Anons argue in comments
this post was submitted on 23 Feb 2025
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If replacing the bike is a concern (I'm assuming due to theft etc), then buy used. Not only do they cost less, they also look cheaper. It does require you to put in some work if you want to be cheap. But that's the same with a car, it won't magically change its brakes either.
Auctions by municipalities, police and the like are a good tip if you have time and the skills to determine what is a hopeless trash pile and what is slightly rusted but good quality.
Online listings, but it requires patience.
Bike groups/coops/repair shops, if you have decent ones.
Buying used makes a lot of sense, especially for commuting. The design of the bicycle was basically perfected in the late 1800s, anybody trying to tell you different is a fart boofing Tesla fanboy with an engineering degree and zero cycling experience.
(Admittedly, I ride a carbon frame road bike with electronic shifting, not because I'm a shit sniffing engineer with a hard-on for Musk, but because I'm a middle-aged man with lycra for brains).
I currently ride a 15-or-so-years old KTM trekking style bike with an assortment of random parts Frankenstein-ed to it. Apparently that and never cleaning it makes it ugly enough to not be stolen in a medium city.
Also, I technically do have an engineering degree, which is why the lights and wiring are, ahem, functional. Most of the time.
Keeping thieves away by never cleaning the bike reminds me of the old bicycle touring strategy of hanging sweaty and unwashed clothes to dry from your handlebars when parked. Bonus theft deterrent!
To be clear, having an engineering degree is cool – it's the very specific (but all too common) type of engineer that wants jerk off into his own mouth when he sees a Cybertruck and organically follows Elon Musk on Twitter, that is lame and has a lot of bad ideas, sometimes about "innovation" of bicycles.