Cheapo bike

Quoted message said:

Say you only had around £150 to spend, which bike would you choose?

A good second hand one will be the answer, although you will have to know
what to look for.

New 'proper' bikes (i.e. not made of cheese) start at about £200. At this
price point avoid anything with suspension like the plague. A new bike has
the advantage of nothing needing replacing as soon as you get it, and, in
any half decent bike shop, getting its first service free.

What type of bike would be best depends on what you want it for.

Will you be riding it purely on the road, or on bridlepaths etc too?
Will you carry luggage on it?
Are you riding it just for leisure or using it as transport too?

Mark Thompson said:

Quoted message said:

Say you only had around £150 to spend, which bike would you choose?

A good second hand one will be the answer, although you will have to know
what to look for.

I have good mechanical abilities, so knowing what to look for
shouldn't be a problem.

Quoted message said:

New 'proper' bikes (i.e. not made of cheese) start at about £200. At this
price point avoid anything with suspension like the plague. A new bike has
the advantage of nothing needing replacing as soon as you get it, and, in
any half decent bike shop, getting its first service free.

Just seen this http://tinyurl.com/65etx [censored] or OK?

Quoted message said:

What type of bike would be best depends on what you want it for.

Will you be riding it purely on the road, or on bridlepaths etc too?
Will you carry luggage on it?
Are you riding it just for leisure or using it as transport too?

Riding for leisure, mainly bridlepaths & road. I wouldn't be carrying
luggage.

Thanks.

"Steve L" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Say you only had around £150 to spend, which bike would you choose?

Well I guess that depends on what you want from your bike.

Cheapness in a bike is actually a good thing as you do not worry about
it being stolen, I bought my ("mountain"😉 bike 5-6 years ago (an "Apollo"😉
for
less than £100 and basically I have had no problems with it (the gear cable
might
need a slight adjustment now, as it has probably stretched a touch after
5 years of no maintance, but that would be the same if you payed £500 for
a bike).
I was actually quite flattered that someone tried to steal it a few months
back!! (They damaged the U-bolt lock mechanism so I could not
unlock it, however I managed to open it using a hammer to hammer in the
key and a pair of plyers to turn it, the key remains in the lock which is
now
useless).

You will get lot of bike for £150 these days including aluminium framed
ones, mine is steel and hence pretty heavy :O(
But as you will be riding the bike rather than carrying it it won't make
much difference.
Aluminum wheel are pretty much bog standard as I have them, as well
as center pull brakes which is a "must".
You will also get as much suspension as you want for £150 (I don't have
any, but I suspect damped suspension is rather energy sapping on the legs
so you get a soft bottom but tired legs!!)

This looks like a nice general purpose bike
http://www.halfords.com/opd_product_details.asp?id=105&type=0&cat=90

I think "mountain bike" are actually the best bikes for use in the city,
they are
very robust so you don't end up with buckled wheels etc..
Urban cycling is pretty much a jungle fighting anyway!

Bikes have came a long way "since I were a lad" rattle and maintaince free
(oiled my chain once), never had to adjust or change brakes (which do not
squeal either), never had a problem with buckled wheels etc.. never had
cotter pin problems (they don't have cotter pins these days anyway).
And I have only had one puncture (other than the one already present
when I bought it!!) this is due to the nice thick chunky tires!!

Of course you can pay a whole lot more for a bike but the extra money
gives you very little extra in functionality, you will still get from A to B
just
as fast. You will however get a lot of extra worry in that when you lock
your bike up will it still be there when you return?

I have never had to replace anything on the bike, and when it comes to the
time to do that, well I will probably just dump it and buy a new bike, they
really are dirty cheap these days!
I might even go for the one I listed, cos when I was a lad it would have
cost me £500!!!

Steve L said:

Say you only had around £150 to spend, which bike would you choose?

Secondhand Trek/Specialized

--

Burning_Ranger

To email: [email hidden]

"Mark Thompson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Say you only had around £150 to spend, which bike would you choose?

A good second hand one will be the answer, although you will have to know
what to look for.

Given the low prices of new bikes that is hardly a viable option.

Quoted message said:

New 'proper' bikes (i.e. not made of cheese) start at about £200. At this
price point avoid anything with suspension like the plague. A new bike

has

Quoted message said:

the advantage of nothing needing replacing as soon as you get it, and, in
any half decent bike shop, getting its first service free.

But you will not need a service, mine was a cheapo bike and it had not
needed
"servicing" in 5-6 years.

If you spend £200+ on bike and it needs a "service" within a year than you
have
purchased a lemon.

