Need a new bike.. again.

[Reverend]

I've been doing some Deliveroo/Stuart for the last four months....

I see. Yeah, the reason I'm only looking to spend max £250~ is in-case someone does attempt to steal it or whatever, then it will be more forgiving to know that I didn't spend £800 or so. I took a look at the bike you linked and will consider it amongst my options.

Alright, yeah I'm going to look further into doing everything myself - looking at YT videos etc.

Woah ok, I work in a zone that mainly has riders that use a motorbike or car, the cyclists seem to have bikes from carrera or giant.

A couple of comments:

It does take quite an investment of time to know what bike is good and what is not, and also what is broken and what is not....

Woah, good thing you were good with bikes otherwise that would have been a lot of money down the drain

Yeah true.

My bike was indexed multiple times and still failed to work properly. A mech suggested the full rear wheel should be replaced on the bike as the cassette was wobbling and told me that may be the reason for the chain skipping etc.

Is the post a wind-up?...[/url]

I always tend to post threads on as many forums as possible, just so I can get the most balanced advice.

With such a low budget I'd be looking to the second hand market because getting durable stuff at that price is asking a lot.....

I am trying to look at all the listings in fb marketplace, gumtree and ebay - just found a bergamont roxter 3.0 2017 bike on fb marketplace for £200 (they got it for £350), but I'm not too sure about getting it, though they say they have barely used it - they have had the bike for over a year, won't some components be rusted or something by now?

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-100-road-bike-grey-id_8377732.html

250 quid, not a bad bike by any means, and a warranty.....

Hmm, will check it out but doesn't warranty provide cover for manufacture defects? Like if I caused any wear/tear, they wouldn't do anything right?

My thinking was not meant to be facetious and I apologise to someone with a genuine concern...

No worries! I indeed got in touch with Halfords within about 28 days of getting the bike (I only started using the bike a week or two after buying it), I just thought bikes would "just work" and won't need any maintenance or anything or at-least that felt like the case when I was very young lol). But was rejected as there was some tear/wear on the bike.

I had a Specialised Sirrus for a few years used it in all weathers and had no mechanical issues, apart from a need to change worn tyres...

Ohh man I wish all I had to worry about was replacing tyres, brakepads and chains lol. That listing seems to have ended , can't see much details about it.

There’s a 'Revolution’ in North Shields for ....

If I had a car, I would have for sure gone down to check it out but it will be so far for me right now to go to.

I think I will just stick to looking at youtube videos now as it seems to be quite expensive learning from there. I know how to replace punctures, chains, brakepads - just don't know much about doing things like making the wheel true, fixing the hub service etc.

An alternative is to not buy a bike at all and use a hire one. last time i was in Newcastle it was awash with Mobikes and I think you can get a three month pass for £50. Let someone else deal with the maintenance and theft risk.

This is defo something I would have love to do but I feel a little embarrassed of how the bikes look lol and I would need to go near town which would take me like 40 mins to get a bike, and then paying £50, that would be £200 a year - feels weird using it for doing delivery, customers will be like waaaaaa

In my post on the OPs first enquiry, I wrote:

"Do you have a bike re-cycling centre near you? Try contacting your local council .....

[/quote]

I had a look at the recyke-y-bike ebay store but it seems there isn't any bikes there (0 listing). I am going to try get out one day to go into a recyke-a-bike store but the nearest one is a little far away - I'd really also prefer if it was a monthly payment but i doubt recyke a byke does that?


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Yeah I am in Newcastle. Will defo check out all the tutorials from parktool. Never heard of this sheldonbrown thing but will see now.


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Is there not more bikes someone can recommend that will last long and can be purchased via a site like ebay, halfords?, evanscycle, tredz, decalothon? I know some of you did link some but I don't get the feeling they will last too long like my apollo transition since I am using it for so long every week.

[Airsporter1st]

from the previous thread

10 hours per week, ~50 weeks a year, so 500 hours use per year, (or about 5000miles per year if you ride moderately slowly). Doubtless you would like the bike to last a few years too. Suppose you want the bike to last three years, that works out at 17p per hour (or 1.7p per mile) for a £250 bike. From Halfords....

