Shopping advice for worlds unluckiest cyclist

Pompous

I've been a cyclist for years now. For the last 5 years I've been cycling a trek 1.2 but it was stolen from my shed in November. I bought a Corratec Dolimiti for €1200 (full ultegra groupset) but it was stolen from college the next week. I then bought a second hand Apollo Fusion for €170 and it was stolen from college 3 days later.

I lost three bikes in three weeks but I learned something each time, so please do not give me advice on what lock to get or how to lock my bike because I have done my research now. I'll be using two kryptonite u-locks to begin with and since I lost two bikes in college I'll get some cheap u-locks to add to the collection that I can leave in there. Nobody will rob a bike with 5 u-locks on it

College starts again in a week and I want to get a new bike. I have been shopping on adverts and donedeal and looking at loads of different bike shops online. The variety is staggering. I don't know if I should go first or second hand. I don't know if I should go for a good quality frame and upgrade the groupset later, or go for a quality groupset and upgrade the frame later. I know I want carbon forks and I want the shifters to be like this kind http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Shimano_105-5500_shifters.jpg

My budget is €700. I have €200 and can borrow up to €500. So my question is, where is the best place for me to go if I want to find a bargain?

Pompous

TLDR: What's the best bike to get with carbon forks for under €700

detones

Pompous wrote: »

TLDR: What's the best bike to get with carbon forks for under €700

Tons of options but this looks nice for under 700 a few in stock too

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/felt-f85-tiagra-wiggle-exclusive/

Cee-Jay-Cee

I'd say go second hand with your budget. You'll get a much better spec'd bike than buying a brand new bike for the same money. For €700 you can look at bikes priced at around €1000 and make an offer on them if need be.

What height are you or what size bike are you looking for?

dubrov

With all the extra weight due to the ulocks, would you not be better off getting a cheap bike which no one would want to nick?

The trick is to get a bike that looks terrible but is actually a decent ride.

I also wouldn't bank on a thief not breaking 5 u-locks. I may even attract them as they'll assume the bike is valuable.

EB_2013

I agree, buy a piece of crap to commute with and keep something decent at home to use at other times.

If two bikes have already been nicked at college chances are it might happen again, it doesn't matter how many locks you have.

Beasty

If you have a bike for sale, use the Cycling Adverts sub-forum (abiding by the rules there). Do not use "which bike" threads to circumvent the main forum advertising rules, as your post will be deleted and you will in all likelihood receive a card

Thanks

pelevin

If it's for commuting to college with it locked far from your eyes all day, definitely I'd be going the buy something as cheap as possible that works route.
Anyone buy from or look out for when the gardai sell off unclaimed bikes? Could be worth looking into.

Pompous

CJC999 wrote: »

I'd say go second hand with your budget. You'll get a much better spec'd bike than buying a brand new bike for the same money. For €700 you can look at bikes priced at around €1000 and make an offer on them if need be.

What height are you or what size bike are you looking for?

I've been trying second hand bikes but so far any time I find a decent one, the seller will only sell it at the same price they bought it, just because they changed the tyres or there is a speedometer included, it's crazy.

I'm 5'8" so 54cm or less would do me.

dubrov wrote: »

With all the extra weight due to the ulocks, would you not be better off getting a cheap bike which no one would want to nick?

The trick is to get a bike that looks terrible but is actually a decent ride.

I also wouldn't bank on a thief not breaking 5 u-locks. I may even attract them as they'll assume the bike is valuable.

I will be leaving most of the u-locks in college so weight is not a problem. Sorry but I have to disagree with your second point, there is just no way they will choose the bike with 5 u-locks. The kryptonite u-lock is hardened steel, you need an angle grinder to get through it. Like I said I don't want advice on how to secure my bike, I have done my research.

I tried getting a terrible bike that was a decent ride, it was stolen too.

EB_2013 wrote: »

I agree, buy a piece of crap to commute with and keep something decent at home to use at other times.

If two bikes have already been nicked at college chances are it might happen again, it doesn't matter how many locks you have.

This defeats the purpose though. I commute 100km a week minimum, I want a decent bike to use so I can commute comfortably and without injury. I'm not going to let these scumbag thieves win. It won't happen again, they will not bring an angle grinder to steal my bike, and that's the only way they will get it.

pelevin wrote: »

If it's for commuting to college with it locked far from your eyes all day, definitely I'd be going the buy something as cheap as possible that works route.
Anyone buy from or look out for when the gardai sell off unclaimed bikes? Could be worth looking into.

I'll look into that, great suggestion thanks.

Daroxtar

Pompous wrote: »

This defeats the purpose though. I commute 100km a week minimum, I want a decent bike to use so I can commute comfortably and without injury. I'm not going to let these scumbag thieves win. It won't happen again, they will not bring an angle grinder to steal my bike, and that's the only way they will get it.

