What is the worst bike you have ever bought? And be honest!!!

[Chris Norton]

I got a Dunlop "something" from sports direct. Rear wheel simply seized and was a real shocker to get fixed. Got a new wheel sent though. I could simply loosen off the rear wheel nuts and ride it on that. Dangerous but adrenalin fuel.

Wife got an Apollo where the front brake simply fell apart on the ride home. Never bought another Halfords.

 

[DCLane]

My current Viking Targa DD24. Bought for £10 and is nicknamed 'heap of junk' in the house. It's my 'leave it anywhere dangerous'/bad weather MTB and currently has Schwalbe Ice Spikers on. However, the whole lot will be stripped come the spring to transfer it all onto a Raleigh SP frame.

Running it a close 2nd is the 1986 Raleigh Team. It's just been one problem after another in the restoration - whenever I think I'm done something else goes wrong and needs replacing. Any more major issues and it's on eBay.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I bought a second-hand Carlton bike for £25 in the late 70s. It lived outside on the balcony for about 20 years, until the red frame faded to light pink on one side from the sunlight in the mornings. It weighed about twice what any other bike I've had since does. However, the damn thing thrived on neglect for 20 years and never let me down. And, even with a cheap lock on it, nobody ever wanted to nick it. Definitely the worst bike I've ever had. And I probably rode 30,000 miles on it.

 

[TheDoctor]

Daewoo Shuttle has to come close, but the Lindo City was horrid.
It cost about £80 IIRC, and I hate riding it.
I will fettle it into better shape one day, but at the moment I can't even bear to look at it...

 

[vickster]

What do you ride now?

Several things...the specialized I replaced with a giant road bike, now sold and replaced with a genesis equilibrium to be built next week

I also have a carbon Pearson road bike and a fantastic white alu/carbon flat bar commuter

All British stable with way more character and style than the mass produced yank stuff . I see 20 or more specializeds a day in the city but rarely any of the Brit brands

 

[Soup890]

Several things...the specialized I replaced with a giant road bike, now sold and replaced with a genesis equilibrium to be built next week

I also have a carbon Pearson road bike and a fantastic white alu/carbon flat bar commuter

All British stable with way more character and style than the mass produced yank stuff . I see 20 or more specializeds a day in the city but rarely any of the Brit brands

Yeah yeah yeah, your pulling my leg. I'm aways over taking Trek cyclist on my way to work. They are rude and arrogant.

 

[vickster]

I am not pulling your leg at all. I work now in the city of London, lots of bikes obviously and many are specializeds. I like to have something different nowadays...

 

[Saluki]

I was given (when purchasing gym membership) an Apollo XC-26 in a nasty silver and blue colour. It weighed 39lbs and was horrible horrible horrible. The worst bike I have ever ever had. I sold it at a car boot for £40 so was rather chuffed.

 

[SteCenturion]

Raleigh Shopper (exact name).

Belonged to my Mam & was simply re-painted by my Dad & re-gifted to me as a Christmas present.

As an 11 year old 'Lad' - I really wanted a Grifter or Raleigh Chopper - like my mates had.

I remember the disappointment now with a little empathy for my parents who were struggling working class Northerners - as I am now.

This is probably why I now only buy the best I can get with my pennies (which at the moment wouldn't add up to much) 'thanks to Cameron & his 81TCH Clegg'.

Best nostalgia bike was a blue Peugot Tour de France with shiny yellow bar tape & down tube shifters (it was the 80's you know) - coveted this bike (bought from a 2nd hand shop) for 3 months leading up to Christmas.

Crashed it into a lampost same day on a snow & ice ride to my LBS to stare at the Raleigh Records & lightweight wheels in the window.

Wheel buckled beyond repair - so old man wasn't chuffed.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Mk II Chopper for 13th or 14th Birthday.

 

[byegad]

Chopper ... Bloody Dangerous with the tall handle bars and 12/16 inch front wheel when going down hill at speed
fell off many times and still got scars to prove it !

A kid I taught had one and got over 40mph out of it. He was passing a car, which was itself doing 40mph, down Lobley Hill when he got a speed wobble and down he went. The scars on one side of his face were spectacular! Not the sharpest knife in the box that lad!

 

[Beebo]

I bought my wife a £49.99 Woolworth's special to take to Centreparcs. We went 3 years on the trott so it paid for itself with the savings I made on bike hire alone.
It's made of cheese, and is still in the shed. It hasnt moved for over 2 years now.

 

[SteCenturion]

Mk II Chopper for 13th or 14th Birthday.

Why so GrumpyGregry.

Would have been chuffed to bits with that one.

It is 'worst bike you ever bought' (received) you know.

Shame you haven't still got it Grumpy, it would fetch a few quid now.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Why so GrumpyGregry.

Would have been chuffed to bits with that one.

It is 'worst bike you ever bought' (received) you know.

Shame you haven't still got it Grumpy, it would fetch a few quid now.

Ok. Here goes. I was an ungrateful wretch, fair enough. It wasn't a Mk I Chopper like all my mates got the year before. It look great. People kept trying to nick it. It tried several times to emasculate me. It was shite to ride. It was really shite to ride fast. It was terrifyingly shite to ride fast downhill. It was water soluble. By the time I was a year older no one wanted to be seen dead on a chopper, a growth spurt meant I was 6' 2" and looked ridiculous riding it, and I wanted a 10-speed Carlton, and what I got given was a second hand Raleigh Olympus. (Which was brilliant btw)

 

[shouldbeinbed]

A blue £80 MTB from Asda for a hack after my job relocated & opened up the vistas of trails and fields for me to go at. Its was all kinds of s***e all at once. I persevered for half a winter and then left it in the bike shed at work where it stayed until either someone took it home or put it in a skip.