I know there have been some posters here looking for cheap road/racing bikes so I thought I'd just bring to everyones attention a cheapo deal at KMart - 140$ for a 26" racer bike , 21 speed this is reduced from 199$

I debated fora long time when buying a tri-bike and ended up with 2nd hand felt from ebay , and saw a lot of those ebay bikes like mamba / etc no-name from china going for 250-350$ - these are probably similar quality and at 139$ on sale are practically disposable.

Not worth debating the fact they are not great - the bike trade on ebay is ridiculous , 2nd hand old bikes are going for 200 bucks+ and anything with any decent gear or brand is going at silly money.

I bought my "Ricardo Tempo" 12 speed road/racer for $40:00 at a garage sale a couple of years ago and am very happy with it. It has carried me on a couple of Sydney-to-the-Gong rides, with the last one this year in under 4:30, including extended stops at Waterfall & Stanwell Tops, as well a countless other rides without fail, is easy to ride and seems to be unbreakable, even after a collision with a car in which only the wheels were slightly bent & some skin grazed of my a**e. More expensive bikes may get you there faster & be easier to ride but I am more interested in just enjoying the trip.

As someone who works on bikes, PLEASE DONT BUY A BIKE FROM KMART IF YOU INTEND TO RIDE IT. They are hard to service and get parts for. As an example, if you buy a 26" racer you will have problems getting tyres as the standard size in 700c. Also, toy shop bikes are generally not put together properly and can be dangerous.

I'm with AJay. I bought one of those cheapy KMart bikes around this time last year. Even as a very green novice, I could tell it wasn't much chop. I ended up selling it after two weeks and putting the money towards a Trek hybrid, which is still going strong a year later.

For around $400, I got the bike itself (put together by the nice bike shop man), a trip computer, water bottle carrier, front and rear lights and something else that I can't quite remember. A bell, perhaps.

Dont buy a Kmart bike.

As a general rule you get what you pay for. The tyres on my road bike cost more as a pair than the supermarket bike. Why? Because at 75kph on a descent I want the best possible chance of staying alive and upright.

In buying a bike that is that price you are supporting cheap labour and goods that are 'disposable' - that is wrong on so many levels.

Willing to be shot down if I come across as elitist or harsh but I am passionate about quality bikes.

For the shorter answer see Colsys post.

I will come into bat for you here.....

firstly k-mart bikes are crap in every way - simple - but if you are willing to risk everything to save a few hundred then go right ahead.

I do not have sacks of cash to unload on bikes - but I save and find good deals and get by with what I need a bike for - e.g. there is no need to buy the lastest carbon cadel evans issue team bike with zipps to ride down to get the milk - and really you have too much money if you do

The only thing kmart bikes are good for is running to the milk bar in thongs and keeping it locked up in a communal place where it might get damaged.

for an entry level bike you are mad if you enter a competitive event with a kmart bike or take on a road with a decent or large hill - regardless - you can get some much more for a couple of hundred more - and I mean a couple of hundred - so just save that extra bit or jump on ebay
and snag the odd bargain

I have seen semi carbon bikes (that is carbon forks and seat post) go for around $600 and even less brand new - rare now with the price rises but still can be had

so for the $200 k-mart your getting crap when for a few hundred more for a bike you get somethig you can actually use and will last all types of use - in fact I have recently seen cell do those old gear style bikes for about $450 - and they rode these things from Sydney to Brisbane - that would be a good entry point - if your really short on cash then find one 2nd hand

and really - if you can fork out $60 to enter these events I am sure a few hundred on a bike will not kill the budget

but I think the OP wa really trying to suggest cheap entry points into a sometimes expensive sport so if anybody knows any other bargains let us know!!!!!

cheap mountain bikes and hybrids really aren't that hard to find (you can get solid brands like Giant and Trek for around $400). And if you're thinking of a road-bike, then 2nd-hand is always a really good option before you decide whether you want to take things seriously or not - and then also perhaps decide over a road .v. tri-specific bike.

k-mart bikes are ridiculously difficult to service, are generally pretty crappy all-round with the componentry, you can't easily replace parts, they are HEAVY, the fixing bolts will rust, the frame-parts may or may not be built correctly - they are essentially throw-away bikes. Up until a child turns 5 or so, they don't adequately serve their purpose as kids' bikes either. A good brand BMX or compact mtb will last much longer for a child, and can grow with them.

all good comments, I wasnt suggesting these were any good just letting people know they were available.

I was surprised/stunned when I was looking at getting a bike on ebay at the resale value some of them were going for -there are bikes of this k-mart quality (atomik/mamba) on ebay at 350-400$ so this k-mart ones were cheap compared to those of course.

Fair call, however there are always bargains on ebay in terms of quality second hand road bikes in the $500-$800 range.

Things like Giant OCRs or TCRs come up all the time and can be only a few hundred dollars for a bike that should last years and is servicable and easy to upgrade. Having said that the real sweet spot for second hand bikes is around the $1500-$2000 mark where full carbon bikes with Ultegra or even a Dura Ace/Ultegra mix can be found.

Things to look out for are bent derailleur hangers, rear derailleurs with deep gouge marks on the outside, levers with more than light cosmetic scratching to the outside, dings on the top tube approx 10cm along on either the left or the right side - these are all tell tale signs of a big stack.

I have been buying and selling on ebay for years and when it comes to complete bikes I would say the ideal scenario is a seller who is in the same city as you who is happy to you to sight the bike prior to bidding OR is willing to provide photos of any area of the bike upon request (this also flushes out fake sellers who may poach a bunch of photos of a nice bike and the use them 6 months down the track to list and item that do not own).

Hope this helps.

