Where are you located? With your budget range, I'd suggest checking your local craigslist and seeing what there is used around you.
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Hello all!
I love to commute to my work. I just wanted to know about a good bicycle below $200. Can someone recommend a good brand. The distance to travel is about 3 km.
Where are you located? With your budget range, I'd suggest checking your local craigslist and seeing what there is used around you.
I do NOT recommend anything from a department store. You will get a much better bike if you buy used.
Bike fit is really important and can make all the difference of whether or not you will keep riding or not. Test ride a bike before you buy it, or you can also get a good idea of your bike size by going to a bike shop and test riding several bikes. That way at least you know if you ride a 15" or if women specific design is comfortable for you, that sort of thing. Then even if you can't test ride a used bike you have some idea of whether it might fit you or not.
2009 Trek 7.2FX WSD, brooks Champion Flyer S, commuter bike
Deductive reasoning says this poster is probably in Australia (uses km and $$) or someone who has recently come to the US.
I agree with look for a used bike. There's little on the market that is under $200 new that will be very good. That said 3k is not very far, and if its also flat, a cruiser might do just fine for you - and those, even a decent one like a Trek are not very expensive - you might be able to find one under $250, especially at this time of the year. Be forewarned though - if you get bitten by the cycling bug, you will outgrow a bike like this pretty quickly.
Last edited by Eden; 10-22-2010 at 10:41 AM.
"Sharing the road means getting along, not getting ahead" - 1994 Washington State Driver's Guide
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She could be in Canada.
Trek 800s go for fairly cheap on craigslist and aren't bad commuter/beater bikes. Vintage mixtes or old 10 speed road bikes would probably also be good choices that she could find cheap for $200. but without knowing the country/location - it makes it hard to predict whether there will be much on craigslist or what the offerings will be.
I just bought a really nice, barely used cruiser (single speed) off craigslist for $180. It would be fine for a 3 km commute that was flat. With hills, you'll need gears. I agree with all who said to try to find a used bike as $200 is a very small amount to pay for a bike. If you don't know your size pretty much to a "t", I'd avoid ebay. With craiglist, at least you can take it on a short test ride. Also, many bike shops offer a small selection of used bikes.
Good luck!
Emily
2011 Jamis Dakar XC "Toto" - Selle Italia Ldy Gel Flow
2007 Trek Pilot 5.0 WSD "Gloria" - Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow
2004 Bike Friday Petite Pocket Crusoe - Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow