Universal Patriot 26" Dual Suspension Mens Mountain Bike-£89.79 Delivered

lindtee · 19-10-2009 07:54AM #1

Spotted this on HUKD earlier. Seems like an ok deal to me, although it has to be said I don't know much about bikes!
51TI%2BjK6ZoL._SL500_AA280_.jpg

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002NU5CM6/ref=nosim/?tag=hotukdeals-21

Those in the know have said this is not a bike to bother with if you can't be bothered to read through the next 3 pages:):)

Although Jaytee mentions a solid framed one further down which might be a better choice if your budget is very low indeed.:)

ednwireland · 19-10-2009 09:35AM

waste of money you wont get a decent bike for that money anywhere, never mind one with "full suspension" i use the term loosely

godtabh · 19-10-2009 06:02PM

ednwireland wrote: »

waste of money you wont get a decent bike for that money anywhere, never mind one with "full suspension" i use the term loosely

If this isn't a good deal can you suggest on that is maybe for a road/commuter bike?

kona · 19-10-2009 06:07PM

kearnsr wrote: »

If this isn't a good deal can you suggest on that is maybe for a road/commuter bike?

Well first off that bike is a sack of ****e. Bikes like that at that price are so bad they should really be illegal, shocking shocking bikes.

A good solid commuter bike would be a carrera subway 1 available from halfords.

If you want something like the above, that works, then you wont have much change out of 1k.

rco2000 · 19-10-2009 06:08PM

[quote=ednwireland;62596912]waste of money you wont get a decent bike for that money anywhere, never mind one with "full suspension" i use the term loosely[/quote]

Decent bike + fantastic price = bargain

That's why this is a Bargain Alert forum.

Well spotted OP:)

poochiem · 19-10-2009 06:27PM

I've got a Specialized Sirrus, good commuter bike less than 400. http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=45857&eid=4356&menuItemId=9260

but yeah avoid 'mountain bikes' under 100. check the customer reviews and you'll see they're unrelieable bikes mostly. If you're looking for 2nd hand commuter bikes you could do worse than have a look through boards.ie bike forum for advice and adverts.ie for sales.

jayteecork · 19-10-2009 06:40PM

What about this one - normal frame.
Any use?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002NU5CNA/ref=s9_sima_gw_s0_p200_i2?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=0NJCQBHGBF4PYRZT0EBK&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467198433&pf_rd_i=468294

I might get one of those cheapie ones just to go down to the shops and what have you.

kona · 19-10-2009 07:10PM

Heres a rule of thumb for bikes:

0-100: Walk, or get dragged down the road by a bus, both better options for transport than a bike at this price. In now way is this okay for anything at all.

100-200: ****e, pure crap, again youd get more value out of your notes if you used it as jacks roll.

200-300: You should pick up something useful towards the e300 mark. below e250, see the other points.

300+ should serve you well.

poochiem · 19-10-2009 08:02PM

I love generalisations.

The Bike to Work scheme means that 2nd hand prices are dropping too so bear that in mind. e.g. i got a 400 value bike for 215 with the locks and helmet thrown in (+100).

kona · 19-10-2009 08:21PM

poochiem wrote: »

I love generalisations.

The Bike to Work scheme means that 2nd hand prices are dropping too so bear that in mind. e.g. i got a 400 value bike for 215 with the locks and helmet thrown in (+100).

Not really its a informed opinion, from years of working in a bike shop. The bikes people moan about are cheap bikes, the bikes which are repaired the most...cheap bikes.

Cycle2work hasnt caused a drop at all, its more the recession and the fact there are very few ejits out there paying mad money for 2nd hand bikes.

poochiem · 19-10-2009 10:57PM

fair enough

ShoulderChip · 19-10-2009 11:08PM

kona wrote: »

Heres a rule of thumb for bikes:

0-100: Walk, or get dragged down the road by a bus, both better options for transport than a bike at this price. In now way is this okay for anything at all.

100-200: ****e, pure crap, again youd get more value out of your notes if you used it as jacks roll.

