I recently moved to new area that's hilly & I want to get a used bike that is decent to have some fun hill rides.
My planned usage: light overall
- 2-4 mile trips around town to run errands. (I'm not concerned about theft. There's rarely crime where I live & I've never seen anybody lock a bike here.)
- Hilly bike rides on rural roads 2-3x a month. I hate biking long distances (I'd rather keep it short & go faster), so 10-20 mile trips.
I can do basic/minor maintenance such as adjust brakes, change a tire/tube, adjust the derailleur. I have a cheap $150 single speed that's a beater bike I ride in the rain & snow. So this next bike won't have to deal with those conditions.
I want to buy used in order to get the best deal, but I can't find many good deals on craigslist. Madison Wi is the nearest city & I think all the college students snagged up the deals in prep for school starting. Though, I admit, there probably are some deals out there I'm not aware of.
Is this bike decent? I've always liked the looks of the 70s, 80s bikes, but I worry they may be heavy compared to modern bikes, & require more maintenance. I'm looking to spend around $300-$700
https://madison.craigslist.org/bik/5180911104.html
Would something like this be a better value for the money?
http://madison.craigslist.org/bik/5187748650.html
Don't laugh, but are women's bikes a definite no no? The best deals I've found are on women's road bikes. I need a 54 cm bike, which I don't see a lot of on craigslist. I see more women's bikes that are 54 cm.
Are hybrid bikes lacking compared to road bikes? I borrowed my mother in laws hybrid bike for a group ride once, & I was surprised how comfortable it was, & how easily it kept up with the group (many who had carbon components). The upright posture was 5x more comfortable for me.