Halford bikes/front forks

mossychops

Checking out eBay for a cheap bike for my girlfriend and came across this:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0744240791

Did this bike really leave Halfords with the forks on backwards? How has this person not noticed the bike only turns left?

Confusedboy

Quite possibly. Don't buy it whatever you do if you are trying to encourage your gf to cycle more; a heavy bike with cheap caliper brakes and twistgrip gears will peruade anyone to take the bus. You do not need to buy this sort of bike, you can find one in any skip. There is a reason for this.

You should be able to do much better than this, and she is your gf after all, you love her, don't you? Unless she wants to ride in frocks (I very strongly approve of this as a confirmed lecher), I would avoid 'ladies' or 'mixte' frames, and in any case insist on v-brakes, an 'aheadset', and proper gear changers as your minimum acceptable standard. Twistgrips are as good an indication as any of a cr*p bike.

mossychops

Confusedboy wrote:

Quite possibly. Don't buy it whatever you do if you are trying to encourage your gf to cycle more; a heavy bike with cheap caliper brakes and twistgrip gears will peruade anyone to take the bus. You do not need to buy this sort of bike, you can find one in any skip. There is a reason for this.

You should be able to do much better than this, and she is your gf after all, you love her, don't you? Unless she wants to ride in frocks (I very strongly approve of this as a confirmed lecher), I would avoid 'ladies' or 'mixte' frames, and in any case insist on v-brakes, an 'aheadset', and proper gear changers as your minimum acceptable standard. Twistgrips are as good an indication as any of a cr*p bike.

Some better advice there than my post on what to look at. Lol. I had decided against that bike for a few reasons. I am in total agreement with you and she needs something light to carry up the stairs too, but she is worried about a cross bar stopping her from putting her feet down during a wobble. I was thinking of buying a cheap bike keeping it in my garage and letting her get confidence on that before buying a decent bike with a proper frame and lightweight. There have been a couple of Specialized on there lately and some reasonable older Claud Butlers, but they are going for £100+ so a bit too much for a stepping stone.

EKE_38BPM

Confusedboy wrote:

Quite possibly. Don't buy it whatever you do if you are trying to encourage your gf to cycle more; a heavy bike with cheap caliper brakes and twistgrip gears will peruade anyone to take the bus. You do not need to buy this sort of bike, you can find one in any skip. There is a reason for this.

You should be able to do much better than this, and she is your gf after all, you love her, don't you? Unless she wants to ride in frocks (I very strongly approve of this as a confirmed lecher), I would avoid 'ladies' or 'mixte' frames, and in any case insist on v-brakes, an 'aheadset', and proper gear changers as your minimum acceptable standard. Twistgrips are as good an indication as any of a cr*p bike.

Why would you avoid a mixte? Any actual reason or just personal preference?
Girls wear skirts and step through frames makes sense for that reason.
I've just sold a mixte to Moonio and she loves it. LiT has a few bikes including some carbon lovliness but rates her 1980s steel framed mixte as her most comfortable bike.
LiT and her mixte are on the right.

I agree that the bike linked to is a bit ropey, but for a spin around the park, it would do a job. Not the ideal steed for a 15 mile commute, but for the occassional recreational ride, it'll do.

mossychops

Maybe you all didn't notice the detachable mudguard!

That link was posted more for as a giggle with the forks like that.

Anyone know a good place to go for a sub £50 bike? Do the bike jumbles have anything suitable? Im fine with adjusting and lubing stuff if the bike has been sat around but I dont really want to be buying new parts.

On a side note, she did look at a bike at an "ex-catalogue" shop once, I came over to look at what she'd found and it had counterfeit gears which instead of Shimano Indexing System were Precise Index System and actually had "P.I.S." written on the shifters. The bloke then tries to come over and try and "sell" me this bike: "disc brakes and full suspension init, mate, good bike this". I was so tempted to ask if I can do jumps on the bike and when he says yes, ask for a text ride and hop off a kerb on it and break the thing in half, the welds looked that bad I am sure I could have snapped the thing by bunnyhoping my weight on it.

SimonAH

Nowt wrong with a ladies geometry frame, especially if it gives confidence.

