buying a bike (newbie)

Kitty

Hi, I want to buy a cycle, is it possible to get
something reasonable for under £100 ? I'll be
using it mainly on level trails, not roads or
steep hills (hopefully)

Any good deals online ? I presume I'd best avoid
Halfords ?

Cheers.

H.

Zog The Undeniable

Kitty wrote:

> Hi, I want to buy a cycle, is it possible to get
> something reasonable for under £100 ?

No. Unless you only ever ride it in dry, non-dusty conditions. It is,
however, possible to get a good secondhand bike for £100.

dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers

>Hi, I want to buy a cycle, is it possible to get
>something reasonable for under £100 ? I'll be
>using it mainly on level trails, not roads or
>steep hills (hopefully)

Not new, unless you want components made of cheese and a frame of lead :-(

You can get reasonable second-hand bikes if you shop around.

>Any good deals online ? I presume I'd best avoid
>Halfords ?

Avoiding buying bikes from Halfords is an excellent idea. I'd never willingly
buy a bike from there again. I got my son's basic MTB from there and it went
back several times before Halfords got it right. They may sell the most bikes,
but that doesn't mean they are good. Can be useful for basic accessories
though. Don't buy a bike from Argos, nor a supermarket either.

If you can, you need to up your basic budget to between £200 & £300 to get
something basic that is of decent quality. Remember at that price, stay away
from suspension. Decent suspension on a bike *costs* and more than that basic
budget.

Have a look at
http://www.edinburgh-bicycle.co.uk/
The buget bikes (own brand) from this company consistently get good write-ups
in the press about being good value for money.
And look at
http://www.dawes-cycles.co.uk/
The Dawes range may have something to suit in the Discovery range, but again,
not for £100

Cheers, helen s



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Tony W

"Kitty" <sdrgfsgr@stghw.com> wrote in message
news:33kipeF4285rhU1@individual.net...
> Hi, I want to buy a cycle, is it possible to get
> something reasonable for under £100 ? I'll be
> using it mainly on level trails, not roads or
> steep hills (hopefully)
>
> Any good deals online ? I presume I'd best avoid
> Halfords ?

You have done what most others posing this question do not -- you have told
us what you want the bike for -- which makes it easier to provide some
considered responses.

Sub £200 bikes are typically not worth having. They will have poor
components (as Helen says, made of cheese) and heavy, poorly configured
frames. Best avoided. Easily available from Halfords, Cycle King, your
local supermarket etc.

Next you need to think what sort of bike you want. Level trails could mean
all sorts of surface -- from tarmac through gravel/cinder to rough
bridleways. None of these require suspension. Suspension adds to the
weight and its cost has to be saved in other components. A basic hybrid or
unsprung MTB would seem a good place to start.

Next -- sex.

Sorry to be so forward -- but does Kitty indicate that you might be the
female of the spices? Women are built different. (No way, Jose!!) They
typically have proportionately shorter bodies and longer legs -- so can feel
'stretched out' on a (man's) bike (and most are) that is the right size for
their legs but to long for their body.

Next, how mechanically competent are you? (Or do you know a (wo)man that
is?)). If so my local tip sells bikes for a tenner each -- ranging from
complete crap to some nice stuff. Saturday is a good day to loiter as that
is when perfectly good bikes are dumped. Most need a clean, oil and perhaps
a puncture fixed. At that price you can afford to take a punt on something
being 'good enough' to get you started. Do some research first so you know
what brands are good and which are cheese. If you do buy at the tip make
sue the bike fits reasonably -- at least stand over it and check it feels
about right.

Have fun

T


PS -- don't rule out roads. Quiet country lanes are wonderful for cycling.

Not Responding

dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers wrote:
>>Hi, I want to buy a cycle, is it possible to get
>>something reasonable for under £100 ? I'll be
>>using it mainly on level trails, not roads or
>>steep hills (hopefully)
>
>
> Not new, unless you want components made of cheese and a frame of lead :-(
>
> You can get reasonable second-hand bikes if you shop around.

Agreed.

>
>>Any good deals online ? I presume I'd best avoid
>>Halfords ?
>
>
> Avoiding buying bikes from Halfords is an excellent idea. I'd never willingly
> buy a bike from there again. I got my son's basic MTB from there and it went
> back several times before Halfords got it right. They may sell the most bikes,
> but that doesn't mean they are good.

Hmm. Have to disagree on this (as I have before). IME, Halfords is no
better or worse than other bike shops. Some have excellent staff, others
are appalling. My worst and best bike shop experiences have been with
independent shops. Halfords has always been middling but fair.

Halfords offer a good selection of bikes and their own brands can be
good (I have one).

