buying a bike (newbie)

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.

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.

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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"Kitty" wrote in message
...
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.

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.

Tony W wrote:


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

That would be Scary.

in message , Kitty
') 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 Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

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

"dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers" wrote in
message ...
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

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 http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

On 31 Dec 2004 10:36:30 GMT, omcom
(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.