I want my bull bars :-(

JonathanAnon

Hi guys, would appreciate some help here from ye guys who know. I have a Raleigh Atlanta 18 speed with bull horns as handlebars, not too disimilar to this


The bike (which is 13 years old) has given me a lot of trouble over the last while so I have decided to just buy a new bike either one of these

Carrera Vulcan Disc Spec 20" Mens Mountain Bike
http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_273419_langId_-1_categoryId_212589

or

Apollo FS.26 SE Mens 20" Dual Suspension Mountain Bike
http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_258347_langId_-1_categoryId_212589

But, both of these have twist gears... and nearly all of the other bicycles are the same. Is there any way that I can keep my bullbars or will I just have to give them up ... *sighs*

niceonetom

JonathanAnon wrote: »

I have a Raleigh Atlanta 18 speed with bull horns as handlebars

like this eyesore from hell fine commuter?

JonathanAnon wrote: »

Those aren't bull horns in the sense you're talking about. Those are time trail base bars and are used on bikes like this. What you;re taling about are bar ends. They can be put on almost all normal flat/riser bars (not some carbon ones, but I suspect that's not a danger here). You'll just need to move the shifters and grips to accommodate them.

JonathanAnon wrote: »

Carrera Vulcan Disc Spec 20" Mens Mountain Bike
http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_273419_langId_-1_categoryId_212589

or

Apollo FS.26 SE Mens 20" Dual Suspension Mountain Bike
http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_258347_langId_-1_categoryId_212589

But, both of these have twist gears... and nearly all of the other bicycles are the same. Is there any way that I can keep my bullbars or will I just have to give them up ... *sighs*

Both seem fairly dreadful to me. Do you really need to buy from halfords? Mountain bikes are for going off road. Get a hybrid with a rigid frame and fork.

JonathanAnon

niceonetom wrote: »

like

Good god no Tom.. Here's my beauty.


I love the bike, but the bearing is gone and consistent problems with gears. Got a quote of 65 euro to replace back wheel, chain, back freewheel. But guy says that there is a lot of give in the bearing which he cant do anything about. That's why I decided to go for a new one.

niceonetom wrote: »

Both seem fairly dreadful to me. Do you really need to buy from halfords? Mountain bikes are for going off road. Get a hybrid with a rigid frame and fork.

I know very little about bikes but both of these got good reviews and are cheap. The "roads" that I travel on very bumpy back roads in Kildare. If I could get something very similar to the atlanta I would be happy.

niceonetom

Whoa. What they say about the eye of the beholder is clearly true.

Like most people, you're seriously underestimating what a hybrid or road bike can deal with. This forum is full of fat bastards generously proportioned riders (no offence lads) who ride skinny wheeled 'racers' all over the worst roads in Wicklow every weekend. Road bikes: they work on the road. Hybrids are at least as strong (depends on what you buy) and usually have slacker geometry and bigger tyres so they can take even more of a beating and are easier on the arse and wrists.

Unless you are going off-road (seriously) you do not need a mountain bike. You just don't.

If low maintenance is important to you, and you "know very little about bikes" buying the cheap bike in Halfords is a bad idea. It will go wrong (cheap bikes do) and Halfords is not known for it's magnificent aftercare. Then again, there is the internet where you can buy whatever you like (cheaper) and learn how to service/fix anything too.

If you like your raleigh, and it fits and is comfortable, I'd recommend spending the money to get it going properly. It looks like a decent enough frame. New wheels, cassette (cogs), chain and tyres (get on road tyre for the road - they are faster and provide better grip, knobbly tyres are crap unless you're on mud), replace the brake and gear cables. Clean everything and re-grease the headset etc. It'll be good as new. Better maybe.

It will cost less than the price of a new bike, and be better suited to your needs. After 13 years it deserves some love.

JonathanAnon

Appreciate the advice. I just understood from the search system on the halfords site (and other sites) that there were either road bikes or mountain bikes and nothing in between.

niceonetom wrote: »

Whoa. What they say about the eye of the beholder is clearly true.

I'm the Shallow Hal of the bike world

niceonetom wrote: »

It will cost less than the price of a new bike, and be better suited to your needs. After 13 years it deserves some love.

Read through all you've said and yeah, I think I might change course. If I could get this bike as good as new, that would be the best option. Saves me the headache of the bars issue as well.

penexpers

It is a small world. I saw this bike in Newbridge earlier on this evening.

thebouldwhacker

JonathanAnon, ignore the abuse being thrown at you, I too own an ugly bike and I loves her:D:D because of the god damn influence of this forum I now own more than one bike but my ugly beauty will alway be the one i love

Other than the shotgun justice you recieved Tom speaks wisely, if you love the bike and would prefer to hold onto her, find a good local bike shop and get her back to her former glory.

JonathanAnon

penexpers wrote: »

It is a small world. I saw this bike in Newbridge earlier on this evening.

So you are telling me it has been robbed?

Was in Newbridge last Friday on the way to Naas, but not since.

showry

JonathanAnon wrote: »

So you are telling me it has been robbed?

Was in Newbridge last Friday on the way to Naas, but not since.

I had the exact same bike about 15 years ago, I left it unlocked outside a pub one evening and it was fecked.
I saw it a couple of days later securely locked to a lamp post.

JonathanAnon

showry wrote: »

I had the exact same bike about 15 years ago, I left it unlocked outside a pub one evening and it was fecked. I saw it a couple of days later securely locked to a lamp post.

Yeah mine is about the same 15 yo, bought it from Cahills in Naas used to be on the old Sallins Road. Had a light stolen from it but never actually had the bike stolen. I think bikes are safer nowadays as kids are too lazy to actually use bikes (unless it's virtual biker for the PS). Ringing the LBS now to get her sorted.

JonathanAnon

Got the bike sorted for 70 quid, new back wheel, freewheel, fixed brakes, fixed bearing for pedals, new chain.

Thanks for the good advice.

Dr_Colossus

Wow, 70 euro for all that is quite cheap, you obviously have a good local bike shop that isn't out to rip you off like alot of them in Dublin city. Used to fix bikes at home in Galway years ago and it stuns me the price some Dublin shops now charge for parts and poor service. A standard chain alone is around 15 euro. A friend of mine brought his mtb with 7 broken spokes and a load of loose ones in the back wheel to a shop in Rathmines and they told him since the wheel was all loose that his bearings were shot and they'd put new ones in for 30 euro or else put on a new wheel in for 45. Luckily he didn't believe them and asked me to take a look to see what I thought, can't believe they didn't see the snapped spokes.
Sorry for going off on a tangent, enjoy the reconditioned bike and hope it serves you as well as it has in the past.

thecornflake

niceonetom wrote: »

If low maintenance is important to you, and you "know very little about bikes" buying the cheap bike in Halfords is a bad idea. It will go wrong (cheap bikes do) and Halfords is not known for it's magnificent aftercare. Then again, there is the internet where you can buy whatever you like (cheaper) and learn how to service/fix anything too.

halfords offer a free service after a few months when you buy a bike.
Also have a bike care plan which my freind is on and gets all his labour they do on the bike for free, he only pays for parts.

you are totaly right , never buy cheap, you'd be better off walking

the internet is'nt great unless you know exactly what you want and have already tried the bike, and know how to assemble it properly ( not to mention needing all the tools )

Dr_Colossus wrote: »

Wow, 70 euro for all that is quite cheap, .

70e is good , but if you hunt around you would prob get a better deal , plus fitting your own wheel is'nt a prob, and if someone showed you how to fit a chain and a freewheel you would be sorted , my advice, like niceonetom said , would be to learn how to maintain your bike and do all these little jobs