bike for the pub?

[Hudson1984]

Hi all, so my long distance cycling is behind me sadly.... I need my hip replaced, which they won't do as apparently i'm too young... great!

sadly, this makes road cycling really hard as I struggle with the riding position and ache like mad for days after a ride.

So, bikes have been sold, turbo trainer has gone and i've turned to playing darts and drinking! least darts is a sport where my physique is well suited

once lockdown ends, I'm keen to join the "local" pub team - now they're only 2/3 miles down the road, and whilst a walk is only 15 minutes. On a bike it would be 5.

Equally, I'm hoping the hip would hold out for day trips out with my son when he's a touch older and i'm thinking a mountain bike would be better all round. Means we can go to off road things which these days are much more appealing to me as I do really struggle getting my foot down if required. Again, at least with a mountain bike the frame geometry is easier as I can move forward when I need to.

Anyway, any recomendations on a good ish mountain bike? Ideally hardtail, ideally of half decent branding and spec - I'm expecting to pay circa £3/400 so something like this?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Trek-Mou...123d:g:ygIAAOSwQPdfb4Dg&LH_ItemCondition=3000

but open to suggestions from you lot. In all reality, it's going to get me to the pub, play some darts then bring me home. It MIGHT venture somewhere else but that'll be in a few years really and by then i'll either have new hips or they'll be completely screwed and I won't be walking let alone riding haha.

 

[fossyant]

My BIL had his hip done in his mid 30's - full replacement. Yes he knows it will probably need doing at least twice again.

Are you UK - Decathlon or Halfords Carrera MTB's are OK, as is the Carrera subway. What you might want to do is look into 'dropper' posts - Brand X do dropper posts for less than £100. It's a hydraulic seat post, press a button and it drops out of the way, mainly for steep downhill, but makes getting on and off easy - my wife uses her dropper for this on her MTB, and I use it when my back get's stiff and tired (ex. broken spine).

 

[Hudson1984]

good to know i'll take a look.

to be honest, was looking more at a better used than a basic new.

but yeah, that's why they want to delay with me - they don't want to have to do it again if they can help it. At the mo it's only the left hip but they've advised the right is on it's way out too.... karate at a young age - clearly not good for you.

 

[si_c]

I've got the same series (4500 vs 4300) hardtail as that Trek and it's really good - however that's woefully overpriced. I doubt it was £400 new let alone second hand, it has had a couple of minor upgrades but nothing significant.

 

[Hudson1984]

sign of the times at the mo. People wanting far too much for far too little.

I like the bike but yeah, will be looking for the right price - then probably asking on here, been about 10 years since I even looked at buying a mountain bike, let alone actually owned one.

 

[fossyant]

Certainly look into dropper posts, especially if struggling. My wife is used to a hybrid, but when presented with an XC full suspension, the 'ride height' is quite a few inches higher than the hybrid - she just can't get on it. Fortunately, I bought the bike second hand from a friend and he threw in an unused Rockshox Dropper (RRP about £200).

Just make sure you have a good look at a used bike - some right shonky stuff out there.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Presume you mean 2/3 mile as 2/3 miles in 5 mins is rather fast cycling.

 

[Hudson1984]

i'm a machine!

2-3 miles.

 

[Sharky]

Presume you mean 2/3 mile as 2/3 miles in 5 mins is rather fast cycling.

Yep. A 3 minute mile is 20mph!

 

[Hudson1984]

when you need a pint anything is possible.

 

[figbat]

If you’re only after a pub bike then forgo suspension and just get something functional - my ‘pub’ bike is a Dawes Kingpin. If you then need a MTB to join your son then get one then.

 

[DCBassman]

What size are you and where? My Trek 800 Sport will be up for grabs soon. No suspension, but BIG City Jet slicks. 18" frame, suits 5'7" to 5'9" IIRC.
Not the lightest either. Fittngs for mudguards etc. 3x9 transmission, with 28-36 lowest gear.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Anyway, any recomendations on a good ish mountain bike? Ideally hardtail, ideally of half decent branding and spec - I'm expecting to pay circa £3/400 so something like this?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Trek-Mountain-Bike-4-Series-4300/284025295421?hash=item42213a123d:g:ygIAAOSwQPdfb4Dg&LH_ItemCondition=3000

but open to suggestions from you lot. In all reality, it's going to get me to the pub, play some darts then bring me home. It MIGHT venture somewhere else but that'll be in a few years really and by then i'll either have new hips or they'll be completely screwed and I won't be walking let alone riding haha.

Define good-ish. My pub bike used to be this Raleigh Pioneer hybrid, which was built from the worst of three donor bikes I bought as a job lot for £10.

Unfortunately the frame eventually cracked, so I built up another Pioneer using a spare frame, which I don't have a current photo of. The point is though it does the job and it cost peanuts.
I also use this Apollo as a pub bike, woods riding bike, going to the shops bike, and general hack and its actually a good bike. Don't laugh, it might be a Halfords low budget job but it does all the things I want it to do, it works properly, it has never broken and I've had three years out of it so far and have not spent more than £10 on it in all that time.

Any bike can be a pub bike, but where I live only an idiot would leave anything actually worth nicking parked outside while they were inside drinking and the bike not in direct line of sight. That rules out any bike that cost more than the amount of food and beer I will consume whilst inside the pub.

 

[Lozz360]

That rules out any bike that cost more than the amount of food and beer I will consume whilst inside the pub.

So choose a pub that serves Kobe beef and Maine lobster burger and wash it down with a bottle or two of BrewDog The End of History and your budget is quite substantial!

 

[Hudson1984]

all very valid points... I think the budget was more based around me missing having a nice bike. But you're right really. A nice bike isn't likely to be there at the end of a night. Whereas a £10 hack might stand half a chance.