Second hand Marin Bobcat Trail 3 27.5 a good choice for on and of road use?

[Virtual Climber]

Hi
Just returning to cycling after many years at what seems to be the worst time possible, thanks to lockdown etc. Prices seem to be through the roof. I have been hunting for a beginners mountain bike, in a sensible price range, I have found a tidy looking Bobcat for about £400,

Is it a good option? I will have to road ride for 5 - 10 miles before I can get off road, then it will be down to my stamina!

I don’t expect to get adventurous for quite a while so I don’t need anything really high spec, but I am old fat and horrendously unfit, so weight is a consideration.

Is the Bobcat a good choice for that kind of use, or can you point me at something better?

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I would be looking at a full rigid frame from the late 80's or 90's and I would not be looking to pay anything like £400 for any bike, let alone a first dip your toe in the water one. Secondhand prices are definitely abnormally high currently, and plenty of chancers are trying to flog all sorts of neglected junk at inflated prices to unwary buyers who can't get hold of anything new off the shelf from their bike shop.
If you pay the current silly money secondhand, you must be willing to accept that you will take a big hit if you resell it in normal times. I like secondhand bikes, one reason being if you buy wisely, you will never lose money if you later sell it. In a year's time there are going to be an awful lot of secondhand bikes flooding the market, as the ones being bought new now, get disposed of after the enthusiasm for cycling wears off, and the market will take a tumble price-wise.