Tips on buying a <50£ bike

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I'm currently looking at reducing my cost of living and was thinking about getting a bike instead of the bus, as the distances I travel never really go above 4-5 miles.

If I was looking at buying a bike for around £50 max, what things should I look out for? Eg common pitfalls, advantageous extras etc etc

Thanks
 
Avoid the 'Trax' series from Halfords.

And assuming you're buying a second hand bike, just go and look at it, take it for a spin up and down the street and if it seems alright buy it. It's not worth being particularly fussy for less than 50 quid!
 
I'm definitely buying second hand, buying new never even entered my mind!

So it's simply a case of giving the bike a trial run and that's that?

I live up several "sloped places" so I'm looking for a bike that I can cycle up a hill. :)
 
Go simple, no suspension. Other than that, for that price just get anything in good nick. Check grearing works and is the gearing you want, wheels are not buckled. Things like tyres are cheap and easily replaced, so not really a problem, you'll want road tyres on.
 
Just check that everything looks to have been reasonably well maintained, the wheels are in reasonable true etc. You'll obviously have to replace consumables such as brake blocks as you go along. If you're lucky the drivetrain will be reasonably matching but at £50 you're not in much of a position to be too fussy.

Also worth remembering that if it doesn't feel too comfortable that it's relatively easy (and cheap) to affect the feel of the bike by changing the saddle and grips as those are the major contact points for you. If it feels a bit harsh then you might get a better ride by changing the tires for something else.
 
AcidHell2 said:
Go simple, no suspension. Other than that, for that price just get anything in good nick. Check grearing works and is the gearing you want, wheels are not buckled. Things like tyres are cheap and easily replaced, so not really a problem, you'll want road tyres on.
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Sounds good to me, albeit confusing, last time I rode I bike I was like 12. :/

zipp0r said:
get one with 15+ gears, comfy seat and brakes that work :P
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Brakes working is a definite! haha

semi-pro waster said:
Just check that everything looks to have been reasonably well maintained, the wheels are in reasonable true etc. You'll obviously have to replace consumables such as brake blocks as you go along. If you're lucky the drivetrain will be reasonably matching but at £50 you're not in much of a position to be too fussy.

Also worth remembering that if it doesn't feel too comfortable that it's relatively easy (and cheap) to affect the feel of the bike by changing the saddle and grips as those are the major contact points for you. If it feels a bit harsh then you might get a better ride by changing the tires for something else.
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Thanks for taking the time to post that, very much appreciated. Nice advice on the feel of the bike.

Truth be told, I'm a ***** student, so if it gets me from A-B with mimimal hassle I'm going to be happy. Going to be tough as hell at first though :eek:
 
I would be trying to get one that is 2nd hand but still a half decent make, even if it is bottom of the range.

Shimano/SRAM gears that work, brakes that work, preferably aluminium and a real headset/stem, not those all in one things.

Don't get one with a rear shock or stupid frame.


EDIT: I suppose for £50 you can't be too fussy, just make sure the wheels arnt buckled, brakes and gears work and it has decent tyres. could cost you another 50 quid again if for example you need new tyres or to get a new wheel or the gears/brakes fixed. Just make sure it works basically and hope for the best.
 
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Look out for Police auctions, as there will be some bargains there, I have only once paid over £50 for a bike, my current cheapo is a GT Aggressor which cost £32. The most expensive one was a Marin bobcat trail for £70, the cheapest was a double suspension women's Raleigh for £17, though I did spend £5 on a non runner which had two very good tyres on it
 
For £50 it's difficult to be too picky but it's not a make I've ever heard of so I'd suspect it's a cheap bike that would be sold in discount supermarkets or similar at £100. It's not easy to tell from the picture but it looks to have cantilever brakes so that suggests to me that it's fairly old as v-brakes have been standard for years now. The chain looks a bit rusty so may not have been well cared for and if I'm right on the pricepoint this bike's chainrings will be made of cheese.

By all means go and take a look at it but it's not one that immediately would incline me to bother myself.
 
Again it's difficult to tell too much from the picture as there's also little in the way of accompanying text, it's along the right lines in that it's a rigid bike but I can't say too much more than that.

I know the advice is not to go for anything with suspension but this Dawes Watoga looks like it could be a bit of a bargain if it's in anywhere close to reasonable condition. I know it's a little bit over what you want to spend but it's a decent brand and should be better to ride. Or a Muddy Fox Alu Lazer which is again a decent brand.
 
I got this bike last week (cant see much i know!)at car boot nr Newquayfor £15 its a haro with a 4120 frame and rides as well as my new mongoose ,another thing to look out for is the bottom bracket ie try and move one peddle and see if the other one moves ,may not adjust if too much play(many new ones are non adjustable and disposable) and new bearings may be required
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Sorry to hijack your thread kenmare, I am also looking for a bike to keep fit, my budget is a little higher of around £100-120 could any of you guys recommend me a brand/model for this price? please.

There is a Halfords about 5mins from where I live, are Halfords lower end models any good? Will be using this Bike every day.

Cheers
 
Angerer said:
Sorry to hijack your thread kenmare, I am also looking for a bike to keep fit, my budget is a little higher of around £100-120 could any of you guys recommend me a brand/model for this price? please.

There is a Halfords about 5mins from where I live, are Halfords lower end models any good? Will be using this Bike every day.

Cheers
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no, buy a second hand giant/trek from ebay for that budget
 
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