next »

[ericthered]

I'm currently putting together a budget for stuff I'll be needing to buy in China. One being a bicycle. I need one. Anyone have an idea of the average price of a good mountain bike? You know, pne that does not fall apart in the rain, can actually take a bit of punishment, that kind of stuff.

[James the Brit]

It's best to not buy an expensive and shiny bike in China. You will probably get it stolen. That's what I was told...

[cheekygal]

You can buy a really good one within 1000 RMB. My husband bought one for around 500 - he bargained for it and added gears and stuff that-i-dont-know-names-for 

[ericthered]

I had two bikes stolen in Nanchang over a period of 4 months. The uni has told me that there is a room for teacher's bicycles. It's locked. It's not one for riding around the street for shopping and such. It's for exercise, up and down the hills in Lin'an.

Adding things...sounds technical...

[Raoul F. Duke]

It's best to not buy an expensive and shiny bike in China. You will probably get it stolen. That's what I was told...

While I've often been told the opposite. Shiny, fancy, loud-colored bikes are conspicuous, and therefore less desirable theft targets. It's the older, dusty, Zhou Baijiu-grade bikes that see most of the theft traffic.

Suzhou is, of course, the bicycle-theft capitol of the world. I actually advocate confiscation of all privately-owned bikes, and collectivizing them into a community bike pool: You grab one nearby, ride it where you want to go, abandon it, then when ready grab another one and ride it to the next destination, and so on. Stealing State bikes would be punishable by forcible sodomy and execution on the nearest soccer field.

The Chairman would be so proud.

Oh, and Erc, you don't want a mountain bike. You're all oojah cum spiffy.

[ericthered]

The honourable Duke has been so long in China he's gone positively native. Though I wholly agree with the punishment for stealing bikes, albeit I would advocate implementing an Edward II style of execution.

Yes, I am oojah cum spiffy but that is a condition that needs to be maintained.

[Martin]

Depends on your height, Eric 
If you fall into the average maximum height of Chinese men (1.70-1.80m), you can buy a sturdy enough bike at one of the many Giant stores for about 1700RMB.
With my 1.93m the biggest bike at the Giant stores was still too small for me and I bought a bright and shiny, yellow and black, stand-out-in-the-crowd mountainbike with a list of alterations in a small store in Suzhou. It totalled out on 3300RMB and it has already taken some serious off-road abuse and long day trips.
Only the luggage rack has broken of when I jumped off a bridge at break neck speed, but all the rest is still fully functional.
Another good option is Bohdi bikes in Shanghai. On their internet site they advertise with titanium frames and western prices, but they also do aluminium frames with Shimano components at -I think- somewhere between 1500 and 2000.
I don't know where you live, but Bohdi also regularly organises mountainbike trips in and around Shanghai.

[Raoul F. Duke]

But Bodhi keeps spamming me; no idea why. Spamming is never a good idea....certainly not with me.

Yes, I am oojah cum spiffy but that is a condition that needs to be maintained.

As far as I'm concerned this is a matter for you, your partner, and your doctor. I don't want to know.

[cheekygal]

Martin, you overpaid!  for 3300 you can buy a good motorbike.

[ericthered]

Martin, that sounds promising. I am a whopping 177, so I should have no problems.

[Con ate dog]

I bought a decent mountain bike, 18 gears and a backtrap, for 450 kwai at Auchan.  Ran great until it was stolen.  Heck, the saddlebags (which, thank Mao, weren't on it at the time) cost 800 kwai. 

[Martin]

Martin, you overpaid!  for 3300 you can buy a good motorbike.

A good motorbike would put me on the same laziness level as all those e-bike-loving
Chinese out there. And I'm all for the exercise.
I'm still riding it happily every day to work btw and waiting for the weather to improve so that I can make day trips again. To me, my bike is worth every jiao. 

Oh and it -obviously- never has been stolen! Maybe because I bought the most expensive lock I could find at the local Giant store. (Or maybe becuase my seat is so freakishly tall for the Chinese that they wouldn't know what to do with it if they stole it )

[Con ate dog]

You can buy a decent mountain bike, full 18 gears, for 450 kwai.  Or you can buy the Giant brand for thousands; nicer ride, until it gets stolen. 

[Calach Pfeffer]

Is there actually ever anywhere a place to which you can ride a bike and then find it necessary to leave that bike outside?

I will leave a bike outside briefly on occasion, such as a quick trip to Walmart, but for that purpose I deploy the trusty veteran lock that has held bikes o mine in place, lo, ten years and more.  It's a padlocked woven steel cable, and a hacksaw or bolt cutters will go through it, so it's not for overnight or a dark alley.  Thus, for any other regular destination the bike comes with me.  I'm a foreigner: am I attracting less attention walking up stairs to class without a bike on my shoulder?


And, "mountain bike"?  For a good commuter that'll tolerate rougher roads and is shaped like a mountain bike, 500's good.  Parts'll start falling off it pretty quick, but most of it'll stay together.  For actual mountain biking, 1-2k Giant is more like it, if what they have in the showroom suits you.

I think I may be a bike snob.

[MissMotz]

2 questions
a is truly safe to ride a bike in China???
b Why mountain bike Eric?