First bike help!

predabec
predabec Posts: 3
edited April 2008 in Road beginners
I am in need of some help!!

I am thinking of buying my first bike and I don't have a clue about what is good and what is not! I don't really want to spend over £170 and would mainly be using the bike at weekends on some bike trails and riding to and from uni. My inside leg is 31".

I would really appreciate some help and guidence!

Thanks!

Comments

  • heavymental
    heavymental Posts: 2,091
    Well, you've got to go second hand at that price. What kind of thing are you after? Racing bike, mountain bike? If you're thinking of trails you might want to pick up an mtb or hybrid type thing as they are a bit more robust.
  • predabec
    predabec Posts: 3
    Was thinking of a moutain bike or a hybrid type bike. But I really don't know what would be good without getting ripped off by going to somewhere like Halfords. However I did see an Apollo bike in Halfords in the sale for about £150. Is Apollo a trustworthy brand or would it fall to bits in a couple of months?
  • feel
    feel Posts: 800
    second hand or increase your budget would be my suggestion.
    We are born with the dead:
    See, they return, and bring us with them.
  • damoske
    damoske Posts: 4
    predabec wrote:
    Is Apollo a trustworthy brand or would it fall to bits in a couple of months?

    I've heard examples of them falling to bits in a couple of months - the advice was occasional use only. Also, I've seen the Apollo on sale in Halfords for around £100 at the moment.


    D
  • sicrow
    sicrow Posts: 791
    decathlon do some good deals for basic but good bikes that you could get at around your price range for both road and MTB
    http://www.action.org.uk/sponsor/simoncrowther
  • Alibran
    Alibran Posts: 370
    predabec wrote:
    Is Apollo a trustworthy brand or would it fall to bits in a couple of months?

    My Apollo hybrid has done around 1000 miles in 11 months, many of those in the last couple of months when I started commuting to work on it. It has a few problems. The brakes are sticking slightly on the front, and the gear changes are very "clanky", but I haven't had any problems getting to work and back on it. If I knew more about bikes, I could probably fix the problems myself, but I don't so I'll either have to pay my LBS to do it or leave it at Halfords for however long it takes them to service it under the plan I paid up front for.

    It's OK, it does the job, but I've just replaced it with a Trek, and there's no comparison.
  • timbo58
    timbo58 Posts: 27
    Did the same thing:
    Me & her bought a pair of apollo bikes at 89 quid each and found using a chunky tyred heavy bike absolute torture, couldnt even get up mild hills without a heart rate in the 160+s!!
    It looked great and had full suspension but peices started going rusty after about 6 months and frankly looking back it was a waste of money, both bikes are wrecks now 2 years later with very little use indeed!

    I bit the bullet, as I enjoyed cycling, and bought a Claud Butler Chinook Hybrid (£265 if my memory is correct) after visiting a local specialist shop and seeing one in there for service.
    The difference was incredible, light very very flickable an absolute pleasure to ride, qulaity components and a couple of 1000 miles on the clock now and still great.
    I lost nearly 3 stone using her last year -9 miles a day minimum!

    anyhow still need an incentive, so keeping the faithful CB for commuting and general fitness and buying (as soon as Im able) a full on road bike (Bianchi Via VNirone 7 with carbon forks and campag gears! £600)

    so, in essence, you get what you pay for: I think if you invest more in the bike youll use it more and itll be more pleasurable to use, a win-win situation really!
    see if you can stretch that £150 abit and see a local specialist rather than halfords, itll pay dividends.

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