IME in such use you will be very lucky if such a bike lasts a single year without costing the same again in repairs of various kinds. That is just the way it is with bikes at this price point.

and you still bought a £160 bike? This might sound a mad thing to say but cheap bikes are not actually designed to be ridden.....much.... Halfords did a survey some years ago and it revealed that their average customer rode one of their bikes exactly fifteen miles before parking it up and leaving it alone. They still sell bikes that are aimed at that kind of, uh, 'casual use'.

A cheap derailleur chain will often last about 1000 miles in hard use, i.e. about a month tops if you are doing as much riding as that . Better quality chains cost more than cheap ones, but any can wear fast if they are not lubricated correctly and/or break if they are incorrectly installed or overloaded. If you fit a new chain on worn sprockets you will get skipping. Ditto if the indexing is badly set up. I would suggest that you just replace the chain once a month or whenever it reaches 0.5% elongation, whichever comes first.

I think your bike also has a screw-on 6s freewheel. This is both good (such freewheels are cheap to replace) and bad; the rear wheel axle will almost certainly break sooner rather than later. Cassette hubs are much stronger.

Cheap wheels in hard use tend to fall apart and/or break spokes. Better quality wheels have stainless steel spokes, the spokes fit the hubs properly, and they are stress-relieved. Building reliable wheels is something that you can pay for or you can learn to do (eventually) but by and large if you buy machine-built off-the-peg wheels you shouldn't expect them to last that long if you are putting the miles in.

Look at the bikes that experienced couriers ride; many of them will be fairly minimalist machines, often with a singlespeed or a simple IGH. Such transmission arrangements are more reliable, as well as cheaper and simpler to maintain. A singlespeed/IGH rear wheel is less dished so is much stronger and less likely to fall apart. Time/money spent on handbuilt wheels is rarely wasted.

Learning how to carry out various maintenance tasks is more or less essential if you ride a bike that much; your bike need be off the road for less time (and more to the point) at a time of your choosing rather than when it breaks.

cheers

That's interesting - I have a 2013 Cube Cross Race that the first owner paid £1250 for and rode 20 miles, then decided cycling wasn't for him and left it in his dining room. I paid him £375 for it. 2nd hand is definitely the way to go.

[Ontherivet77]

I had a Specialised Sirrus for a few years used it in all weathers and had no mechanical issues, apart from a need to change worn tyres. Used they are going for peanuts on eBay. Here's one that went for £160.00 last week.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Specialized- ... Swx-lcDjl7

I wonder if there’s a correlation between the prices they go for used, and the amount of them that get stolen......?

Possibly, but then that's always a risk buying second hand stuff.

[Vorpal]

Is there not more bikes someone can recommend that will last long and can be purchased via a site like ebay, halfords?, evanscycle, tredz, decalothon? I know some of you did link some but I don't get the feeling they will last too long like my apollo transition since I am using it for so long every week.

The problem with recommending a specific bike is that in order to get something reliable & good for heavy use, you either need to spend more money, or buy used. It's difficult to recommend a used bike without looking at it, and if we pick a brand and model we are familiar with, it may not be available.

It's much easier to recommend looking for (for example) an older steel framed mountain bike (no suspension) from a decent brand like Marin, Cube, Kona, Specialized, etc. Look for brazed on mudguard fixings (not typical mountain bike plastic flaps), a cassette hub (7 speed cassette and chain will hold up best, especially in mucky weather). Check for no heavy rust, cracks or dents (examine the frame carefully), or stripped bolts/threads. Pretty much anything else can be fixed.

When I was teaching Bikeability, I was riding everyday, to & from work, as well as being out on the bike much of the day. I mostly did it on an early 90s Raleigh hybrid that was built up on their chromalloy mountain bike frame. Marathon plus tyres (not so nice to ride, but good at preventing punctures), mudguards, rack, lights, etc.

It is relatively easy to maintain, and reliable, which is what you want in a bike you ride everyday.

A new bike isn't new for long, and as Brucey says, the cheap bikes are only designed for casual use.