Lots wrong with gert big heavy BSO welded up out of used girder sections and then painted in pretty colours.

IMO they can actually be bloody dangerous (on top of foul to ride). One of my colleagues has a Halfords low end thing and the brake levers are actually plastic (and some cheap flexy plastic at that). I can squeeze them back to the bars with ease (shudder).

There are BSOs in the foyer of my local WalmASDA - and they've been assembled with the suspension forks backwards as well. Beggars belief.

mossychops

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Why would you avoid a mixte? Any actual reason or just personal preference?
Girls wear skirts and step through frames makes sense for that reason.
I've just sold a mixte to Moonio and she loves it. LiT has a few bikes including some carbon lovliness but rates her 1980s steel framed mixte as her most comfortable bike....

She would absolutely love one of those (and would never part with it even for a spanky new bike), but I'm a bit worried about the time and effort into getting up to scratch. I'd definately pay the eBay price for that. It's a cool bike. Does it weight much?

EKE_38BPM

mossychops wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Why would you avoid a mixte? Any actual reason or just personal preference?
Girls wear skirts and step through frames makes sense for that reason.
I've just sold a mixte to Moonio and she loves it. LiT has a few bikes including some carbon lovliness but rates her 1980s steel framed mixte as her most comfortable bike....

She would absolutely love one of those (and would never part with it even for a spanky new bike), but I'm a bit worried about the time and effort into getting up to scratch. I'd definitely pay the eBay price for that. It's a cool bike. Does it weight much?

It tips the scales at around the 13kg mark. Its a very nice, very stable ride.
I think flowery, summer dresses and Cadbury's Flake are issued with mixtes at a special girlie cyclist training college

The Rookie

I built a bike for my wife, brand new step through frame (she has hip problems and can't swing a leg over the saddle), forks, headset and saddle, used parts include LX rear and XT front mechs, quality Shimano 'gripshift' and all for £56.......

Yes a lot of cheap bikes come with twist grips, but all twisters are not the same (try the X0 on my commuter!)

Simon

Confusedboy

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Confusedboy wrote:

Quite possibly. Don't buy it whatever you do if you are trying to encourage your gf to cycle more; a heavy bike with cheap caliper brakes and twistgrip gears will peruade anyone to take the bus. You do not need to buy this sort of bike, you can find one in any skip. There is a reason for this.

You should be able to do much better than this, and she is your gf after all, you love her, don't you? Unless she wants to ride in frocks (I very strongly approve of this as a confirmed lecher), I would avoid 'ladies' or 'mixte' frames, and in any case insist on v-brakes, an 'aheadset', and proper gear changers as your minimum acceptable standard. Twistgrips are as good an indication as any of a cr*p bike.

Why would you avoid a mixte? Any actual reason or just personal preference?
Girls wear skirts and step through frames makes sense for that reason.
I've just sold a mixte to Moonio and she loves it. LiT has a few bikes including some carbon lovliness but rates her 1980s steel framed mixte as her most comfortable bike.
LiT and her mixte are on the right.

I agree that the bike linked to is a bit ropey, but for a spin around the park, it would do a job. Not the ideal steed for a 15 mile commute, but for the occassional recreational ride, it'll do.

Personal preference-as I say, it is what 'I would' avoid-but backed up by the idea that a bike without a top tube/crossbar is never going to handle particularly well, or, if it is, it will have been made more heavy than it needs to be to achieve the stiffness needed. I appreciate that, if you are unable to get your leg over (stop giggling at the back) or want to wear frocks, ladies/mixte frames are the way to go. Mossy's gf says she has wobble issues, but I think she will be less likely to wobble on a better handling bike in the first place, and, with most modern compact frames, have no difficulty in straddling (I won't tell you again at the back). Granted a mixte is a step in the right direction away from a ladyframe in these senses, but it needs to be a good'un.

Twistgrips (again this is my opinion and not neccessarily established scientifically proven fact) are a load of unpleasantness, even the better quality ones. They require more physical strength and alteration of your riding stance to use than any other sort, and you have to grip them with some force in the wet-ugh.

I stand by my opinion about calliper brakes on this sort of BSO bike. They are dangerously ineffective and next to impossible to maintain properly.