As I said I spent £100 on a new bike and I have adjusted *nothing* in 5-6
years. It is as good today as the day I bought it, squeak and rattle free,
I use it almost daily by the way.

My tip is avoid anything with mudguards on it!!! If you intend to
cycle in the rain you will get soaked anyway!! And mudguards mean
rattles!!

Quoted message said:

What type of bike would be best depends on what you want it for.

Will you be riding it purely on the road, or on bridlepaths etc too?
Will you carry luggage on it?
Are you riding it just for leisure or using it as transport too?

"Burning_Ranger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Steve L said:

Say you only had around £150 to spend, which bike would you choose?

Secondhand Trek/Specialized

At today prices secondhand is not viable, its like buying a secondhand
cheese sandwich. I mean I would never consider buying a second hand TV
set (or video recorder) they have no value these days as new ones are so
cheap
(hence a drop in house burglaries!!)

Quoted message said:

--

Burning_Ranger

To email: [email hidden]

Quoted message said:

Given the low prices of new bikes that is hardly a viable option.

Depends whether you class a £100 new bike good value or money down the drain
;-)

Example. I've had a cheap bike before. It was heavy but I loved it. Then I got
a decent bike costing somehat more dosh. That bought me a lighter bike, better
made components and a much smoother ride where my mileage doubled overbight
without extra effort on my part. I still have that bike sixteen years later and
it's still in excellent condition and working order.

But now I've got a couple of even better (& more expensive) bikes. Cue even
better, more enjoyable rides still.

If I had £100 to spend, I would not get a new cheap bike. I'd be looking around
for a better built, better spec'd one second-hand.

Cheers, helen s

--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam--
to get correct one remove fame & fortune
h*$el*$$e*nd**$o$ts**i*$*$m*m$o*n*s@$*a$o*l.c**$om$

--Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel is switched off--

"Steve L" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Say you only had around £150 to spend, which bike would you choose?

I'd save my money until I could afford to spend more. Unless perhaps I
could find a good deal on something secondhand.

Rich

Steve L said:

Say you only had around £150 to spend, which bike would you choose?

What do you want to do with it ? Get a secondhand bike that is is good
order, one with proper components that can be upgraded when their time
comes, Don't get a £70 special from a car accessory shop, the components
are rubbish and if you do anything other than tootling round town you
will be wondering why the fastest, fittest people have the nicest bikes.

in message <[email hidden]>, half_pint

(') said:

"Burning_Ranger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Steve L said:

Say you only had around £150 to spend, which bike would you choose?

Secondhand Trek/Specialized

At today prices secondhand is not viable, its like buying a secondhand
cheese sandwich. I mean I would never consider buying a second hand TV
set (or video recorder) they have no value these days as new ones are
so cheap
(hence a drop in house burglaries!!)

Don't be silly.

There are plenty of good second hand bikes to be had, at prices from a
tenner up to several thousand. Get one which has not been crashed or
bent, which has a frame either of recognised good tubing or of a known
good make, and which has good components. What counts as 'good' will
obviously vary with the age of the machine, but as general advice you
shouldn't buy second hand a bike which was cheap when new.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Hobbit ringleader gives Sauron One in the Eye.

in message <[email hidden]>, half_pint

(') said:

"Mark Thompson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Say you only had around £150 to spend, which bike would you choose?

A good second hand one will be the answer, although you will have to
know what to look for.

Given the low prices of new bikes that is hardly a viable option.

There are no cheap new bikes which are worth having. There are plenty of
second hand bikes which are really good. Anyone with less than £200 to
spend who buys a new bike is a fool, in my opinion.

Quoted message said:

If you spend £200+ on bike and it needs a "service" within a year
than you have
purchased a lemon.

Well, I haven't spent less than a thousand on a bike for years, and all
mine get a service every three months. They ain't lemons. If you do
5,000 miles on a bike without giving it a service you're going to end
up with expensive trouble.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; how did we conclude that a [censored] cartoon mouse is deserving
;; of 90+ years of protection, but a cure for cancer, only 14?
-- user 'Tackhead', in /. discussion of copyright law, 22/05/02

in message <[email hidden]>, Steve L

(') said:

Mark Thompson said:

Quoted message said:

Say you only had around £150 to spend, which bike would you choose?

A good second hand one will be the answer, although you will have to
know what to look for.

I have good mechanical abilities, so knowing what to look for
shouldn't be a problem.