200-300: You should pick up something useful towards the e300 mark. below e250, see the other points.

300+ should serve you well.

I tried one of the bikes you can rent from the side of the road and would be happy with a bike like that, where does it rate out of interest on your scale?

kona · 19-10-2009 11:52PM

ShoulderChip wrote: »

I tried one of the bikes you can rent from the side of the road and would be happy with a bike like that, where does it rate out of interest on your scale?

300+, and from what DCC claim, comfortably in that bracket.
Try buy something with internal shimano gears...., dont expect change from e600.

pauliewallie200 · 19-10-2009 11:54PM

kona wrote: »

Not really its a informed opinion, from years of working in a bike shop. The bikes people moan about are cheap bikes, the bikes which are repaired the most...cheap bikes.

The OP is not moaning?

It looks like a gr8 bargain...after all, it's only a bleedin' bicycle not a car!

This bike after all was 150 sterling

kona · 19-10-2009 11:56PM

rco2000 wrote: »

Decent bike + fantastic price = bargain

That's why this is a Bargain Alert forum.

Well spotted OP:)

stop misleading people with poor advice.

That bike is extremely poor, nowhere near decent, not one component on that bike is decent.

If you dont believe me, google, ASDA and Cheap bike. They tried a stunt like that, and failed, because the bike is a freaking deathtrap.

How about you buy that heap of tin for e100, and ride it. Come back here in 3 months...with pictures, and the reciepts for fixing it, and assembling it.

Heres a Fact: You WILL pay more fixing them bikes after 6 months than the bike cost you.

Thirdfox · 20-10-2009 12:15AM

Not to be disparaging your expertise in regards to bikes...

But I had a brilliant 5 euro bike (new) in China that was perfect for ordinary day to day commutes - lasted nine months of university travel with no repairs (chain came off twice, one punctured tyre, that's it).

Where does that fit on your bike price scale?

Unless you actually know that brand to be disreputable I suggest you keep your mind open (though of course you can provide constructive opinions - the adjectives you chose to use are not very constructive).

Little A · 20-10-2009 12:24AM

I really think some perspective is needed - what is the bike to be used for???

I bought a bike about 15 years ago for about £70 from Arnotts. I knew I would not be doing the Tour de France.....I hadn't cycled in years & just wanted to have a bike there as an option. It gets used about 20 to 25 times per year, the "get fit" option initially and now the summer cycles through the park with the kids. It has served it's purpose, & I reckon I got my monies worth.

Hubbie started to cycle to work a few years ago (on my ole rusty couple of wheels). I knew he would need something better than that & got him a bike from Halfors at half price for about €200 - going fine still.

If you don't plan on doing 200km per week or competitive cycling....it's not really a big deal. a cheap bike is a good place to start if you don't know if you'll really use it....how many people decide to "try" something & buy the latest greatest model, only for it to sit in a drawer/press/shed until it gets replaced by the next latest greatest model

(PS - one repaired puchuture & oiling of the chain is the only maintenance my bike has had)

zing · 20-10-2009 12:27AM

I guess a lot depends on what you want to use the bike for. I've got a circa 100 quid bike out in the shed that I use for cycling with the kids or the occasional trip to the shops and it does me absolutely fine for that. Had it a couple of years now and never had any grief with it. Would I use it for commuting to work everyday ? No.

So for an occaisonal use bike this does seem like a decent deal. For anything more than that then - imo - you really should be investing accordingly.

lindtee · 20-10-2009 07:36AM

although it has to be said I don't know much about bikes!

:pac::pac:

We have a couple of sub €150 bikes which are still going strong after 6 years. Granted, we only use them for leisure and not transport. (a sarracen and a raleigh fyi) Ok, the bike I mentioned might be a pile of ****e but telling people that they have to pay over €250 for a bike is too.:cool:

quenching · 20-10-2009 08:40AM

Have to agree with Kona on this one, its not a bargain at all. Its a cheap bike, just because something is cheap doesn't make it good value. Avoid this like the plague, unless you just want to keep it in the shed and say you have a bike.

stevenmu · 20-10-2009 09:18AM

I'm not sure if it's still the case, but I know when suspension first became popular on bikes the cheap ones were terrible. The seals would always let go leading to either expensive repairs or a useless frame. The suspension also added a ton of unnecessary weight.

