Advice on buying a push bike (I'm serious)

**SMOKEU** · 23rd April 2009, 18:54

Don't laugh. I want a push bike for 2 reasons:

1. So I can ride around drunk without risking my licence or fucking myself up.
2. I'm not stupid enough to leave my CBR or GTI-R in the carpark outside work all day because they will get stolen.

I have about $500 to spend and I want a road bike so should I buy a new or second hand one? And what brands should I look into?

**Monorail** · 23rd April 2009, 20:02

pretty sure you can get a dic on a pushbike

**want-a-harley** · 23rd April 2009, 20:20

1, you can do some damage falling off a push bike drunk, done it
2, bike can get nicked easier than a bike (less demand maybe)

$500, go second hand you wan't get much new for that, dunno much about road bikes, i've got a giant yukon and put slicks on cos i am a heavy fuck and want to be able to jump curbs etc, should be able to get that 2nd hand and maybe some change (from 500)

**MisterD** · 23rd April 2009, 20:57

Your in ChCh so go see BikeHQ or Grind if fashion biking is your thing...

**jrandom** · 23rd April 2009, 20:59

*facepalm*

Saw the thread title, knew the contents would be "I have sweet fuck all money and I want a bicycle".

OK, I won't give you a negative response. I'll solve your problem rather than answering the actual question.

Truth is, for $500, you can't afford gears.

Build up a singlespeed up on an old steel or aluminium road frame. If you don't know how, visit a good bike shop (is Scotty Brown's still in business?) and ask for help with finding parts and putting it together.

A singlespeed will serve your purpose better, be fun to ride, and be about ten times more reliable than any road bike you could buy for under two grand.

You probably still won't manage it for $500, but, y'know. Anything you'd be able to go out and buy for $500 wouldn't actually get ridden anyhow.

**Rockbuddy** · 23rd April 2009, 21:02

your in luck, today only check this link out
http://www.offtheback.co.nz/

**MisterD** · 23rd April 2009, 21:06

Originally Posted by jrandom

A singlespeed will serve your purpose better, be fun to ride, and be about ten times more reliable than any road bike you could buy for under two grand.

...and for this Grind bikes are your experts.

**jrandom** · 23rd April 2009, 21:10

Originally Posted by MisterD

...and for this Grind bikes are your experts.

http://www.grindbikes.co.nz/

So they are.

Sweet.

**McWild** · 23rd April 2009, 21:49

Haha all the best with the riding around drunk man, but you can still mess yourself up pretty hard...
A guy at school last year was on crutches for half the damn year after he shattered his hip and kissed the concrete one night. Add to that he got back on the bike afterward.
Still, mildly safer than walking.

You should be able to pick up a cheap bike for road use for less than a grand.

**peasea** · 23rd April 2009, 21:51

Originally Posted by Monorail

pretty sure you can get a dic on a pushbike

Sure can, came close myself. hanging onto a ute doing 70k down a Wellington street, pissed-as, lucky I got a warning but you CAN get done for it. Public menace or something. (I excell at that....)

Seperate incident, pissed-as, went to shift gear, foot came off pedal, right into front wheel, arsed over, stitches in foot (still suffer from it) grazes everywhere. You can really fuck yourself up on a pushbike.....

**Patch** · 24th April 2009, 11:02

Originally Posted by jrandom

Truth is, for $500, you can't afford gears.

You probably still won't manage it for $500, but, y'know. Anything you'd be able to go out and buy for $500 wouldn't actually get ridden anyhow.

WTF? You ride up two hills and become an expert

Keep an eye out for an old Morrison 10spd no carbon fibre to crack, has wheels capable of carrying a fat bastard or two and reasonably maintenance free - crash well too.

Spend the other $400 on a helmet an beer

**vtec** · 1st May 2009, 12:21

J, I bought my courier bike the Apollo Allegro for $500 reduced from a grand brand new. The frame snapped in 3 months though, covered under warrantee and I can feel the second frame was starting to get some serious flex going too. I'm pretty rough though. Here's one in Aussie: http://www.cyclelink.com.au/prod5134.htm

I'm a big fan of steel frames. Only broken one to date and managed to get it welded. Just cycled to from San Fran to LA with heaps of weight on one, ride report and vids to be found here.
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=98306

And if you can find an old steel frame (with horizontal dropouts) on someones inorganic and make it into a single speed with a freewheel hub and put some fresh components on it you'll have a fucking awesome reliable ride and if you've got contacts you should be able to do it quite cheap. As JRandom mentioned.

I cycled heaps drunk in Melbourne last year. Once absolutely smashed, did about 8 k's home from town, not going into detail but I did crash, was really lucky nobody ran me over.

**Rosie** · 1st May 2009, 13:07

Originally Posted by peasea

...Seperate incident, pissed-as, went to shift gear, foot came off pedal, right into front wheel, arsed over, stitches in foot (still suffer from it) grazes everywhere. You can really fuck yourself up on a pushbike.....

Another good reason to get a single speed

**P38** · 1st May 2009, 22:33

Originally Posted by Monorail

pretty sure you can get a dic on a pushbike

Yep

My Ex got done for DIC on a pushbike.

She got lippy with the judge too ...... cost her some extra community work...

**jrandom** · 2nd May 2009, 08:48

Originally Posted by vtec

J, I bought my courier bike the Apollo Allegro for $500 reduced from a grand brand new. The frame snapped in 3 months though...

Yes. Well. There y'go.

Decent selection of cheap bikes here: http://www.bikesdirect.com/, dunno about the shipping angle though.

Originally Posted by vtec

... if you can find an old steel frame (with horizontal dropouts) on someones inorganic and make it into a single speed with a freewheel hub and put some fresh components on it you'll have a fucking awesome reliable ride and if you've got contacts you should be able to do it quite cheap.

And it'd be mean as au!

Originally Posted by Patch

WTF? You ride up two hills and become an expert

Which two would that be?