Starter Hybrid

Quoted message said:

Any suggestions for a starter bike for a prematurely-retired 50 year old walker? I would hope for
an alloy frame hybrid style (i.e. fairly light but not averse to a towpath - mudguards essential)
for less than £200. Pensions aren't all they're cracked up to be, so money's important.

Seen some Raleighs reduced from £169 to £129 (plus mudguards!) in the local dealers, but I'm not
sure how good the Raleigh name is these days

Personally for that amount of dosh, I'd be looking at the second-hand market - get more bike for
your money. Sadly, £200 is peanuts in the bike world, and paying that much (or that little -
relatively) on a new bike, you are more than likely going to get something too heavy & uncomfortable
over the long term :-(

If you are comfortable at spotting a dud from a goodie - I'd seriously recommend going second-hand.

Cheers, helen s

~~~~~~~~~~
This is sent from a redundant email Mail sent to it is dumped My correct one can be gleaned from
h*$el***$$n*$d$ot$**s**i$$m*$m$**on**$s$@*$$a**$*ol*$*.*$$c$om*$ by getting rid of the
overdependence on money and fame
~~~~~~~~~~

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

Quoted message said:

Any suggestions for a starter bike for a prematurely-retired 50 year old walker? I would hope for
an alloy frame hybrid style (i.e. fairly light

but

Quoted message said:

not averse to a towpath - mudguards essential) for less than £200.

Pensions

Quoted message said:

aren't all they're cracked up to be, so money's important.

Seen some Raleighs reduced from £169 to £129 (plus mudguards!) in the

local

Quoted message said:

dealers, but I'm not sure how good the Raleigh name is these days.

Dawes Discovery 101 looks nice, if I can find a discounted one, but how heavy is that steel frame?
Weights don't seem to be quoted in any adverts.

Look at Ridgeback. They seem to do some presentable machines at relatively low prices.

Generally, look for decent quality components (if the salesman doesn't know his Sora from his Deore
it might be a good time to move shop). Make sure you get the right size for you. (Again the salesman
should be able to offer sensible advice).

However, without doubt, the most important is to ride the bike (even if only round the car park a
few times -- and don't be frightened to go round as many times as you want) and get the one that
feels right for you.

T

wafflyDIRTYcatLITTERhcsBOX said:

Personally for that amount of dosh, I'd be looking at the second-hand m=

arket -

Quoted message said:

get more bike for your money. Sadly, =A3200 is peanuts in the bike worl=

d, and

Quoted message said:

paying that much (or that little - relatively) on a new bike, you are m=

ore than

Quoted message said:

likely going to get something too heavy & uncomfortable over the long t=

erm :-(=20

I'd agree second hand *can* give better value, *if* you can find the=20 right machine available, but
I'd also say that where you're looking at=20 the economies of scale area of the market and
specifically the sensibly=20 designed kit sub-area of that market then =A3200 will these days get
you = a=20 good general purpose bike that needn't be a source of regret. For example, the relevant
rigid Dawes Discovery or Ridgeback hybrids.=20 These bikes cost =A3200 and are better in just about
every department[1] =

than the bike I paid =A3200 for in 1989 and used very extensively as my=20 only bike for 8 years.
And =A3200 was worth a lot more then, not only in=
=20
absolute terms but personal ones as well as I was still a student.

Pete.

[1] except you'd need to pay extra to get rack and mudguards --=20 Peter Clinch University of Dundee
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1
9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden] dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

"wafflyDIRTYcatLITTERhcsBOX" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
|
| If you are comfortable at spotting a dud from a goodie - I'd seriously recommend going
| second-hand.
|

Spotting a dud from a goodie - That's going to be the problem. I'm a complete amateur.

Budgie

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Tony W wrote: and don't be frightened to

Quoted message said:

go round as many times as you want) and get the one that feels right for you.

Reminds me of the time I was test riding when I bought my Peugeot in '89. I was interested in the
Peugeot and a similar Orbit. The salesman got the Peugeot out for me, tightened the stem as they
were stored with the bars turned, and proceeded to get the Orbit. He intended to follow me on the
Orbit, then we'd swap machines. He neglected to tighted the stem on the Orbit and as soon as we came
to a corner he fell off, the only damage sustaned to the bike was scuffed bar tape and pedal. I
bought neither bike from that shop.

--
The Reply & From email addresses are checked rarely.

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

Quoted message said:

Tony W wrote: and don't be frightened to

Quoted message said:

go round as many times as you want) and get the one that feels right for you.

Reminds me of the time I was test riding when I bought my Peugeot in '89.

I

Quoted message said:

was interested in the Peugeot and a similar Orbit.

