Need Advice on Bicycle for Paper Round (Low Budget).. HELP

sugard0
sugard0 Posts: 11
edited May 2009 in MTB buying advice
Hello, I am 15 years old, I have a paper round, my bike is absolutely pathetic, squeeky as hell and brakes have completely gone...... I keep on having to fix it, bike buckles, chain breaks, no grip, smash my knee on the handle bars oh so often due to the fact the gears decide to change when it wants to change 5 minutes after I wanted it to change <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< THIS BIKE IS HELL ON WHEELS. :evil:

Now as I am a guy with a low budget of £130, what decent bicycles can I get for that sort of money? I am willing to stretch my budget to £170.... :cry:

Thanks in advance
Sorry for my english, I was typing this in a rush.

Comments

  • blister pus
    blister pus Posts: 5,610
    Hi, welcome to the forums. :)

    Keep using the bike you have or walk the round, you've got more chance of a nice new bike being stolen on a paper round than you have walking or using a beat up old bike. Sad but true. Or buy a cheap second hand budget bigger bike that fits you better and doesn't matter if it goes missing.

    Save your money and get a budget of around £200 / 230 and buy a nice entry level hardtail like a Decathlon RockRider or Carrera Vulcan (check the what hardtail thread) and use your bike for your own personal pleasure, would be my advice.
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,673
    go down to the Police auctions and see what you can get, or your local bike shop and see what they may have used.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • sugard0
    sugard0 Posts: 11
    Well I am a pretty well built 15 year old, and Im sure people will think twice about stealing from me or maybe theyre thinking twice about stealing my tatty old bike, but in anycase I live in an area that is very low in street crime. I dont really want to spend £200+ on a bike as I am not a bike enthusiast, and by the time I get to 17 I will be working in a proper job that doesnt require a bike.

    I need a bike ASAP because I dont think my knees can take it any longer, they are being battered by the handle bars as the gears dont change when they should.
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    A new 130 quid bike will be barely better. Unless you plan to adjust and maintain it every day.
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

    Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
  • sugard0
    sugard0 Posts: 11
    supersonic wrote:
    A new 130 quid bike will be barely better. Unless you plan to adjust and maintain it every day.

    Well there must have been some really good bike back in 2007-06-05-04-03 those must be cheap now right and still be good. What about the Shockwave bikes? XT950 or whatever? Are those any good? Im willing to stretch my budget to £170 :(
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    They are worse!
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

    Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
  • Blackadder
    Blackadder Posts: 187
    if your knees are on the handlebars, cant you raise them and get a longer pole

    with regards to nicking, believe it or not there will be bigger lads than u out there even though u dont think it cos u are only 15. It may alos be nicked when u have your back turned putting a paper thru someones door
  • sugard0
    sugard0 Posts: 11
    Blackadder wrote:
    if your knees are on the handlebars, cant you raise them and get a longer pole

    with regards to nicking, believe it or not there will be bigger lads than u out there even though u dont think it cos u are only 15. It may alos be nicked when u have your back turned putting a paper thru someones door

    Well its a risk im willing to take. Obviously you guys want me to spend over £200 which makes less sense because if that bike gets stolen, I would be even more gutted then if I spent less. I NEED A BIKE, it sounds like you guys are telling me to never get a bike because it will get stolen, then whats the point of having a bike for a paper round? The handle bars arent low..... its just when I change the gear, it clicks into a gear but not the right gear, by then I think I am in the correct gear and peddling fast, but then SUDDENLY the gear changes, my foot swings off the pedal and my knee smacks into the handle bar!!!!!!! THIS IS REALLY PAINFUL, it hurts for a whole week and I have to keep missing football in school and on the weekends..... I will repeat............ I NEED A BIKE!
  • blister pus
    blister pus Posts: 5,610
    No, what we've said is if you're not interested in biking and just want a bike for a paper round, then buy a dirt cheap second hand bike that's bigger and fits you. No need to spend 130.
  • sugard0
    sugard0 Posts: 11
    What about this bike: http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_208956

    Any good?
  • sugard0
    sugard0 Posts: 11
    blister pus wrote:
    No, what we've said is if you're not interested in biking and just want a bike for a paper round, then buy a dirt cheap second hand bike that's bigger and fits you. No need to spend 130.

    But the thing is, there are so many bikes its overwhelming. Sorry if my tone in the message you replied too seemed aggresive but, I have absolutely no clue which bike to get. I thought about getting a Shockwave but obviously people are saying there terrible, so I want to make sure I dont buy a terrible bike and I would like my money to be well spent.