Quoted message said:

New 'proper' bikes (i.e. not made of cheese) start at about £200. At
this
price point avoid anything with suspension like the plague. A new
bike has the advantage of nothing needing replacing as soon as you get
it, and, in any half decent bike shop, getting its first service free.

Just seen this http://tinyurl.com/65etx [censored] or OK?

Very definitely not bad for the price. There are some remarkably good
cheap Claud Butlers; another to look at is their Classic model which
comes with 700c wheels, mudguards and a rack.

The frames are unbutted aluminium, but reasonably well made and painted
and with brazeons for bottle cages, racks etc. The kit is very bottom
of the range Shimano - serviceable in the short term but not very
durable. However, it's all easy to upgrade as it wears out.

It's still worth looking at what's available second hand locally, as you
will probably find quite good bikes at very reasonable prices.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; If God does not write LISP, God writes some code so similar to
;; LISP as to make no difference.

Quoted message said:

My tip is avoid anything with mudguards on it!!! If you intend to
cycle in the rain you will get soaked anyway!! And mudguards mean
rattles!!

For a start, mudguards are not an integral part of the bike. If you see
a bike that suits you and it has mudguards you do not want, take them off.

All my bikes have mudguards. None of them rattle. Of course mudguards
don't stop rain landing on the rider. If they are any good, they do stop
the rider (and bike) being showered with a stream of [censored] off the
wheels. The road is often wet when it is not raining; in that
circumstance mudguards are the difference between being dry and being
wet/mucky.

How much use you have for mudguards will be down to your type of riding.

--
Joe * If I cannot be free I'll be cheap

half_pint wrote:
[arguing don't buy second hand bikes]

Quoted message said:

At today prices secondhand is not viable, its like buying a secondhand
cheese sandwich. I mean I would never consider buying a second hand TV
set (or video recorder) they have no value these days as new ones are so
cheap
(hence a drop in house burglaries!!)

LOL! Funniest post of the day. Next from half_pint: why it is stupid to
inflate your tyres.

--
Joe * If I cannot be free I'll be cheap

"half_pint" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

My tip is avoid anything with mudguards on it!!! If you intend to
cycle in the rain you will get soaked anyway!! And mudguards mean
rattles!!

Bad advice. Mudguards make a huge difference on wet roads.

--
Dave...

"half_pint" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

At today prices secondhand is not viable, its like buying a secondhand
cheese sandwich. I mean I would never consider buying a second hand TV
set (or video recorder) they have no value these days as new ones are so
cheap

At today's prices buying second hand means you can get a very, very
nice bike for the same kind of money you would pay for a new Apollo.
There is a case to be made for buying something cheap and disposable
like an Apollo if theft and vandalism are concerns and it will mainly
be used for short utility journeys or commutes.

--
Dave...

half_pint said:

My tip is avoid anything with mudguards on it!!! If you intend to
cycle in the rain you will get soaked anyway!! And mudguards mean
rattles!!

But if you ride a mudguardless bike on roads covred in wet mud and
slurry you and your bike will get covered in wet mud and slurry. By
slurry I of course mean cow [censored]. I used a road on Saturday which for
about 3 miles was covred in this stuff, my mudguards kept most of it off
me and the bike, it hadn't rained that day nor the day. I prefer not to
be covered in cow [censored], you of course may have a different view.

half_pint said:

"Burning_Ranger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Steve L said:

Say you only had around £150 to spend, which bike would you choose?

Secondhand Trek/Specialized

At today prices secondhand is not viable, its like buying a secondhand
cheese sandwich. I mean I would never consider buying a second hand TV
set (or video recorder) they have no value these days as new ones are
so cheap
(hence a drop in house burglaries!!)

You're one of these people who buy Beko tellys and sit there thinking you've
got something over on someone who's bought a decent one, claims that 8p a
tin baked beans taste exactly the same as heinz and that panda cola tastes
just like coke. I'm no fan of spending money, but if I were given the option
between buying a brand new Kia for £5k or a second hand Jag or BMW, I'd go
for quality over having something new everytime.

FWIW, If I were buying a bike, £150 gets you something useable, £150 second
hand could get you something a lot better if you bought carefully.

In article said:

"half_pint" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

At today prices secondhand is not viable, its like buying a secondhand
cheese sandwich. I mean I would never consider buying a second hand TV
set (or video recorder) they have no value these days as new ones are so
cheap

At today's prices buying second hand means you can get a very, very
nice bike for the same kind of money you would pay for a new Apollo.

Or if you were really silly (even sillier that half_pint is being) you could
go to a police auction and pay more for a secondhand Apollo than it cost new.
I have seen this done.