Need a new bike - Maximum budget: £300

[AaronR271]

(Just noticed i think i've put this in the wrong forum, so if somebody could move it, please do! )

Hey guys, I'm new here, so for a start - hello!

I have a budget of a of £300 (although i could go a few pounds more..)

I'm stuck between what type of bike i should get, because i enjoy going cycling in the summer with a friend, usually around 30 miles, daily aswell - although this summer i plan to go further.

My last bike was only £100 from a catalogue, so yeah, it's rubbish and its got no suspension, (and now the wheels buckled - it never was a good bike, so i wont fix it ) which i guess sucks too...

So could you advise a new bike for me please, a possible front suspension bike, but also good for road? if not, a road bike would be fine i guess.

thanks in advance!
Aaron.

 

[accountantpete]

I'd have a think about what bike you want - the mtb with front suspension will be a bit cumbersome on the roads especially with the nobbly tyres etc.

Stick to the established brands like Specialized,Trek,Giant etc

eghttp://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/specialized-hardrock-mountain-item144928.html

For £300 you are still looking at components that wont wear too well but they should last longer than the unbranded rubbish on your first bike.

 

[wafflycat]

As above - have a good long think about what you'll be mostly using the bike for. On road use, and light off-raod on towpath sort of stuff and you don't need suspension. You budget is limited and you'll be pushing it to get a reasonably decent bike with decent front suspension for that sort of price if buying new. If buying secondhand, you'll need to KNOW what to look out for as regards faults.

For your budget you should be able to get a basic, half-decent hybrid/road bike: no suspension that with looking after, could give you years of service.

Here's a link to some hybrid types - plenty in your budget

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/c/cycle/7/Hybrid_~_City_Bikes/#2,1000

Hope this helps

 

[AaronR271]

cheers for your help guys!
because i don't really know what i'm looking for, and you probably do, could you advise the best one out of this list please?

Giant CRS 4.0 Hybrid 2010
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Giant_CRS40_2010/5360049698/

Giant CRS 4.0 FS Hybrid 2008
http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/giant-crs-40-fs-hybrid-id42892.html

Giant Escape R1 Gents city bike 2009
http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/giant-escape-r1-gents-city-bike-id42905.html

GT Traffic 4.0 Hybrid bike 2010
http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/gt-traffic-40-hybrid-bike-light-grey-id54754.html

Trek 7100 Hybrid
http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/trek-7100-hybrid-bike-id45728.html

Cheers again for your help!

 

[wafflycat]

Now there's the thing. What is best depends on what sort of cycling you'll be doing. Then you want one that fits you. With the well-known reliable brands, I'd go as far as to say there's little between them so go for what you like in terms of model/colour... The key is a bike fit for purpose and that fits you.

 

[AaronR271]

cheers wafflycat, been a great help!
i'm 5 foot 9, so what sort of frame would that be? (preferrably not a small one..)

 

[Paulwakefield]

Have a good think about it, will you only be on the road? or a mix of road and light off roading. I bought a Scott Sportster P55 for around £360 only to decide 6 months later that I wanted a road bike, and I couldn't be happier with it.

From your list I test rode the Trek 7100 and quite liked it, could be biased due to the Trek sat in my spare room though!

 

[AaronR271]

yeah paul, i should think i will mix it a bit, and yeah i thought the trek 7100 looked pretty sweet aswell...so i'm contemplating it, but i will still look around a bit.

 

[wafflycat]

cheers wafflycat, been a great help!
i'm 5 foot 9, so what sort of frame would that be? (preferrably not a small one..)

Here you go

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/h/option/bikesizeguide

 

[Banjo]

Hello Aaron I have a Trek Valencia Hybrid and think its great so I am biased a bit towards the Trek.

If your mostly going cycling on roads and paths such as canal paths cycle paths through parks etc then you are lugging the weight of the suspension forks around when you dont need them.The movement also saps your energy more than a rigid bike.

Obviously if you intend bouncing over rough mountain bike trails then you need a mountain bike with suspension and knobbly tyres but most people are better off without them.

Re sizing By coincidence I am also 5 ft 9 tall with a 31 inch leg.My Trek hybrid is a 20 inch and is comfortable,

This is my Trek hybrid.Done a few thousand miles now over roads paths fields beaches etc and no major problems.

Good luck.

 

[thanos]

I too am looking for a bike (current one being a used beater that is as much toll on me as I on it), and trying to stay within budget, but i find it difficult to stay in one category to tell you the truth (been looking at road bikes since yesterday eve. even though I aimed for a hybrid to start off with.
I have tested the ridgeback velocity, pinnacle mean street, borealis, gt transeo, trek 7.2fx, and the boardman hybrid comp. The fx did seem cheap in some ways though, but overall the quality of some components and the trek frame sort of make up for it.

Long story short I found the trek to be the most comfortable while still ok looking (not the best color variety). The boardman hybrid comp has weird frame sizes so at 5'8" 32 inside leg and 173 cm arm span am stuck with a small size that looks like a loaded midget bike - if i opt to spend 1000 gbp then i can get into a medium boardman.. twas quite dissapointing.

So now im torn between spending a cool 280 for trek or trying to convince myself whether i need something faster..

In any case hope the extra metadata help some..

 

[slowmotion]

One point that you might consider....make your money go further by buying a 2009 or 2008 model of your chosen bike.

 

[Moodyman]

One point that you might consider....make your money go further by buying a 2009 or 2008 model of your chosen bike.

Couldn't agree more. I got my Trek SU200, predecessor to Banjo's Valencia in December 09. The bike was a 2007 model with a regular price of £370, reduced to £220 - shop wanted to get rid before 2010 stock arrived.

The Valencia is currently retailing for £500. Not a bad saving for riding a 2 year old model that nobody on the street will detect.

 

[wafflycat]

One point that you might consider....make your money go further by buying a 2009 or 2008 model of your chosen bike.

Indeed - that way there are bargains to be had.

 

[Plague]

Hi there Aaron,

Like you, I've been looking around at the ~£300 hybrid market as I want to get back on the road, mainly for commuting to work. Ive been on the fence with a couple of models but the GT Transeo here http://www.evanscycles.com/products/gt/transeo-50-2009-hybrid-bike-ec016398 is winning at the moment. Almost certainly going to get one of these in the next week I think. The other posters are absolutely right, get it clear what you want to do with the bike first and then look at what will satisfy those needs. For me, its going to be mainly road use and a bit of light canal riding at weekends I would guess so I dont want the suspension or the chunky tyres.

Theres plenty of advice on here so happy shopping and let us know what you go for!

EDIT - Dont know if you've had a look at the Dawes Discovery 301? There seem to be a few places online at present selling that for about £240 which to me seems quite good looking at the spec (which I will readily admit is largely lost on me, apart from brands)