike makes riding enjoyable, will last and if you don't use it will get some return on resale. A cheap new bike will become a pain to ride and fall apart/rust and provide no return.

And if you're only riding on paths/roads, suspension is a waste of money and energy, especially cheap suspension. On the other hand, I love my duel suspension MTB as soon as I hit the MTB trails and when I commuted on it I got fitter quicker.

You could buy a three wheeler, they are fun to ride and good entertainment. It may not be what your looking for. Or buy a mongoose and do some sick jumps and skids

if you aren't too tall get a bmx. but don't buy freestayler, go for the racing one. they are pretty cool riding with the kids.
I've got a "free agent maverick" , very good bike and not exie.
I be been riding it with my boy since he was 3.(he is 7 now).
I could help him pulling his bike with my hand if he got tired.

Go for the Giant Hybrid or something like it, even a flat bar road bike. The hybrid will be half the weight of the other. If you get a bit more serious you can change the Tyers for narrower road Tyers. Go to your local bike shop and get them to set up up with the correct size and have them fit you to the bike.

if you get a good quality bike of the right size and set up for you you will want to ride more.

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Cal said..
I bought a new BMX in 1987 for $225, which is still going strong; since then I have never seen a bike costing <$500 last more than a year or two. I'm of the opionion that you buy a good bike, If you can't justify the price new, buy second hand. A good bike makes riding enjoyable, will last and if you don't use it will get some return on resale. A cheap new bike will become a pain to ride and fall apart/rust and provide no return.

So Cal, at what price point do you start to get a bike that will last over the long term and not need lots of maintenance or parts replaced?

I cycle to and from work almost every day and have learnt a lot about bicycles in the process. The one thing I would recommend is buy a new bike if you intend on cycling for a while to come. The reason is, as I have been cycling I have worn down many parts and had them all replaced numerous times. The total value of the parts I've had replaced exceed the value I paid for the bike initially. That's not necessarily a bad thing, at least I use my bike. But what I am saying is, you want a bike that is safe. And if you get a second hand bike, you may find many parts will need replacing. The value of those parts will add up. Get a new bike so at least you are starting fresh with new, reliable parts. I've got a trek 7.1 and the whole trek range are good. It cost 460 and I ride it almost every day to and from work. Have fun with your kids mate!! It's great to join in the activities they are doing, like riding bikes.

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Hunter S said..

Cal said..
I bought a new BMX in 1987 for $225, which is still going strong; since then I have never seen a bike costing <$500 last more than a year or two. I'm of the opionion that you buy a good bike, If you can't justify the price new, buy second hand. A good bike makes riding enjoyable, will last and if you don't use it will get some return on resale. A cheap new bike will become a pain to ride and fall apart/rust and provide no return.

So Cal, at what price point do you start to get a bike that will last over the long term and not need lots of maintenance or parts replaced?

Realistically around the $600 mark. Having said that, look at GumTree. I just got a Trek 7.5 2014 hybrid retail $1,200 (now on sale for $999 as they just bought in the 2015 model) - I paid $700 and it does not have a mark on it. Then 2wks later found an excellent condition 2012 Scott Metrix hyrid for my wife - retail around $2,000 - we paid $600 - both bikes still had the 'new' rubber seam on the centre of the tyres = hardly used. The Mrs doesn't ride much, but has now done over 150km on it and likes it so much she wants us to ride to Mandurah in March (~ 100km for us). I've put about 600km on the Trek as I ride to work 2-3 times a week.

Whatever you decide on getting, make sure you purchase from a good Bicycle shop.

The bike will have been assembled by a professional bike mechanic and set up for your personal body shape.
They will usually throw in the first 1 or 2 services for free!

Buying from K-Mart/Target, the bike has probably been assembled by a pimple faced teenager that knows nothing about bicycles.

The savings are unrealistic - unless you have good dental coverage!

Consider the 2nd hand market of good quality bikes. You can save a fortune.

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KiwiDave said..
So I want a bicycle primarily to accompany my kids to school once a week. Maybe it will grow from there into some sort of recreational activity, but I remember as a teenager having terrible trouble staying on by bike (much like my current relationship with my kite board).

What should I buy? I know I am comparing apples with oranges but I am looking at:

Target Cyclops $140 http://www.target.com.au/p/men-s-cyclops-alloy-dual-suspension-bike-66cm/53591418
Giant Roam 2 $700 www.bicyclesuperstore.com.au/a/hybrid-bikes/giant/vic/melbourne/roam-2/102593370

So a target bike and half a new kite board, or a Giant? Or something else?

DO NOT by anything from Target, Kmart or any place like that. Components are cheap and fail i.e. peddles , brakes etc. The thing will hurt you and it will end up on the scrap heap. Go for a reperable brand. These days you get a lot of bike for your $. So Giant, Avanti etc

Have fun

I would definitely go with the Giant if they are your 2 options, they make good bikes.

