Where can I buy a good bicycle?

I_am_mad

Hello I am looking to buy a mens bike for my husband. I have been looking around and have seen some on Argos, Tesco and Halfords, but having never bought one before I dont really know what is good. He is 6ft2 so I dont know which size frame I am best to look for?

Has anyone seen any good deals or would be able to give me some advice my budget is £120 max which I know isnt alot, its just a leisure bike really so dont need anything too expensive but want it to last and not break as soon as he gets on it.

Thanks

philhoggins

Hi,

It kind of depends on the requirements, mountain bike, hybrid etc. Frame size. For that kind of money I would look at buying a second hand one, you will get a lot more bike for your money. I sold a Sarecen mountain bike myself the other week for £50, the bike cost over £600 when new.

I see you are in Shropshire, so am I. I have another mountain bike for sale, a Diamond back Topanga. Great condition just needs a wash. If interested PM me and I can give you more details.

Phil

Lugh_Chronain

Yeah, it also depends on the quality of the bike as well which I think is more or less what Phil is saying.

My brother has been riding bikes since he was 14 (Prescot Eagles, Knowsley, Merseyside) and appears to be on the ball with regards to the cycling world. He tells me a lot of moulds and thing are sold off to China and there quality isn't half as good. He was fixing my bike not so long ago and told me, if you're looking for parts you have to be careful you don't end up with something shoddy. You have to know what you're looking for.

For this reason I second Phil's recommendation. Cheap bikes aren't necessarily that brilliant, unless you can get a decent good quality second hand one.

[Deleted User]

I bought 3 mountain bikes for all the family for roughly £60 each on ebay. All were in reasonable condition but two needed a little work on the gears (depends on if your husband can handle that) as they tended to slip.

You also need to look at if you want front or back suspension or both. My OH is 6ft 2, we got him a 24 inch frame with 26inch wheels (sorry not an expert) but it suits him perfectly.

If buying on ebay find out how they've been stored and or how long .., I would imagine your husband would not be looking for a bike with rust spots.

UsernameAlreadyExists

I_am_mad wrote: »

He is 6ft2 so I dont know which size frame I am best to look for?

Measure the inside leg length of a pair of his trousers. The frame size is normally related to this measurement (I don't remember exactly how - but any bike retailer should know!).

[Deleted User]

Try here for a guide as to how to select the right bike sizehttps://www.ebicycles.com/article/what-size-bicycle-do-i-need.html#bicycle-size-calculator. Tell your OH that u want to get him some trousers that fit properly lol.

Other websites give you guidance as to what sort of bikes are available and which are best for your needs. Google is your friend x x

bethl79

Definitely go with a second hand bike, cheap bikes from halfords etc just aren't worth the money as they don't ride as well and when things go wrong they are harder to fix. I have just bought a 1990's specialized bike for myself for £30 off ebay, it's in perfect condition and it will last me a good few years even though it's already 20 years old!

Lugh_Chronain

Yeah, exactly. People also want to buy the latest bike as they tend to want to look cool. Don't worry about it. You should see the bike I've got, a Timberline GT, probably about the same age as Beth's. My dad gave me it when he got to old to ride it. It's a good sturdy bike as well, the gears aren't brilliant though do work fine.

It's also a good idea to give the bike a general overhaul every year as well, and make sure to keep the chain fairly clean and well oiled as well. My brother told me to oil the chain over where the gear cogs are. Never use washing liquid either when cleaning the chain as it appears to have salt in it. If the chain ever gets grit on it and gets very gritty you'll find a little link you can undo to take the chain off. Do this from time to time as you can be a little more thorough if it does get grit on it. My brother showed me how to clean it as well. Put the chain in a 1 litre coke type bottle, fill with water and only water, shake as well as you can, then cut the bottle in half to remove the chain, replace the chain and oil well.

I also bought a cheapo scrubbing brush from ASDA, the type for washing dishes, to clean the chain. As with oiling, clean the chain along where the gear cogs are turning the chain using the peddles.

A good independent bike shop will show you how to remove the chain in the way I've explained if you're not sure. Or check on the likes of youtube. I've learnt so much on youtube.

My biggest fear is letting the chain go rusty as chains are very expensive to replace, you would also have to replace the gear cogs as well as they wear down with the chain and a new one won't fit it if you don't.

Also, check the rims of the wheels from time to time as well. My brother pointed out that if a wheel rim appears to have dents in it, it's a sure sign the wheel could explode if you don't have it replaced. I was very surprised and shocked when he told me this. Mine had quite a few in it and was left without a bike for a few months while he was maintaining it.

Thought I'd mention all of this while it's fresh in my mind.

Hope your husband enjoys his new bike.