Recommendations for good bike

Mrs Garth Brooks

I would like to get a bike and thinking about getting a bike sometime.

I quite like this one from halfords
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductMobileDisplay?catalogId=10151&storeId=10001&productId=762359&categoryId=165499&langId=-1

But I have seen another thread with a similar bike (the apollo paradox). And people weren't recommending it. So I presume I would get the same about this.

I have had a good look at other bikes in town and I quite like this raleigh bike and I think I even prefer it more than the bike in halfords
http://www.cyclesuk.com/product/AT05_Ladies_2012_AT517LWT-1

So any thoughts on the raleigh bike? Or any good recommendations for other bikes? I have a budget of around €300 and just for spins to and from the shops and to hopefully keep fit.

ford2600

http://www.dublinbikeman.com/Ladies.htm
or some other second hand shop, guessing you might not to be comfortable searching classified adds

Tonyandthewhale

The halfords one you linked to is dire and highly unsuitable. The raleigh one is less extremely awful as it doesn't have suspension but I still wouldn't buy one.

Dublinbikeman stuff is more expensive than some of the other stuff on the second hand market but at least it's reliable.

I also like this; http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=67794 if you're willing to up your budget. Buy some mudguards for it too and a rack and panniers if you're going to be carrying anything on it.

You'll also need lights, especially if you're going to be commuting and a D-lock.

Mrs Garth Brooks

Im not in dublin, so cant get a second hand bike from that website. I did see a nice bike though.

I think I can up my budget a small bit if its for a very good bike. But dont have a clue.

I have also seen this bike in town. Is this a better bike
http://www.cyclesuk.com/product/AT10_Womens_Sport_2012_AT114LWT-1

Im thinking about maybe buying online, but they come boxed. They seem cheaper online. If I brought it to a bicycle repair place, could they assemble it? Obviously for a fee. But by the time they charge me, it would be the same as buying it the shop.

MrScootch

Whatever you do, do not get a full suspension bike for that price. It will be awful, and monumentally heavy and something will break.
In fact for just general spins around town and to the shops you don't really want suspension at all, it's just extra weight and maintenance.

This lot do some great value bikes:
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-50-women-id_8202061.html

Tonyandthewhale

HardLuckWoman wrote: »

I have also seen this bike in town. Is this a better bike
http://www.cyclesuk.com/product/AT10_Womens_Sport_2012_AT114LWT-1

No, that bike's crap too. You don't need any sort of suspension and you don't need knobby tyres. Stay away from mountain bikes. A single-speed is also a good idea at your budget because it means a simpler bike with less to go wrong and with less money spent on gears you would hopefully end up with higher quality everything else. Variable gears are nice to have though, they're just not 100% necessary if you're not going far or doing much climbing.

If you buy a bike online it won't probably need much assembly, five minutes with a set of allen keys and maybe a quick google should do it. Any bike shop will take care of it for you if you don't feel up to that though. I don't know how much that would cost though because I do my own repairs and maintenance so I'm not au fait with shop prices.

Mrs Garth Brooks

Thanks for the advice. Very interested in a single speed bike. But the shops in town are terrible. Anywhere online?

STI V5

Yeah i agree that .. Full suspension bikes for that money are going to be of shockingly bad quality not to mention them being the same weight as a baby elephant , Suspension on a bike that's going to be used on roads is overkill and will just lead to extra maintenance .. For a bit more money look into a city bike there basically a hybrid with 3-5 gears which are built into the hub of the wheel which means no deralliers and has very little to go wrong with it, with the added extra that it has gears incase u come up against a bit of a hill Single speeds are good if your reasonably fit , but i dont think there versatile enough for the newbie cyclist . without any gears i think u would find yourself taking the bike for a walk up hills rather than cycling it...:p I have a Felt X-City bike and its fitted with a child seat and panniers for the school run .. It gets dogs abuse day in day out .. Im 95kgs and my daughter is 20kg+5kg for her seat. On my way home it gets hopped up and down curbs across grass and over rough enough terrain and still haven't broken anything on it yet , so i doubt if your just tipping along you would need a bike with full suspension .. if u cant stretch the budget for a city type bike have a look at a Carrera subway hybrid ltd i think i paid 380 for it last year for the wife, its light enough and has disc brakes ,decent enough gears and is a smooth little bike for the cash .. Ive seen big brand names using the exact same spec components on there bikes and charging 550e+ for them .. So i think there well worth a look !! Goodluck

bambergbike

With your budget, I would suggest picking up something decent second-hand and reserving some of the budget for things like:

- carrier, mudguards, a bottle cage (or three)
- a basket, or panniers
- a hub dynamo and lights (so that you never have to think about batteries and are always good to go)
- decent puncture proof tyres
-a comfortable saddle & possible tweaks to other contact points (handlebars and pedals) to get the fit just so
-clothes (a cycling jacket with a longer back than your regular jacket, for example)

I wouldn't skimp too much on gearing unless you are very fit, but you can certainly cross suspension off your list. Cheap suspension is worse than no suspension. If you really want a softer ride, look for a steel bike.

Lumen

€300 budget for a singlespeed bike? Maybe this:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=67794

I have one. It is an excellent bike, bearing in mind the basic limitations of singlespeed. It even has front and rear eyelets for a rack and mudguards, although I have no experience of putting such things on a mountain bike-shaped thing.

Mrs Garth Brooks

Thanks for the advice. Still unsure, my head is wrecked. The shops in town dont have much and I think a bit overpriced for what they do have. Like the bike I was interested in,the raleigh at05 is €329. I've seen it online and its way cheaper. But then the cost of getting it made up, it would probably be the same. And its also cheaper in the uk. Then I dont understand the stuff online.

Would it be even better adding to my budget? Lets say €400. Or I could wait until xmas and maybe €500. I dont think I would even spend any more.

Are the giant bikes any good? Like this one
http://donegan.ie/giant-giant-revel-ladies-2012-whiteblue-p-577.html

Also, im not sure if it makes a difference or not but I live on a rough enough road, with potholes and a good few hills. Thats why im looking at mountain bikes.

Lumen

HardLuckWoman wrote: »

Also, im not sure if it makes a difference or not but I live on a rough enough road, with potholes and a good few hills. Thats why im looking at mountain bikes.

Repeat ten times..."I do not need nor want suspension on my bicycle"

STI V5

Aah yeah buying something that ye might not know much about can be a head melter Im heading down to my local bike shop over the weekend they stock a heap of decent makes cube-lapierre-giant-scott-felt - they always have a good selection on display .. Ill take a look for u and post a few suggestions to give u an idea what u can get for around the 300-500e range it might help .. There dublin based and deliver nationwide for free !! They fully assembled a friend of mines bike and sent it well wrapped down to him !! with no problems at all .. Hold tight for a day or two !!