Budget Bikes or Low End Big Brand?

Maxcalibur

Hi Everyone,

I'm looking to get a new bike (like so many) as I completely knackered out my Ridgeback Nova. I am looking to get a hybrid (although I have thought about a road bike but not sure about changing) and I don't really want to go above the £400ish mark.

The question for me is this: Is it worth buying a bike from a manufacturer that aims at this price range already (like the Pinnacle bikes) or is it better to buy one from a manufacturer that also produces high end bikes, like Specialized?

Thanks for the help!
Maxcalibur

oodboo

The way I see it is if you buy the pinnacle then you'll probably get a better spec'd bike to start with but if you go for the specialized you get a frame worth upgrading over time as components wear out.

Maxcalibur

Ah ok, that's a good thing to bear in mind. Getting more into bikes in general is an aim of mine. I would like to repair the Nova but I think it's a bit beyond repair!

Are there any Specialized ones which would give the best bike to go down this path? Or equivalent from another good manufacturer?

optimisticbiker

Maxcalibur wrote:

Ah ok, that's a good thing to bear in mind. Getting more into bikes in general is an aim of mine. I would like to repair the Nova but I think it's a bit beyond repair!

Are there any Specialized ones which would give the best bike to go down this path? Or equivalent from another good manufacturer?

As long as the frame is sound nothing is beyond repair... assuming you have the tools/knowledge... of course the cost of new/upgraded parts might argue towards a new bike...

Maxcalibur

The frame is fine, just bent forks. This is something I had considered but I'm not sure if I've got the skills to make it roadworthy again.

To be honest, repairing/modifying things is normally the route I would take with anything, I just don't have that much experience with bikes and obviously there's a certain safety aspect. I guess I could do it then take it to my local bike shop to get it checked over.

Also, I wouldn't have a clue to start with choosing parts!

Duffer

Maxcalibur wrote:

The frame is fine, just bent forks. This is something I had considered but I'm not sure if I've got the skills to make it roadworthy again.

To be honest, repairing/modifying things is normally the route I would take with anything, I just don't have that much experience with bikes and obviously there's a certain safety aspect. I guess I could do it then take it to my local bike shop to get it checked over.

Also, I wouldn't have a clue to start with choosing parts!

Seriously, it's so easy to work on bikes. Anyone with any rudimentary mechanical sense can rebuild a bike. There are some more complex jobs that require experience (like wheel building, brake bleeding, etc) but as for the rest of it, any monkey can do it.

Get yourself a good set of alan-keys (and to be honest, you'll only need the 4mm and 5mm anyway!) and you can strip your bike to it's component parts in a matter of minutes. If you get yourself in trouble, your LBS will be able to sort you out pretty easily.

As for parts, ask away on this (or any other) forum, and you'll get all the advice you could need.

On a side note, i've just bought a Kona Honky Tonk for my 15 mile commute. It's slightly over your budget at £550, but it's good value:

jonny_trousers

At the £400 mark I don't suppose it will matter much. I wouldn't be surprised if frames for both manufacturers mentioned above end up coming out of similar factories and then have their appropriate name badges printed upon them.

Do think about taking the last part of Duffer's post as inspiration as what you can get for just over £500 is considerably better than what's around for around £400. That Kona in particular will be an awesome bike.

MichaelW

Most frames come from a handful of factories in Taiwan. Some at the lower end come from China where they dont have the hertitage of quality bike production (but catching up fast). Taiwanese factories produce excellent frames with good quality control. Very few major brands actually fabricate their own frames in their own factories. Giant is the biggest brand who do everything for themselves.

It is well known that Specialized is part-owned by Merida (one of the big 5 factories) and they manufacture most of the frames. They also make their very fine own-brand Merida bikes. Is there a different at the lower-mid level? I dont think so.

Pinnacle is a sticker brand BUT they are not just picked from a standard catalogue, they are specced for the UK market (eg tyre clearance, rack and mudguard fittings).

I wouldn't worry about the brand name on the bike but rather that the features are appropriate for the role, the size and handling are good and the components are as good as possible.

meanredspider

Wouldn't you be best to buy secondhand?

The Rookie

For a Hybrid at that price, it's worth considering a Carrera Gryphon (Merida frame), reasonably light and pretty robist, your budget will get you the disc spec.

Simon