Don't buy a hybrid unless you are a 70yo grey nomad that will never take it offroad.

You get excellent bikes from the tip. What ever bike you get, buy a high tensile padlock and chain long enough to go through both wheels and frame. Most cable locks are bulked out with plastic tubing and are relatively easy to cut with bypass secateurs. Most importantly, when ever you leave the bike, lock it. Landyacht had his stolen from in front of the local bike shop while he was 3 metres away inside and watching

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vpar said..

KiwiDave said..
So I want a bicycle primarily to accompany my kids to school once a week. Maybe it will grow from there into some sort of recreational activity, but I remember as a teenager having terrible trouble staying on by bike (much like my current relationship with my kite board).

What should I buy? I know I am comparing apples with oranges but I am looking at:

Target Cyclops $140 http://www.target.com.au/p/men-s-cyclops-alloy-dual-suspension-bike-66cm/53591418
Giant Roam 2 $700 www.bicyclesuperstore.com.au/a/hybrid-bikes/giant/vic/melbourne/roam-2/102593370

So a target bike and half a new kite board, or a Giant? Or something else?

DO NOT by anything from Target, Kmart or any place like that. Components are cheap and fail i.e. peddles , brakes etc. The thing will hurt you and it will end up on the scrap heap. Go for a reperable brand. These days you get a lot of bike for your $. So Giant, Avanti etc

Have fun

reputable

Trek and Giant would be my recommendations, both have good ranges with some good low end options. If your not "bike savy" a good bike shop will save you money and anger in the long run.

www.bicyclesonline.com.au/

Got this 4 weeks ago , its been awesome,service was great. Delivery really fast too.

I was a bit unhappy with the front disc it had a slight bend from shipping, they were more than happy to refund or replace but all I wanted was a new disc so they expressed it to me with the right tool. All good.

If you're wondering about the quality of the brand the world mountain bike track, tour company uses and rents polygons.
, these and the full suspension jobbies.

Compare all the specs across the brands and I don't reckon you can beat it $600 delivered.

found the 10 year old video of my "maverick" and its still going strong.
check out how easy and safe it is to ride. and look... no hands !

I have to agree with those who advised NOT to buy some cheap Kmart or Target bike.
They are heavy and they just don't glide along effortlessly like a good bike does.
I bought a Giant all ally bike about 12 years ago, just on the basis of a test ride.
After my previous old iron pig of a thing, it almost glided along all by itself, and that is something which makes you want to use it, rather than take the car.

I have since bought an electric bike, but after the novelty wore off, I mostly still ride my Giant bike. It's just more satisfying.

Also, get something with front suspension but not rear suspension. Front suspension saves you from a lot of stacks when riding over unexpected obstacles, like curbs, small animals, potholes etc., without wasting too much energy.
Keep in mind that the energy for every compression of the suspension has to be supplied by the rider,.. you,.. so rear suspension is just wasted effort. Not so much for front suspension because they don't compress as often, only over bumps that you really need them for.

Front suspension like the suntour (average specs) forks on the polygon has lockout, so when going up hill, just lock it for no suspension. Its easy,just reach down and spin the dial.

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Test pilot 1 said.. Landyacht had his stolen from in front of the local bike shop while he was 3 metres away inside and watching

not the pennyfakething

jeez, there will be a sore and sorry bike thief crumpled up in a heap someplace..

stephen

If you hunt around, you will get a great 2nd hand bike for say $300...

I spent about $2k of a pretty nice Specialized Dual Shock bike... Components are great. Quality and finish is great...

As others have said, sometimes buying a bike from the tip is easier and cheaper. I was amazed by the bike that my father bought from the tip for next to nothing. They are so cheap these days that people throw them away, and they can be decent quality too.

On the other hand I bought a trek or giant from the local bike shop, brand new, and the quality of some components was pretty crap. Like any industry they set the quality of the parts to meet a price point. I changed some of the parts out from a much older bike, but much better quality, and the bike is pretty good now. From the bike shop it was okay, but the components were average quality.

Check bike exchange for a new one ( still some awesome deals on 2014 models ) and gumtree for a secondhand.
Second hand for bikes is great as they seem to be an impulse buy for a lot of people that become a real pain in the ass to store. Good bargains to be had:)))

Ps the components on that giant are pretty average. $600 would go a lot further in gumtree.

If you just want a bike to noodle around on and ride with your kid, buy (or build) a single speed. They're cheap. Have nothing to break. They're kind of cool if that matters to you.

If you want a real bike, then don't buy a cheap **** thing. You can buy new bikes, but last year's models at very cheap price. With a little haggling and timing you can buy a $2000 bike for under a grand.

The brand of the bike is irrelevant. What really matters is the components. You want mid-range, or upper mid-range components. My road bike has Shimano 105 stuff and it is excellent.

