Road bike

[J4CKO]

Was just doing my usual lunchtime Ebay session, I wouldnt mind a road bike but dont want to wait until I have finished the current Cycle to work scheme, was looking at this,

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BARRACUDA-CIP...3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66:2|65:7|39:1|240:1318

I did have a Steel Framed late nineties Claud Butler that my brother in law gave me, it sat around then I started using it and he wanted it back for turbo trainer duties, it was good enough for my needs, i.e. dropped bars and a bit lighter than my hybrid plus all the panniers and evreything, i.e. a quick swap onto somethign unemcumbered, my mate has a £600 Decathlon Road bike and wants to go out at the weekends, will feel a pillock on a fully spammed up (lights, panniers, mudguards etc) Hybrid !

Now I am very sceptical of Ebay cheap bikes, Mountain bikes for 99 quid with disks and full suss are horrific but a road bike for that price with an alloy frame, how bad can it be, do I need something low end so when I spend a grand plus next time I am eligible for CTW I feel the benefit ?

Trouble is, wife sees shiny new bike, I am in trouble (even though I can afford it) regardless of whether its a 160 quid cheap Ebay special or two grands worth, she is going to say "A new bike, why !!!!", not "I bet that cost a grand or more, Shimano 105, Carbon frame etc etc"

Anyway, I keep my stuff nice, buy it for £160 use it for a year and flog it for half that or a little more.

 

[swee'pea99]

There are some really nice bikes on ebay - why buy that BSO? (And if you think you'd get 'half that or a little more' reselling in a year, dream on.)

 

[Bollo]

That is a horror!

There must be some decent, serviceable 2nd hand bikes out there for around £150-200. Also, as a half decent 2nd bike will look lived-in, the wife may not suspect.

 

[Tynan]

I looked at a bike off ebay last time around, the advice on here is to know what you're looking at, I didn't so I went new

I recall there's bikes sold on on the CTC site, you might get a better class of seller on there

otherwise it sounds sensible

no idea why you can't commute on a road bike though

 

[BentMikey]

+1 don't buy that matey.

 

[Maz]

J4cko, that bike might look the biz, but it's awful. Please don't buy it.

 

[Tynan]

blimey, that's new as well, mass produced cheap as chips nasty

 

[benborp]

Is that a whopping great piece of rubber acting as a shim between the bars and stem? That's scary.

 

[Bollo]

Is that a whopping great piece of rubber acting as a shim between the bars and stem? That's scary.

Good spot! I must admit I averted my eyes sharpish. That is a deathtrap, in the sense that it is a trap. That will kill you to death.

 

[goo_mason]

I nearly wet myself laughing at the twist-grip shifters which have been put on drop-bars !!

I've never, EVER seen that before !!

 

[Bollo]

I nearly wet myself laughing at the twist-grip shifters which have been put on drop-bars !!

I've never, EVER seen that before !!

I have, I have! (almost). Sheldon Brown did a drop bar Rohloff with a twist shift, although it wasn't mounted on the bars proper. Here's a pic....

 

[BentMikey]

I actually rather like grip shifters, but perhaps not on drop bars. Grip shifters are really great for changing lots of gears in one go.

 

[goo_mason]

I have, I have! (almost). Sheldon Brown did a drop bar Rohloff with a twist shift, although it wasn't mounted on the bars proper. Here's a pic....

That just looks wrong....

 

[Bollo]

That just looks wrong....

Sheldon cannot be 'wrong'.

He was quite a fan of the Rohloff and did a few specials like this one. I think Mercian and Thorn will do similar setups if you cross their palms with enough gold bullion. Despite being a Rohloff fan myself, I'm not particularly taken with it either.

 

[Bollo]

But, to get back on topic, that bike is a million miles away from anything Mr Brown, Mercian or Thorn might produce.

I notice the seller also does a sideline in ties. There's probably a neck-wear forum somewhere where they're shredding the tits out of these monstrosities as well.