What type of bike...

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Jetfire

New Member
Ok, so this looks like a regular run of the mill question from a newbie .. but!.. I have been working it out myself. However, I get a feeling that I could with some advice. Im totally new to this adult cycling thing (as Ive only done it as a child/teenage) but I wanted to get back into it. So my thoughts are you start cheap and try and it do on a sensible budget. Been browsing ebay and found a few named brand bikes (Raleigh etc) for £30 (collection only jobs, in the heart of the Welsh valleys so abit of trek to go).

To start with, Id like to get my fitness back up before attempting anything to clever. So, Im thinking a cheap, hard tail bike, hard front mountain bike to get me going. I doubt Ill be in the forests etc straight away so it'll be road riding with tow paths etc. Ive seen a Raleigh Responator with trip computer. Will this do the job for on the road riding before going to more muddier areas, once I get going. I understand the old addage of "Buy cheap, buy twice" but I just want to get going. SWMBO is ok with a budget purchase to start with and obviously, she has a point about exercise equipment being expensive, recycling unwanted bikes rather than new etc.

Any thoughts/advice on this bike? Obviously, when the time comes, Ill be down the LBS...
 

festival

Über Member
If you are going to buy cheap with little knowledge and no one to advise you correctly you are likely to get something that will not be ideal and not last very long. But if you get hooked then move on to something decent and dont spend more money trying to keep the original bike going.
Try and find someone who can guide you through the process and give good advice
 

Scilly Suffolk

Über Member
From what you've written and with a budget of £100 or so, I'd be inclined to buy a second-hand bike as cheaply as possible.

A new bike for that sort of money will be ****. Buy one second hand for £50 or less, stick some road tyres on it and you're away; when you want to go off-road you can just stick the knobbly tyres back on!

A mountain bike with no suspension is a good idea as there are plenty available for pocket money prices; cheap suspension will just soak-up your pedalling effort, add considerable weight, be another thing to go wrong and won't work well anyway.

You'll soon have had your money's worth from your bargain buy and have a better idea of what to look for in your next purchase.
 
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