Bike Buying advice (Mountain etc)

BigDebtBoy

Hi guys

I am looking into buying a new mountain bike, mainly just for fitness as I have been away from the gym for 5/6 years and put on a lot of weight and got pretty unfit (I need to be careful how much exercise I do as I am on beta blockers for anxiety)
Not rode a bike for years so no idea where to start really, on a really tight budget of around £100/150 so been looking at a few deals on argos at moment
will be mainly riding on paths/roads etc with maybe a few woods etc also live in sheffield so loads of hills

Any advice much appreciated

Weird_Nev

At that price buy second hand. Check out "bike radar" or small ads. Bikes tend to be overpriced second hand on ebay IMO.

DO NOT buy a full suspension bike at that price. It wil sap all your energy, you will hate it and never ride it again.

oldtoolie

I bought a nice bike on Gumtree two years ago and it has been great. Cost £125 for a bike that was twice that new. If you are mainly on roads, a hybrid might be better. Be sure the brakes work well and if you have any doubts get them fixed. Why not ask around, you might find a friend or workmate who has one they would sell or loan to give you a chance to see if you really like riding.

Strider590

£150 isn't enough......

You'll end up with something so ropey and so heavy, that you'll ride it once and give up.

Hazel1980

I would keep an eye out for bikes on the side of the road. Some people sell bikes from their homes that they've done up.

£150 for a new bike is going to get a rubbish bike. I bought a cheap one and could barely ride it as it was uncomfortable.

BigDebtBoy

Thanks for the advice so far guys, can't go above that as out of work at moment, was looking at these

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3323076.htm

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3323241/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CSports+and+leisure%7C14419152/c_2/2%7C14419152%7CBikes+-+men%27s+and+ladies%27%7C14419153.htm

Are they going to be right crap ?

Strider590

BigDebtBoy wrote: »

Thanks for the advice so far guys, can't go above that as out of work at moment, was looking at these

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3323076.htm

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3323241/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CSports+and+leisure%7C14419152/c_2/2%7C14419152%7CBikes+-+men%27s+and+ladies%27%7C14419153.htm

Are they going to be right crap ?

Seriously, you need to budget higher if your going to take this seriously, I would say minimum £250 and go to a proper bike shop.

Cheap bikes, the ride is crashy, the parts will break, the bike will ride you more than you ride it.
Low quality front forks make the bike feel unstable, cheap rear suspension adds tonnes of weight, bounces around and absorbs half the effort you put into pedalling.

If I wanted (throwing a figure into the air) a £300 mountain bike right now, id probably buy this
At the moment though im looking for a cheap commuter/hybrid bike for riding to work, but even though it's not for pleasure, i'd still not buy anything too cheap.

thelawnet

BigDebtBoy wrote: »

Thanks for the advice so far guys, can't go above that as out of work at moment, was looking at these

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3323076.htm

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3323241/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CSports+and+leisure%7C14419152/c_2/2%7C14419152%7CBikes+-+men%27s+and+ladies%27%7C14419153.htm

Are they going to be right crap ?

The Raleigh is definitely a turd, the Reebok might be ok for the price.

I would look at Carrera from Halfords, good bikes but staff in Halfords are generally not competent to set them up properly....

andygb

BigDebtBoy wrote: »

Thanks for the advice so far guys, can't go above that as out of work at moment, was looking at these

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3323076.htm

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3323241/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CSports+and+leisure%7C14419152/c_2/2%7C14419152%7CBikes+-+men%27s+and+ladies%27%7C14419153.htm

Are they going to be right crap ?

The second one (the hybrid without suspension) should be perfectly OK for what you want, and as someone else said, full suspension on the road is just a waste of money and energy. It is also 4.5 kilos lighter than the Raleigh, something which you will notice on the road.
So many people take up cycling with admirable intentions, and then after a few rides, the bike gets put away. At least starting off cheap you can see whether or not you like it, and at your level you will not be able to tell the difference between a £1000 bike and one costing £150. If the bike has even the cheapest set of Shimano gears, decent tyres and comfortable saddle, then it will do to get you fit and used to cycling.

andygb

Strider590 wrote: »

Seriously, you need to budget higher if your going to take this seriously, I would say minimum £250 and go to a proper bike shop.

Cheap bikes, the ride is crashy, the parts will break, the bike will ride you more than you ride it.
Low quality front forks make the bike feel unstable, cheap rear suspension adds tonnes of weight, bounces around and absorbs half the effort you put into pedalling.

If I wanted (throwing a figure into the air) a £300 mountain bike right now, id probably buy this
At the moment though im looking for a cheap commuter/hybrid bike for riding to work, but even though it's not for pleasure, i'd still not buy anything too cheap.

With all due respect Strider, that is not a "mountain bike" and I am surprised that they are calling it that!
It only has a single gear, just the thing to put someone off cycling.

mcfisco

With all due respect Strider, that is not a "mountain bike" and I am surprised that they are calling it that!
It only has a single gear, just the thing to put someone off cycling.

Of course it's a mountain bike, I'm not sure a novice would find single speeding particularly fun though, at least at first
They're very cheap to run and easy to maintain, although a 29" tyres are still silly money

Decathlon have some decent cheapish bikes available