If anyone wants to go the cheap route I'd suggest getting a simple non-suspended frame. Less parts to go wrong, and at least when parts do they won't leave the whole frame knackered. They'll also be lighter, and for a simple 2 or 3 mile cycle on road suspension is just a waste of weight. And for a bike of the same price hopefully the production cost that would have gone into suspension will have gone into improving something else.

bk · 20-10-2009 10:24AM

I think what is confusing people here is not that it is a bad idea to buy a cheap bike, it is a bad idea to buy a cheap bike like this.

See all that suspension, it is just for show for kids, it is a toy. Rear suspension simply doesn't work on any bike under 1k.

So basically you are adding loads of extra weight to the bike with all the suspension, that doesn't actually work and makes the bike far less reliable and more difficult to repair.

Ideally a cheap good bike should be as simple as possible. No suspension at all, solid but relatively light frame, simple gear options. Unfortunately unlike places like Amsterdam, these type of bikes tend not to be sold here much, at least not for reasonable prices.

That is why people saying here that they bought a bike years ago for cheap and it does them perfectly fine are right, often the cheap bikes of the past are far better then the cheap rubbish being sold today.

craichoe · 20-10-2009 11:24AM

bk wrote: »

Ideally a cheap good bike should be as simple as possible. No suspension at all, solid but relatively light frame, simple gear options. Unfortunately unlike places like Amsterdam, these type of bikes tend not to be sold here much, at least not for reasonable prices.

Holland is wayyy more expensive for bikes than Ireland or the UK.
I'm buying one from the UK next month and looking at saving 50%.

Checkout some of the prices here ....
http://www.marktplaza.nl/fiets/bakfietsen/

I bought a f*cked up yolk in a dodgy shop for 50 yoyos safe in the knowledge that it will get stolen...

kona · 20-10-2009 11:46AM

pauliewallie200 wrote: »

kona wrote: »

Not really its a informed opinion, from years of working in a bike shop. The bikes people moan about are cheap bikes, the bikes which are repaired the most...cheap bikes.[]

pauliewallie200 wrote: »

The OP is not moaning?

It looks like a gr8 bargain...after all, it's only a bleedin' bicycle not a car!

This bike after all was 150 sterling

The bike was never 150 sterling, cheap bikes are ALWAYS sold "half price" or on "special" to entice impulse buyers, because people who do their research would run a mile.

I never said the OP was moaning, I said people who own cheap bikes are the ones who moan to bike shops about how crap bikes are:rolleyes:

FYI you could pick up a car of similar quality 2nd hand cheaper than that bike;)

It is not a great bargain at all.

kona · 20-10-2009 11:48AM

lindtee wrote: »

:pac::pac:

We have a couple of sub €150 bikes which are still going strong after 6 years. Granted, we only use them for leisure and not transport. (a sarracen and a raleigh fyi) Ok, the bike I mentioned might be a pile of ****e but telling people that they have to pay over €250 for a bike is too.:cool:

What saracen did you buy for e150? I really doubt you got a saracen for that price.

Saracen adults at the cheapest RRP for at least e250.

kona · 20-10-2009 12:02PM

Little A wrote: »

I really think some perspective is needed - what is the bike to be used for???)

Its a ornament for the shed BUT

Take a look at people commuting tomorrow morning, look at the amount using these heaps, the squeeks, the buckled wheels, no brakes, no lights. People do use these to commute, so I think it needs to be said these bikes are ****e before people jump in and buy because its a "bargain". You can get bikes at around that price, assembled in halfords.

Little A wrote: »

I bought a bike about 15 years ago for about £70 from Arnotts. I knew I would not be doing the Tour de France.....I hadn't cycled in years & just wanted to have a bike there as an option. It gets used about 20 to 25 times per year, the "get fit" option initially and now the summer cycles through the park with the kids. It has served it's purpose, & I reckon I got my monies worth.

