New bike vs repairing old bikes

Nubster

I'm in a bit of a dilemma, and would welcome some advice. I'm due to work at a different base from where I usually work, where the distance is only 5 miles along canal tow paths. I'm trying to get fitter, so I want to cycle there. I have two MTBs, which both need repairing to get them ridable again, or I can buy a new bike.

The first bike is a steel frame, both rims and tyres okay. It's 18 speed, but would need the cassette and bottom bracket cleaning of rust. It needs both new gear shifts, new forks (threaded), inner tubes, a new chain, and cables for brakes & gears. Bearings may need to be stripped & re-greased. Cosmetically it needs rust removing from nuts & bolts.

The second bike is a very light alloy frame, again with both rims and tyres okay. It's 7 speed, but would need the cassette and bottom bracket cleaning of rust. It needs a new gear shift, new forks (threadless Ahead), inner tubes, handle bar grips, a new chain, and cables for brakes & gears. Bearings may need to be stripped & re-greased. Cosmetically it needs rust removing from nuts & bolts.

I would need to spend £80+ on both bikes to get them into shape, with the main price being spent on forks off Ebay.

Or, I could buy this bike from my local Decathlon, for £250, and know that nothing needs to be done to it: http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-52-mountain-bike-black-id_8207349.html

Cycling to work will save me around £140 in petrol over those 12 weeks. After that, my commute would return to my normal base, which is 8 miles along (mostly) canal tow paths: it would lengthen my journey time by cycling, but eliminate petrol & parking costs. I could possibly go up to around £500 for the bike, as that would still save me petrol money if I stick with the bike commute (I'd have to get my head around the poor UK weather). It's a chunk of cash though, so not something I really want to do without being sure that I'll stick with it.

I don't know what to do. It seems the best way to save money is to repair one of the bikes, but then comes the hassle of sourcing & repairing. Buying new costs more, but comes with no hassle. I could also sell the bike parts, but no idea if that would be worth doing.

Any advice would be most appreciated.

night_porter

It is always easy to say spend the extra now because you will save in the long run but you won't save a penny if you do not stick with it!

For your temporary journey and potential saving of £140 you could buy a new bike from Decathlon for £150. Now I realise that this may not suit your requirements once the temporary change of workplace is over but it will give you more knowledge of what you need and how committed you are to actually riding to work. If you tell yourself that the bike would cost £10 as long as you ride it every day for the temporary assignment. If this proves successful then that bike could be sold on to buy a future new bike safe in the knowledge that you are actually going to use it.

You will also know what gear you will need and how your requirements differ from what you are thinking you need now.

The worst that could happen is that you ride for 6 weeks and then consign another bike to the rust induced graveyard where you store your current bikes and it has cost you a tenner. Alternatively you could enjoy it so much that you become (like most people here) a cyclist with a passion for using and maintaining a pride and joy.

Getting fitter along the way, enjoying exercise and saving gym costs to boot. Do you get the picture?

getprg

The missing pieces of info are when do you start at the new workplace - next week, 2, 3,4 weeks time - and how competent are you at repair work?

Why is this important? Because the scale of the repair work required to the other bikes sounds extensive. Sourcing new parts, stripping and rebuilding could take a couple of weeks (or the winter season to turn it into a decent project).

Does all that work really need doing? Rust is cosmetic when getting a bike back to health (except perhaps when it seizes the chain) - annoying but cosmetic. Are new changers and forks really required or do they need servicing?

If the work change is imminent and your bike maintenance knowledge or experience is sketchy then my advice would be to buy new.

slowbike

5 miles along tow paths should be easy enough to ride without full range of gears - so it doesn't matter if it's 7 speed or 18 speed as long as you can stick in a gear.

I'm not sure why you say the MTBikes need new forks - or the rest of it really - I'd just get the best one working and give it a ride.
Once you've got the hang of it then try the 8 mile ride as well - probably one evening or at the weekend and see how you go.

Nubster

Thanks for the input guys.