BigW bikes are so much better. LOL

I got myself a tri bike from ebay from an ex ironman, its has everything one needs for tri's and came with a heap of spares including race wheels worth a bomb all for just over 2K. i know its alot more than the $400 bikes you can buy from kmart but i find it a total joy to ride.

Consider this......

If you buy a cheap bike and can ride at 25 km/hr you be expending more energy than riding a good bike at 25 km/hr. So if your riding the bike for fitness then buy a cheapish bike that wont break down. If you want to ride for speed and racing then pay the extra money and get something that is fast light and fits you well. No amount of money will prevent flat tyres so make sure you have spares and tools to change the trye and pump it up.

I agree, my bike is an old clunker. I bought it second hand 5 years ago and I have not spent a cent on it since. Its a Raleigh, the frame by Avanti. I could definitely travel more 'efficiently' on a newer model but I always tell myself I am better off, from a fitness perspective, struggling along on the old clunker.

my thinking about bikes starts at completely different point :

where I am going to ride it ???

strictly no roads,

so am left with bike paths, beach and forest trails and park trails.

the quality of local bike paths is so pathetic, that the maximum safest speed is bellow 25km/h but usualy only around 15 km/h

to go that slow and to get some workout I need a bike which is heavist and with fattest and softest tyres, this will also work on sandy beaches and grass trails.

so what I will do with 2k racing bike ? showing it to nice girls hoping to get laid ?

that for me is an important key.
if you can afford one, and you can really use one...why not?
I also like Colsy's logic...makes sense.
Cheers
Frank

For some it might be the only thing that will get you laid......

Ratty on the other hand doesn't need a $2000 bike to do that for him. If he wanted to, Ratty can do it all by his natural charm and prowess.....

Frank
PS Im not sure if nice girls do....

Rudi, I suspect the bike wouldn't help.

Walker1st, Ratdog raced a triathlon.

You on the other hand would of no need for said bike. A heavy duty, well constructed mountain bike would suit your proposes.

Ratdog's point was that bargains are available on ebay.

He paid probaly 30%-40% max. of the price the previous owner paid.

Just make sure you do your reseach and ask the buyer questions. Need / want to know when bike was manufactured? Bikes, at least bike shop bikes have year made and serial numbers. The date made and serial number details are on bottom bracket. Bike needs to turned upside down to read info.

BTW I have seen the famous "Kent",etc brand Kmart bikes go for more than their RRP or on special price om Ebay.

If people do buy from Kmart or Target pay the extra to get it fully assembled. That way there is some accountabilty of the product by the store.

I assure you that the bike has nothing to do with my current lack of sex and im sure it has actually worked in the opposite with the wife. Although i do keep it in the bedroom to remind her who i love the most.

yes a bike that is well made and sturdy will be the way to go.

Well I took up riding a few months back as a way of xtraining. Because I didn't know whether I was going to like it or continue with it, I bought one of these. I was lucky to get it on ebay, brand new for $299. After riding it for a few months now, I am rapt with it and would happily pay full price for it.

A few years ago I actually bought a K-Mart hybrid/mountain bike. $80. I have since upgraded and would not recommend a K-mart bike. I am not sure that I would give it away for fear that the recipient would hurt themselves.

Scariest bit: Under not that heavy breaking the brake calipers bent. I replaced them after that.
Tyres not sure what the spec of the rubber was, but the back tire wore through within a few hundred kays.
Pedals were not a standard screw, and therefore couldn't be replaced or upgraded.
Gear change was never smooth or crisp, bike was really heavy.

That looks pretty good Didge.

i have a k-mart MTB that i have owned since 1997.
i use it for local trips, mostly towing a bike trailer. school/shops/post office etc.
i have hardly replaced any parts. it is a clunker that i generally don't bother locking but it has lasted 11 years while having the additional strain of a childseat on the back and a trailer attached.
so for those purposes it is fine.

for tris i have a bike formed from mostly 10-20 year old parts, but they are/were reasonable quality, (would be argued by some) and the thing probably goes as well as most other bikes in a race and has never been in the back half of the field.

even though i am on the lo-buck side of things, i wouldn't be going the kmart route for something i was going to race. i'd be going the second hand route. under $500- you can still find some pretty good second hand road bikes.

I love it Colsy. It only weighs about 12kg and it rides really smoothly. Like I said, I didn't want to spend too much only for it to be ridden a couple of times and then sit in the garage. But I've clocked up about 300k's on it now. I know it's not like the really fancy bikes, but for what I use it for, it's perfect. If you have a look at the bike's page again you'll see there's a link to a story about a couple of guys that did a 1000k ride on the same bikes.

So it is the bike and not the engine.

First up are you based in America?

Either way why would you let people know that a massive multinational is selling crap? Why not promote your LBS and let people know when it has a good deal going on?

Go to your local bike shop and there are plenty of cheap but decent bikes avialable, just ask them.

Buy crap it is dangerous, looks stupid most of the time and doesn't last.

Buy something decent it is safe and reliable, looks good and last ages.

I have a 11 year old Cannondale with Dura Ace. In the time i have owned and ridden it, it has cost be 0.05c/km over 11 years. Best buy ever compared to crappy bikes. Less servicing, less hassles, less broken bits, heaps more fun

Try coming down some hills out my way at 90+kph on K-mart bike.

Train safe

Mate - all good points. Frankly speaking - some people cant spend 500$ - 1000$ - 2000$ on bikes and still want to do triathlons, there are plenty of people at my last Tri riding huffy and store mountain bikes - compared to the ridiculous price for similar throw-away stuff on Ebay - these are cheap so I was letting people know thats all. Second hand bikes on ebay of any consequence or brand are 500$+ and plenty of chinese crap on there at 350-400$

I figure people know their LBS's and Im not suggesting Im some biking superstar bargain hunter, just passing it on.