Otherwise any older steel frame with the same provisos & single speed or hub geared would be fine. Ideally, it should take mudguards and a rack. If you find something on ebay, google the brand and model, and see what people say about it. Ask opinions on here.

You can also get a friend who is knowldegeable about bikes to help you out, or check out the bike shop linked above by Paulatic.

[thelawnet]

My bike was indexed multiple times and still failed to work properly. A mech suggested the full rear wheel should be replaced on the bike as the cassette was wobbling and told me that may be the reason for the chain skipping etc.

I think you have a freewheel, rather than a cassette.

The problem is the bike you bought is designed to be used maybe to go to the pub occasionally, not as a tool of the trade.

[Reverend]

Alright guys

I came to a somewhat conclusion between these two bikes, I am just going to get a new bike instead of worrying about any consequences with used bikes (tried looking on gumtree/fb marketplace and ebay but couldn't see anything good, contacted a few people on fb marketplace for bikes that seemed decent but either it got sold out or they are not replying.

I have collected about £200 so just going to pay the full amount in one go instead of paypal credit.

What are your opinions between these two bikes:

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/ ... -20-frames

and

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/ ... -20-frames

Is there anything better at £200 from elsewhere?

[Reverend]

In-fact, will need to forget about the parva one, they ran out of stock on the 18 inch frame....

The options are now

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/riverside-1 ... 05304.html?

or

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/ ... -20-frames?

what do you guys think?

[hamster]

I'd go to a really good local bike shop - the sort that has secondhand bikes, and ask them for a secondhand build. The Decathlon bike is in the right ballpark, but I doubt the wheels and gears would last long. It has plastic brake levers, which are frankly rubbish. You also need mudguards and decent tyres to make a durable hard-working bike.

Secondhand you could get a really awesome bike fully able to do the job for £250

[simonhill]

Why not at least give the bike recycling place a ring. You seem intent on buying rubbish again.

[Reverend]

Thanks for saving me again, started to get pretty greedy again lol.

I'm gonna get a list from recyke a bike tomorrow so will see what options are available.

Any advice on this bike? Found on FB marketplace but can't find much info online.

Pics:
https://ibb.co/3CZNXCy
https://ibb.co/SJVp7yS
https://ibb.co/GpsSz4P
https://ibb.co/sRscchL

Its detailed as follows:

BTwin road bike. size 57cm - Btwin aluminium carbon frame with all shimano sora series. Comes with shimano clip pedals as shown in the pictures. No major scratches or dents and all gears works perfectly.

What do you guys think about it? And can anyone find a link online to where this may have been purchased from? I would assume decathlon but can't find this same exact bike there.

[thelawnet]

It's a Triban 5 White. Worth about £200 depending on condition, which isn't completely apparent from the photos tbh.

[Reverend]

I saw the frame said triban 5, but why isn't there like a page on decathlon showing the full specifications of this bike?

I've been offered this bike for £150, should I go for it? I saw some online sites saying that it's worth around £499, has the sora groupset etc

[PH]

What do you guys think about it?

It's the wrong bike for the job.

[Canuk]

This Ribble 631 is a solid performing bike, with full Campagnolo Mirage triple group and good quality wheels for £230 - with offers. They would probably take 200 for it, and they say they will ship it any where in the UK for £20.

This would've been an expensive bike new, about £900 and it looks like its not had much serious use, the chainrings look hardly worn. I reckon the only thing you might need to change would be the tyres, but even these look in good nick. If you stated what size bike you were looking for it would help

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 2894291005

[Reverend]

What do you guys think about it?

It's the wrong bike for the job.

Why do you think so?

This Ribble 631 is a solid performing bike, with full Campagnolo Mirage triple group and good quality wheels for £230 - with offers. They would probably take 200 for it, and they say they will ship it any where in the UK for £20.

This would've been an expensive bike new, about £900 and it looks like its not had much serious use, the chainrings look hardly worn. I reckon the only thing you might need to change would be the tyres, but even these look in good nick. If you stated what size bike you were looking for it would help

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 2894291005

Will check it out but very interested in the current offer I received for £150 - if you guys think that bike is not too good, I will look into alternatives