First bike to buy alone £200 budget

[rianon]

Hi,

I'm seeking advice on which bike to purchase for commuting to work, taking kids around in their trailer (Burley Cub) and for leisure use. It seems that a women’s hybrid bike is the best option.

My maximum budget is £200 but I am quite willing to buy a used bike from Ebay, Gumtree etc. At a local cycle shop I was advised to buy a Dawes bike for £400 but forgot to check the exact name.

I would really like to have a good proper bike but have no one to help me choose. I figured if I am lucky I could get a bike for around half price so recommendations for £400 bikes and further opinions would be great.

Thank you

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Womans Hybrid or Mixtie or if your commute isn't huge, a mountain bike that you could put slick tyres on for better road manners. £200 will go quite a long way on the sites you mention with those sort of options, but remember the old addage, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

you could also take a trip to a cash converters type shop, a lot of their intake is supermarket c**p but they do get the odd gem coming in.

At that money you could get low end but decent new. I'd try Halfords for a Carrara bike or if you have one near check Decathlon out, bikes that are better than they should be for their price, excellent customer service & accessories on hand.

 

[annedonnelly]

If you can increase your budget a little bit Edinburgh Bike Coop have this for £230. I have the 2008 version and it's bomb-proof. Much better than you'd expect for such a low price. Of course, once you've got the bike you'll find all sorts of other things you need to buy

 

[Sara_H]

Hello Rianon.

I have a Dawes Mojave hybrid which is a really comfy bike. I got it for £100 as part of a local authority cycle boost scheme - may be worth checking in there's anything similar in your area.

 

[Cycleops]

As others have said your budget is not big. You would certainly get better value by going used. You can pick up some bargains but you need to be wary. You can often find bikes that have been bought on impulse and hardly used, go for something like this. On hybrids steer clear of suspension forks, they just add unnessecary weight and little extra comfort. If you are unsure of a purchase just ask on here.You need to get the correct size, you don't say how tall you are. Any other questions just ask. Good luck.

 

[Sara_H]

Thing about buying used is that if you buy something that needs alot of work doing and you don't have the skills to do it yourself you can quite quickly be ramping up the costs.

When I was at my LBS recently there was a woman in getting a quote for work that needed doing to get a second hand bike running properly. It came to around about £100. She was gutted.

 

[compo]

As Rianon says she is on her own with no one to advise or help her so buying second hand is very risky for her. Sarah_H hits the nail on the head. Buy a poor bike that looks OK and you could spend a bomb getting the thing working properly. AnneDonelly's suggestion about Edinburgh Bike Co-op is very good advice, and based on personal experience.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

you could also look for bike recycling charities and groups that fix up unwanted or donated bikes and sell them on. You'll be more confident then about getting something you can ride immediately without further cost or hassle.

good points on maintainence and fixing too, many places (inc Edinburgh Bikes - another good point for them) do pretty cheap courses covering the basics and setting up a bike through to quite advanced skills ones if the bug bites you. Check out your local council too, they often run courses, bike marking events etc.

I'm guessing from the trailer reference you're not totally new to cycling but if I 'm wrong on that, it might be an idea to ask the council again or google for a local new/refresher cycling course to give you a bit of confidence and have someone look over how you ride & will get on (assuming again) commuting on the road. Many offer free ones.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Hi Rianon and .

Do any of your local bike shops have bikes they've taken in part exchange? A couple of the shops near to me usually have one or two and my sister got her Dawes Mojave this way - it's cosmetically a bit scruffy but they'd serviced it and fitted a new chain and freewheel. I fitted a couple of new tyres and tubes to it, bringing the total cost up to £140 which I thought wasn't bad.

 

[vickster]

If you can increase your budget a little bit Edinburgh Bike Coop have this for £230. I have the 2008 version and it's bomb-proof. Much better than you'd expect for such a low price. Of course, once you've got the bike you'll find all sorts of other things you need to buy

Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative - 15% Off, Bikes Clothing & Accessories, ... 28th-31st March

Will bring in budget

 

[Leodis]

There are deals out there, I picked up a 2nd hand mint Boardman Comp 2010 with 105/Tiagra mix with Ritchie finishing kit and wheels for £300!! Just keep looking and know what brands you are going to get a better spec for cash.

 

[rianon]

Wow thanks for all the input :-)

Your suggestions are definitely worth considering.

cycleops, Sara H and compo: I must agree that unfortunately I am not good enough with bikes to choose between a good and bad deal online. If I keep looking I will come back and ask.

shouldbeinbed ’ve been to Halfords and their customer service was second to non. The really nice guy there told me the Carrera Subway (http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...productId_1001840_langId_-1_categoryId_165534) will drop down to £200 and it did! He also said however that it will only last me 5-6 years. It might be stupid at this stage in my life but I was hoping to buy a bike which will last at years 10 years if not a lifetime.
Any experience about Carrera bikes lifespan? It would be stored indoor, regularly greased and serviced yearly.

shouldbeinbed and Sara H: Thanks for mentioning cash converters , local authority cycle boost scheme, bike recycling charities and local council these were all things I didn’t know / think of.

annedonnelly and vickster: thanks for the great recommendation it actually made me quite excited that I might be able become a bike owner very soon!! Which size should I go for? I am 163 cm which is 5ft 4 according to google. I am thinking the 17”?

Sara H and Rickshaw Phil: Two votes for Dawes Mojave it seems. I certainly don’t mind scruffy. You guys really made me want one like this… Will see if I am patient enough to wait… Or go for the Revolution Streetfinder…

Leodis: That’s great well done! I have a feeling my budget of £200 is just not right for the best deals I would need £300. Maybe in a couple of years time :-)

Thanks again everyone I am really looking forward to have a little freedom, ditch the bus and pushchair and teach my kids to love cycling :-) Currently this is my shortlist thanks to all the reccomendations - would love to hear feedback on these bikes' lifespan:

1) Dawes Mojave if I find a good second hand deal
2) Revolution Streetfinder buying 28-31 March
3) Carrera Subway buying soon until reduced price stock lasts

It seems I have to make a decision pretty quick! Scary...

Rianon

 

[vickster]

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/comms/site_sizing/sizecharts-brands.htm. Edinburghshire own guide suggests 17" should be ok, but why don't you call one of their stores or better still go in to try for size if you are near one of their shops
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/comms/our-shops.htm
To get the most time from the sales guys, avoid sunny Saturdays and Sundays

 

[annedonnelly]

Glad to hear you're so excited Rianon! If I were you I'd try out the bike before you decide. Some people prefer different positions on a bike and what's perfect for me might not suit you, even if it's apparently the right size.

I've just had a look at my paperwork and my Streetfinder was sold as 19.5" I'm a little over 5'5". They could've changed the sizing since then - the bike isn't identical to mine.

 

[the snail]

Wow thanks for all the input :-)

t I was hoping to buy a bike which will last at years 10 years if not a lifetime.
Any experience about Carrera bikes lifespan? It would be stored indoor, regularly greased and serviced yearly.



Rianon

If you look after it, maintain it well, like any decent bike it should last many years