Any info on bike, please?

in message <[email hidden]>, Jim

(') said:

I have been offered a Ridgeback Bullit bike that is in very good
condition at £150.

Can anyone give me any info on this bike. It's not on the Ridgeback
site as I gather it's about three or four years old.

What should I look out for in a secondhand example?

http://www.jasmine.org.uk/urcautofaq/jsp/Wiki?BuyingSecondhand

I would not pay £150 for a second hand Ridgeback, regardless of
condition. It wasn't a great bike when it was new, and bikes don't
generally hold their value well. Offer half that, be prepared to pay
£100 if it's really mint.

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

to err is human, to lisp divine
;; attributed to Kim Philby, oddly enough.

Simon Brooke said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Jim

(') said:

I have been offered a Ridgeback Bullit bike that is in very good
condition at £150.

Can anyone give me any info on this bike. It's not on the Ridgeback
site as I gather it's about three or four years old.

What should I look out for in a secondhand example?

http://www.jasmine.org.uk/urcautofaq/jsp/Wiki?BuyingSecondhand

I would not pay £150 for a second hand Ridgeback, regardless of
condition. It wasn't a great bike when it was new, and bikes don't
generally hold their value well. Offer half that, be prepared to pay
£100 if it's really mint.

Oh dear.

I'm sorry to hear it wasn't that good a bike. I'm told they were over £300 when
new. Can you tell me what was wrong with them?

Thanks for the advice. I've read the page on your website, and it's very useful.

Jim

Jim said:

I'm sorry to hear it wasn't that good a bike. I'm told they were over £300 when
new. Can you tell me what was wrong with them?

Look at this site for a guide to spec.
http://www.devercycles.co.uk/bicycles-hybrid-ridgeback2004-men.htm

It's a good enough bike for local use. I'ved used a similiar spec
Ridgeback for occasional commuting for the last few years (5 - 12 miles
each way) 2 -3 thousand miles in total. Its not the lightest bike in
its class but does the job. I would buy the Edinburgh Bikes Courier if
I was buying new now.
150 would be high for a bike thats seen much use as parts will need
replaced soon but for 100 it would do the job. If you replace it with
something better in due course it could of course be kept as a cheapo
for trips to shops etc.
While at the bottom end of good bikes its still better than much of
the rubbish sold by supermarkets etc.
Iain

in message <[email hidden]>, Jim

(') said:

Simon Brooke said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Jim

(') said:

I have been offered a Ridgeback Bullit bike that is in very good
condition at £150.

Can anyone give me any info on this bike. It's not on the Ridgeback
site as I gather it's about three or four years old.

What should I look out for in a secondhand example?

http://www.jasmine.org.uk/urcautofaq/jsp/Wiki?BuyingSecondhand

I would not pay £150 for a second hand Ridgeback, regardless of
condition. It wasn't a great bike when it was new, and bikes don't
generally hold their value well. Offer half that, be prepared to pay
£100 if it's really mint.

I'm sorry to hear it wasn't that good a bike. I'm told they were over
£300 when new. Can you tell me what was wrong with them?

Nothing greatly wrong. But when you look at what you can pick up second
hand for £150, it's not worth it. For the same money you could pick up
a really nice bike sort of ten or fifteen years old, which would be a
much more enjoyable bike to ride and would carry on being a great bike
for years. Bikes, if moderately well maintained, do not age the way
cars do.

Check out these completed auctions to get the feel of prices really nice
bikes go for:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7156905241

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7158542633

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

;; Want to know what SCO stands for?
;; http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=20030605

Simon Brooke said:

Nothing greatly wrong. But when you look at what you can pick up second
hand for £150, it's not worth it. For the same money you could pick up
a really nice bike sort of ten or fifteen years old, which would be a
much more enjoyable bike to ride and would carry on being a great bike
for years. Bikes, if moderately well maintained, do not age the way
cars do.

Check out these completed auctions to get the feel of prices really nice
bikes go for:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7156905241

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7158542633

Thanks for the extra info.

Unfortunately, I can't see any way that I can differentiate between a 'nice'
bike and any other.

Two fairly serious bikers I know have independantly recommended Ridgeback
(neither are the seller of the one I'm thinking of buying), and I have actually
had a go on one (a Supernova) and it seemed a beautiful bike. A million miles
from the £199 mountain bike I use at the moment. (Other recommendation were Scot
and Giant)

Another point is that bikes on ebay are all over the country, so I'd have to buy
one without trying it. My cycling friends say that is very unwise because 'fit'
is very important.

I'm a bit puzzled now.

Jim