Looking for a very cheap road bike

[vickster]

I realise it's a hybrid, and I am 5'10 and have no issue with a 61cm Sirrus (I am a woman but have no issues with the brossbar) ...do you guys all like your bikes small and the seat post up really high?? Is this a road bike thing? I don't like the aggressive hunched over position (end up with sore back and knee) so maybe that's it? I got rid of my 57" women's Trek hybrid as it felt tiny once I went to an XL Spesh crosstrail!

 

[Fozz]

Yeah kind of, I'll be riding it a lot, and mainly to somewhere about 10 miles away so I don't really want it to need some sort of urgent repair and have to walk it back.




Thanks, I think I might go with that then.

its it the kind of thing your LBS can get in for you? they might be willing to price match?

i bought online, but only after a lot of research which was kinda fun and arrived on the size choice after sitting on a very sexy (for me) airlite 400 it was the 59 and too big so the 55 was an educated guess please please don`t buy on a whim you may well be throwing away yur hard earned cash and putting you off before you start....

 

[rusky]

Someone on here got a Decathlon sport 1 for £200, an excellent entry bike.

See if there are any stores near by.

 

[Jezston]

I realise it's a hybrid, and I am 5'10 and have no issue with a 61" Sirrus (I am a woman but have no issues with the brossbar) ...do you guys all like your bikes small and the seat post up really high?? Is this a road bike thing? I don't like the aggressive hunched over position (end up with sore back and knee) so maybe that's it? I got rid of my 57" women's Trek hybrid as it felt tiny once I went to an XL Spesh crosstrail!

It's a leg length thing. Women have proportionately longer legs than men - you must be seriously leggy to stand over a 61cm frame! I'm six foot but my legs are only 32" long, so I take a 56-57cm frame

Hangon ... you must be SERIOUSLY leggy to stand over a 61 INCH frame!

 

[vickster]

Erm, there isn't a lot of clearance iyswim, but I can stand flat flooted on the floor over the middle of the crossbar - the sirrus bar is quite curved so not so comfortable at the front by the handlebars! I don't have the saddle high, maybe 4cm but I could probably get away with it a little higher. With the large, so 58", I felt too hunched over and the handle bars too close, and my knee was too bent at the top. I have long arms too! Granted I didn't ride it, but I did ride a 57" women's bike as said and it felt small

33-34" inside leg I think.

All interesting stuff

61cm frame - sorry, am a doofus lol!!

 

[amaferanga]

Yeah kind of, I'll be riding it a lot, and mainly to somewhere about 10 miles away so I don't really want it to need some sort of urgent repair and have to walk it back.

A used bike needn't be in bad condition though. A bike loses about 30-50% of its value as soon as its wheeled out of the shop so you can get a much better bike and one that's in excellent condition for 50% of its new price or less. So your £200 could get you a very decent entry level road bike that's only a few months old instead of a heavy and (probably) crap new bike.

As an example I sold a Giant SCR2 last year that I'd had for a few years. The frame had some marks and chips on it, but all the components were low mileage (Shimano Tiagra groupset) and I sold it with a set of Fulcrum Racing 7 wheels in great condition (that cost about £150 to buy alone) for £200 + £20 postage.

Here it is....

There's no reason at all why that bike would be any more likely to break down than the new bikes you're looking at. In fact I'd say its almost certainly less likely to break as the components are much higher quality than you'd find on a £200-£300 road bike.

So I'd strongly advise you look at used bikes given your budget.

 

[steve52]

ebay bid and be patient i got a super eddie merks (know the spellins wrong) for 150 or second hand older gents bikes from local papers for as little as 50 cheap happy cycling ps test ride befor u part with cash

 

[Alembicbassman]

Got this unused example second hand for £160

The Shimano R500 STi shift levers alone cost £160 new

 

[Fozz]

The thing is guys if you are new to this or coming back after 20 odd years a list of names and numbers on an ebay advert are perplexing(I didn`t know STi shifter existed last september ), is Sora better than Ultrega?(yes i know ) if someone has replaced forks for snazzy carbon, why? has it been wrapped round a van. I love second hand, but if you don`t know what you`re looking at you could be buying a right pup.Yes ebay feedback helps and you should do a bit of research but if you buy new and cheap at least you KNOW you have bought cheap and you are buying a warranty which is peace of mind, another bonus if you are a novice

also if no one buys new, where are all the secondhand ones going to come from??

 

[chugsy]

As mentioned earlier - Decathlon are clearing out their old stock for new lines. BTwin Sport 1 @ £220. My local only had 60cm models left - whilst certainly not bling it felt good to me even though it was a touch too big. A long warranty and free lights thrown too.

 

[amaferanga]

The thing is guys if you are new to this or coming back after 20 odd years a list of names and numbers on an ebay advert are perplexing(I didn`t know STi shifter existed last september ), is Sora better than Ultrega?(yes i know ) if someone has replaced forks for snazzy carbon, why? has it been wrapped round a van. I love second hand, but if you don`t know what you`re looking at you could be buying a right pup.Yes ebay feedback helps and you should do a bit of research but if you buy new and cheap at least you KNOW you have bought cheap and you are buying a warranty which is peace of mind, another bonus if you are a novice

also if no one buys new, where are all the secondhand ones going to come from??

Which is why I recommended he found a knowledgeable friend to help him avoid buying a lemon. If he can't find one he could even post on an internet cycling forum and ask for views on any bikes he's considering.

 

[e-rider]

the Raleigh looks good for the money (not that I'm a big fan of Raleigh but still.....)

If you're 6' tall you'll need a larger size than 55cm that's for sure. 58cm would be about right.

 

[Fozz]

Which is why I recommended he found a knowledgeable friend to help him avoid buying a lemon. If he can't find one he could even post on an internet cycling forum and ask for views on any bikes he's considering.

I understand that, and on said forum he will receive different opinions about what to do based on different peoples experiences, even if those opinions differ, it does not make any of them invalid.

I never found my "knowledgeable friend" until i got out and started riding,difficult to do when you`re looking for a bike. So i lurked on a few forums and got peoples opinions before i made a choice but as with this thread to many opinions may confuse even more....

 

[Peter91]

If you're 6' tall you'll need a larger size than 55cm that's for sure. 58cm would be about right.

Surely 3cm can't make much difference?

 

[Fozz]

Surely 3cm can't make much difference?

big frame,small person, yes.........other way round not so much MTB riders tend to get the smallest frame they can get away with as it will be lighter and a lower frame tube thwaks yer bits less often. I`ve heard some very famous road riders do the same. but you don`t know if thats right for you until you try a few