How to choose a used bicycle?

[Deleted User] · 11 May 2016 at 11:17AM

For just a 3 mile commute and possibly an excellent chance of the bike being nicked , I would`nt want to pay more than £50. I would`nt bother with Ebay but would try the local large boot sales in your area where you may see them for less than £25. At least you can see it in the flesh. Boot sales are always the cheapest options for buying. Mine always has several bikes , all as cheap as chips and one can haggle them right down as well. I would also think about including a folding bike in your list if you are spending more than , say, a £100.the lighter ones like the Dahons ride very well.
Maybe the OP could choose a bike like Jeremy Clarkson did when he decided to buy a bike, he just chose the nearest bike to the shops front door which turned out , I think , to be a ladies mtb style. It did the job of propelling him to the club from his London flat !

somersethillbilly · 11 May 2016 at 12:23PM

+1 For the "Rat Bike" ideas.

Try your local tip/ recycling (pun intended) centre....They often have usable bikes for sale cheap. I've got an old Raleigh rigid MTB, paid a tenner for it, a quick clean, a drop of oil and some air in the tyres and it rides great. Looks rubbish but does the job. I do have another "nice" bike that I use door to door, but for leaving anything locked in town for any length of time I ride the "Rat" and lock it up next to the nicest bike on the rank.

AndyBSG · 11 May 2016 at 1:14PM

parking_question_chap wrote: »

Yes there a few local indis selling used.

Why do you suggest avoiding suspension? is it something to go wrong on an older bike? or is it disadvantagous on roads?

- It adds a lot of weight

- It's something else that can go wrong

- on a bike below the £400 price point it will probably be of dubious quality

- Unless you are doing real off road riding with lots of drops and jumps it's simply not needed(A hybrid will cope fine with a bit of forest riding)

- It also bleeds energy so will slow you down.

I swapped out my suspension forks on my old MTB for rigids and noticed the difference in effort needed to cycle immediately.

andygb · 13 May 2016 at 11:21AM

This would be ideal for the OP, and the 56cm would probably be the right size.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Redemption-960-XR-Race-Road-Racing-Bike-Black-56cm-Frame-/231942528677?hash=item3600da1ea5:g:0vkAAOSw4hdXIJ0C

It would be light, responsive and comfortable, thanks to the steel frame, and the Shimano gears are tried and tested.

[Deleted User] · 13 May 2016 at 1:26PM

AndyBSG wrote: »

- It adds a lot of weight

- It's something else that can go wrong

- on a bike below the £400 price point it will probably be of dubious quality

- Unless you are doing real off road riding with lots of drops and jumps it's simply not needed(A hybrid will cope fine with a bit of forest riding)

- It also bleeds energy so will slow you down.

I swapped out my suspension forks on my old MTB for rigids and noticed the difference in effort needed to cycle immediately.

^This^

The purpose of the dampers is to dissipate the energy stored in the suspension so that it will settle quickly without bouncing. That energy all comes from your leg muscles.

parking_question_chap · 14 May 2016 at 12:56PM

Hi

Given I have such a short commute (3 miles). Would it make sense to get a mountain rather than hybrid? It seems they are cheaper for the same weight. As I have not ridden a bike for ages, I doubt I would tell the difference anyway.

Oh, just to clarify the weight is important as I dont really have anywhere outside to keep it, and I will be lugging it up and down the stairs each day (though just one flight).

Plus there is way more mountain bikes for sale so I might have more negotiating power.

[Deleted User] · 14 May 2016 at 3:40PM

parking_question_chap wrote: »

Hi

Given I have such a short commute (3 miles). Would it make sense to get a mountain rather than hybrid? It seems they are cheaper for the same weight. As I have not ridden a bike for ages, I doubt I would tell the difference anyway.

Oh, just to clarify the weight is important as I dont really have anywhere outside to keep it, and I will be lugging it up and down the stairs each day (though just one flight).

Plus there is way more mountain bikes for sale so I might have more negotiating power.

This might not go down too well for the legal eagles but a mountain bike is far better for bumping up and down kerbs and escaping gridlock traffic .Their stronger wider wheels and tyres can take any kerb in their stride.
Personally I see nothing wrong with mounting the pavements now and again, I see it as a cyclists right even though it is`nt yet legal.I remember a younger David Cameron in his pre election manifesto promises saying he would change the stupid old laws about cycling on pavements.They don t reflect the danger that cyclists face on todays roads. The councils do not protect cyclists enough in the UK. I have cycled on the continent a lot and there you see bikes and pedestrians happily sharing a small pavement which has a white line painted down the middle. Cyclists on left, pedestrians on right.There is room for both.

mac.d · 14 May 2016 at 4:22PM

A mountain bike will probably be fine if you're only going 3 miles, as previously mentioned, just make sure you get one with no suspension & without big knobbly tyres, and be aware you'll possibly need to fit mudguards to it.

A hybrid would enable to you use panniers instead of carrying a rucksack on your back, but plenty of people manage just fine with mountain bikes. Stick to known brands like Giant, Trek, Specialized and avoid cheap makes like Apollo, Viking, Falcon.

Maybe look at picking up a Carrera Subway, or possibly the Decathlon Rockrider MTB for cheap?

dcouponzzzz · 17 May 2016 at 12:46PM

I use the Felt QX60 but I've got a Cannondale Trial 4 on order (pauls cycles, 2015 model) which I'll probably use for short journeys and off road. I might still swap the fork but either way you can lock them out from the handlebar to reduce wasted energy.

Herbalus · 17 May 2016 at 7:02PM

Just to say I used a Boris Bike successfully for six months. That was about 3 miles each way.

It is a heavy bike, tires are fat (fat means slower but more comfortable/fewer shocks). The best thing about it was the basket, as I hate having a rucksack or anything on my back while cycling.

I've since moved south of the river to Greenwich, and Boris bikes do not extend so far, so I purchased a bike for £20 from a local car boot sale (no suspension, steel frame [and rims!], ~4cm wide smooth tires). It's what I call a "London bike" i.e. not worth stealing. I now do about 5 miles each way.

The point is you don't have to spend even £100 to get a bike that will do the job. You could even get rid of a £20 bike in a few months and it will have paid for itself in health benefits/saved bus fares/petrol etc. But as others have said, I would look for: 1) no suspension, 2) rack mounts, 3) smooth tires, 4) working brakes!

How to choose a used bicycle?

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