4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[xChicken04x]

Hi all, I'm going to get myself a bike to help improve my stamina and try and become a bit healthier. Unfortunately I don't have a huge amount of money to spend, so it would have to be under £100.

I'm not too sure what kind of bike I'd need as I'd be doing a mixture of cycling on pavements and going into the country side (walking Zara etc).

I've been on eBay and there are some good bikes there, but honestly, I'm not too sure what I'd need.

With bikes is it a case of 'you get what you pay for' or is a cheaper bike not necessarily a rubbish bike? I've seen one for £70 plus mud guards, basket, light and lock, but I'm not sure....

 

 

Any ideas?

 

p.s I've tried freecycle but after many attempts, it won't let me register .

[Redwing]

If it was me I would buy a decent bike second hand, there is nothing like a poorly designed badly balanced bike to put you off the hobby completely

[Snowy]

Go round your local bike shops, they often have second hand deals in. I have a Raleigh Town and Country ladies bike. It replaced my old racer which was great for the roads, but no good on the canal path - the TC is a sort of cross between racer and mountain bike. I think it was around the £160 mark last year. A good cycle shop will help you choose something in your price range.

[majorbloodnock]

Yes, you're absolutely right that you get what you pay for, and about £250 is pretty much the starting point for a mountain bike of any quality at all. Cheaper than that and you'll get low grade components that don't work properly, fall apart and/or wear rapidly, attached to a basic bike that's way heavier than it should be and feels like a lump of lead to ride.

 

One man who's very well known in the mountain biking world summed it up pretty well. Of bikes and bike components, he said, "cheap, light, strong; pick any two."

 

The good news, though, is that the same marketing that convinces mountain bikers to buy the latest, greatest technology keeps the second hand market well supplied, so I couldn't agree more with previous posts about checking out a few local bike shops. Most mountain bikers won't think of buying a bike that's five years old, but it'll probably still have plenty of years' use left if that use is slightly less vigorous, and it'll be a fraction of the original price.

 

For the kind of use you're talking about, you're not going to be pushing the limits of whatever bike you buy, so I doubt you'd be able to go far wrong with one of the major brand names (Specialized, Trek, Scott, GT, Giant etc.), all of which make mountain bikes, road bikes, hybrids and plenty of other variations too. I'd suggest buying a second-hand bike of a reputable name from a reasonable local bike shop will do you pretty well and weight the odds in your favour of avoiding a bucket of bolts.

[Busybird]

I cycle a lot but as a means of transport - not in a serious sporty way. I use roads, cycle paths (not always surfaced) and cut across a few grassy fields. As some of these paths are slightly but not seriously rough I went for a Claud Butler hybrid which cost about £180 with mudguards, lock and pump fitted. It has served me well for about 7 years now.

 

I would avoid suspension as it makes the bike heavy (unless you go for a very expensive model) and, if possible, get an aluminium frame as this makes it much easier to lift (in case you want to put it on a car to take it places).