'Best' bike(s) for under $500

Mark1966

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OK brains trust - your next challenge.

My 14YO son 'needs' a bike and I need some exercise so should probably get one too.

Lots of bike stores in Canberra selling bikes for lots of money and I know from previous posts that:
there is lots of expertise here; and
there are some bargains to be had

My dilemma is that I would probably prefer two the same - and certainly want two. I'm also not sure I'm confident know the quality of what I'm looking at second hand and it does have to look good enough to be a present.

The local (read closest, just down the road) has these in the price range -

Malvern Star (they still exist?)
Avanti
Fuji

I presume others will have similar ranges.

Now I KNOW you are all on $5k ultra uber bikes you picked up for $1k but any help appreciated :)
 
All depends what you want to do with them. You have listed a couple of flat-bar urban/hybrids, and an MTB Hardtail which is decidedly underspeced for the money.

The questions to answer are:
  • Where are you going to ride? Bike paths? Road? Off road? MTB trails? A mixture?
  • How often will you ride? Just the occasional fitness thing or likely to go for a more structured ride on the weekends?
  • The height/weight of both of you
Once we have a more focused idea of what you want to ride, then we could give you a better idea of what you should be looking at.

Now in Canberra you have one of the best cities in the country to cycle in, period. Progressive cyclist-friendly laws including the 1m law, a great and fast increasing bike lane network, heaps of dedicated cycle paths and shared paths... and 3 awesome and world-class MTB trails - Stromlo, Majura Pines & now, Bruce Ridge. You also have Sparrow Hill just out of town.

Basically, look for strength of frame, good brakes (that means Hydraulic disc, once you have ridden one you will never go back to mechanical/cable disc, V-Brakes or the old side-pulls) and keep your eye out for specials. You can probably buy a bike cheaper from Sydney and get it shipped down although not all places will do that as their agreements state that the bike must roll out of the shop. The 2016 models are now out, so get a 2015 model on clearance.

Honestly, I would go with an MTB with a decent 90mm or greater travel fork. Wouldn’t go for the same bikes as they will look the same - slightly different helps to identify which is which!

My first pick for those starting out: Cell Rockdale 27.5" - $489 free delivery. 100mm travel fork, Hydraulic discs. Everything you need, nothing you don't. Will get you going.

If you can stretch it just a little bit: Polygon Xtrada 5.0 - $599 with free delivery. Lots of bike for the money and a big step up over the above. The 2016 model is virtually the same specs and price but grey, short wait until that arrives.
 
You might prefer a matching pair, but you know... teenager :D

As Monsta says... Where are you riding (road, trails, gravel, sand, ...) & your body geometry has some bearing (if you have short legs & long arms and 'the youngster' has long legs & short arms then you're never going to get on with the same bike...
 
Giant (the brand) is very well respected for value and quality.

If you go to a Giant dealership like Onya Bike they will be very happy to help.

You will easily be able to get the same model in whatever sizes suit.
 
Ahh, see, always the questions I didn't answer 'cause I didn't know they were questions -

Where are you going to ride? Bike paths? Road? Off road? MTB trails? A mixture? - Let's assume predominantly bike paths but off the occasional gutter and on the occasional road. Not planning on riding up Mount Majura any time soon

How often will you ride? Just the occasional fitness thing or likely to go for a more structured ride on the weekends? - Theory will be regularly (but not commute - although son could ride the 6 kms to school) but that is the theory, we shall see about the practice. No desire to joint the MAMILs on a Saturday morning dash. Edit: Should have noted that my son will probably bush bash around the place - will need to be able to cope with usual teenage boy stupidity.

The height/weight of both of you - 6' 2" and 13 stone for me, son is rapidly catching up in height but not yet in weight. Both classic long legs and (relatively) compact torso

The Cell looks good (but what would I know) and certainly a lot fancier than my pushie ...
 
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The Cell is really a decent starting point, cheaper than the one from you local and much better equipped. It's the baseline that anyone wanting to go a little offroad should be looking at.

You might be surprised at how gentle some of the Majura trails are - there are some more difficult ones but there is more than enough easy/beginner grade stuff there.

Based on height, probably grab a large frame for each of you.
 
@Mark1966 I know you're steering away from used, but I have to plug Pushy's on (70) Newcastle St Fyshwick. They have a great range (there are lots) of used bikes out the back that are well-speced, well-priced and all shop-serviced - remember they are all used once you've ridden them and they all need to be serviced regularly. I also believe they come with a limited warranty which is a little peace of mind. Don't sound like you need new, so you'll get a better bike for the money - esp. when you consider the better components. This is where they get you when you buy new. For example at the $500 mark you are compromising somewhere - usually forks, gears, seat-post, seat, etc. - while if you spend the same amount used you might find yourself a rung or two up on the components. OK we are not talking carbon-fibre, but maybe RockShox rather than Suntour, or Shimano Deore rather than Shimano Acera, etc.

In my limited experience I've found a bike is the sum (and combination) of its components. The better components on a bike makes a difference, often a helluva difference.

