New Bike, secondhand or build myself

[gucu]

Hi

I recently posted a thread on upgrading a Raleigh Royal. I want to get a off-road/road bike with an electric wheel. The advice was to avoid doing anything with the Royal as it would be costly to achieve what I want. That said, the cost of buying a new bike is beyond me at the moment and so I need some advice! I can wait and when I have enough money buy a new bike, I could take a loan and get a bike that way or I could look for a good second-hand one or possibly build one from the ground up buying parts on the way.

What do you guys think please?

Thanks

Rich

 

[the snail]

Your best bet would be looking for a clean used bike. Building up from parts can be expensive, and you need to be careful that parts are compatible. IIRC, what you want is a hybrid type bike, should be lots of those available used. Alternatively £4-500 maybe gets you a decent new bike, maybe a bit cheaper from the likes of decathlon, halfords etc. Alternatively, if you could live with drop bars, the raleigh might work fine as a conversion.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Fewer people are selling right now and lots of people are buying, so it's not a great time to be trying to find used bargains... Prices are staying high for used, and that's if you can find the right used bike. I'd be tempted to do what I've done before, buy the right bike now on low interest or interest free credit from somewhere like Paul's Bikes and pay for it over 6 or 12 months. Building up the right bike from components, as Snail says, is potentially expensive and takes time and effort to get the right parts. Rewarding certainly, if you know what you want to end up with and you aren't in a hurry.

The "electric wheel" bit troubles me a little, can you clarify, are you definitely looking to end up with an e-bike? E-assisted? I'd not want to build one up but you may have the knowledge for that, if so you're a talented chap!
Do you have a very clear idea of what bike you want to end up with? Or are you just looking for the cheapest way to get mobile?

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Secondhand without any question, as you simply can't compare VFM new with used. But now is not really the best time to buy as choice is limited. Get something in a couple of months when all this virus business has calmed down a bit. As a bonus, the market could be flooded by then with bikes being offloaded by temporary cyclists.
Interest free credit still doesn't solve the biggest downside inherent with buying new - depreciation. Only buy new if you are happy to burn half your money as soon as you take delivery.

 

[gucu]

Thanks for all the replies, all very helpful. I will wait! It is not a major rush. Yes I can build an ebike and have done several, this time I am going for a crank drive rather than hub.