Show Us Your Cheap and Cheerful Runabouts!

[simon.r]

I've just finished building this:

The complete bike was given to me, although there's not that much left of it. I've had to buy a headset / chainring / chainguard and mudguards, the rest of the bits are from the odds and sods I've collected over the last 20 or so years. I'm particularly pleased with the upside down thumbshifter (circa 1983) which works splendidly with the 8 speed cassette.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

In the absence of any other responses I'll add a picture of what is possibly the best known cheap bike on CycleChat:

Bought new for £100 in 2010, it's been thoroughly used and abused and the only original parts left now are frame, forks, brakes (excluding blocks and cables) and the handlebar.

 

[mcshroom]

My winter commuter

Based on a 2009 Claud Butler Classic hybrid, with hand-me down wheels, bars and stem from an old tourer. I'm thinking of putting the flat bars back on though

 

[ADz Bikes]

Well the bikes so far here are pretty decent as in don't look that cheap, they look great...at least they are good brands....
Here is my rat bike -

pre sticker take off...yeesh...

The 'basher' is a real pile of garbage really, as you will see, it was left at a cop shop and no one came to retrieve it so my mate got it as a gift from a nice Police lady and he then gave it to me to use as a runabout for the rough weather, it was pretty clean, good nick and not a lot of use, just a heavy machine and a kinked front wheel, so got the wheel trued, took all the vile stickers off it, removed the hideous seat and (for now) put my old Claud Butler saddle on, I will change it again soon as on my commuter bike I am changing a few bits, so they will poss end up on this, set the twisty gears up, still gotta do a few bits n bobs, but it rides fine, changed the nasty rubber grips to some Grab On ones I made myself...and its ideal for bashing round the village....

Post stickers etc....does the job for no cost and looks better all black....good old steel basher!

 

[Big Nick]

Over 20 years old and weighs as much as a house but a nice commuter and town runabout !

It's now on road tyres which make a heck of a difference to speed and effort needed

Gel seat cover to prevent the 'have you crapped yourself' jibes of padded shorts at work!

Just ordered a rack and bag to avoid the carrier bag swinging on the handlebars thing!

 

[simon.r]

Over 20 years old and weighs as much as a house but a nice commuter and town runabout !

It's now on road tyres which make a heck of a difference to speed and effort needed

Gel seat cover to prevent the 'have you crapped yourself' jibes of padded shorts at work!

Just ordered a rack and bag to avoid the carrier bag swinging on the handlebars thing!

I used to lust after a steel Ridgeback long ago!

 

[cnb]

I had one of those Ridgebacks, Think it was the 401...Great bike.I flogged it to a guy at work who flogged it to a guy at work. He did the CTC on it..

 

[Big Nick]

Gonna keep it another 20 years and sell it as an antique!

 

[Arjimlad]

Python Paragon hybrid. Bought it online, ten years ago, to get back into cycling. I was going to say how awful it is but that would be wrong. Yes it is heavy but it hasn't missed a beat in those ten years, has ridden in some extreme weather, and the wheels are still fine. I replaced the heavy adjustable stem and put new bars on, and bar-ends, new sealed bottom bracket and chainset, and my daughter rides in a rack-mounted seat on the back. Nothing wrong with it at all.

 

[young Ed]

not my photo just nicked from google images, mine looks much worse! now converted to SS either a BB rebuild or upgrade to un54/5 soon as it has loads of play
Cheers Ed

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

not my photo just nicked from google images, mine looks much worse! now converted to SS either a BB rebuild or upgrade to un54/5 soon as it has loads of play
Cheers Ed

Try a rebuild first. It's a useful skill to learn and once cleaned up you may find that the old bottom bracket isn't in as bad a condition as you thought.

 

[young Ed]

Try a rebuild first. It's a useful skill to learn and once cleaned up you may find that the old bottom bracket isn't in as bad a condition as you thought.

I suspect it is just adjustment issues as a mate of mine rebuilt the BB about a year ago with new bearings and they have probably just been broken in now and need adjustment
Cheers Ed

 

[marcusjb]

Our cheap and cheerful runabout. A Japanese mamachari with the great name of a Marukin Rainy.

Weighs as much as all my other bikes put together I reckon.

Perfect for errands and popping to the shops, just as long as you avoid the hills.

 

[Garry A]

My old (19yrs) Apollo Aerotec 5600. Seat is a really comfy gel number. Sadly this bike will only be used to get to remote hills on estate tracks now as I have a shiny new Giant Roam 2, or if any mates without bikes want to tag along on rides.

 

[cikoleko]

Bought it to ride on rollers but got bored very soon unfortunately can't ride it on a road because I live in London and personally just don't like the pace because areas where I used to cycle are like 16 miles straight countryside roads with almost no junctions and guess what - there's pavement!