Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

Hi all,
I’d like to buy a secondhand bike, but I’m having trouble knowing what to search for. I know roughly what I want, and was hoping to get some suggestions for terms/brands/models to add to my searches.
My wants are;
- under $150 (the cheaper the better)
- rigid fork
- tyres suited to gravel paths
- enough gears to handle hills
- not too heavy
- good quality (so for the price, looking at older bikes)
In the past I’ve had a Shogun Metro SE and I regret selling it. I’ve been searching for these, but keen to hear of any other similar brands/models I can add to my search. I’m mainly using Facebook marketplace.
Thanks for any advice.

Flat bar or drop bar? I would honestly search for bikes and put a limit of $150 and then start scrolling, cheap bike listings often have almost no description so can be hard to search for.

As for brands, I would avoid any of the off brand bikes e.g Trinx. Probably most of the older bike from mainstream brands will be ok.

Flat bar. It’s just for cruising and exercise, but I’d rather buy a quality bike that’s going to last me. Thank you for the suggestion.

It is hard to search by specific terms. As above, just set a few limits (location and maybe $200) and scroll. If you see something of interest, spend a minute or 3 to google the model/brand. You should be able to find something.

I saw a trek commuter style bike recently for under $100. Flat bar, rigid fork. You'd have a few coins left to get new tyres too.

A tip, in the usual marketplaces, identify the bikes that appeal the best and then look at their titles and descriptions for hints for the search terms.