New Bike advice

Benners123

Hello everyone,

I am on the lookout for a new bike. I cycle 5 times a week to and from work which is about 6.5 miles in total a day. My current bike is a hand me down from a family member, is too small for me and is over 15 years old so it starting to break.

Where is a good place to get a new bike from? I was wondering if you could get a decent bike second hand? or is it better to bite the bullet with a place like Halfords? Do I have to pay for them to assemble it for me?

Open for all options. Have about £150-£225 to spend and would prefer quality over cheapness. I have been advised the best type of bike for my activity is Hybrid, due to the concrete paths and roads which I cycle on.

Look forward to your suggestions!

parking_question_chap

Having recently got myself a hybrid bike for the same purpose I would say a hybrid is fine, though I now think perhaps I should have got road bike.

I searched on ebay and waited until something with mud guards, bag rag and in my price range was for sale local to me. Depending on age you will end up getting a bike for around 33% of the new price.

Dont get suspension, it just wastes energy.

Mr_Singleton

Benners123 wrote: »

Have about £150-£225 to spend
Look forward to your suggestions!

Hard to see any new bike in that price range not being disposable i.e when something breaks/wears out you chuck it away as repairing it would be 50% of the cost of a new bike.

Benners123

I found a Hybrid bike from Halfords for £183 which I think I will go with. It has good reviews and appears reasonable!

Either way it will be better than my current situation.

SalemD

For your use you could not go far wrong with a hardtail mountain bike. Sure I can see the appeal of a hybrid too. Which is essentially a road bike with off road tyres.

parking_question_chap

SalemD wrote: »

For your use you could not go far wrong with a hardtail mountain bike. Sure I can see the appeal of a hybrid too. Which is essentially a road bike with off road tyres.

Or a mountain bike with road tyres.

Depending on the variant.

Pennywise

I wouldn't recommend getting Halfords to build it for you. We've had no end of trouble with their so-called "professional" service. Latest was last year when the front wheel fell off my son's new bike the first time he rode it - the "professional" hadn't tightened the nuts! Years earlier, we got them to put stabilisers on my son's first "two wheel" bike and yet again, one side fell off causing him cuts and bruises because they hadn't used the right size bolts!

brat

Pennywise wrote: »

I wouldn't recommend getting Halfords to build it for you. We've had no end of trouble with their so-called "professional" service. Latest was last year when the front wheel fell off my son's new bike the first time he rode it - the "professional" hadn't tightened the nuts! Years earlier, we got them to put stabilisers on my son's first "two wheel" bike and yet again, one side fell off causing him cuts and bruises because they hadn't used the right size bolts!

As someone who has been involved in cycle proficiency over the years, your experience with Halfords is not the exception.

Cycrow

SalemD wrote: »

For your use you could not go far wrong with a hardtail mountain bike. Sure I can see the appeal of a hybrid too. Which is essentially a road bike with off road tyres.

Hybrid is quite a varied type, and can include full road bikes with flat handle bars, to mountain bikes without suspension.

But most hybrids tend to have road tyres, not off road ones

Keep_pedalling

For comuting you don't want anything with suspension especially low end mountain bikes which without exception are heavy rubbish.

For your budget I would suggest 2nd hand, but not from eBay or gumtree. Most towns have suppliers of second hand bikes, and although more expensive than a private sale, they can offer a wide range of bikes in various sizes that will have been serviced before they are sold. They will also be able to be able to provide advice on the most suitable bike for you.

Edit. If you don't currently maintain your own bike it is also with while investing in a basic bike maintenance course, which in the long run will save you a lot of money.

Nasqueron

Cycrow wrote: »

Hybrid is quite a varied type, and can include full road bikes with flat handle bars, to mountain bikes without suspension.

But most hybrids tend to have road tyres, not off road ones

I think he meant slicks being road tyres - my CX has 35c "road" tyres but they'd be fine riding trails due to the nobbly grips

OP might well look at the B'Twin range for good value and consistently good reviews

Decathlon have some good stuff in the sale now - the Original 500 Hybrid for £150

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/C-10880-b-twin/N-66468-price~from-150-to-200/N-66468-price~from-200-to-250

Otherwise Wiggle have a few in the sale including the Verenti own brand

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cycle/commuter-urban-bikes/?cc=GBP&bc=GBP&omi=200&oma=800&mi=200&ma=250

Or Evans - below are hybrids

https://www.evanscycles.com/bikes/hybrid-bikes_c?priceIncMin=198&priceIncMax=257