Want to buy a bike

1trainer1

I am after a Mountain Bike mainly to commute to work and back and some leisure riding on roads during weekends and my spare time.

I am not sure where to start as all bikes are the same to me, two wheels and handlebars with brakes

My budget is small at around £150 and have heard bad things about halford bikes so was wondering where to go from here

Syman

you don't need a mountain bike at all. yuo need to be looking for a hybrid or road bike.

Halfords have several brands of varying quality. i have a Carrera Subway which is getting on a bit, but is still doing its thing after a good few years. However they are still a bit above your budget.

I would try to find a local bike shop, see if they have some good value trade ins that may meet your needs.

With bikes it does ring true that you get what you pay for, and "buy cheap, buy twice".

1trainer1

Syman wrote: »

you don't need a mountain bike at all. yuo need to be looking for a hybrid or road bike.

Halfords have several brands of varying quality. i have a Carrera Subway which is getting on a bit, but is still doing its thing after a good few years. However they are still a bit above your budget.

I would try to find a local bike shop, see if they have some good value trade ins that may meet your needs.

With bikes it does ring true that you get what you pay for, and "buy cheap, buy twice".

Thanks for the reply, how much would be a good budget as I want a bike to last but I hate going into a shop not knowing anything and then the salesman can smell me coming from a mile away and rip me off....

If its from Halfords I could stretch to £300 as I have some love to shop vouchers and I am sure they accept them.

Syman

this is the latest version of my bike

clicky

Was used daily for 20mile commute, also rode London to Brighton on it.

art_for_arts_sake

Syman wrote: »

this is the latest version of my bike

clicky

Was used daily for 20mile commute, also rode London to Brighton on it.

Yes, I'd recommend a Carrera Subway too. The best version, the Subway 8, sadly discontinued now, had disc brakes and hub gears, making it an ideal commuter. £150 doesn't buy a lot of bike nowadays, if you have Halfords vouchers watch out for their end of season deals which will get you a solidly built, medium spec bike for your money.

I've never known bike shops that have taken trade-ins except on higher-spec bikes which would be out of your price range.

I've sold a few bikes on eBay which have gone for a similar amount to what you're willing to pay, but I'd be wary of buying secondhand online, particularly on Gumtree.

A mountain bike might seem a little heavyweight for road use but if your roads are anything like the ones round my way 26" wheels and front suspension will cope with the bumps better than skinny tyred 28" wheels and solid forks.

Puncture resistant tyres, though expensive, pay for themselves many times over, too, though at your price point you'll need to pay extra to buy a set, and if you're an inexperienced cyclist it might pay to get them fitted too.

And don't forget you'll need a good set of lights if you're cycling at night, they don't come cheap either, but a keen MSE will check out places like TK Maxx.

Cisco001

Check if your company have cycle2work scheme.

1trainer1

Thanks, I have seen some cheap bikes called Muddyfox and was wondering what everyones take on them is?

I am thinking if they are that cheap then chances are they will not be very good but from the pictures they look pretty good

torbrex

My Halfords bike has lasted me 10 years and still going strong with not a single problem.

zaleska3

go to bikes2udirect great company, lots of expert advice and very competitive prices and superfast delivery. we've been using them for years for both our children and ourselves. hth x

1trainer1

Cisco001 wrote: »

Check if your company have cycle2work scheme.

just checked and my work doesnt have a cycle to work scheme

Thanks for the idea