You can pick up a cordless minigrinder in Aldi or Lidl for about €10-€15. It fits inside your coat pocket and goes through a 16mm re-bar in less than 10 seconds. You might want to think again.....

Pompous

Daroxtar wrote: »

You can pick up a cordless minigrinder in Aldi or Lidl for about €10-€15. It fits inside your coat pocket and goes through a 16mm re-bar in less than 10 seconds. You might want to think again.....

If people were half as interested in giving advice as they are in picking arguments I would already know what bike I want. Thanks for your input.

lorrieq

They are giving you advice you jerk.

Pompous

lorrieq wrote: »

They are giving you advice you jerk.

I asked for advice on what bike to get. Daroxtar is talking about angle grinders. Did you even read the thread? I'm a jerk if I don't want advice that is completely irrelevant? Advice that I specifically explained I did not want?

Yeah ok, I'm a jerk for trying to keep the thread on topic. Thanks for reminding me why I left boards in the first place.

Darkglasses

Everybody keep it civil. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

lorrieq

Pompous wrote: »

I asked for advice on what bike to get. Daroxtar is talking about angle grinders. Did you even read the thread? I'm a jerk if I don't want advice that is completely irrelevant? Advice that I specifically explained I did not want?

Yeah ok, I'm a jerk for trying to keep the thread on topic. Thanks for reminding me why I left boards in the first place.

Apologies, I just thought you were being a bit sarcastic at people who were trying to help you.

I personally would go for a cheap bike, as I had to do before because my spirit was crushed after having two road bikes stolen. Hasn't been touched in a year, one u-lock. But I understand how you feel as you've had good and bad bikes stolen.

If you're set on getting close to you budget I would recommend the Boardman road race bike. My friend used to have one and it was a gorgeous ride. Fairly sure he got it in halfords for ~650€!

DaithiMC

If you can store locks in college would you not just take the front wheel off each morning and stow it inside with you? Seems about the same amount of extra work as putting five locks on, and if its stolen the robber pool is limited to thieves with savage wheelying abilities! The TDF Carrera range is well within your budget I think.

Mechanic365

DaithiMC wrote: »

If you can store locks in college would you not just take the front wheel off each morning and stow it inside with you?

In my college someone stole the wheels off every bike with quick release skewers. One mountain bike in in particular had some exepensive wheels on at the time. One guy took in his front wheel so they didn't bother with it.

In my college theres usually alot of bikes so they just dont seem to bother stealing but ive seen other people leaving their bikes around the back entrance where not many people would be passing through so fairly safe down there. Try finding a spot where its not seen by many and you can be assured if someone does steal it hes watching you.

AltAccount

Pompous wrote: »

I'll be using two kryptonite u-locks to begin with

Which model of Kryptonite?

dubrov

You could have a look at ChainreactionCycles which I belive are good value but have never used them myself.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en

Mint Sauce

Mechanic365 wrote: »

In my college someone stole the wheels off every bike with quick release skewers. One mountain bike in in particular had some exepensive wheels on at the time. One guy took in his front wheel so they didn't bother with it.

In my college theres usually alot of bikes so they just dont seem to bother stealing but ive seen other people leaving their bikes around the back entrance where not many people would be passing through so fairly safe down there. Try finding a spot where its not seen by many and you can be assured if someone does steal it hes watching you.

I would either take the wheel and sadle with me, or remove and lock to frame and what ever bike was secured to, or use an extention and wrap around anything removable.

Honestly OP, I would go for the cheaper bike option for the commute. Would attract less attention with a good secure lock, think the ratio is lock is 10-15% of the value of the bike, compared to a more expensive bike with multiple locks that would attract more attention.

Pompous

Pompous wrote: »

please do not give me advice on what lock to get or how to lock my bike

Darkglasses

OP if I may make a polite suggestion, if you didn't want people to talk about it you didn't need to mention it.

AltAccount

Pompous wrote: »

After some very bad luck with bike thefts you ar planning on buying a €700 bike to bring to the site of virtuallly all your previous bad luck.

We've seen enough people get caugh out by the reputation of Kryptonite and being upset/surprised when their Series 2 is cut like butter.

If you've done the research, post the info and let us move on. If you can't or won't, then don't be surprised if some of us are concerned you're about to get burned again.

€700 is a lot to spend on a bike, and a new looking €700 bike will attract the wrong kind of attention. If your 5 U locks aren't up to snuff they'll be cut in 2 mins and you'll be caught out again.

And For starters, don't have all the one type of lock that can all be cut with one kind of tool.
U's, cables and chains, mix it up! (But you've already done your research...)

Pompous

Meh. My sincere thanks to the people who actually gave advice on purchasing a bike. I'm done with this derailed thread cya folks.

TychoCaine

:rolleyes: Pompous by name, pompous by nature

Darkglasses

Thread closed