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Advice on Budget Bikes

wburnishwburnish Posts: 41
in General Chat
hi All
I have decide to attempt the clumber park dualthon next year and have started training. I have been looking at getting a road bike to use. I have a budget of no more than £500. I have been trawling the internet and have found a couple of bikes which think are suitable but have no idea if they are any good or if there are others out there. The bike I have been looking at are:-

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... e-ec019545
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cla ... e-ec022489
http://www.discountbicycles.co.uk/biz/p ... ng_bicycle

Any help of advice it greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Will

Comments

  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    Hi Welcome and Good luck

    Never heard of the Python so can't comment but Clumber park is a nice route, fast and undulating. The Spesh and Claude Butler would be OK as indeed would the Trek 1.1 http://www.evanscycles.com/products/tre ... e-ec020773 which has the same componentry.
    I would suggest that you should be looking at a 9 speed to get a bit more flexibility e.g. http://www.evanscycles.com/products/ral ... e-ec023215
    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=44408

    Need to get sized properly, why not check out a local tri or cycle club?

    If you can a bike under the cycle to work scheme then you could get a much better bike for the same price. If your employer doesn't have one here is a good guide
    http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/cycle-scheme
    http://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/
  • kevy427kevy427 Posts: 10
    Zacnici beat me to it with the Cycle to work scheme! A lot of dealers will also be wanting to clear out their 'old' 2010 stock to make way for the 2011 stuff, so there could be some bargains to be had. Other things to consider are eBay and the small ads on this forum. Some of the online retailers do 'Try before you buy' schemes so you can see if you like your steed of choice. Buy the best you can afford (like everything in life) and listen to the advice from people on here - I'm sure some know what they're on about...Oh, and it's not always about the bike - it's the soft, squidgy organic lump on top that makes the biggest difference!
  • wburnishwburnish Posts: 41
    Hi
    Thanks for the advice on the bikes. I will go and do some more looking at the weekend. I am as I have 2 really good local shop by me.

    unfortunately my company doesn’t do cycle to work any more as no-one took it up 3 years ago, of well.

    I will deficiently be listen to the advice on here as I haven’t really got a clue what I am doing but really enjoying the challenge.

    Thanks again for the help. And I will be working on the soft, squidgy organic lump on top.
    Will
  • blaze1235blaze1235 Posts: 64
    My advice
    Wear blinkers when you go in the shop......
    I went with a budget of 1500 and spent 2500 it was worth every penny.
    then when i collected another 250 on pedals Bottle holders etc.
    Goood luck

    I had a specialised Allez 4 years ago and there is nout wrong with it. felt smooth and steady
  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    Whoops - sorry just noted the Cube is a triple which I would not recommend -I have one myself and never use the smallest Granny ring. Sorry
  • rickystayterickystayte Posts: 10
    Hi Will

    Might be worth a look at this as well...
    http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/sport-2-51-63-69567479/

    Carbon rear stays as well as forks which you won't get else where for that money (that I'm aware of). It's a triple but if you do hit a steep hill you might be thankful of it. I brought the Sport1 for this year and can't fault it really. It came all assembled and ready to go. If my budget would of allowed I would of went for the Sport2 over the Allez. The only down side is it's not red, and we all know red ones are faster!
    Oh, and one last thing, watch out for the WAT when purchasing!
  • wburnishwburnish Posts: 41
    TIme for a daft question what does WAT mean.
  • kevy427kevy427 Posts: 10
    You could always visit the Cycle Show at Earls Court this weekend - probably your best chance of seeing a good variety of bikes under one roof and the chance to talk to people about your forthcoming purchase?
  • QuitterQuitter Posts: 160
    WAT - Wife Added Tax
    The extra price that gets added on top of your purchase that helps with chasing your hopes and dreams and trying to make her proud.
    Buy her a pretty dress or some new dishcloths...she'll be fine.

    +1 for the Decathlon bikes....in fact anything Decathlon -super value for ALL sports.
  • birdymanbirdyman Posts: 39
    I could be wrong on this, (let's face it, I usually am), but I think that if you are PAYE and a UK tax payer, then you are entitled to the Cycle To Work or cyclescheme. A company can't not offer it.

    http://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/employee,c ... 9d1d5104a4

    Basically, if you have a budget of £500 you could get up to a grand's worth of bike through this system.

    (Just make sure you get it right, cos otherwise you might get a hybrid and then decide to take up Tri, and spend your time looking glumly at other people's bike porn in Transition - just imagine who could so daft as to do that)!!!!
  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    Well really the purpose of the C2W scheme is to involve employers, the bike is purchased by salary sacrifice so you pay for the bike from gross sacrifice rather than deductions after tax and NI and technically the bike remains the property of the employer until the last 'buy back' payment - rather like the old Hire Purchase system.

    So yes you do have to have an employer who agrees to have one set up amd enters into a contract with the scheme provider. Once you start to mention contract employers get jittery.

    Now you can do the leg work and plonk everything down in front of them and say this is all you have to do but if they say no - end of.

    I work in the public sector and my employer at the national level declines to impliment the scheme as in common with many other large employers staff 'discounts' are available with various outlets on holdays, insurance etc. and believes that a bike can be purchased at a similar discount - no.

    If you can get a bike on C2W then you will save about £300 on a £1,000 bike and a public sector 2.5% discount does not match up with that.
  • wburnishwburnish Posts: 41
    I work in the public sector and what you have said is exactly the same experience when is spoke to HR today.

    I did consider looking at hybrid bike but decide that it is the same as my MTB. Decide a road bike would be good also it would mean that when we go out on the bikes as a family my wife will have to pull the trailers with the kids in it.

    Thanks for all advice, I might take my wife for some WAT and at the same time drop in to the cycle shop in the local town,

    will
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