Does anyone know anything about these makes?

Purple said:

Hiya

Does anyone know anything about Viking Targa or Beowulf bikes? They always
seem to sell very well on eBay. Has anyone ever tried them?

TIA

Fran

I've got a Pagan Arrow which is basically the same sort of bike and
was also supplied via Parkers of Bolton like many of those other
brands you listed.

You basically get a bike based around a frame made in taiwan with
components made in either China or Taiwan.The brand is just something
that sounds acceptable to the european market especially germany.

Almost all the top bike brands have their frames made in Taiwan at
least for their budget bottom end models. The taiwanese made frames
seem to be made very well where as chinese made frames are more hit
and miss.

They are a small step up from the sterling house/universal type models
that feature chinese made frames. The actual components are pretty
much the same as most of the time its chinese made shimano stuff.

Have a look at the feedback of some of the companies selling the bikes
to see what customers think of them. Looking at the Parkers of Bolton
site you will see most people are very happy with the bikes.

I bought my Pagan Arrow as it was a cheap and crude steel bike with 36
spoke wheels for £60. It takes my weight but to be honest when I'm a
bit lighter I have a Kona Lanai to take its place. That has an
aluminium frame and is generally nicer all round and about 50%
lighter. I'm looking forward to riding that hopefully in a month or
two.

Many people here would say you would be better off getting a better
brand even if that meant going secondhand. Really though its down to
individual models.

Parkers of Bolton are basically box shifters and the bike you receive
will need fine tuning and setting up. They can be a little slow to
sort out problems but are basically a good company. They charge £18
for delivery now and so bare this in mind when bidding.

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

Quoted message said:

Purple said:

Hiya

Does anyone know anything about Viking Targa or Beowulf bikes? They

always

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

seem to sell very well on eBay. Has anyone ever tried them?

TIA

Fran

I've got a Pagan Arrow which is basically the same sort of bike and
was also supplied via Parkers of Bolton like many of those other
brands you listed.

You basically get a bike based around a frame made in taiwan with
components made in either China or Taiwan.The brand is just something
that sounds acceptable to the european market especially germany.

Almost all the top bike brands have their frames made in Taiwan at
least for their budget bottom end models. The taiwanese made frames
seem to be made very well where as chinese made frames are more hit
and miss.

They are a small step up from the sterling house/universal type models
that feature chinese made frames. The actual components are pretty
much the same as most of the time its chinese made shimano stuff.

Have a look at the feedback of some of the companies selling the bikes
to see what customers think of them. Looking at the Parkers of Bolton
site you will see most people are very happy with the bikes.

I bought my Pagan Arrow as it was a cheap and crude steel bike with 36
spoke wheels for £60. It takes my weight but to be honest when I'm a
bit lighter I have a Kona Lanai to take its place. That has an
aluminium frame and is generally nicer all round and about 50%
lighter. I'm looking forward to riding that hopefully in a month or
two.

Many people here would say you would be better off getting a better
brand even if that meant going secondhand. Really though its down to
individual models.

Parkers of Bolton are basically box shifters and the bike you receive
will need fine tuning and setting up. They can be a little slow to
sort out problems but are basically a good company. They charge £18
for delivery now and so bare this in mind when bidding.

Hi Martin,

You might remember me from my post a couple of weeks ago when I was asking
about which type of bike would be best for me. In the end I bought a
Specialised Crossroads, which can I just say, that I absolutely love!!

Since I bought it though my partner has decided he definitely wants a bike
too but due to a little run of bad luck since I bought my bike, car got
stolen, central heating broke down, we can't afford another bike like mine
right now.

It would be ideal if we could get another bike while the weather is good so
we were looking at Targa as a temporary measure, then at the beginning of
next summer he can buy a decent bike.

I agree that we would be better off buying a secondhand bike but we can't
find one that suits his build, he's a 6'4 ex profesional rugby player!

I have told him to wait till we can get a better bike than a Targa but I
think he's getting envious that I am going off for bike rides and leaving
him to do the housework! or so he feels at least.

I have a Trek trailer that my daughter rides in and it would be nice to go
out as a family for her sake aswell. Also if he had a bike then he could
pull the trailer which would mean that I wouldn't have to end up as a
puffing strawberry faced wreck at first sight of a hill! lol

Fran

Quoted message said:

Hi Martin,

You might remember me from my post a couple of weeks ago when I was asking
about which type of bike would be best for me. In the end I bought a
Specialised Crossroads, which can I just say, that I absolutely love!!

Since I bought it though my partner has decided he definitely wants a bike
too but due to a little run of bad luck since I bought my bike, car got
stolen, central heating broke down, we can't afford another bike like mine
right now.

It would be ideal if we could get another bike while the weather is good so
we were looking at Targa as a temporary measure, then at the beginning of
next summer he can buy a decent bike.

I agree that we would be better off buying a secondhand bike but we can't
find one that suits his build, he's a 6'4 ex profesional rugby player!

I have told him to wait till we can get a better bike than a Targa but I
think he's getting envious that I am going off for bike rides and leaving
him to do the housework! or so he feels at least.

