Sub £100 bike????

[Mortiroloboy]

2tyres, welcome to the forum.

As other have stated avoid bikes with front and rear suspension. You would just be buying extra weight to carry around and more bits to go wrong.

You are right to start off cheap in case you don't like cycling.

There are a few good suggestions here, I'd also suggest trying Tescos and checking local paper ads for s/h bikes.

Good luck

I wouldn't set foot in that awful place to buy ANYTHING let alone a bicycle

 

[killiekosmos]

I wouldn't set foot in that awful place to buy ANYTHING let alone a bicycle

Bit OT are you not? Tesco Direct have lots of low price bikes and millions of people shop at Tescs regularly. This thread was about helping someone source a cheap bike.

If you want a rant against tesco go into Soapbox.

 

[HJ]

Check out virtual bumblebee it's an online disposal site for stolen goods. A lot of forces now pass bikes onto local charities who auction them to raise much need funds. Worth checking with A&S Pol. to see how they dispose of their found/stolen property.

Link for virtual bumblebee

 

[gbb]

Hi 2tyres

If you want to consider second hand, FridayAds is a good source of local bikes (or anything ese for that matter)

Couple of examples in the Bath area..

Carrera subway for £100...

http://www.friday-ad.co.uk/AdRef/TW...,3D/Page/25/SArea/Local/Web/FullAdDetails.asp

Or an Apollo town bike...

http://www.friday-ad.co.uk/AdRef/TW...A,3D/Page/8/SArea/Local/Web/FullAdDetails.asp

New price on this is £150 online, so it wants to be good nick.

Just a couple of examples...you will see many many sub £50 bikes in there as well. Well well worth a look. You usually see the printed version of FridayAds in local shops...it's the green one usually by the tills..and its free.

 

[craigwend]

I wouldn't set foot in that awful place to buy ANYTHING let alone a bicycle

Unless of course they meant the little advert card found in many tesco stores????

 

[pbar]

We don't have them down 'ere!

Don't have what? Decathlons?

 

[Mortiroloboy]

Bit OT are you not? Tesco Direct have lots of low price bikes and millions of people shop at Tescs regularly. This thread was about helping someone source a cheap bike.

If you want a rant against tesco go into Soapbox.

Hardly a rant, when I have more time I'll explain why I made that comment, which , in this case just reinforced a previous posters advice about not buying a bike in that particular place.

 

[PBancroft]

Link for virtual bumblebee

Jeez - that's scary. There are more bikes listed on that site than anything else.

EDIT: 2tyres - Reinforcing everyone else, try the LBS as your first port of call just for a bit of advice. Even if they do the whole sales pitch on you, remember you can still walk away and you will have gained a bit of knowledge and opinion on which bikes are available for you.

I would steer clear of Tesco (I too never shop there for reasons I won't go into here), Woolies, etc. I must admit I bought my first bike from Halfords for £75 when I went to Uni (8 years ago). It was chunky, heavy, and had dodgy front suspension. However it lasted me well and for a first bike it did the job. I am willing to concede that I was lucky.

 

[sonny]

I have to admit I don't understand all this anti-Halfords talk.
I have had a couple of bikes off them, first a Boarman Urban Pro for £700 bought through the Cycle To Work scheme and recently a Carrera Kraken MTB for £260 on a buy now pay six months later deal. both are covered by their excellent 3 year service plans for just £30 each. If you don't know a lot about bike maintenance and adjustment, like me this plan is really good. You just take your bike in any time, as many times as you like and only pay for the parts you use. You do not get things like this from any LBS.
The two bikes I have had have been very well reviewed and I cycle/commute 60-70 miles per week.
Agreed I would not buy from Woolworths or Tesco but some Halfords branches have some genuinely knowledgeable and experienced staff, so don't do yourself out of a potentially good deal by this Halfords snobbery.
Try them first.

 

[Arch]

I have to admit I don't understand all this anti-Halfords talk.
I have had a couple of bikes off them, first a Boarman Urban Pro for £700 bought through the Cycle To Work scheme and recently a Carrera Kraken MTB for £260 on a buy now pay six months later deal. both are covered by their excellent 3 year service plans for just £30 each. If you don't know a lot about bike maintenance and adjustment, like me this plan is really good. You just take your bike in any time, as many times as you like and only pay for the parts you use. You do not get things like this from any LBS.
The two bikes I have had have been very well reviewed and I cycle/commute 60-70 miles per week.
Agreed I would not buy from Woolworths or Tesco but some Halfords branches have some genuinely knowledgeable and experienced staff, so don't do yourself out of a potentially good deal by this Halfords snobbery.
Try them first.

Yes and if that's your budget, fair enough, but the OP is looking to spend £100, so neither of your examples really helps...

I'd buy accessories and stuff from Halfords, but I'd fit them myself or get a competant mate to do it. Like Mr Paul says, too much chance of getting a numpty. That's not snobbery, it's personal and anecdotal experience. I've heard good things about the Carrera bikes, but anything for under £100 from them isn't going to be good.

 

[summerdays]

Someone I know took a kids bike in with brakes not working properly and they told her it was just cosmetic damage to the brake cable. I would not go near a Halfords mechanic with my bike after that incident.

 

[simonali]

Don't have what? Decathlons?

Correct. Nearest one to Bath is about 150 miles away and they don't appear to do mail order.

 

[summerdays]

Nearest one surely is more like 80 - 100 miles near Birmingham (not that I've been to it).

Could be worth a train ticket? if the bike is OK?

 

[Muddyfox]

Stop Press ... Giant Bikes 2008 Expression DX Hybrid Bike Ex Hire 2007 £129.99


I dont think your going to get much better than this ?

Simon

 

[oliglynn]

I'd just get something reasonably newish but second hand - perhaps a hybrid (no suspension) - You'll need nice low gears for sure!

I used to go to uni in Bath - when living in town it was a killer ride up that hill! I preferred doing North Road or Widcombe Hill - less traffic and less busloads full of fellow students looking on as you bust a gut crawling up the hill!