Having said that, the next most important thing is bike maintenance. It's easy to do and doesn't require much effort. After almost every ride I wipe my bike with a damp cloth or baby wipes (only if it's grubby of course). If it's covered in filth I give it a short hose down with a hose on mist setting, then wipe it dry. I have just clocked up 12,000km on it and it stills looks (and more importantly rides) like a brand new bike.

I recently added some lightweight mudguards. The rear guard comes down low at the front to protect the transmission. This has greatly reduced the amount of filth getting into the chain and gears. I wish had done it years ago.

If the transmission is noisy then I clean and lube the chain. I put on a new chain a year or so ago.

I agree with the above poster in some ways. Although I don't have a single speed, it isn't a bad option. 10 months on my trek and roughly 4000kms, I've done four bottom brackets, front brake pads and cables, rear cassette, front cassette, new pedals, almost on third chain tyres and bearings looking/sounding tired. That's all good usage and I am very happy with the bike, but sometimes I think things would be simpler with a single speed. Oh, and before some bike pro pulls me up on the repair list, I was a bike novice and I have been told by local bike shop my riding behaviour and lack of replacing chains has attributed to the wear and tear. I have nothing against trek. I haven't had one single flat tyre and only one popped spoke. That's a good run! Think about a single speed mate. Oh and maintenance! Like the guy above said. I've done none. Hence my bike riding like a pig.

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PaddlePig said..
I agree with the above poster in some ways. Although I don't have a single speed, it isn't a bad option. 10 months on my trek and roughly 4000kms, I've done four bottom brackets, front brake pads and cables, rear cassette, front cassette, new pedals, almost on third chain tyres and bearings looking/sounding tired. That's all good usage and I am very happy with the bike, but sometimes I think things would be simpler with a single speed. Oh, and before some bike pro pulls me up on the repair list, I was a bike novice and I have been told by local bike shop my riding behaviour and lack of replacing chains has attributed to the wear and tear. I have nothing against trek. I haven't had one single flat tyre and only one popped spoke. That's a good run! Think about a single speed mate. Oh and maintenance! Like the guy above said. I've done none. Hence my bike riding like a pig.

roadie bike or MTB. ive done 4000 in the last 10 months too on a roadie and gone through 2 tyres and 4 tubes. and much of the ride is racing. your usage seems way high

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landyacht said..

PaddlePig said..
I agree with the above poster in some ways. Although I don't have a single speed, it isn't a bad option. 10 months on my trek and roughly 4000kms, I've done four bottom brackets, front brake pads and cables, rear cassette, front cassette, new pedals, almost on third chain tyres and bearings looking/sounding tired. That's all good usage and I am very happy with the bike, but sometimes I think things would be simpler with a single speed. Oh, and before some bike pro pulls me up on the repair list, I was a bike novice and I have been told by local bike shop my riding behaviour and lack of replacing chains has attributed to the wear and tear. I have nothing against trek. I haven't had one single flat tyre and only one popped spoke. That's a good run! Think about a single speed mate. Oh and maintenance! Like the guy above said. I've done none. Hence my bike riding like a pig.

roadie bike or MTB. ive done 4000 in the last 10 months too on a roadie and gone through 2 tyres and 4 tubes. and much of the ride is racing. your usage seems way high

You're not kidding. I ride a stupid amount on a road bike. Chain and cassette (Shimano 105) last about 25,000 km. All I do is lubricate the chain fortnightly or every thousand kilometres and run it through a chain cleaning machine monthly or every 2000 km.
The tyres that I use are called Maxxis Detonators, which I have found to be more durable than other brands and cheaper. Rear tyres last between 5 and 7000 km and front tyres are 8 to 10,000 km. I run them at about 100 or 110 psi.
Not that I think the OP will be running his kids up to school for 2 or 3 hours a day unless he wants to get done for child cruelty.

Yeah I agree the usage is way too high. I'm happy with it, but it's high. I'll try not to high jack the thread and apologise if I have. I guess it's good evidence of the difference between bottom of range 400 dollar trek and purpose built machines. Essentially, it's a mountain bike. Having said that, I pump the tyres and goes reasonably fast. I guess excess chain wear could be that I have three cogs on front and I occasionally tow trailer, so the chain may be getting stretched more than road bikes. That and I let a chain go and it destroyed the cassettes, so that was user error. Ultimately though, the bike shop mechanic said the 7.1 was never supposed to be ridden how I am. I'm not hardcore or anything, but it wasn't supposed to be ridden so rough. Anyway, enough of stealing the thread, I guess that shows the difference between a mountain bike and a purpose built road bike.

I'd go the mountain bike if your riding with kids. No matter who the kid is they are gonna want to bash some dirt on the bike at some stage........... And you'll need to follow