on a budget

[professionalman]

What am I looking at to begin with (low side) - bike I will need is for local roads and fields.

When recommending also please state minimum to put aside for obligatory accessories.

Oh and is Halfords okay or not!

 

[gbb]

That's a very open question PM

Fields ?...do you want to go off road, onto tracks etc...

 

[alecstilleyedye]

the quality of service from halfords varies enormously, but is not usually very good. the carrera bikes are good value though (especially the road and hybrid bikes), but set aside some money to get a proper bike shop to set it up if halfords don't do it right in the first place.

 

[Ludwig]

There are millions of old classic, superbly built bikes just looking for good homes. I bought a vintage Italian racer from a bike shop for £40 and haven't spent anything on it after a thousand miles or so. Some of the 70's 80's bikes are so well built, usually well maintained, are such good value and have an aura about them that new bikes just don't have.
Try a wanted ad in your local paper and scour the local bike shops etc. 531 or Columbus steel butted tubed machines are great, very light and strong.