An undesirable N+1 for city?

[Mrdini]

I hazard I won't be able to buy anything at the moment(!) given cheaper bikes are practically non-existent, so this is more for ideas... So - the bike I currently have is a Specialized Diverge (with a 58 frame). As much as I like it, it is very much not a bike I leave locked up for long if at all in the city! (And yes, I'm paranoid letting it out of sight in town for more than a few minutes )

As a result, I'd like a very cheap mechanically decent (possibly BSO-y) N+1 that a thief would not want to bother with at all, if I use my fairly decent u-lock with it.

Some features that I think I'd want on it...

• Chain cover
• Step-through (only because I imagine thieves wouldn't look at these twice...)
• Heavy is fine (as I assume heavy bikes would be undesirable by thieves). I do live in a fairly hilly city but the routes I tend to take into the centre are flat.
• Pannier rack or similar

I was looking at these Dutch-style Batavus & Gazelle bicycles which seem to tick lot of these boxes, but they're a little on the expensive side, and moreso if they got stolen! Would rather something closer to under the £250 mark if possible.

Any suggestions/pointers?

 

[Cycleops]

I believe that @SkipdiverJohn is something of an expert on these type of bikes. I’m sure he’ll have some suggestions for you.

 

[Reynard]

Why not have a gander at your local recycling centre @Mrdini

Mine sells all sorts of salvage stuff including bikes, and it's as good a source of a cheap hack as any. You may need to put some work into these bikes, but there's value to be had if you're mechanically competent and don't mind an outlay for a few spares.

Another option is to see if there's some sort of cycling co-operative type place near you. The benefit of that is any bike you get from there will have been given a once over.

 

[Mrdini]

@Reynard That's an excellent suggestion about the co-op - I know there's one here in Brighton (Cranks), so might go have a look to see what's there at some point. Ideally I wouldn't want something TOO decent though, I don't want to get my fairly decent lock snipped!

 

[vickster]

Don’t use a snippable lock. Get a proper heavy D lock that will need an angle grinder to defeat!
Eg if you don’t want to spend £80 on the best ones
https://www.insyncbikes.com/cycling-accessories/on-guard-brute-u-lock/11725428.html

 

[Mrdini]

Don’t use a snippable lock. Get a proper heavy D lock that will need an angle grinder to defeat!

Oh - it is (gold lock), fear not.

 

[DCLane]

Specialized did a Globe Daily Step Through, which ticks all those boxes. SWMBO has one and I've used it occasionally:

You'd get a hardly used one for £200-250.

 

[Solocle]

My townie is a second-hand bike that we got for 60 quid (1990 ridgeback hybrid).

I've since given her a new front fork so I could fit a disc brake, along with a fresh rack and such!

 

[Mrdini]

My townie is a second-hand bike that we got for 60 quid (1990 ridgeback hybrid).

Oh I could certainly see myself going for something like that, yeah. But wouldn't that be a bit too appealing to clueless thieves who might think it's better than what it actually is? 😬 Which is why I was originally thinking a step-through and heavy city Dutchie-style might be more unappealing, no?

 

[Solocle]

Oh I could certainly see myself going for something like that, yeah. But wouldn't that be a bit too appealing to clueless thieves who might think it's better than what it actually is? 😬 Which is why I was originally thinking a step-through and heavy city Dutchie-style might be more unappealing, no?

Perhaps, but I do have the odd rust spot, and a good lock! Frankly, the lock is worth as much as the bike...
Apparently an MTB is more attractive to thieves too.
Basically, you don't have to convince the thieves that your bike is absolutely worthless, you just have to convince them that it'll take them a lot of effort to get their filthy mitts on it, and there's a much easier target parked next to you...

 

[sleuthey]

I took this approach with my recent single speed project. I got a 1990s mtb, brand I’d never heard of, hand painted it black in Hammerite. It now has no features that resemble quality / value and I keep it in the back yard

 

[avecReynolds531]

Many of us have had, or still have, a Puch bike - a quick check shows there are plenty out there. Not fashionable & good value for this kind of project:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-...957653?hash=item421c7036d5:g:o5YAAOSwAmpfChCr

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-...406651?hash=item2f46918c3b:g:uloAAOSwfHJfDHEs

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Puch-bik...060057?hash=item3429d40499:g:dB8AAOSwkGVZsW0d

 

[Gunk]

Oxford is full of BSO’s and Students want them for under £100. I agree about a step through, it needs to be basic, functional and completely undesirable, a 1990’s shell suit coloured ladies hybrid would do the job, they’re not worth much so are off the thieves radar, another alternative is an ex dockless bike.

 

[sheddy]

20in wheel folding shopper

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Many of us have had, or still have, a Puch bike - a quick check shows there are plenty out there. Not fashionable & good value for this kind of project:

Puch bikes were generally cheap & cheerful gas pipe jobs, built down to a price in order to undercut brands like Raleigh. They aren't bad bikes in all honestly, except they cut corners with their chrome plating, which doesn't tend to survive well after 30 or 40 years.
I picked up a Puch Touring 3 speed roadster from about 1974, for 99p last year, as I spotted it had a Selle Italia touring saddle fitted and my Raleigh Royal needed a saddle. Plenty of surface rust on the frame and the chrome is really poor, so it looks shite, but surprisingly the thing was in full working order despite its appearance. I'm going to create a stripped down tracker bike from it just to thrash about like I used to do when I was a kid.