Im in college and next semester I want to take a bike with me to make commuting around my college town easier especially when car parking is at a premium.
Ive been using my Dads old Magna Glacier point that is older than me by at least 10 years. I fear its on its last legs both the shifters and breaks are kaputt.
I Like the bike it does what I want it to do a mix of trail and city riding, Might not always be the most comfortable but I have no complaints (except the shifters they suck).
The issue is that we don't have covered bike parking on campus and nice bikes commonly go missing so I want something that I can disassemble enough to fit in my dorm room (take wheels off and fit under my desk).
Right now I am looking at
A specialized Rockhopper for $320 off Facebook marketplace
Or trying to "modernize" my current bike with new breaks, gear shifter, replacing the fixed axle with through axles, Maybe replacing the handle bars and fork. Without a doubt in my mind it would cost more than the bike is worth but it has a good frame and while it is a cheap bike from 30 years ago I like it.
Do y'all have any thoughts and suggestions? I would like to keep this sub $400usd but im willing to pay for something that will last.
by Toomuchviolins
4 Comments
Go with the used rockhopper. It’s a decent first bike. My wife has one. She loves it.
Bikes have come a long ways in the past 30 years. A used Rockhopper is a great first bike
I will say I went to go refurbish my old bike in college with new brakes and tires and the like only to discover cracks in several spots on the frame. Id say give the bike a good look over before investing in parts for the old bike.
Id put 100 bucks into an older bike you arent as worried about and then upgrade to something when you feel like you need to or the old one breaks/gets stolen.
A used rock hopper would be a decent bike for commuting and not too expensive though.
Yeah a couple things. Bike commuting is super cool. Theres a lot of ways to go about it. There is also a ton more that goes into it than you probably know.
There are bike resources on just about every campus. Bike clubs you can join. There will likely be a local bike non-profit that will have cheap parts and help you with repairs and maintenance.
> nice bikes commonly go missing
I guarantee this problem is 100x worse than you think.
> Or trying to “modernize” my current bike
This is also more complex than you think. The brakes and shifters ar probably fine, just need to be cleaned and tuned. Nothing wrong with fixed axel either except for your teardown requirement. Pretty sure that will require all new wheels.
> A specialized Rockhopper for $320 off Facebook marketplace
Just assume any used bike is going to require the same maintenance as your current bike.
That ozark trail is a decent MTB to be honest. Its not going to be great for commuting though and will probably get stolen. Thieves just see “A mountain bike” and will cut any lock that isnt high end in a second or two.
So what I would recommend: An electric scooter. Its small. Cheap Doesnt need to be taken apart. Gets you places without you getting all sweaty. This would have been my choice if they existed when I went to college.
If yorue set on a bike, I would evaluate whether or not you actually want to go do real MTB trails with it. There will be an MTB club at your school and its a great way to make friends. So if you want to do that, I might consider getting a dedicated trail bike that you dont lock up outside. Youll have to judge based on your area. But around here, I just assume anybike left out for an hour will be stolen unless it has a $150 lock on it. Then its 2 hours.
A great option for a pure commuter is a vintage road bike. You can a nicer 1980s steel frame for $100 on Facebook all day long. Get some cheap new tires, maybe convert it to flat bars instead of droppers (bike co-op can help), and now you have a <$200 nice efficient bike to get you around that is nothing special to look at thievery wise.