I just moved to Essen Germany and is planning to build/buy a retro mtb commuter since in my homecountry the community is blowing up and I thought it would be the perfect chance to have a retro mtb commuter since Germany have better biking infrastructure (not Essen though (woanders ist auch scheiße)). Like the title says is 200-300€ enough to build a commuter bike? I have a tight budget since im a student and I don't have access to tools to build one.
p.s. any reccomendation of retro mtb rebuilder in the NRW would be great!
by chasekejar
4 Comments
Given the stuff I know about Europe and bikes I can’t imagine they don’t have the concept of a bike rescue, a place to get free or really cheap bikes in varying condition. Look into charity shops, thrift shops . You might be able to find a cheap or free commuter bike and then use the remainder of the budget on tools and parts. If this is main transport I’d suggest getting something that functions out of the gate and fix it up to be cool and fast as you go. If you want no wrenching I don’t see how 200-300 isn’t enough for a decent bike. Just know it will always pay to build it up yourself and fix it yourself as all bikes are better with customization.
I would guess the owner of the bike pictured has spent more than that. Wheels, tires, drivetrain and odds and ends have all been replaced. But you can definitely get a working xbike for 100-200 then upgrade as you like. I started with a Trek 930 for $100. Probably have nearly $450 into it now – $80 tires, $120 drivetrain, $120 wheels, $50 saddle, etc – but I’ve had it for years and have gradually upgraded and got some money back selling the old drivetrain.
If capable of building yourself, I would look for a community bike shop or used bike shop. I like painting my frames and have gotten crazy good deals on bikes just cus they had a terrible or really fucked up paint job. Then look for used parts to throw on there. eBay is also a good place to get good used parts. If you don’t know much I would still look for a community shop because they usually have programs to teach you how to work on your own stuff or have decent bikes for cheaper.
Another good thing is to find something decent on Craigslist or your Craigslist alternative, make sure it works, and update as you go.
This IS from my experience in the US though, so your experience in Germany may vary.
https://preview.redd.it/k8dn7zurn53e1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4ecbf58d7d4a3a483e51f6ca1a0b260fb6a86a9d
I think it’s plenty of money for a bike. Try looking on flea markets etc, local sellers on fb marketplace, kleineinzeigen? I know mine isn’t very custom, but it gets the job done and is almost all original (everything on it is black Deore LX), I got this one for like 40 euros (180 PLN), got the tires “used”, someone didn’t want them on their new bike so they sold two for the price of one. Handlebars are from my youth bike. So I think this one is bellow 100 euros