buying cheap bikes
- Thread starter bonj2
- Start date
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Rhythm Thief
Legendary Member
- Location
- Ross on Wye
For some of us, the fun is in building bikes. In my case, I gat much more out of tinkering, bargain hunting and building up a bike out of found bits, than riding the things.
swee'pea99
Legendary Member
bonj said:
Depends what you get for your money. In my case, a Vitus 979 frame and forks in immaculate condition. Now made up with parts from my last-but-one, flies past anything else on the road, about £100, all told.
roadiewill
New Member
- Location
- Wiltshire
Just discovered this thread, and as Im new to road biking I thought Id comment. Having uprgraded my MTB with pretty much everything, I was not at all suprised at how much people will pay for road bikes - just to shave grams off of the weight. So, I started saving for my road bike a couple of months back, and as the money slowly (very slowly) began to pile up, I began to look more and more at higher models than my orignal bike that I was looking at - some low end decathalon. You end up thinking 'if I just save another £80 I can have that groupset instead of that one', and soon my budget increased dramatically (more than £300). However, I am only 16 with a weekend job that doesnt really create much dough. So, after much thought, I am going to stick with the giant scr 4 as it is within an achievable distance. Who cares if it only 2200 and for an estra 100 quid I could have Tiagra? It is still the same weight as the entire SCR range (which was suprising) and, when I get it, it'll be just as fast as the SCR1. My point being is that it is easy to get carried away with bikes, and surely, if the rider isnt fit enough, whats the pont in having a real expensive bike. It makes more sense to buy a cheaper bike, save some money, and get fitter yourself - at no cost at all!
laters
laters
- Location
- the post-brexit wasteland
roadiewill said:
from the mouths of babes…
(oops, not gay or owt
)and how do you define fit "enough" to have an expensive bike?roadiewill said:
Surely you dont' need to be fit enough to have an expensive bike, but rich enough.
I'll just point out also that I don't buy the 'get a heavier bike then you'll get fitter more quickly' mantra, in fact I think it's utterly moronic and am fervently against it, so you might aswell not bother going down that route.
- Location
- the post-brexit wasteland
ah, but do you really want to be an unfit fatty on a pinarello prince, looking like an absolute berk with more money than sense? all the gear, no idea springs to mind.
Steve Austin
The Marmalade Kid
- Location
- Mlehworld
roadiewill
New Member
- Location
- Wiltshire
^
exactement
exactement
Over The Hill
Guru
- Location
- Ridden off into the sunset
Steve- When did you take my photo!
I bet he cant see what gear he is in.
On the cheap bike debate....
Being fairly new to this I do not have the experience to debate this part against that, but I my two penne'th is when you talk cheap bike / expensive bike you are looking at new compared with new.
I got what I would consider a good bike ( A Felt f85 if you all want to pick me apart) I think it was a good £500 plus bike new but I got it for a little over £100 second hand.
Bikes are very hardy and can really last a long time, problems are fairly obvious (when compared to a second hand car for example).
Good things are a pleasure to use and make the whole experience good. I see little downside in buying a second hand bike. This seems to be the best of both words in that it is quality at the right price.
Generally they will cost you nothing as once they are second hand you can sell it on for what you bought it for if you have saved up for the new one.
I bet he cant see what gear he is in.
On the cheap bike debate....
Being fairly new to this I do not have the experience to debate this part against that, but I my two penne'th is when you talk cheap bike / expensive bike you are looking at new compared with new.
I got what I would consider a good bike ( A Felt f85 if you all want to pick me apart) I think it was a good £500 plus bike new but I got it for a little over £100 second hand.
Bikes are very hardy and can really last a long time, problems are fairly obvious (when compared to a second hand car for example).
Good things are a pleasure to use and make the whole experience good. I see little downside in buying a second hand bike. This seems to be the best of both words in that it is quality at the right price.
Generally they will cost you nothing as once they are second hand you can sell it on for what you bought it for if you have saved up for the new one.
alecstilleyedye said:ah, but do you really want to be an unfit fatty on a pinarello prince, looking like an absolute berk with more money than sense? all the gear, no idea springs to mind.
if i was a rich fatty i'd rather be a rich fatty on a pinarello prince than a rich fatty on a rusty old shitter like a puch clubman or something equally shoot.
and since when has being fat equated to "no idea"?
swee'pea99
Legendary Member
Over The Hill said:
Just about everything in this post is absolutely spot on. In fact, everything. The only thing I would add is that second hand bikes have one other major advantage over new - they tend to be much less attractive to thieving scrotes.
- Location
- the post-brexit wasteland
bonj said:
well i'll hold my hands up to having had a "little" excess weight, and thanks to places like this, and the cycling club i now ride with, i am now fitter and more knowledgable. i'd hate to think what other local cyclists would have thought of the old me on some expensive bike as they zoomed past.
but correct, you can be fat and knowledgable, or fit and ignorant too.
Janeyb
Senior Member
Having just purchased a new bike, I realised how easy it is to get carried away and start looking at more and more expensive models. I work part time for no other reason than that I think life's too short to spend it working. I work 3 days a week and therefore don't earn very much. My husband is on contract and works 6 nights a month and likewise doesn't earn a massive salary. But we get out doing the things we love much more than we used to!
So when choosing the bike, I had to take this into consideration. Who cares that my bike only cost £270 rather than the £4-500 that I felt I should spend. I love it and it means that I can still afford the odd pub lunch while out for a jaunt.
Cycling isn't my only hobby - Jack of all trades and all that! So it also meant that I can afford to buy new bits for my other hobbies too.
Oh - and it'll hurt enough when I gounge a huge chunk out of my bike for the first time, but not as much as it would hurt on a pricier model!
So when choosing the bike, I had to take this into consideration. Who cares that my bike only cost £270 rather than the £4-500 that I felt I should spend. I love it and it means that I can still afford the odd pub lunch while out for a jaunt.
Cycling isn't my only hobby - Jack of all trades and all that! So it also meant that I can afford to buy new bits for my other hobbies too.
Oh - and it'll hurt enough when I gounge a huge chunk out of my bike for the first time, but not as much as it would hurt on a pricier model!
