Bike stolen, very little money

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moorw003

Über Member
Hi

I bought a bike in December to use for getting to University (about 7 miles each way). It was a Carrera Subway 1. I loved it and used to cycle everywhere on it. Unfortunately it was stolen 2 weeks ago. I can't afford to replace it like for like, but need to buy something else ASAP.

One thing I could do is by one second hand, but I got disheartened when a 12 month old locally sold for £160... I only payed £199 for my new one (in the sales).

I've looked high and low for options and have found this bike http://www.harobikes.com/mtb/tab2_subNav7.php (the DLX one, second down) selling for £149 new and it looks decent enough and a very good price. But I don't know anything much about cycles and would like a second opinion of whether it would be any good... whether Haro bikes are any good, whehter it will hold up that sort of thing.

One thing I will say is whatever I get, I'm not expecting it to be as good as my old Carrera. I'm not a cyclist who needs something special... I simply want practicality and value. I'm not someone who has a big budget (given I wasn't expecting to be buying one, you could say I don't have a budget). I posted on a different forum and the response I got was up the budget to £500 and get this or that....., thats not an option as I don't have £500 and that particular person couldn't grasp that.

Anyway, thanks in advance for any opinions on the link I posted. Much appreciated. :wacko:
 

Soltydog

Legendary Member
Location
near Hornsea
What's your location? Maybe someone here will be able to point you towards something suitable local to you :wacko:
 
When I was at UEA (Norwich) there used to be a day (Thursday) when market stalls were set up for students to buy cheap stuff, ranging from jumpers to jewellry, bongs to books and bikes!

Does your uni have some local fella come along and sell cheap second-hand bikes or do bike servicing?
 

PpPete

Legendary Member
Location
Chandler's Ford
That Haro looks like good value for what it is .... but with your budget I would strongly recommend you avoid anything any form of suspension.

How about an old 10 or 12 speed racer - like this ? I know that's wrong area, but just an example.

Unlikely to ever get nicked. Look to pay around £50, or up to £100 for a well known brand like Peugeot, Dawes, Raleigh.
 

g00se

Veteran
Location
Norwich
Find your local freegle mailing list (used to be freecycle) and see if anything comes up - or ask if anyone has an old bike going that they don't need. Alternatively, try cheapcycle lists.

You might end up with something decent but unloved - nothing that a few quid and some TLC won't fix.
 

battered

Guru
Freecycle is a great suggestion. I've had a few that way, starting with 2 wrecks that I turned into 1 working BSO (Bike Shaped Object) that works as well as any £100 Halfords BSO special, then a decent entry level MTB that got fettled with new tyres and cables and is currently on permanent loan to a mate, and finally the crowning glory - a Dawes Galaxy that my Dad uses. You do have to be handy with the spanners but that's part of the fun, and once you've sorted out a BSO then repairing any real functioning bicycle is easy.

So do try Freecycle and the paper, you'll be surprised how many decent machines are out there. Most of the cheaper stuff uses the same bits so you can mix n match to get a working machine.

Finally, avoid anything with a Y shaped frame unless it's a gift and you only want to use it for parts.
 

battered

Guru
BTW, Haro make decent bikes. They have made BMX for years and their MTB offerings are OK. They are often on special offer because nobody in the UK has heard of them, and this leads to bargains.
 

Martok

Klingon on a bike
Location
Watford
moorw003 said:
I bought a bike in December to use for getting to University (about 7 miles each way). It was a Carrera Subway 1. I loved it and used to cycle everywhere on it. Unfortunately it was stolen 2 weeks ago. I can't afford to replace it like for like, but need to buy something else ASAP.

If you have home contents insurance then you might want to check the details, as your bike may be covered by that. Obviously it'll depend on the circumstances of the theft (whether it was locked, where it was etc) but it's worth looking into.
 

battered

Guru
Some very usable commuter machines there for very little cash. The orange Specialised Rockhopper (1990s, rigid) looks nice at £120, I've spent more than that on parts alone for a mid-season overhaul of the commuter.
 
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