But just my opinion.....before any MAMILs start growling and bearing their teeth.
 
Wandered down to the local (Mitchell) bike store and looked at:

Avanti Black Thunder @ $485 (my son's preference)
Avanti Montari @ $599

then to Onyabike at Belco and checked out:

Giant ATX @ $549
Roam 3 @ $599

Bikes are SOOOOO different from when last I rode one. So easy to change gears, easy to ride, comfortable, just so different. Hard to compare as I think any would be fine really. I do get the difference in the number of gears, but wonder if 24 is that different to 24, and the lockout on the suspension, but again wonder about the importance, but the only clear difference that I can tell is the brakes, although again in the dry they all pulled up pretty quickly!

I might wander along to Pushy's but am not convinced I will know or tell the difference between RockShox and Suntour, or Deore and Acera!

Thanks all for your help so far. I'm tempted to go with the Cell personally, just based on the recommendation here, although you watch me stuff up the assembly somehow, but it might be hard to shake my son from the Black Thunder. Specs mean little to him, he just liked it better for some reason than the others we tried!
 
In my limited experience I've found a bike is the sum (and combination) of its components. The better components on a bike makes a difference, often a helluva difference.

But just my opinion.....before any MAMILs start growling and bearing their teeth.

Absolutely, used is a valid choice however it's usually the second bike you get, especially wanting to step up to a dual-suspension bike to buy that secondhand. There's lots of deals about on various facebook trading pages and the like.

The other thing to consider is the unknown life of the bike. Just because it has been serviced doesn't mean it has not had a hard life. Bikes can be abused and have a replacement component added - like a fork - and there's plenty of damage that goes unnoticed around the head tube or chain stay/seat tube.. The reason that a $450-$600 hardtail is the most recommended 'first' bike is that you get something of a known quantity with some better components which will take more of a beating.

Wandered down to the local (Mitchell) bike store and looked at:
Avanti Black Thunder @ $485 (my son's preference)
Avanti Montari @ $599

Avanti's are decent bikes, don't get me wrong. The frames are excellent. There's two issues with these ones - 24 speed, and only a 75mm travel fork on the Thunder.

You are missing an extra cog on the rear cassette, which will be a larger size thus a lower (easier) gear. This will make hills much more pleasant. If he does decide to go off-road then you will wish you had the extra low gear. As such, 27 speed is better and some bikes are now going 30 speed, or with an extra 'wide' range of cogs, dropping down to 2x10 of even 1x10. These components cost significantly more, so I suggest a standard 27-speed.

The Montari has got the Hydraulic discs and a 100mm travel fork. It's a reasonable step up but the components on the bike are generally inferior to the Polygon Xtrada 5.0 at the same price, and I would want 27 speeds at that price.

then to Onyabike at Belco and checked out:
Giant ATX @ $549
Roam 3 @ $599

The ATX is fighting a similar battle to the Montari but you only get Mechanical (cable pull) disc brakes. Again, you have bottom level components across the board yet it's $100 more than the Cell (assuming $30 is delivery) and that has M355 Hydraulic brakes and every component on it is higher than the Giant. The crankset gearing (IE pedals, cranks & chainrings) is quite high.

While the Cell is also only a 24 speed - which is the one downside against the rest of the stellar list of components at the money - their crankset is geared lower so you won't struggle as hard up the hills. The Avanti is geared like the Cell, but the Giant is too highly geared.

The Roam 3 is a more "bike path with the odd dirt track, but not MTB trail" level bike. Will ride really nicely on the paths & roads, and if you need to take a dirt track you will be okay. The lack of disc brakes at all is a deal breaker for me, and I don't understand the pricing though as it seems high to me for what you get.

Bikes are SOOOOO different from when last I rode one. So easy to change gears, easy to ride, comfortable, just so different. Hard to compare as I think any would be fine really. I do get the difference in the number of gears, but wonder if 24 is that different to 24, and the lockout on the suspension, but again wonder about the importance, but the only clear difference that I can tell is the brakes, although again in the dry they all pulled up pretty quickly!

It's amazing how far bikes have come in the last few years alone. The major difference will be the larger 27.5" wheels which roll better, the 29'er bikes are even better in that regard as they roll over bumps easier but you lose some 'handling' ability off-road. Most bikes are now Alloy framed or Carbon fibre, unlike the old Steel frames which were heavy and not as rigid.

Gearing needs to be considered as a whole. 24 speed is ok, if the gearing is correct. Unfortunately the Giant ATX crankset is too high at 28-38-48T, but the others are 22-32-42T. The Roam 3 (roads/ paths) is fine at that level, but you have lesser inclines mostly. The extra gear in a 27-speed starts to combat this.

As for the brakes, the discs are far superior to anything else. If they get wet, they heat up and dry quickly upon application and start stopping you. The 'rim' brakes simply do not, and they are more likely to get wet in any case. The only difference between the Mechanical (cable pull) Discs and the Hydraulic Discs is the smooth 'feel' of them and the ability to modulate the lever. When I took Ms Monsta to the bike shop, she instantly went to the Hydraulic discs based on the feel of them alone. Her comment was that it felt similar to car brakes and that gave her some confidence and security. And to be honest, they are the exact same principles as car brakes.

