Cheapest 5 mile commuting bike(on flat roads)thats any good?

[baydreamer]

Whats the CHEAPEST bike I can use to commute to work and back(approx 5 miles each way on flat roads)...that is any good???
Must be as quick as possible...but NOT single gear. Would consider road/mtb/hybrid...
Regards...

 

[Canrider]

Something like this (£299 on sale down from £459)?

It really depends on what you consider 'quick enough' versus 'cheap enough'...I got started on a steel department-store MTB doing about a 10-mile commute. That was pretty quick (45mins) and pretty cheap ($100CDN).

 

[biggs682]

new or used loads to choose from

 

[donnyjnk]

check out ebay. Its a buyers paradise

 

[Nebulous]

Do you have a bike already? Is this bike intended to last long-term or only as a stop-gap?
I have a hardtail mountain bike which is now about 7 or 8 years old. I took up cycling seriously with a road bike and a few months later started to commute on my mtb. I only have two miles, but it's not flat. The mtb has done fine, for the past year, with the addition of lights and mudguards.

Ideally I want a touring bike with a rack and dynamo lights, but always have other priorities to spend my money on!

It's not just the bike though. You will have to budget for other costs such as lights, clothing, locks, batteries and replacement parts for ones that wear out.

 

[vickster]

Carrera Subway £200 http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_821651_langId_-1_categoryId_165534

Add another £100 for kit - Deacthlon or eBay decent place to start. A decent D-lock will cost you £40-50 alone

 

[Linford]

check out ebay. Its a fences paradise

Corrected for you

 

[Linford]

If you only intend to do road work on it as a commuter, a MTB will be a waste of effort.

My commute is a similar distance and I could do that in less than 20 minutes on my roadie when I had it without standing in a pool of sweat when I got to the other end.

 

[fossyant]

Don't bother with single speeds, or gears, go fixed. Simples.

 

[Sittingduck]

That £299 road bike from Decathlon (the red one, with the carbon fork). I'd take that all day long, over any slicked-up MTB or Subway.

 

[Linford]

Don't bother with single speeds, or gears, go fixed. Simples.

is a fixie actually legal on the road ? (do they come with brakes)

 

[Edwards80]

That £299 road bike from Decathlon (the red one, with the carbon fork). I'd take that all day long, over any slicked-up MTB or Subway.

Aye. Can highly recommend the Triban 3. Almost 800 miles of happy cycling on it for me so far this year, most of it on a 20 mile round trip commute. . . in fairly ugly weather conditions.

 

[tyred]

For 5 miles, get a 3 speed roadster. Easy to look after and will last a lifetime.

 

[Chris S]

For 5 miles, get a 3 speed roadster. Easy to look after and will last a lifetime.

I'd agree with that, they start at about £130 from Halfords or e-bay. They're too high-geared for steep hills but the OP said he'd be on flat roads. You can also change gear when stationary, if you forget to do it before you stop.

 

[smutchin]

[QUOTE 1732558, member: 45"]If you can get to a Decathlon, get to a Decathlon. In there the world is your oyster in terms of good value cheap bikes.[/quote]

Seconded. They do some good value basic bikes.

I reckon this looks like it would be ideal for the specified purpose:
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/elops-3-ii-id_8166113.html

d.