£300 set budget for a new bike - suggestions?

[annedonnelly]

Are any of the shops on our recycling map near you? These places in general are taking used bikes and refurbishing them for sale. They won't have any interest in selling you an expensive bike to hit their sales targets. They're likely to be genuine folk who'll listen to what you want. They might not have a bike to suit you but they'd probably let you try a few and see what's most important on your list of wants.

 

[Webbo2]

TBH, I think the OP's best bet is to go to a bicycle recycling place and get something from there. There's lists and recommendations in the "General Cycling Chat" section of the forum.

There'll be good bang-for-buck, and no one will try pushing something that's way out of budget. Likely you won't get anything fancy, but you'll end up with a decent bike that does the job.

And to the OP - frame sizing is only a *guide* as to what size bike you need. Everyone's anatomy is different, so don't always take the salesperson's word as to whether a bike will fit or not. Chances are they're only going by the chart they've been given rather than your particular measurements. As I mentioned upthread, the two basic tests you do in order to see if a bicycle fits is:

a) Stand over the thing. If you've a good inch clearance between the crown jewels and the top bar, the frame is in the right ball park (see what I did there?) and...

b) Put your funny bone against the nose of the saddle and your fingers on the headset (the bit that holds the top of the forks to the stem). If your middle finger reaches the middle of the headset, then the bike has the right reach for you.

If A and B both apply, then the bike will fit you.

Shirley in the case of b whether your middle finger reaches the middle of the headset will depend where the saddle is on the rails. Plus I was always told elbow on point of saddle and clenched fist knuckles should touch the back of the stem. This was about the position of the saddle presuming you had the right size frame.

 

[Reynard]

Shirley in the case of b whether your middle finger reaches the middle of the headset will depend where the saddle is on the rails. Plus I was always told elbow on point of saddle and clenched fist knuckles should touch the back of the stem. This was about the position of the saddle presuming you had the right size frame.

Oh yeah, that too, indeed. I use that method when I'm moving settings from one bike to another. Same like taking the distance from the BB to the saddle clamp to check (roughly) for height.

That said, a saddle's only got a couple of inches of fore-and-aft adjustment, and in the shops, they tend to clamp them in the middle of the rails. So it's not like you're going to be massively out. Which thus makes it a reasonable way to check whether the reach on a bike is going to be ok.

 

[steveindenmark]

That's where you're going wrong, it should be your first option....

Actually, the second option. The free offer may do the job.😁

 

[ade towell]

Sorry haven’t read everything in this thread so maybe has been already covered but from my experience you could easily get a flat bar hybrid bike with no suspension with hydraulic brakes for £300, I see them every week on Facebook marketplace and Gumtree, my dad got a lovely Whyte bike aluminum frame carbon forks hydraulicic brakes, hardly used at that price. There’s always plenty when I look for my area (Nottingham), London there should be lots of choice

 

[l4dva]

I notice your the same height as me, I have my road bike for sale here if this is of interest. I haven't re visited this for sale post in a long time but i could let it go for closer to £330 ish and I could see what other bits of kit I have to help you out.

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/b...0-mix-sram-force-rival-groupset-c-7kg.300467/

 

[AndyRM]

@infinityleague - I'd give serious consideration to @l4dva's Boardman if it suits, they are great bikes.

 

[biggs682]

I notice your the same height as me, I have my road bike for sale here if this is of interest. I haven't re visited this for sale post in a long time but i could let it go for closer to £330 ish and I could see what other bits of kit I have to help you out.

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/b...0-mix-sram-force-rival-groupset-c-7kg.300467/

That's a good offer

 

[l4dva]

I'm torn between selling it and keeping it to be honest. I'm not going to ride it (only if i want to feel nostalgic for a short ride). Freeing some space in the garage would be great. The cash is negligible in the grand scheme of things - but will certainly help justify the purchase of a new road bike (I've got my heart set on a Fairlight Cycles bike, but reluctant to pull the trigger).

BUT I do love this bike, had it for a very long time and put a hell of a lot of milage on it, rode it at loads of great events, through winter / summer and everything in between - a lot of happy miles on this bike! At the same time I've taken really really good care of it. It looks brand new (minus a few inevitable scratches and scrapes - but that add to the history and character of it), the groupset is virtually brand new. it's a shame the fit now isn't quite right for me and the gearing is also not quite low enough for me (I'm more of a runner these days than a cyclist).

I was thinking to strip the groupset off and hang the frame on the wall (in my office - my wife wouldn't allow it anywhere else in the house). It's not a prestigious brand or particularly pretty frame, so I guess I would be the only one who would see the beauty in it!

Anyways I'll stop rambling and leave the OP to ponder on this before I change mind

 

[infinityleague]

Are any of the shops on our recycling map near you? These places in general are taking used bikes and refurbishing them for sale. They won't have any interest in selling you an expensive bike to hit their sales targets. They're likely to be genuine folk who'll listen to what you want. They might not have a bike to suit you but they'd probably let you try a few and see what's most important on your list of wants.

I’m going through them one at a time, thank you very much for linking me up with that.

 

[infinityleague]

I'm torn between selling it and keeping it to be honest. I'm not going to ride it (only if i want to feel nostalgic for a short ride). Freeing some space in the garage would be great. The cash is negligible in the grand scheme of things - but will certainly help justify the purchase of a new road bike (I've got my heart set on a Fairlight Cycles bike, but reluctant to pull the trigger).

BUT I do love this bike, had it for a very long time and put a hell of a lot of milage on it, rode it at loads of great events, through winter / summer and everything in between - a lot of happy miles on this bike! At the same time I've taken really really good care of it. It looks brand new (minus a few inevitable scratches and scrapes - but that add to the history and character of it), the groupset is virtually brand new. it's a shame the fit now isn't quite right for me and the gearing is also not quite low enough for me (I'm more of a runner these days than a cyclist).

I was thinking to strip the groupset off and hang the frame on the wall (in my office - my wife wouldn't allow it anywhere else in the house). It's not a prestigious brand or particularly pretty frame, so I guess I would be the only one who would see the beauty in it!

Anyways I'll stop rambling and leave the OP to ponder on this before I change mind

Can I message you if that is okay?

 

[infinityleague]

Sorry haven’t read everything in this thread so maybe has been already covered but from my experience you could easily get a flat bar hybrid bike with no suspension with hydraulic brakes for £300, I see them every week on Facebook marketplace and Gumtree, my dad got a lovely Whyte bike aluminum frame carbon forks hydraulicic brakes, hardly used at that price. There’s always plenty when I look for my area (Nottingham), London there should be lots of choice

Will look into this as well.

 

[infinityleague]

I have started on a watt bike. I was dead after 23 minutes and needed a full 48 hours to recover & the reason for not being active on the thread. can not forget the feeling of just my upper torso moving and the lower just lying there on the bike.

thanks everyone. Every bit of information is helpful in here.

 

[AndyRM]

It's worth bearing in mind that riding on a static bike isn't really anything like riding outdoors, especially if you're following some kind of programme. There's nothing wrong with it, but it's a very different kind of riding.

 

[Reynard]

I have started on a watt bike. I was dead after 23 minutes and needed a full 48 hours to recover & the reason for not being active on the thread. can not forget the feeling of just my upper torso moving and the lower just lying there on the bike.

thanks everyone. Every bit of information is helpful in here.

I don't have a static bike, but the principles for starting completely from scratch is the same whichever cycling you do - little and often, and build it up gradually. No point blowing yourself up right from the outset and then taking several days to recover.