I am going to break with the principles of a lifetime here and suggest that a small framed fixie or (better) SS would be just the thing for Mossy's gf. Assuming her to be a novice cyclist, and that there are no big hills in her life, she will find it simple to ride and not have to deal with learning to use gears to the best advantage at all (novices used to changing gears on cars will waste a lot of energy spinning out before they change up, not realising that the purpose of gears on a bike is to enable the rider to maintain a constant cadence).

Mossy has the opportunity to try to persuade her that some of the things all novices believe are not always true, and this brings me on to knobbly tyres. They do not grip better in the wet, not on tarmac anyway, nor do they resist p*nctures any better, but this is highly counterintuitive to a novice. They do, however, increase rolling resistance and make the bike harder work and therefore less enjoyable to ride, which is highly off-putting to a novice. I fully understand, however, that 'persuading' and 'girlfriend' are often mutually exclusive concepts, and that the relationship is the most important thing here.

Lit's loveliness extends to more than carbon.....

bails87

On a similar note, my sister recently asked me if anywhere does any bikes that aren't a rip off (ie, £100....).

From the looks of the website, Decathlon no longer do the Vitamin, are there any other similar things around: basic and reliable is the key. Just for pootling along country lanes, cyclepaths and the odd tow path. Gears aren't necesary ("I don't even know how the gears worked on my old bike"), fixed wouldn't be an option though.

EKE_38BPM

The Mixte that I bought and sold to Moonio was originally bought by me for a novice. I chose that bike because it 'only' has five gears. No worries about cross chaining with only one chainring. Indexed gears make selecting each ratio easy. Its nice and stable to ride and I think it is perfect for a girlie novice.

Raleigh mixtes came in various guises. Drop bars, riser bars, flat bars, moustache bars, 5 speed, 10 speed, index gears, friction gears, handlebar shifters, downtube shifters etc. The options available in the 70s/80s was wider than was available now I think.

Hunt on ebay for bargains. The height of summer is probably not the best time to hunt for this kind of bike though as, like buying a convertible car in summer, the price will be driven up be rival bidders wanting to ride (or drive) in the sun.
Many on here wax lyrical about bike co-ops. Try it, nothing to lose (unless they mug you when you walk in).
Also, try police auctions. The only downside I can see to police auctions is one day being accosted by someone saying you are riding their pride and joy which had been stolen!

bails87

EKE_38BPM wrote:

The height of summer is probably not the best time to hunt for this kind of bike though as, like buying a convertible car in summer, the price will be driven up be rival bidders wanting to ride (or drive) in the sun.

My sister would be one of those rival bidders, she'll probably have forgotten about it in a couple of months time.

Cheers for the reply though.

rolf_f

Confusedboy wrote:

Personal preference-as I say, it is what 'I would' avoid-but backed up by the idea that a bike without a top tube/crossbar is never going to handle particularly well, or, if it is, it will have been made more heavy than it needs to be to achieve the stiffness needed.

Unless you are standing on the pedals, powering up the Galibier, I doubt that you'll notice much difference in the handling purely down to whether it is a Mixte or normal gents frame.

mossychops

Confusedboy wrote:

Lit's loveliness extends to more than carbon.....

Thank you for the lengthy post, some good advice. Rest assured I will not buy something dangerous or under the BSO definition. I only came across that particular bike looking for something better second hand (you're right this is not a great time to be looking) and though it might be amusing to some people on here (I did send the guy an email warning him).

Preconceptions are the issue here, she hasn't ridden a bike for a long time and she is convinced she will be wobbly and fall off, she thinks there is a cross bar she won't be able to just jump of the saddle at any time. I know that once she has been on the bike litteraly once or twice this will no longer an issue for her. To start with she will be cycling up and down a path in the park, handling not a problem here, but ease of peddling is. Then if she is happy balancing we would do Tissington or something so gears would be useful for legs. It is a shame I can't borrow a bike from my sister in law or something, but she is worried about damaging it by falling off. It seems crazy to buy a specific type of bike just for the first couple of goes when that isn't the overal best type for her.

