Beginner needing help

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Taz

Member
Hi,
I'm a beginner and I'm looking at bikes at the moment but my budget is pretty low (£100-150), I saw a Raleigh panache at bike station and was wondering if that was a good bike to buy or should I go for something like the Reflex Costwold Womens Bike and the challenge meander?
The Raleigh is £100 and it's fully refurbished and is pretty light, has 5 gears but it has a the lever for gear changing and I'm not sure I will be able to get used to that. The challenge is the same price (new), has 6 gears but weighs 17kg and the reflex costwold is £120 and has 18 gears and weighs 14kg. They all come with mudguards and rack but I have no idea which is better as I know nothing about bikes.

If anyone can help that would be great.

Thanks for reading.
 
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Rickshaw Phil

Rickshaw Phil

Overconfidentii Vulgaris
Moderator
Location
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
The problem with the two cheap new bikes you've mentioned is that the manufacturers get them down to that price by scrimping in the places that aren't obvious such as in the bearings. These bikes may or may not feel decent to ride but will almost certainly wear out quickly and will need more regular maintenance than if you started with a better quality bike.

I speak from experience. This is my current cheap runabout DSC02269.JPG which I'm quite fond of, but which I wouldn't recommend to anyone who wasn't mechanically minded as bits started to break off or wear out before I'd had it a year. I bought it with the intention of fitting better parts as I went along but hadn't expected to have to start quite that soon.:blush:

I'm afraid I don't believe the quoted weight for the Reflex. With a high-tensile steel frame I suspect it'll be more like 17 to 18kg with mudguards and a rack fitted. Reviews of it aren't great either.:blink:
 
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T

Taz

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Rickshaw Phil said:
The problem with the two cheap new bikes you've mentioned is that the manufacturers get them down to that price by scrimping in the places that aren't obvious such as in the bearings. These bikes may or may not feel decent to ride but will almost certainly wear out quickly and will need more regular maintenance than if you started with a better quality bike.


Reviews of it aren't great either.:blink:
Click to expand...

I read the reviews for both and for the challenge there were a few and mainly good but I only found them on the site were they purchased from (Asda for the Reflex and Argos for the Challenge), the reflex had two reviews and they were both good. I don't know were else I can get a hybrid thats in my budget.
 
Rickshaw Phil

Rickshaw Phil

Overconfidentii Vulgaris
Moderator
Location
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
The cheapest new bikes I'd be happy suggesting would be the ones from Decathlon. Even so, their cheapest with mudguards is just over your budget and the rack would have to be bought seperately.

This is the nearest of theirs that does have guards and a rack (it does have dynamo lighting though which is good at the price)
 
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T

Taz

Member
Rickshaw Phil said:
The cheapest new bikes I'd be happy suggesting would be the ones from Decathlon. Even so, their cheapest with mudguards is just over your budget and the rack would have to be bought seperately.

This is the nearest of theirs that does have guards and a rack (it does have dynamo lighting though which is good at the price)
Click to expand...

Hi Phil,
Are decathalon bikes any good, do you know anythig about them?

Thanks
 
Rickshaw Phil

Rickshaw Phil

Overconfidentii Vulgaris
Moderator
Location
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Decathlon bikes are pretty well thought of on here as their in-house (Btwin) brand bikes are decent quality and better specced than most other equivalent priced bikes. Their Triban 3 and 5 models have a huge following and members seem to get on well with other bikes out of their range.

The after-sales service has had a few favourable mentions too, which may be good to know if you did have any problems.
 
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Rickshaw Phil

Rickshaw Phil

Overconfidentii Vulgaris
Moderator
Location
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
vickster said:
This looks a bargain, 21 gears, twist shift

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/riverside-1-mens-id_8202744.html

Under 15kg and they have the M in stock - if 1m60-1m75 in height

You'll just need to add rack and guards - you may well find someone on here would be able to gift you something that is hiding in their shed :smile:
Click to expand...
Excellent find.:thumbsup: I hadn't seen that in the list.
 
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T

Taz

Member
vickster said:
This looks a bargain, 21 gears, twist shift

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/riverside-1-mens-id_8202744.html

Under 15kg and they have the M in stock - if 1m60-1m75 in height

You'll just need to add rack and guards - you may well find someone on here would be able to gift you something that is hiding in their shed :smile:
Click to expand...

Hhhhhmmm, seems nice. If I don't get the hybrid I saw in gorbals recycles then I will definitely check this out.

Thanks:smile:
 
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Taz

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coffeejo said:
Another option might be to see if there's a local cycling charity that does up and sells on other people's unwanted bikes - there's an excellent one near me in Taunton, for example.
Click to expand...

I have checked two which I have heard a lot about, one hardly gets hybrids in and the other does custom builds were I'm thinking of getting mines from but they start at £150. Not as good as the deals down your side but I'm hoping they give me a discount of some sort.:blush:
 
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