Hi, I’m looking to buy a used bike. No specific budget but the cheaper the better. I plan to use it mostly along paved greenways or sidewalks to commute to work, but may try my hand at light mountain biking at some point. On FB marketplace, I’ve found a Fuji Discovery-2 for $120, and a Specialized Hard rock for $80. Would either of these work for my pretty basic uses?
by dooley299
4 Comments
These are both bad tbh
If you live in a metropolitan area you may have a local bike collective that can sort you a great bike on a budget, alternatively Facebook marketplace is pretty solid…
some guy on youtube would say if the specialized hard rock is comfortable for you to ride it is probably good enough for who its for.
only deal breaker would be if the derailleur sucks and you dont want to fiddle with it.
its a 21? speed you can probably go plenty fast.
rear shock soaks up a ton of effort id go for the hard tail.
front shocks you could probably take apart and re-grease then they wont be so bad.
wd 40 that chain and buy some new brake pads a saddle some pedals and grips you like.
looks like it already has a spare inner tube.
the fuji is probably the better deal but the specialized would be better to ride to work
Neither are great choices for road/path riding, but your area can dictate availability. I don’t like either.
They look like different sizes and it’s likely only one fits you.
I like Hardrocks, but that Fuji is a significantly better bike. Like, way, way better. Dropper post. Disc brakes. But…. it has rear suspension, and not good rear suspension. I think you’d be better off with no suspension whatsoever and would prefer a Hardrock or Rockhopper without a suspension fork. The Spec almost certainly needs new tires immediately and the Fuji might not, and that makes the Spec cost more for a shittier bike. Like, I’m not expecting you to go out and buy good tires for a $120 bike, but, uhhh, good tires are like $120+ for a pair. I’ve got $80 of tires on my $120 bike.
Anyways, I don’t think both of those bikes fit you. I can only really size traditional road frame geometry by eye, MTBs aren’t something I can eyeball. You need to figure the size thing first. Maybe even start asking for tape measure photos from the center of the crank arm to the saddle.