Stevec047
Über Member
- Location
- Saffron Walden
Well from personal experience YES you can!
As some of you will know I started off cycling back in October last year after many years of unhealthy living and lifestyle choices. Being strapped for cash with two young kids expensive rent and just the general day to day living costs there was no way I could of got into cycling by purchasing a brand new bike even at the lower range.
So the story starts by trawling the local gumtree app and ebay after a few false starts looking at bikes that needed alot of work I found my current bike on ebay being sold by a guy who bought it new in 2014 but just struggled with the fit and position. Downside he was in Coventry I live in Essex but for £80 I thought it was worth a punt and having driven over and seen exactly what was been described and his original receipt and his bank card I was happy to part with my money.
Now I was under no illusion that buying a second hand bike was going to be simple and just jump on and off you go but the fact was after a little fettle of the brake blocks setting the saddle height and bars to suit my larger body I was off.
The next step was lights which has been sorted with a set of £4.99 lights from Aldi and a set of those rubber led lights at £3 from the lbs. A top mounted bag from amazon for £8 and a puncture repair kit and pump £6 were all I needed for the first few weeks of riding.
The next obvious step was padded shorts/leggings so a pair of muddy fox shorts and leggings did the job. There not great and since then I have upgraded to a pair of crivit shorts that were on sale at lid along with a cycling jersey for Christmas.
A btwin windproof jacket from decathlon winter gloves fingerless gloves and cycling glasses all for £50 finished off my cycling gear.
I also had the good fortune that my brother who also used to cycle had a pair of mtb shoes that were the same size as my feet so got those for free along with a long term loan of a cyclops turbo trainer. Both of which are not essential but have been a great help.
Since Christmas I have treated myself to a set of spd pedals £30 and recently a track pump from Halfords for £20. Little bits and pieces when I have the money.
Yes I know there are costs involved with the likes of general wear and tear items and yes the bike has its faults - frayed brake cable on the front, fisher price brake blocks which are fine in the dry but a little sketchy in the wet and a now slightly wonky wheel but apart from that the bike is perfectly road worthy and has given me a massive boost in fitness and general happiness.
So if your just setting off in the world of cycling there is a way of doing it no matter what you budget is.
As some of you will know I started off cycling back in October last year after many years of unhealthy living and lifestyle choices. Being strapped for cash with two young kids expensive rent and just the general day to day living costs there was no way I could of got into cycling by purchasing a brand new bike even at the lower range.
So the story starts by trawling the local gumtree app and ebay after a few false starts looking at bikes that needed alot of work I found my current bike on ebay being sold by a guy who bought it new in 2014 but just struggled with the fit and position. Downside he was in Coventry I live in Essex but for £80 I thought it was worth a punt and having driven over and seen exactly what was been described and his original receipt and his bank card I was happy to part with my money.
Now I was under no illusion that buying a second hand bike was going to be simple and just jump on and off you go but the fact was after a little fettle of the brake blocks setting the saddle height and bars to suit my larger body I was off.
The next step was lights which has been sorted with a set of £4.99 lights from Aldi and a set of those rubber led lights at £3 from the lbs. A top mounted bag from amazon for £8 and a puncture repair kit and pump £6 were all I needed for the first few weeks of riding.
The next obvious step was padded shorts/leggings so a pair of muddy fox shorts and leggings did the job. There not great and since then I have upgraded to a pair of crivit shorts that were on sale at lid along with a cycling jersey for Christmas.
A btwin windproof jacket from decathlon winter gloves fingerless gloves and cycling glasses all for £50 finished off my cycling gear.
I also had the good fortune that my brother who also used to cycle had a pair of mtb shoes that were the same size as my feet so got those for free along with a long term loan of a cyclops turbo trainer. Both of which are not essential but have been a great help.
Since Christmas I have treated myself to a set of spd pedals £30 and recently a track pump from Halfords for £20. Little bits and pieces when I have the money.
Yes I know there are costs involved with the likes of general wear and tear items and yes the bike has its faults - frayed brake cable on the front, fisher price brake blocks which are fine in the dry but a little sketchy in the wet and a now slightly wonky wheel but apart from that the bike is perfectly road worthy and has given me a massive boost in fitness and general happiness.
So if your just setting off in the world of cycling there is a way of doing it no matter what you budget is.
stupid is relative to what else the money is needed for. Yes it's potentially stupid spending lots on a bike if the kids then go hungry. Less so if just using savings that would earn bog all in the bank and can be replenished prior to retirement
Keep on cycling! 
