Convincing a colleague to spend a little more

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palinurus

Velo, boulot, dodo
Location
Watford
£100 could buy a great S/H bike that isn't too attractive to leave at the station. Ideal budget in a way, you really wouldn't want to spend more for a couple miles to the station. Probably get something useable for less than that as it goes, leaving cash for lights.
 

domjon

New Member
5.5 is stretching the definition of a couple of miles somewhat isn't it. That said I started my 6 mile commute on a £20 bso out of the local paper...sure it was a piece of shoot and needed regular love and attention but I got 12 months out of it without spending anything other than for brake pads. In a way it was helpful in that it forced me to learn a bit of basic fettling.

I'd recommend similar to be honest...pointless paying £100 for a crappy new bike that he might get £20 for if/when he gets the bug and decides to upgrade. Might aswell be the one buying the £20 bike in the first place to see if he likes it.
 

summerdays

Cycling in the sun
Location
Bristol
I have two contrasting feelings about buying cheap .... at the bottom end of the market there is some terrible rubbish such as all the full suspension bikes - chronically heavy and really poor materials, whereas you could buy something basic that probably would still not be made with quality materials that might get you on a bike and then thinking about what you actually want. It was a cheap horrible BSO that got me on a bike ... and had me wanting that second purchase. And one friend did try very very gently (too gentle in retrospect) to buy a different bike.

I don't have the problem with buying a second bike later ... how many on here only have the one bike!!! But I would at least try quite hard to direct him away from the worst of the purchases (so anything full suspension/disk brakes etc) he could make and to something that has a bit of potential to improve. Get him to pick up a really heavy bike and a light one, and explain that the metal that is used for bits of componentry such as the noodle and other bits on the brakes can be made of very soft metal - steer clear of those.
 
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