    Thankyou.
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Do any of your local shops have 2nd hand bikes that you can try?
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

    Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
  • sugard0
    sugard0 Posts: 11
    Ebay anyone? My dad has a Paypal account also if that helps. Any good bikes on ebay that I can get within my budget?
  • chorscroft
    chorscroft Posts: 254
    That halfords bike you've linked to will be god awfully terrible. Unfathomably heavy will terrible bouncy suspension which will absorb all your pedal strokes and turn forward momentum into up and down motion.
    I'll repeat what everyone has already said. Either buy a cheap second hand bike that's in half decent condition or up your budget and buy an entry level hardtail.
  • cat_with_no_tail
    cat_with_no_tail Posts: 12,980
    Look, I understand that you need a bike. And at 15 I remember how much money £130 was. But allpeople are trying to tell you is not to expect to get anything too fantastic for that kind of money. Not wanting to burst your bubble, it's just a fact.
    Try looking in the local papers and see what is going in your price range.
    Remeber, for a paper round, you dont need anything to take too much punishment. What you want to be looking for is something that is very stable, and is going to be able to handle the extra weight of all those papers.

    Personally, if it were me, I'd go for something like This

    Although I should add that Ihave no idea what that shop or that bike is like. it's just the first bike I found that's in your price range and does not have a stupid frame design and comedy suspension (which you dont need/want at this price range).
    "Avan-TT"
    F*cking Fast 29er
    Rapid Rose Roady
    Bionicon Beast
    Rockhopper Communter
  • llamafarmer
    llamafarmer Posts: 1,848
    An Apollo or Trax full susser for £170 will be a horror show!

    You won't get anything much for that sort of money unfortunately, but as people have said, you're best off getting a cheap second hand bike that fits you which you can happily throw down on the kerb when you have to deliver each paper. Buy something light and simple - no suspension at all is your best option.

    And don't get stressed with people who are trying to help you :wink:
    Giant Anthem X
    Cube Ltd Race
  • sugard0
    sugard0 Posts: 11
    Ok thanks all. I will ask my dad who is a police man to see what they have at his station. Thanks guys!
  • keirtristan
    keirtristan Posts: 296
    I think you're asking the wrong way. You need to go on ebay or look on gumtree etc. Find some bikes that fit your budget and ask if they're any good.

    Also, you're probably in the wrong place if you're just looking for a bike for your paperround. I used to walk mine, tried it on roller skates once.
  • blister pus
    blister pus Posts: 5,610
    http://direct.asda.com/Townsend-Prairie ... lt,pd.html

    You want to find one of those for £80 - £90 new, £100 is over priced and I'd be tempted to go in store somewhere that stocks them and haggle with your dad, I paid £88 12 months ago for one. Less, second hand in your local paper, they are pretty popular and being sold cheap if you look around. It'll do you.
  • sugard0
    sugard0 Posts: 11
    blister pus wrote:
    http://direct.asda.com/Townsend-Prairie-26+-18-Speed-Mens-Rigid-Bike/000979408,default,pd.html

    You want to find one of those for £80 - £90 new, £100 is over priced and I'd be tempted to go in store somewhere that stocks them and haggle with your dad, I paid £88 12 months ago for one. Less, second hand in your local paper, they are pretty popular and being sold cheap if you look around. It'll do you.

    Hmm yes thats more like it. It would be nice if there was some sort of suspension because my round is ROUGH. Takes 1 hour on a bike to deliver 12 papers.
  • blister pus
    blister pus Posts: 5,610
    Well it's got front suspension that will hold up to a paper round and it'll grip well on road and dirt and it's not too heavy if you get the smaller frame. Forget any form of full suspension (front and rear , like you posted before from Halfords) you are wasting your money. And pay no more than £90 for the Prairie because it's not worth it.

    Find one secondhand in the local newspaper, supermarket message boards, etc, they go for anything from £30 - £50. That's a good deal because the bike actually has a nice frame.
  • sugard0
    sugard0 Posts: 11
    Do you know why this one is £10 more?
    http://direct.asda.com/Townsend-Prairie ... lt,pd.html
  • blister pus
    blister pus Posts: 5,610
    Asda will ramp up the price just like Halfords do - and I've seen Asda direct do that bike for £90 . Which is why I said you should either try and locate one in-store or find one second hand for £30 - £50.
  • lawman
    lawman Posts: 6,868
    if ur a well built kid im sure u can walk it mate :P save the money and spend it on somethin else if ur just doing a paper round ...........
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    lawman wrote:
    if ur a well built kid im sure u can walk it mate :P save the money and spend it on somethin else if ur just doing a paper round ...........

    Lol, good point! Could never get on with cycling and delivering - having to drop the bike down as couldn't get up the driveways, and with just the bag you can hop fences and steal milk too.
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

    Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
  • tv
    tv Posts: 338
    hey fella get a bmx! cheap and easy to get on and off! and as your not into mountain biking proper perfect for 2 years you have left in your job

    http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165517

    sorted 8)

    and dont complain about the roughness i always ride mine down gravel tracks aswel :wink:

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