Bike Buying advice (Mountain etc)

Strider590

andygb wrote: »

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.

Heh, I actually pulled the wrong link from the website

Norman_Castle

As post #2. Buy second hand. Try Lobay, gumtree, freecycle or local bike shops.

andygb

mcfisco wrote: »

Decathlon have some decent cheapish bikes available

I bought my mountain bike from a Decathlon in Burgundy ten years ago. Front adjustable suspension, V brakes and fully indexed Shimano system - 140 Euros!
A change to road tyres from the "knobblies" and I have a bike which will go anywhere, including light off road.

andygb

Strider590 wrote: »

Heh, I actually pulled the wrong link from the website

It would be OK if you spent all day going uphill;)

custardy

have to agree. at that price point it has to be 2nd hand

Basil_Hume

I think it's worth you having a look at the "Beginner" forum over on BikeRadar - and digesting some of the advice there.

I had a part-time job for 5 years in a bike shop, mainly selling bikes at the sort of price point you're looking at (£100-200). I still have a taste for very expensive bikes that I build myself with the skills I learned 15 years later, but the basic pleasure of cycling is there at almost all budgets!

I would personally avoid any shop that does not have a bike workshop, as they will have no recourse to repair or make minor alterations to your bike. This is important as it's 100% normal for a new bike's cables to stretch and hence for brakes and gears to deteriorate in the first few weeks. Any proper bike shop will give you a 6-week check-up for free, including the likes of Halfords. I would avoid Argos, Tesco, Asda etc - and also look for a bike *without* suspension at your budget.

I'd strongly consider a visit to a Halfords branch with the budget you have. There is always at least one bike nut on staff and it's worth asking for them directly, explaining your budget / needs and listening to them. You probably won't find any decent selection of bikes under £200 at a local bike shop, so that's why I recommend Halfords or possibly Decathlon at the really budget end of the market.

£150 might get you a reasonable "hybrid" bike, but don't be suckered into believing that it would once have been realistically sold at £300! Mountian bikes still offer slightly better spec due to economies of scale, but you'd need to spend another £30 on road tyres to make it effective on the road.

I have so much more that I could write, but for now I just think you need to get over to BikeRadar and definitelty avoid those Argos bikes!!

Basil_Hume

Just to add that the second Argos bike (Reebok rigid-forked one) is slightly ok at £130 - but would NEVER, EVER have sold at anything like £360 RRP. Total hyping-up of prices - very unfair and a bit of an insight into what "bargains" are like from big retailers!

ventureuk

Decathlon in Sheffield is the place to go, they'll size the right bike for your height/leg, set it up in store, give you a warranty of 2yrs components and 5yrs frame and sell some very decent bikes.

They are a real sports store rather than some pretend tracksuit and trainers shop with helpful and well informed staff.

My wife and daughter both have Decathlon bikes and they are both well designed, well made, light and have good components for their relatively low price.

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-51-c1-2011-id_8167116.html
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-52-2011-id_8156187.html

Both these bikes will do what you want, do I know what I'm talking about ? well I have 'only' three bikes at the moment a mountain bike, a tourer, a winter commuter and have a new summer race bike being delivered from Germany next month, I do about 5000 miles a year at the moment.

Basil is correct, avoid Halfords, the LBS will have nothing at your budget but DO go to Decathlon.

Their wetsuits are great too, just not whilst riding a bike......

Norman_Castle

Nice selection here. All carefully packaged. http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/assorted-bikes-clearance--just-12-ea-minimum-20-pieces/94401901