I have a Trek trailer that my daughter rides in and it would be nice to go
out as a family for her sake aswell. Also if he had a bike then he could
pull the trailer which would mean that I wouldn't have to end up as a
puffing strawberry faced wreck at first sight of a hill! lol

Fran

Considering his height and likely build he'd also probably be better
off going for a basic hybrid bike with no suspension and preferably a
steel frame. This will also make it the cheapest option. Also 36 spoke
wheels would be a wise choice if possible. Basically you don't want to
buy a bike with suspension at lower price levels as its rarely very
good. I'm not speaking from experience myself but it seems to be the
dominant view that low cost suspension is rubbish.

in message <[email hidden]>, Purple

(') said:

Since I bought it though my partner has decided he definitely wants a
bike too but due to a little run of bad luck since I bought my bike,
car got stolen, central heating broke down, we can't afford another
bike like mine right now.

It would be ideal if we could get another bike while the weather is
good so we were looking at Targa as a temporary measure, then at the
beginning of next summer he can buy a decent bike.

Check out what's available second hand locally - in the classified ads
in your local paper or on the supermarket "customers' adverts" board.
Second hand bikes (unless they're very special) are cheap, and if the
bike was half decent in the first place, then unless the frame of forks
are bent or cracked a little bit of fettling will usually make it a
decent bike again. You may have to replace a few components if they're
worn out, but it's still better to have a half decent second hand bike
than a [censored] new one.

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

Anagram: I'm soon broke.

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

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Hi Martin,

You might remember me from my post a couple of weeks ago when I was

asking

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

about which type of bike would be best for me. In the end I bought a
Specialised Crossroads, which can I just say, that I absolutely love!!

Since I bought it though my partner has decided he definitely wants a

bike

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

too but due to a little run of bad luck since I bought my bike, car got
stolen, central heating broke down, we can't afford another bike like

mine

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

right now.

It would be ideal if we could get another bike while the weather is good

so

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

we were looking at Targa as a temporary measure, then at the beginning of
next summer he can buy a decent bike.

I agree that we would be better off buying a secondhand bike but we can't
find one that suits his build, he's a 6'4 ex profesional rugby player!

I have told him to wait till we can get a better bike than a Targa but I
think he's getting envious that I am going off for bike rides and leaving
him to do the housework! or so he feels at least.

I have a Trek trailer that my daughter rides in and it would be nice to

go

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

out as a family for her sake aswell. Also if he had a bike then he could
pull the trailer which would mean that I wouldn't have to end up as a
puffing strawberry faced wreck at first sight of a hill! lol

Fran

Considering his height and likely build he'd also probably be better
off going for a basic hybrid bike with no suspension and preferably a
steel frame. This will also make it the cheapest option. Also 36 spoke
wheels would be a wise choice if possible. Basically you don't want to
buy a bike with suspension at lower price levels as its rarely very
good. I'm not speaking from experience myself but it seems to be the
dominant view that low cost suspension is rubbish.

Hi Martin

Thanks for the advice. I agree with you about the suspension, that's one of
the reasons why I went for the Crossroads. Although I was also looking at a
Trek bike for a similar price and the owner of a LBS (NOT the shop where I
bought the Crossroads, a different shop) said that modern technology has
come along so much that there is nothing wrong with front suspension in the
sub £400 mark. But I have always been a firm believer in that you get what
you pay for!

My partner is long, tall and skinny, would steel still be the best bet? I
thought that steel, esp. hi ten steel was always to be avoided

Fran

in message <[email hidden]>, Purple

(') said:

My partner is long, tall and skinny, would steel still be the best
bet? I thought that steel, esp. hi ten steel was always to be avoided

Judging by Martin's comments about 36 spoke wheels, I think he was
picturing someone very large. Good steel frames are very good (Reynolds
531 is very good, Reynolds 853 is among the best; there are good steel
frame using Columbus tubes as well, and even basic chromium-molybdenum
steel makes OK frames), but on the whole at least in sub-£800 pound
bikes aluminium is now likely to be better.

Steel frames are slightly springier than aluminium, and if bent or
cracked can often be repaired (which aluminium generally can't) but the
strength to weight ratio of the two materials isn't greatly different.
The best steel frames are slightly stronger (but slightly heavier) than
the best aluminium ones, and steel is still the preferred material for
some touring frames and for many custom built frames.

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

;; Perl ... is the Brittney Spears of programming - easily accessible
;; but, in the final analysis, empty of any significant thought
;; Frank Adrian on Slashdot, 21st July 2003

Quoted message said:

Hi Martin

Thanks for the advice. I agree with you about the suspension, that's one of
the reasons why I went for the Crossroads. Although I was also looking at a
Trek bike for a similar price and the owner of a LBS (NOT the shop where I
bought the Crossroads, a different shop) said that modern technology has
come along so much that there is nothing wrong with front suspension in the
sub £400 mark. But I have always been a firm believer in that you get what
you pay for!

My partner is long, tall and skinny, would steel still be the best bet? I
thought that steel, esp. hi ten steel was always to be avoided

Fran

Sorry didn't realise he was skinny I'd assumed as he was an ex pro
rugby player he might have been pretty chunky and combined with his
height fairly weighty.

My reasoning behind steel frames is reading that low cost aluminium
frames have a higher failure rate than steel ones. Matched with the
fact that when aluminium frames break they break badly rather than
bend out of position like steel I just have this feeling that steel is
better for a low cost bike for someone reasonably heavy. However from
the sound of it he may well be better off with aluminium. I think the
only thing that goes against high tensile steel is weight and
therefore performance. High tensile steel offers good ride quality,
strength and durability and also not forgetting low cost and safety
due to strength.