26" bike under 250 CAD?

[kelvinhall05]

I'm looking for a nice 26" bike under a very strict 250 CAD budget. I'd like a mountain bike, but a road bike is a good second choice. I don't have a preference for how it looks, but I'd prefer something that looks more subtle and stealthy. I won't be biking long-distance but I enjoy going decently fast. I also very rarely go on trails and I stay mostly on sidewalks. Suggestions? I live in London, Ontario, if a local store would be my best bet. Thanks!

[dizmo]

No love for 27.5"? They're a lot nicer IMO...though to be fair you won't find those in that price range.

If you're on sidewalks mostly, make sure you change out the tires to something less aggressive.

That budget is awful low, though.

[kelvinhall05]

1 hour ago, dizmo said:

No love for 27.5"? They're a lot nicer IMO...though to be fair you won't find those in that price range.

If you're on sidewalks mostly, make sure you change out the tires to something less aggressive.

That budget is awful low, though.

Yeah, I know the budget is low, but it's all my parents gave me to work with. The reason for 26" wheels is because I'm really short; only 160cm.

[dizmo]

5 minutes ago, kelvinhall05 said:

Yeah, I know the budget is low, but it's all my parents gave me to work with. The reason for 26" wheels is because I'm really short; only 160cm.

You're likely mistaking 26" to be the size of the bike. It's not. It's only the size of the wheels.

Bikes come in many, many different sizes ranging from the standard XS/S/M/L/XL to 13" - 26", all of which will use 26" wheels.

You'd likely be looking at XS or S, and 13" to 15" for sizing.

 

After checking the big names (Walmart, CT, SportCheck, MEC; bike shops don't have units that low) the only real options for anything remotely decent are these two:

 

https://www.sportchek.ca/categories/shop-by-sport/cycling/bikes/mountain-bikes/product/diadora-novara-275-mens-mountain-bike-2018-black-332456007.html#332456007=99

 

https://www.sportchek.ca/categories/shop-by-sport/cycling/bikes/mountain-bikes/product/nakamura-effect-275-mens-mountain-bike-2017-green-332210830.html#332210830=99

 

You'd get a ton more bike if you could afford a couple hundred more.

 

I'd strongly suggest checking out local pawn shops. It's the off season for bikes, and they'll likely want to clear them out ASAP.

[kelvinhall05]

42 minutes ago, dizmo said:

You're likely mistaking 26" to be the size of the bike. It's not. It's only the size of the wheels.

Bikes come in many, many different sizes ranging from the standard XS/S/M/L/XL to 13" - 26", all of which will use 26" wheels.

You'd likely be looking at XS or S, and 13" to 15" for sizing.

 

After checking the big names (Walmart, CT, SportCheck, MEC; bike shops don't have units that low) the only real options for anything remotely decent are these two:

 

https://www.sportchek.ca/categories/shop-by-sport/cycling/bikes/mountain-bikes/product/diadora-novara-275-mens-mountain-bike-2018-black-332456007.html#332456007=99

 

https://www.sportchek.ca/categories/shop-by-sport/cycling/bikes/mountain-bikes/product/nakamura-effect-275-mens-mountain-bike-2017-green-332210830.html#332210830=99

 

You'd get a ton more bike if you could afford a couple hundred more.

 

I'd strongly suggest checking out local pawn shops. It's the off season for bikes, and they'll likely want to clear them out ASAP.

Yeah, I know 26" is the wheel diameter, but I guess I thought that it also meant a standard-sized frame.

 

I found this on Amazon.com, so I'd have to pay import fees and whatnot, but would it be worth it?

https://www.amazon.com/Mongoose-Status-bicycle-medium-R5500B/dp/B01MYGPIEQ/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=YYMRZ850NG69N06Y96ZY

 

And I know that I'd get a ton more bike for just a bit more, but the reason for the low budget is that bike theft is a huge problem where I live, so a nice bike is just asking to get stolen. I'll check local pawn shops, but my mom doesn't want used, either...*sigh*

[dizmo]

1 minute ago, kelvinhall05 said:

Yeah, I know 26" is the wheel diameter, but I guess I thought that it also meant a standard-sized frame.

 

I found this on Amazon.com, so I'd have to pay import fees and whatnot, but would it be worth it?

https://www.amazon.com/Mongoose-Status-bicycle-medium-R5500B/dp/B01MYGPIEQ/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=YYMRZ850NG69N06Y96ZY

 

And I know that I'd get a ton more bike for just a bit more, but the reason for the low budget is that bike theft is a huge problem where I live, so a nice bike is just asking to get stolen. I'll check local pawn shops, but my mom doesn't want used, either...*sigh*

No. Without knowing an actual size that bike could be way too big for you, or even too small. You really have to sit down on one to buy it properly unless you know what sizing you like for every dimension, and the dimensions of said bike are readily available; unlikely with bikes like these. There's a 15%ish duty on imported bikes. If they ship UPS, you'll also be charged brokerage and additional fees on top of the shipping (which could be expensive) and tax. That $220 bike will quickly cost in excess of $400.

 

Don't get a dual suspension bike if you're going cheap. It just gives you a horrible, unproperly sprung ride, weighs significantly more, and will break.