newbie - is this bike worth repairing?

[njj272]

Hi all, I'm a total newbie and haven't ridden a bike since I was at school nearly 25 years ago, which was a folding shopper and it had 3 gears . However in a last ditch attempt to get fit and shed the extra pounds before the big 40 I have decided to try cycling. I have been given a 2nd hand elswick bolero bike, however it seems that the gear and brake cables need replacing and it would benefit from a general overhaul as it has been sat in a garage for a bit. My question is this... Is it worth trying to get this bike road worthy or would you consider it better to cut my losses and get something better? The bike was free, so anything I spend would be my only outlay. As a newbie I don't want to go and spend my money on something brand new which won't get lot of use, like the treadmill and other bits of fitness kit which seem to accumulate in our house! I am a relatively practical girl and don't mind getting my hands dirty so would even consider doing some of the smaller jobs myself to save cash.
Thanks for reading x

 

[fossyant]

OK, just googled one. It's a 'full suspension' cheap thingymebob. They are horrible to ride, heavy, bouncy. It might even put you off cycling.

Do you have a budget ? Even if you get it going, you will hate cycling. My missus had a cheap Apollo MTB for many years, it was maintained by me and was like new when we sold it (it worked well and rode fine), but I bought her a decent hybrid, and it's like night and day, the newer bike is a 'dream' to ride (her words).

 

[roadrash]

^^^^^^^^^^the man speaketh sense^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Cycleops]

Unfortunately you have got yourself one of the worst things possible, a cheap "full suser". It will be an absolute pain to ride. The best thing you can do with it is take it down to your local recycling centre. Sorry.

The good news is you can probably get a good second hand machine for little money if you are careful. The nice thing about cycling is that it is also a means of transport so you can use it to get around and get fit at the same time, unlike fitness machines. If you want to loose weight you will need to combine it with a healthy balanced diet.

The best sort of bike for you might be a "hybrid", in other words a cross between a mountain bike and a road bike, something like this:

It has plenty of gears to get up the hills and a comfortable upright riding position, plus will take a rack to carry stuff. You can buy something similar on eBay, Preloved, Gumtree or any of the others. People very often buy bikes on a whim and maybe use them a bit and chuck them in a shed so this is the sort you need to find. What sort of budget do you have?

 

[fossyant]

You want no suspension, and a bike like above. Got my wife one like this, cost about £500 new, but there are some smashing deals on the Halfords bikes.

Go take a good look at the subway. I've just sent my sister and BIL that way - I did tell them to take the bikes away in a box and deliver to me and I would set them up though. My two kids have Carreras. My son does black and red runs on his MTB, so they are good.

 

[njj272]

Thanks for the advice, I had a feeling it might cost more than the bike was worth both in money and time. Limited budget to be honest - will check out eBay, preloved gumtree etc. Any suggestions on what to look for and what to avoid is much appreciated.

 

[MarkF]

Thanks for the advice, I had a feeling it might cost more than the bike was worth both in money and time. Limited budget to be honest - will check out eBay, preloved gumtree etc. Any suggestions on what to look for and what to avoid is much appreciated.

I started again at 40 and knew nothing, after several mis-starts/bikes, I bought a 2nd hand hybrid, Dawes 201, for about £100 if I remember correctly, and I was off! I didn't get bored because I could use the road or trail or canal with that cheap bike. Look for Trek FX's, Specilaized Sirrus's and Dawes Discoveries and you wont go wrong.

 

[Cycleops]

Found this on the bay and posted it as a suggestion on another thread where the person was looking for something similar: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GT-Traffi...tem339517e27f&clk_rvr_id=694461638622&afsrc=1

 

[njj272]

Well the elswick has gone - eBay is a truly wonderful thing! I have bid on a few bikes too but they all go for more than my budget.
I keep seeing quite a lot of basic/older Raleigh bikes advertised. They seem to come up quite often, have no suspension and are in budget. Someone at work is selling his wife's Raleigh Cassis for £10 in perfect working order. Looks to be a tidy little bike. Hardly used. Is it worth a look or would it be another white elephant like the Elswick?
Sorry for all the questions, I really do appreciate all the advice. I just wish my budget was as big as my enthusiasm at the moment?

 

[crdf]

If you are going to get a bike online, make sure you know what size fits you. The general brand size guides are sufficient.

 

[Cycleops]

The Cassis sounds good if it's in good condition. Is it the right size for you?

 

[jefmcg]

For £10, it could hardly be a mistake, unless it's really too small/big. You'd have to regard it as a starter bike, but you'll get more than that for it on ebay when you are done.

Put £10 in your pocket, try it for size and take it if you can manage on it. Then buy your perfect bike at your leisure

 

[Fab Foodie]

Hi all, I'm a total newbie and haven't ridden a bike since I was at school nearly 25 years ago, which was a folding shopper and it had 3 gears .

There are some on here who'd lynch you for such slander ... you have been warned

 

[Saluki]

Hi
How tall are you and what is your budget. If we have an idea of height we can can advise better as to what size to look for which will help you bike hunt.
Welcome to CC.

 

[njj272]

Back in the day I'm sure my folding shopper was all the rage, with it's metallic beige paint and white seat and pedals! But I have been warned!
Im going to try the Cassis, it's in great condition and as you say, they fetch more than a tenner on eBay anyway.
I'm only about 5ft tall so the biggest issue will be if it's too big for me.
Will get me started, and give me time to find out what works. Who knows perhaps Santa will bring me a shiny new bike for Christmas, but not another folding shopper.