> Can be useful for basic accessories
> though. Don't buy a bike from Argos, nor a supermarket either.

Agreed.

> If you can, you need to up your basic budget to between £200 & £300 to get
> something basic that is of decent quality. Remember at that price, stay away
> from suspension. Decent suspension on a bike *costs* and more than that basic
> budget.
>
> Have a look at
> http://www.edinburgh-bicycle.co.uk/
> The buget bikes (own brand) from this company consistently get good write-ups
> in the press about being good value for money.
> And look at
> http://www.dawes-cycles.co.uk/
> The Dawes range may have something to suit in the Discovery range, but again,
> not for £100

EBC is fine providing you live in Edinburgh. However little you spend on
a bike, you need to try it for size and make sure it fits. Your local
shop (even Halfords) will check the sizing for you. A newbie buying a
first bike should certainly not rely on guesswork and internet buying.

MSeries

Tony W wrote:

>
>................................. does Kitty indicate that you might be the
> female of the spices?

That would be Scary.

Simon Brooke

in message <33kipeF4285rhU1@individual.net>, Kitty
('sdrgfsgr@stghw.com') wrote:

> Hi, I want to buy a cycle, is it possible to get
> something reasonable for under £100 ? I'll be
> using it mainly on level trails, not roads or
> steep hills (hopefully)

For under £100, look at what's available second and locally. Check your
classified ads in your local paper, or the pin board in your super
market. You will not get a new bike under £100 which is value for
money.

For around twice that, if you're in or near Edinburgh, Newcastle or
Aberdeen consider the Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op's own brand bikes; if
not, consider the Claud Butler range, for example the Classic.

--
simon@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; All in all you're just another hick in the mall
-- Drink C'lloid

Peter B

"dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers" <wafflycathcs@aol.compomcom> wrote in
message news:20041231053630.11831.00002490@mb-m16.aol.com...
> If you can, you need to up your basic budget to between £200 & £300 to get
> something basic that is of decent quality. Remember at that price, stay
away
> from suspension. Decent suspension on a bike *costs* and more than that
basic
> budget.

Out of curiosity/for amusement I checked out the front "suspension" on two
cheap and nasty bikes in H*lfords. One had no discernible travel and
t'other was an undamped spring in a flexy metal telescope. Positively evil.

Pete

Peter Clinch

Not Responding wrote:

> EBC is fine providing you live in Edinburgh.

Or Aberdeen, or Newcastle, or within reasonably easy travelling distance
of one of them.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net p.j.clinch@dundee.ac.uk http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Al C-F

On 31 Dec 2004 10:36:30 GMT, wafflycathcs@aol.compomcom
(dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers) wrote:

>Avoiding buying bikes from Halfords is an excellent idea.

Except possibly for the Subway 8, which seems to be an excellent
utility bike.

dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers

>Except possibly for the Subway 8, which seems to be an excellent
>utility bike.
>

On personal experience of the poor setting up of bikes and poor technical
knowledge of staff in doing this and poor quality control of stock I've
experienced in Halfords, I would not willingly buy *any* bike from Halfords
ever again, no matter how excellent the bike seems to be. I don't mind getting
the odd basic from there, such as an LED light or a helmet, but not a bike.

Cheers, helen s






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Tony W

"MSeries" <skankmartin@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:33ksj9F3vjm79U1@individual.net...
> Tony W wrote:
>
> >
> >................................. does Kitty indicate that you might be
the
> > female of the spices?
>
> That would be Scary.

Sporty?

JLB

Not Responding wrote:

> EBC is fine providing you live in Edinburgh.

Actually, it's fine if you live in Newcastle or Aberdeen too. The
Edinburgh branch is the only one I've never used.

http://www.edinburgh-bicycle.co.uk/...directions.html

458-464 George St, Aberdeen, AB25 3XH
Tel: 01224 632994 Fax: 01224 648081

5-7 Union Road, Byker, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE6 1EH
0191 265 8619 Fax: 0191 265 4072

8 Alvanley Terrace, Whitehouse Loan,
Edinburgh, EH9 1DU
Tel: 0131 228 3565 Fax: 0131 229 4447

--
Joe * If I cannot be free I'll be cheap

Jon is Away!

Not Responding wrote:
> Halfords offer a good selection of bikes and their own brands can be
> good (I have one).

On this subject. Does anyone know of an alternative to the Subway 8
that is around that price? [1] My mum is looking at bikes and I'd like
to try her on a hub-geared beast of some variety, but Halfords no
longer have any Subway 8s in stock online or in any of the stores I've
tried.

Jon

[1] I'm sure it's a lovely bike, but the Cannondale Fifty-Fifty is a
little out of her price range.