bikes

laila

anyone know of where i can a decent bike for a decent price (preferably something thats in the sales!).
thanks

LesD

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=138816

quidsinquentin

look in the quick grabbit section for the boots bike sale - £59 ish I think

LesD

quidsinquentin wrote:

look in the quick grabbit section for the boots bike sale - £59 ish I think

Sorry - should have said that's the above link!

donstermonster

these guys are ok, not top quality but they do not fall apart either and postage is cheap too

bargain_hunter_2

Order over £45 from boots and delivery is free. Also - £5 discount code on pricedash taking price down to £54.99 deld. Ordered one yesterday for daughters birthday. Had one of this make before and it was great.

shown73

As a cyclist of some years, I have noticed that the old adage that " you get what you pay for," seems to apply to bicycles more than most things. Not long ago, I bought a Raleigh sports bike for evening training rides, cheaply from a workmate. Looked the business, great condition, etc. Dreadful, impossible to ride far, shook your fillings out. Then I had a chance to grab another Raleigh, this one from their competitions dept., with 531 tubing etc. Looked pretty much the same, but the difference was amazing, chalk and cheese. Don't buy a cheap bike, they are crap, usually chinese. I know so many people who have made this mistake, result being that the boneshaker sits unused in the garage, big shame.

unsure

Have to agree with Shown73. If you want a good bike that you will use regularly it's worth paying to get a decent one rather than the cheapest on the shelf. Of course what and where you are using it for makes a difference too...a mountain bike will be slow and heavy around town but great if you are off-roading etc. Tube weight and gearing matters and even a decent saddle can make a considerbale difference. Most of the cheaper bikes have the revolving gear shifts which I've always found to be a complete pain.
Around town a good hybrid will give you more speed, comfort and carrying options than a mountain bike and will save on back aches. I reckon a decent qaulity one from a name brand which will last for years should cost circa £200. Of course if it's only for an occasional nip a short way dowen the road then a cheaper option might work fine. As Shown 73 says once yo've ridden a good bike you'll easily feel the difference.

wongo

"usually chinese?" Most bike manufacturing and frame making is done in the far east or USA these days, including Raleigh.

Edinburgh co-op own brand Revolution bikes are meant to be good and cheap, getting good reviews in Cycling Plus. The Revolution courier is £245 and has been in Cycling Plus' awards for budget urban bike. Very cheap bikes aren't worth it.

http://www.edinburgh-bicycle.co.uk/catalogue/item.cfm?ID=3410

itsbeef

Depending on who you work for check this site!!!!

https://www.cyclescheme.co.uk

EvilMonkey

Laila, I'd have to go with the "avoid cheap bikes" crowd, my recommendation though would be to try to tap some of your friends for a closet cyclist and see if they can help you find a good value second hand bike.

I'd say this is where the value is... (I picked up a beauty of a bike, hand built steel, retro italian style, top set of components nice and cheap). I constantly see good (£600+) bikes go through cycling forums for £200...

Not cheap I know, but good value...

If you're after something for a quick pootle every now and then 2 other options you might consider...

- Your local police station may well auction \ sell off recovered but unclaimed stolen bikes. If you're not in London this can work out well (London stations send all there's to a central place and when I asked they auction them off in batches of 10!)

- Your local tip. Every time I go there's one or 2 bikes there which could probably be bought back to life with a new inner tube and a bit of oil (may be worth taking aformentioned cycling friend).

E.M.