I almost could do with finding one of the "summer bidders" who are already bored with their bike so I can snap it up

A fixie or SS is really temping cos I can keep for myself afterwards, even if I need a frame transplant. I wouldn't mind a BMX too now I think about it. *joke although that would probably be ok for her to prove her balance in the park*. Driving me mad cos the last thing I want to do is wastre money at the moment.

"Powering up the Galibier" - how dare you, that is my girlfiend!!!!

EKE_38BPM

mossychops, where are you? I'm trawling ebay for something suitable for Mrs Mossychops. I'm also looking for something for Ms Bails and after 1 minute of searching I found this. I wouldn't recommend it though as it looks like its had a hard life and is about an hour (driving) from Brum.

The search continues...

Edit: Just found this Mercian mixte. 531 tubing, drop bars, mudguards, rear rack. Only £395 + £45 delivery. Dream on, seller.

mossychops

EKE_38BPM wrote:

mossychops, where are you? I'm trawling ebay for something suitable for Mrs Mossychops. I'm also looking for something for Ms Bails and after 1 minute of searching I found this. I wouldn't recommend it though as it looks like its had a hard life and is about an hour (driving) from Brum.

The search continues...

I can't thank you enough for helping like this. I am in Solihull, my girlfriend is Sutton Coldfield and I work in Salisbury quite a lot so anything near those would be fantastic.

I am looking as well, but I am not so good at spotting the good stuff really. Thanks again.

EKE_38BPM

If you fancy getting the tools out, try this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mixte-steel-T ... 45fba17e40
£50 inc delivery but will need some love before she can ride it. Seeing your efforts at building her a good bike should lead to lots of good rides in the country in the future.

Hub gears too, so no derailleur to lead to a greasy chain.

Just found this too.
Small bike for a CafeWanda size rider.

mossychops

If it was local I'd probably go for that. I am a little worried that it might end up costing me money (could get expensive) to get it running.

Looking closely at the £40 one, quite a bit of rust and seat post bent etc makes me think this is above my abilities with a spanner. I can just about keep on top of my basic maintenence, stripping down bearings is probably beyond me.

LOL I'm having a good look too now. Its addictive.

EKE_38BPM

I'll just post links of viable bikes now, no reviews. If see a bike I don't think is any good, I won't post a link.
So to start off, how about this: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Raleigh-Wisp-Ladi ... 19c6c5105b

Oh yeah, Mossychops and Bails should check their PMs. There may be goodies awaiting them.

mossychops

Sending her a pic of the town bike. Might be the one.

EKE_38BPM

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/vintage-classic-w ... 415b46d140

EKE_38BPM

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CHARGE-HOB-RED-SM ... 4cf71d4f49

Charge Mixte fixie. Pricey, new though.

EKE_38BPM

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VINTAGE-FRENCH-MO ... 43a81e9ab2

Don't forget to add P+P to the cost though. I would also change the saddle to a more girly one or the rides in the country won't be happening!

mossychops

Thats fixie is lovely (hence the price , pug looks good too but a bit far to go and pick up)

Do you think the Raleigh will be difficult to maintain?
It's pretty close too. Not so cool but maybe practical?

EKE_38BPM

The Pug and the Raleigh are in the same place (but with hugely different prices).
If it was a 'toe in the water' type bike, I'd go for the Raleigh. If she is already a cyclist and wants a nicer bike, I'd go for the Pug.

Pug:
Pros
5 gears (one chainring so easier to use for a novice), rear rack, mudguards, looks vintage but clean, girlie saddle
Cons
Price

Raleigh
Pros
Probably much newer, more gears (probably covering a greater range with less of a jump between ratios), not so pretty so less likely to get nicked, price
Cons
Newer Raleigh (personal possibly irrational dislike), saddle (not a ladies saddle), size (its tiny, but if she is too then this isn't a con), no mudguard, no rear rack

At that price the Raleigh looks like an OK buy. The saddle doesn't look very girlie though. I'd get the shop to swap it for a more girlie one.
After a not so great experience with a new Raleigh, I prefer their old (made in Nottingham) bikes rather than the newer Chinese stuff.

If you think she will appreciate the difference and your pockets are deep enough, I'd go for the Pug.