I might wander along to Pushy's but am not convinced I will know or tell the difference between RockShox and Suntour, or Deore and Acera!

Thanks all for your help so far. I'm tempted to go with the Cell personally, just based on the recommendation here, although you watch me stuff up the assembly somehow, but it might be hard to shake my son from the Black Thunder. Specs mean little to him, he just liked it better for some reason than the others we tried!

You don't need to know the difference, that is what we are here for. I think the Cell will do you just fine, although I can understand the Black Thunder having a hold over your son. The downtube is way cool, and the graphics are actually really nice. But explain to him the fork is the cheapest that Suntour make and is much less capable, plus he could have proper disc brakes on the Cell. But he is 14 so he wants the coolest looking one, I get that. Once he rides yours instead he will understand how much nicer it is to ride, which is a good life lesson.

Once you get them and have a bit of experience under your belt, I will have to schedule a Canberra trip and show you some of the more beginner-level trails. Most of them are just tracks in the bush, good fun to ride. Plenty on Youtube, just search 'Stromlo MTB' or 'Majura Trails'. Some are a bit more gnarly but there's some nice gentle circuits.
 
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And the winner is ...

... no, not Sydney!

It was, for my son at least, the Avanti Black Thunder!

Yes, I told him about the better specs on the Cell and NO, he didn't care! So we got his bike from the local store earlier today along with two helmets. Both of us have been for a ride, both got swooped by magpies ( in different places).

I remembered, actually my coccyx reminded me, of why I haven't ridden for a while (must drag out that lycra ...) and he managed to get the chain well and truly jammed between the front set of gears and the frame while trying to get away from the magpies!

Sigh - the good old days. I actually had a bike when we moved to CBR and road to work a few times (we had a shower in our previous office) on the old Apollo 12 (?) - something like this:

pa240451.jpg


It was the racing bike I could never afford as a kid but gee it was hard on you as you rode it. So now to dig out the kit (if it still fits) and see if I can get myself active again. I'll probably order a Cell tomorrow.

Thanks all for your advice and help :)
 
CRC for the updated bike shorts - takes a while to arrive but the prices and quality are better than local. You can wear them underneath other stuff if you don't want to be a MAMIL.

Not sure how big that chainwheel is on the crankset - must be a 54-56 or something. It's massive. The rear cassette looks like a high-geared 5-speed, so it would have been nasty to ride.
 
CRC for the updated bike shorts - takes a while to arrive but the prices and quality are better than local. You can wear them underneath other stuff if you don't want to be a MAMIL.

Not sure how big that chainwheel is on the crankset - must be a 54-56 or something. It's massive. The rear cassette looks like a high-geared 5-speed, so it would have been nasty to ride.
Of course, back in the day that was cutting edge, so a dream to ride :D

Kids these days, don't know they're born!
 
Back in the day, some 30 years ago when I was a teenager, yes it was cutting edge. The friends with more money all had the Apollo 12 (speed) racing bikes which were light and fast. Turning the handles upside down was a thing for a while too.

Of course when I (finally) got one 10 years ago it was a different story. The one I got was, based on what I've learned about bike geometry this weekend, too small and the ride on those thin wheels with high gearing was hard and harsh!

Will be interesting to see how we go with these and how long the novelty lasts :)
 
You snooze, you lose ...

Went to order the Cell Rockdale 27.5" - price gone up to $549. Figured I'd look at the Polygon Xtrada 5.0 - that page no longer existing and the 2016 model now showing as $699 up from $599 previously.

Rang Cell and they did the Rockdale at the old price $489 so I got a rack and a rear basket. A little old man but hey - means I can ride to the shops for that bread and milk, at least in theory ...
 
Finally got the bike out of the box and put together. The discs REALLY pull this thing up.

Rode around the bloke to check gears were working OK, seemed to be shifting nicely, some very easy gears there on the flat. Got swooped by the magpies.

Now to start using more regularly ...

Thanks again for all the help guys!
 
Finally got the bike out of the box and put together. The discs REALLY pull this thing up.

Rode around the bloke to check gears were working OK, seemed to be shifting nicely, some very easy gears there on the flat. Got swooped by the magpies.

Now to start using more regularly ...

Thanks again for all the help guys!
Did you ask the bloke if he was ok with you riding around him first ?
 
Got swooped by the magpies.
I hate to sound sadistic but the curator of the National Gillette Museum being swooped by the local black and whites is a mental image sure to put a smile on one's dial in the morning! Not in a nasty way, but I'm picturing some Benny Hill type music in the background and some comedy like sound effects as @Mark1966 swerved all over the place waving a hand in the air while getting divebombed by the angry local 'Luftwaffe Stukas'.

If you don't know they're there &/or don't see them coming they certainly do cause you to tighten up the old anal sphincter when they clip the top of one's helmet. Getting swooped by Magpies is probably something that nearly every Australian kid could relate to as a childhood memory! :censored:
 
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