Townsend bikes ...any good?

[got-to-get-fit]

Hi,

I have been looking for a winter bike for some time on E-Bay and local papers ...

Does anyone know anything about the bike below ...any good, piece of tat??



I have been mailed the extra pics and from those it looks in fairly good nick ...but the lady selling it knows pretty much nothing about bikes and so cannot answer many of my questions with any knowledge .

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=150296762189

On the other hand i have seen this bike as a 'buy it now' option this seems like its been restored by someone who knows what they are doing.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=120308389239
Can you all have a butchers and let me know which is the better option.

Finally i have seen this one but i have a feeling its going to exceed my £150 budget.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=160283535398

All help greatfully recieved..,,,

 

[mondobongo]

As far as I know Townsend is a cheap and nasty home shopping catalogue brand.

 

[Fnaar]

can you still get those short mudguards anywhere?

 

[got-to-get-fit]

As far as I know Townsend is a cheap and nasty home shopping catalogue brand.

ahhhhh.......thats why no-one has bid on it so far.........now all is clear

 

[Maz]

I like that last one best, mainly because I like the STI shifters more than the downtube shifters on the Dawes..

 

[Paulus]

Nothing wrong with down tube shifters They work very well once you learn the feel of them, you youngsters who have grown up with STI's have had it easy. The Dawes bike looks like a good buy. The bars need a bit of adjustment though.

 

[Mr Pig]

We had a Townsend kids bike, it wasn't up to much.

 

[gbb]

Came to this one a it late GTGF, so it's pretty irrelevent, but...
My son had a Townsend MTB maybe 10 years ago...pretty poor.
But is that a Reynolds sticker on the seat tube. If so, it's likely to be 501 at least..so a bike like that shouldnt be rejected out of hand.
If the price is right, with a moderately good frame...i would. Looking at the wheels, they look like alloy, and the rear derailleur, although you cant tell who's it is, it doesnt look like a pressed steel cheapie....put those things together..it may not have been a bad bike in it's day.

We all know Raleighs reputation has suffered, but there are hundreds of thousands of good old Raleighs out there.
I'd have got a bit more info from the seller before rejecting it. The other bikes were undoubtedly better...but they were at least twice the price. Depends whether you want...cheap, quality...or somewhere inbetween.

 

[Maz]

Nothing wrong with down tube shifters They work very well once you learn the feel of them, you youngsters who have grown up with STI's have had it easy.

Nothing at all wrong with downtube shifters, but you said it yourself - the STI's are easier.