@night_porter: I hadn't considered buying a cheaper bike so that it only 'cost' me a tenner if I don't stick with it. That's certainly something that appeals to me, because if the worst comes to the worst it's only cost me a few quid and got me a bit fitter!

@getprg: Good point about the time period. I'm currently on two weeks annual leave, but I want to be starting cycling as soon as possible to get into the swing of cycling there (and enjoying any sunshine while it lasts). Sourcing the forks is going to be a pain, if for no more reason than the fact that even cheap forks will cost more than the bikes are worth. I'm mechanically competent, although if it's the first time doing something it'll take me longer, but I'll admit that I'd rather be out enjoying the current sunshine than fiddling with greasy parts. Edited to add: none of the cosmetic rust really needs seeing to, except for the clean-up of the cassette & bottom bracket so that I'm not peddling 'grit'. The forks are definitely screwed, and I'd say that the changers are too (the ones on the cheap steel-frame bike weren't great even when new).

@Slowbike: I'd prefer 7 gears over 21, because I won't use the other 14 on a canal tow path, and it's just more to potentially go wrong. Regarding the forks: the Ahead fork's stanchions have parted company with the lower part of the forks, and the threaded forks have seized solid (the steel-framed bike only cost about £150, so I'm assuming that there won't be much inside them to 'service').

night_porter

If you are near to a Decathlon then this http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-50 ... 02062.html looks cheap and cheerful, has 21 gears with Sram gripshift, Vee brakes, is nice and simple and although it is made of steel it doesn't look too heavy (according to the stated weight).

You could always pop in to Decathlon and have a look, more importantly it costs £110 according to their website and if it rides worse than your other bikes you could use the parts as a donor to fix one of those.

I have never been into a Decathlon nor seen a B'twin bike but plenty on here rave about them for economy.

NP

Nubster

I popped in to Decathlon to look at/buy that £110 bike you linked, with the idea of using it as a donor if needed. The guy I saw was extremely helpful, and (surprisingly) didn't try to up-sell. The bike felt cramped when trying it out, so he suggested I try a "trail" bike instead of the next price up MTB. It was £120, dropped from £160 that morning, and rode a lot better so I chose that instead. I asked about fatter tyres, for the smoother ride, and he gave me the price but suggested that I try the tyres that come as standard before upgrading. What a nice man.

night_porter

Good for you, now all you need to do is enjoy the sunshine, gets some miles in, ride for 6 weeks and try not to grin like a Cheshire cat all of the time.

Well done!

NP

Nubster

Thanks for the encouragement.

It's this (a hybrid), and the price was £150 down to £120: http://www.decathlon.co.uk/riverside-1- ... 02744.html . I got the mudguards free, because they didn't scan through at the till. Only cheap ones, but it saved a few quid.

night_porter

In all honesty the bigger wheels of the hybrid will be better for your type of riding anyway and the fact that it went down by £30 today and you got free guards is a real result.

Once you deicide that cycling really is for you then this bike will make a great winter commuter to keep your new (2nd) bike for best.

Keep us posted.

Nubster

I did a dry run to work today. The first half mile of the tow paths were a real bone shaker, but fortunately I can sidetrack that bit with a road detour, and then the rest was fairly pleasant to ride on (especially in the lovely sunshine). My rear tyre did pick up a puncture though, which doesn't bode well for future trips, so I've been looking at ways to line the tyres.

slowbike

Nubster wrote:

I did a dry run to work today. The first half mile of the tow paths were a real bone shaker, but fortunately I can sidetrack that bit with a road detour, and then the rest was fairly pleasant to ride on (especially in the lovely sunshine). My rear tyre did pick up a puncture though, which doesn't bode well for future trips, so I've been looking at ways to line the tyres.

how good are your tyres?

Punctures happen - but I wouldn't line them - it just doesn't seem to work ...
On a roadbike I've had GP4seasons on for 1800 miles with not a single puncture (that'll end the good run!)

Nubster

I wouldn't imagine that the tyres are brilliant, because it's a budget bike. I might have fared better on roads with them, but too many hawthorns twigs around canal tow paths. Apart from the punctures, I definitely need fatter tyres for better comfort.