£70 in 1994 is a HELL of alot nore than €90, considering £1=€1.27 and the fact that inflation had been rising quite considerably in that period. I think thats a poor comparison, also I do believe that budget bikes 15 years ago were built waaaaaaaaaay better than budget bikes now.

Little A wrote: »

Hubbie started to cycle to work a few years ago (on my ole rusty couple of wheels). I knew he would need something better than that & got him a bike from Halfors at half price for about €200 - going fine still.

What model of bike from halfords did you buy? One thing that can be said about most of halfords cheap bikes is that, because they are stocked regular and they sell **** loads, the quality control on them is better than bikes that random companies buy off the bike factories in the far east as a once off just to make a quick buck.

Little A wrote: »

If you don't plan on doing 200km per week or competitive cycling....it's not really a big deal. a cheap bike is a good place to start if you don't know if you'll really use it....how many people decide to "try" something & buy the latest greatest model, only for it to sit in a drawer/press/shed until it gets replaced by the next latest greatest model.

Im not saying buy the latest carbon fibre bike(FYI around 5k), Im saying spening a little more, and get something that will last and serve you well.
200km is nothing! I cycle 15km a day minimum and I live almost In the city centre. Go over to cycling and you will see lads covering 200k on e300 bikes no problem.

Also as a side, a bike shop makes more margin on the cheap bikes, the more you spend on a premium brand bike the less profit the shop makes.

poochiem · 20-10-2009 12:24PM

lindtee wrote: »

:pac::pac:

We have a couple of sub €150 bikes which are still going strong after 6 years. Granted, we only use them for leisure and not transport. (a sarracen and a raleigh fyi) Ok, the bike I mentioned might be a pile of ****e but telling people that they have to pay over €250 for a bike is too.:cool:

http://www.rothar.ie/ is a community centric bike workshop up the back of stoneybatter / phibsboro road. They've a map on the website. pop in there some saturday afternoon and they'll try and sort you out with what's best for you. They try not to charge more than 120. I think that qualifies as a bargain, they're real bike people and it's a good concern - Social Entrepreneur Award

kona · 20-10-2009 12:35PM

lindtee wrote: »

Ok, the bike I mentioned might be a pile of ****e but telling people that they have to pay over €250 for a bike is too.:cool:

You can spend what ever the **** you like on a bike, I dont care. However you cannot choose how much to spend getting the sack of ****e fixed.

Do you know that the bushings on thoses "suspension" forks are plastic, since the legs are steel, they will wear out. Since the forks are sealed and no way of opening them, once they wear, they have to be replaced.

Do you know that you wont be able to buy bushings for that frame when they wear?

Do you know that the bearings on cheap bikes are not lubricated in the factory?(they are coated with a anti corrosion sticky gunk)

Do you know that the pedals and cranks are made of plastic?

€250 isnt alot for a bike,

see here:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=42278

and they are 10% off... thats the real bargain here...

blorg · 20-10-2009 12:57PM

That bike is not a bargain and as Kona says was probably never the original price. Advertising stuff as reduced, half price, etc is a common sales tactic and if you are a true bargain hunter you should know better than to fall for it.

If €100 is your budget you CAN get a servicable bike if you buy a second hand hybrid without suspension and know what you are looking for. Budget €100-150 range for this, end of summer often people sell off bikes they bought with good intentions as the weather turns and you could be lucky. www.adverts.ie, www.buyandsell.ie, www.gumtree.ie etc.

That would be a better use for your €100 than this bike.

20-10-2009 12:59PM

Completely agree with Kona and I don't even know a huge amount about bikes.

petethedrummer · 20-10-2009 01:37PM

Would anyone be brave enough to actually take this 'Dual Suspension Mens Mountain Bike' down a mountain?

Universal Patriot 26" Dual Suspension Mens Mountain Bike-£89.79 Delivered

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