My equivalent was when I bought a bike at the Cycle Market in Delhi.

I went round & round several times -- I knew I wanted to do about 1000 miles on the bike in 6 weeks
so it needed to be OK.

Each time I had the saddle lifted a bit. Each time I collected a bigger & bigger audience.

Much laughter when the saddle slipped to a very strange angle.

No damage but time for a longer seat tube!! On the last adjustment only about 5 mm was left down
the tube :~o

T

Budgie said:

Any suggestions for a starter bike for a prematurely-retired 50 year old walker? I would hope for
an alloy frame hybrid style (i.e. fairly light but not averse to a towpath - mudguards essential)
for less than £200. Pensions aren't all they're cracked up to be, so money's important.

Seen some Raleighs reduced from £169 to £129 (plus mudguards!) in the local dealers, but I'm not
sure how good the Raleigh name is these days.

Sadly (we have two rather nice old Raleighs in this household) I think they're now pretty much [censored].

Quoted message said:

Dawes Discovery 101 looks nice, if I can find a discounted one, but how heavy is that steel frame?
Weights don't seem to be quoted in any adverts.

Annoying, isn't it? You might consider taking a fisherman's spring balance with you when you go
shopping for a bike. The Dawes range have had good reviews recently. You might also look at he
Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op own brand stuff.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗

;; lovely alternative to rice.

Simon Brooke said:

Sadly (we have two rather nice old Raleighs in this household) I think they're now pretty
much [censored].

Super-budget Raleighs, like super-budget any brand, are horror shows on wheels designed to sell
cheap having been piled high with lots of amazing sounding features on the marketing tag, but
once you get out of this area Raleigh still make fair value for money bikes where you get what
you pay for. P3000 looks okay to me (but P2000 with bouncy suspension forks probably worth
avoiding), for example.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Peter Clinch said:

Simon Brooke said:

Sadly (we have two rather nice old Raleighs in this household) I think they're now pretty
much [censored].

Super-budget Raleighs, like super-budget any brand, are horror shows on wheels designed to sell
cheap having been piled high with lots of amazing sounding features on the marketing tag, but once
you get out of this area Raleigh still make fair value for money bikes where you get what you pay
for. P3000 looks okay to me (but P2000 with bouncy suspension forks probably worth avoiding), for
example.

Thinking about this I did some browsing around (I really must do some more actual _work_ before I
knock off for the day). What do you think of this rather nicely equipped, reasonably light weight
27lb thing with the very Santa Cruz style frame: <URL:
raleighusa.comitems.aspOpen ↗ >

Yup, it's (allegedly) a Raleigh. But it doesn't appear to be available in this country at all - only
in the States. Weird. The list price over there is US$1850, which doesn't seem unreasonable for that
setup and that weight. But the only full suspension bikes on Raleighs UK website are these: <URL:
raleighbikes.comindex.htmlOpen ↗ >

In the road range it's pretty similar: the 03 Raleigh Competition is a perfectly respectable Ultegra
groupset aluminium bike weighing 20 pounds all in - for US customers only. UK customers get offered
a thing called an Aveo in no-name cromoly tubing with no-name components and unquoted weight.

Which really makes you wonder what's going on. Is it that Raleigh feel that they've so devalued
their brand in the UK that no-one would pay a thousand quid for a bike with a Raleigh badge any
more? Is it that they think the UK market is so undiscerning that we'll buy any sort of [censored],
whereas the US market demands something better? It's very weird. What's weirdest of all is that
Raleigh Canada have yet another, completely different range of mountain bikes: <URL:
raleigh-canada.cads.htmOpen ↗ >

Where are these bikes actually made, and where are they actually assembled? Is there actually any
real relationship between the UK, US and Canadian operations, or are they all doing their own
separate deals with different no-name taiwanese manufacturers?

I would have thought you could fairly easily sell (e.g.) the Inferno XC from the US range in the
UK. But Raleigh obviously don't - downmarket with the no-name tat is clearly where they feel
they belong.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗

;; lovely alternative to rice.

"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
| Annoying, isn't it? You might consider taking a fisherman's spring balance with you when you go
| shopping for a bike. The Dawes range have had good reviews recently. You might also look at he
| Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op own brand stuff.
|

How about a second-hand Dawes Sonoran for £230? Is that good value?

Budgie

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Budgie said:

How about a second-hand Dawes Sonoran for =A3230? Is that good value?

Depends how second hand it is! A new one is listed at 325 and looks=20 like a good, well specced
bike with money spent where it matters, so as=20 long as it's in good condition and not too old then
I'd say that's fair, =

though the usual caveat that it can only be fair in *any* condition and=20 price if it's the right
size for you.

Pete. --=20 Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics,
Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