And Hadley- sorry I forgot- Welcome to BITOG!
Mori, just to further complicate things- I'm really concerned about paying out $350 or more for a new bike, or even $200 or more for a good used mtn bike, just to discover that "this ain't gonna work out".
So- in the"why doesn't this guy make up his mind" category- now I may not even get a mtn bike, but possibly an oldie with 3-speed rear hub.
Here's what happened. Today at a local junk/2nd hand shop I saw: a nice old metallic blue Sears, Roebuck & Company(that dates it, huh?) "Free Spirit" model mens bike, skinny street tires(700?) on chrome rims, hand brakes, Shimano 3-speed rear hub, upright handlebars & nice wide padded springer seat, overall very good shape with only some rust spots on the full painted fenders & chrome handlebars. Has new Schrader-valve tubes, but old weathercracked tires- I could ride those till they failed. Standover height was just fine for me. Probably at least 30 years old, maybe 40 for all I know. The 3-sp hubs in general are supposed to be very durable & simple to use, & the Shimanos supposedly even more durable & reliable than the old English makes. The valve stems look like the tubes need to be rotated a bit, but I could handle that- heck, I kept a 1966 Volvo on the road for over 20 years, & it was amost 10 yrs old when I got it! They're asking $57.50 for it, it's by far their best-looking bike of over a dozen, & she's already said they'll take $50 for it. Wonder if I could talk 'em down to $40? I'd lose the ability to ride all those old dirt roads, but I'd be technically trespassing there anyway, & have lots of small-town low-traffic streets to ride here. And when I replace the tires maybe go with something a little wider & knobbier, & maybe replace the rear sprocket with one that has a few more teeth? I dunno, but it needs so little, & is so cheap compared to a new bike- even with 10% off a new Forge 5xx would still set me back almost $350 w/shipping & tax.
Of course, at my current weight of almost 260, I may get to replace those tires *real* soon!
It's a nice old bike though- and when was the last time you heard the words "Sears, Roebuck & Company" used all together? I've almost talked myself into it- especially if I can get 'em down a few more bux. If it works out well, may graduate to a mtn bike, mebbe next Christmas? Dunno- but that old blue bike sure is tempting me.
*Edit* those ancient tires aren't 700- say 26 x 1 3/8 on the sidewall- from a little research, they're probably(but not certainly) the variation of 26" bike tire that has a 590mm bead dia. And they're gonna need replacing PDQ.
**And BTW- Are You Being Served is one of my favorite Britcoms- my all time favorite is 'Allo 'Allo.