Commuter/Tourer - minimal budget

butcher of bakersfield

I'm keen to put together a commuting/touring bike. Preferably steel framed hardtail MTB, slicks, v-brakes, haven't decided on soft or rigid forks. But I'm absolutely skint at the moment, so I want to go as low on the budget as possible, quite literally.

I have an old GT sat there (around '97 maybe). Nice little bike, but the rear hanger's been repaired after it was badly bent. It'd need some wheels, crank, forks, and cables. But by the time you get all that, it gets quite expensive for a battered, well ridden old bike.

I've also got a Marin Bolinas Ridge (from about '91), in absolutely mint condition! Alu frame, not quite something I'd like to tour on I don't think, but potentially a great commuter.

With the two, besides the skinny forks, which I don't feel safe on! I have a half decent bike there. But I couldn't bare to savage the Marin for parts, not in it's nearly new condition with original unworn tyres...

Other option is to buy second hand on ebay. Seems to be some decent bikes for under £100. Probably superior to the GT with new wheels and whatnot.

It's more me being indecisive really, but does anyone have any ideas? Anyone put together/bought some cheap workhorses? Maybe even an ultra cheap new MTB that would be up to the job?

Kiblams

Take a look at my commuter in my sig. That is an old steel Raleigh MTB that I took the deraileurs, shifters off, shortened the chain and stuck slicks on. The bike was free and I have spent maybe £40 on it (pannier rack and slick tyres) and it is amazing to ride on the road

supersonic

Take a look at this:

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/p ... mpid=COJUN

Some guy in the commuting section got one - has a lot fo decent kit for that money.

butcher of bakersfield

supersonic wrote:

Take a look at this:

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/p ... mpid=COJUN

Some guy in the commuting section got one - has a lot fo decent kit for that money.

Muddy Fox. Now that's a name you don't see much nowadays. Looks alright actually. Bit poncey, but that's perfect for leaving outside of work/tent/etc...

Take a look at my commuter in my sig. That is an old steel Raleigh MTB that I took the deraileurs, shifters off, shortened the chain and stuck slicks on. The bike was free and I have spent maybe £40 on it (pannier rack and slick tyres) and it is amazing to ride on the road Very Happy

I was half expecting to be told to get a P7 or something. I'm so relieved there's some normal people on here Not sure about single speed though. How's it ride?

In fact, how does the handsome dog ride? That looks a sick bike, even with the rigid forks! I'm very tempted by that. Not as the bike in question though, that's much to flash....I may well end up with too many. There's already 3 sat there.

I dunno, I may set the GT up, but I need to salvage the parts. Everything else on i is mechanically sound though, as I planned on setting it up as a tourer a year ago.

supersonic

Handsome dog do a nice light cromo frame for 60 quid too.

butcher of bakersfield

supersonic wrote:

Handsome dog do a nice light cromo frame for 60 quid too.

Yeah, I've seen it. By the time you've bought all the other bits though you've spent a good few hundred quid. It does look a nice bike though, and I did think about it to replace the war-torn GT...

supertwisted

I use the Scott in my sig as a tourer/commuter. I ditched the dreadful RST elastomer forks and bought some rigid Surly 1x1s to replace it. Along with a set of skinny Schwalbe Marathons it makes a really good road bike, better than it ever was as an MTB.

Other than that it lives off hand-me downs from my other bikes.