Where can I find a cheap bike to ride to work on? Help appreciated.
![[Deleted User]](https://w6.vanillicon.com/v2/69fbee854ece1a13fa0c2b04fafb7f99.svg)
[Deleted User]
Posts: 995 Forum Member
✭✭
Hi, I've become so annoyed at the price of bus passes that I no longer want to use the service. £13 a week just to use a bus seems ridiculous when after a month or two I would have recouped the money from buying a bike by not spending it on bus passes. I would rather brave the weather in the coming months than use the bus.
So I need your help!
Do you know of anywhere that I can get a really good but cheap men's mountain or road bike?
Budget is £90-120 I can't really afford anything more than that.
Links appreciated, cheers people!
So I need your help!
Do you know of anywhere that I can get a really good but cheap men's mountain or road bike?
Budget is £90-120 I can't really afford anything more than that.
Links appreciated, cheers people!
0
Comments
The idea was to save some money. After a week, I really really missed my car.
It is £2 just to get into town (and then £2 back). I don't think I saved much at all and the convenience factor drops too much for me. Quickly decided I'm a car person.
For your bike, I would suggest, Halfords, Cash Converters (and the like) for used ones, and China.
Unless you need it for a specific route or style of riding, which I doubt you do, I suggest you avoid any sort of suspension. Keep it simple, with the value going into the basic components, not an unneccessary suspension.
Edit. If you say where you are, someone with local knowledge may be able to point you in the direction of a shop they would recommend. Also, some of the smaller ones may do second hand also.
Near us there is a small team which reconditions an sells bikes. There might be something near you. Maybe an online search might throw up something, or a local cycling group or forum, where you can ask for local knowledge. Or do you know anyone who already cycles?
http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/clifton-mens-hybrid-cycle-18-was-299-99-now-99-66-off-free-c-c-1972355?page=2#comments
Look at the for sale ads in your local free paper. You can often get a barely used bike for next to nothing that way.
So far I've posted in two Facebook groups, looked on halfords and decathlon. I've found a mens mountain bike for £100 on halfords. It's not bad but I'll keep looking to see what I can get.
It will be false economy. I agree with buying second hand. You'll get a far better quality bike for the same price.
Ebay
Card in local newsagent
card in local supermarket
Local paper
Freecycle
I agree with this. I made the mistake of getting a £100 bike from Halfords. While they are ok for occasional use, they cannot stand up to the mileage that regular commuting will put on it.
In the 10 months or so I owned this bike the wheel bent, the spokes snapped, the pedal broke off, both tyres wore out, and the whole crank needed replaced. Also the gear changes were never smooth and it was a steel frame so heavy for going up hills.
After this time I bought a £300 Specialized bike which gave me no problems and was aluminium so nice and light. The ride quality was like day and night.
So to echo others, avoid a cheap bike. If you can't afford much try to get a second hand quality bike instead.
One of my sons got a Ridgeback MX for £50 there the same as my other son got new for about £350... (a bike service alone might cost you £50 and if you bought a bike from a car boot/charity shop/small ad unless you know a lot about bikes, you might not know if it's safe - cracks on the frame, dodgy forks, etc could lead to an accident). My grown up son got a vintage Raleigh Richmond - a really classy looking bike with a Reynolds frame. I got a top spec Raleigh Special Products Division (ie handbuilt) bike, once, too. Forget the price but it was around £50. It is a lovely bike but to the casual thief looks like a 1980s Raleigh - ie: not worth nicking. But it's handbuilt and beautiful! I've seen Treks, Claud Butlers, you name it in there. Much better than a Halfords Bike Shaped Object.
A lot of cities now have similar community based projects. Well worth supporting.
ETA: Forgot to say but beware of Gumtree and eBay - full of stolen bikes, sites like that. If I was tempted by a bike on such a site I'd ask to see the original receipt and scour the bike forums' 'stolen' boards.
That's not just snobbery. They really do sell some unrideable bikes that will put you off riding for life. (Slow, heavy, clunky, like walking through treacle). I have a Cannondale CX - that is, as others say, like night and day the difference between riding a Halfords Special (unless it's one of the top end Carreras/Boardmans) and a decent bike. For commuting you might want a hybrid - but you might also want a vintage road bike (racer) or a vintage tourer (something like an old Dawes). As others say, secondhand you get a lot more bang for your buck. Before you buy, see if you can try different styles of bike so you know whether you want an upright riding position (hybrid, tourer) or dropped handlebars. Mountain Bikes make slow commuters with their big, grippy tyres. A hybrid rolls a lot faster on tarmac.
I bought a bike this week, a £300 Raleigh that someone had bought on a whim and never used, I got it for £90. So there are bargains to be had, you just need to look.