Minimum spend for a decent commuting bike?

[girv73]

Inspired by the cheap bike test article in this month's C+, where a £40 Tesco bike failed to travel 17 miles on a tarmac cycle path, I got to wondering: if you were to buy a brand new bike for commuting, what's the minimum spend you'd need in order to get a ride that will last at least a couple of years?

I've a feeling it's around the £300 mark myself. Sub-£100 you seem to takes yer chances on whether the bike will explode on it's first ride, with wheels, cranks and pedals being the major failure points. At £300 you get some rigid bikes from recognised manufacturers using branded (if low-end) components; LBS and online cycling stores carry few bikes below this mark, whereas non cycle specific retailers have quite a selection.

But what about in between? Can you get a decent commuting bike for £150? £200? £250? Where's the cutoff?

 

[MadoneRider1991]

i would be willing to spend over 300 to get it light

 

[HLaB]

I've got a £300 ridgeback velocity (in todays market £350) for my 9 mile (round) commute but if I was going any further again I'd be wanting to spend over £300.

 

[MrRidley]

I paid £350 for my giant, money well spent, very comfy to ride however next year i'll be spending a bit more, because there's always something nice and shiny that catches your eye.

 

[4F]

I buy second hand therefore maximising my money. My Dawes 1970's road bike which I have now converted to a fixed cost less than £ 40 and my nice weather campagnolo equipped bike £ 200

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

My Giant cost me £250 a couple of years ago .. it was bought with the intention of plodding around with the kids and - maybe - the odd commute.

Just over a year of day-in-day-out-all-weather commuting later and I've spent a lot of time - and not a little money! - on maintenance. It's done well, but I think I've expected more of it than I should .. I'll spend a bit more when I come to replace it.

(Not that I particularly expect to reduce my maintenance times, but shiney new toys are always good).

 

[TimO]

I think of the bikes I've used for commuting in the last few years, the cheapest would be the Brompton T3, but I can't remember how much that cost. The last two bikes (which are multi-use, not just commuting) have both cost around £400, but then I've spent another couple of hundred on each with additions and changes.

How much is a bit of a variable, depending on whether you include things like carriers, mudguards, and lights, which most commuting bikes need, but often don't come with.

If I was on a tight budget, I'd probably want to spend at a minimum £250 or so. Under that and things just become a bit too cheap to last very long. Even at that price point, I think you would want to search around, and try and get the best for your money. Since you're on the cusp of a decent bike price, some will be naff, and some will be good value. Most will however be heavier than is ideal, so how long and hilly your commute is will also make this a factor.

 

[John the Monkey]

£200 - £250 gets you a decent enough bike from the EBC or Halfords. (Courier or Subway hybrid).

 

[HJ]

Buy cheap buy twice, if you are buying a bike to use everyday it is worth spending more. 1 you will enjoy it more if it is lighter and smoother, 2 it will last longer and be cheaper in the long run...

 

[swee'pea99]

I'm with FFFF - if budget's tight, you're mad to buy new. With a little care and patience you can buy a fantastic bike second hand for a fraction of the cost. Check this out, for just one example.

 

[sw3008]

Just spent £800 on a Dawes Super Galaxy. Hopefully, it'll keep me going for a few years yet.

Previously had a trek t30 (which I modified) & that was £250.00.

 

[girv73]

Yes, there's no doubt a second hand or salvaged bike would likely be better in this price range, as the C+ article itself showed. I was asking about new bikes...

 

[Duds]

my bike is a 'Mason's Hammer'
i.e. it has had three new handles, and five new heads since new

bought it second hand from the guy in the cycle shop. Old but good light frame, re-sprayed at least twice in its past, but an excellent mish-mash of components.

for the price, a steal, and still going strong in the three years i've had it.

 

[spandex]

Where are the handles and heads on a bike?

 

[magnatom]

My hybrid is now about 3.5 years old and cost me £270 (Ridgeback Cyclone) It's still running fine (although I'm wearing the chain and cassette down at the moment for replacement soon). Over the three years I've probably spent quite a lot on it and replaced a lot. New front and back tyres, new front and back wheels, new bottom bracket, new headset, 2 x new cassettes, new triple chainring and cranks, 2 x chains, a new rear mech (got damaged), various new cables, various new bearings, the odd spoke and the odd tube.

Would I have had to replace less had I spent more, maybe, maybe not. I probably would have had to replace less had I cleaned it more!

Then of course there are things like the lights, clothes......