How to find a cheap bike

Latatian

Where can I find a cheap second-hand bike that is not stolen? Checked on donedeal.ie and the '40 euro and must be sold within two hours' ads made me worry. I could go to some of the less dodgy-looking offers and check the registration on bikeshepherd.org or against places where people post stolen bikes- but so many people do not have their bikes registered. I don't want to be buying stolen goods.

I just want to look out for something cheap, but with functioning brakes, that's not worth stealing, and is under 100 euro (cheaper the better). I haven't owned a bike since I was a small kid. So if I was to get one I'd want something I was happy to have the occasional topple in- okay, probably regular outright crashes with scratching etc.- and that wouldn't annoy me too much if it turned out I didn't have the co-ordination to use it. I'm just doing a bit of research to see if this is a feasible goal.

beauf

Ask your friends if anyone has a bike they don't want?

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Halfords usually have brand new bikes for around €100. Depending on the model, they build it for free and inspect it for faults a few weeks later.

Tonyandthewhale

A second hand bike for 100euro might be a heap of junk. A brand new bike from halfords for 100e is guaranteed to be a heap of junk (but at least you'll have a warranty and a receipt if you decide to return it). Also wouldn't put much faith in Halfords assembly or first service/check (though some branches are better than others in this regard and not all halfords employees are actually incompetent). During my brief stint working as a bicycle mechanic we had a number of brand new bikes 'assembled' by halfords which were brought home only to be found by their owners to be completely unrideable (loose nuts and bolts, components on backwards, maladjusted gears and brakes etc).

Latatian

So I'm going to look at some bikes which have been sitting in a very dusty shed for quite a long time. I know enough (and that's little) to make sure that the brakes work, the wheels turn, the chain doesn't get caught or slip off etc. Unfortunately I can't find my bike chain lubricant- is there any other oil I can use instead? Motor oils, anything like that? Or will I just have to go and get some?

Latatian

I have found in some sheds the old (very, very old) reflex tamarind MTB- which has extremely cracked tyres, tubes which are refusing to inflate, rusted chain, somewhat rusted brakes, rust on all the screws, spots of rust across the handlebars. Is it going to be possible to get this running reasonably well again? The chain seems to be going smoothly enough with an application of oil.

If wiggle.com get the right stuff back in stock it looks like I could add new wheels and tubes, and a carrier, all the cheapest, for about 40 quid maybe. I'm going to head into Rothar and see if I can find parts for less second-hand.