Secondhand £250 budget bike

paulc

Looking for a secondhand bike hardtail or full sus that's a few years old got good equipment on and would be ideal gor the occasional trip out around llandegla and others.

Budget is 250 maybe 300... What is there to look out for?

slickmouse

you can with a bit of patience have more or less anything you want for that money, study gum tree for a couple of weeks, to see whats going for what

my rule of thumb is look to give about 25% of the as new price on a few years old bike, so you will be looking for bikes that cost circa a grand when new, buy on condition rather than age( upto a point), but ensure your getting reba forks etal and delure running gear etc

croptonboy

Reba's tend to fetch around £200 on eBay, so you might struggle to get a decent bike with Rebas on for £250

slickmouse

Croptonboy wrote:

Reba's tend to fetch around £200 on eBay, so you might struggle to get a decent bike with Rebas on for £250

not every one has the wit or the inclination to take it apart, some folk just want shut of it as its been sat clogging up the garage for 4 years and the mrs is moaning shei has no where to put her new garden set

NB reba go for about 80 to a 100, there not much more than 250 quid new

Oh look here a price
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/rock ... tAodwwIAIw

and another

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/26122781 ... 80&ff14=92

paulc

Looking to buy complete bike for the budget.

My brother is looking into tagging along to mountain trails so it don't need to be fantastic just a decent one that will do him good and make for a pleasurable ride.

I no doubt will be servicing it so will suggest new parts he could get and so on

Effoh

I have a Saracen Zen 3 that I no longer use. Shimano XT levers, mechs and brakes Fox RL fork. Unfortunately I'm away from home until 14/10 but can post some pics on my return if you're interested.

felix.london

Search eBay for "Specialized Rockhopper" - usually a good place to start.

croptonboy

slickmouse wrote:

NB reba go for about 80 to a 100, there not much more than 250 quid new

Oh look here a price
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/rock ... tAodwwIAIw

and another

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/26122781 ... 80&ff14=92

I noticed you didn't link to any in the £80-100 price range. The only ones I can see on eBay in that range have no bids yet as they were only just listed

OP, I'm not saying you're not going to get something decent for your money, but you don't really have to wait until a Reba shod bike comes along (presuming you find one within budget anyway)

slickmouse

Croptonboy wrote:

slickmouse wrote:

NB reba go for about 80 to a 100, there not much more than 250 quid new

Oh look here a price
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/rock ... tAodwwIAIw

and another

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/26122781 ... 80&ff14=92

I noticed you didn't link to any in the £80-100 price range. The only ones I can see on eBay in that range have no bids yet as they were only just listed

OP, I'm not saying you're not going to get something decent for your money, but you don't really have to wait until a Reba shod bike comes along (presuming you find one within budget anyway)

Clearly somewhere in this the burden of proof has shifted from you, the claimer, to me to prove you wrong

OK lets just apply logic, these things cost circa 250 quid new, only a complete nummty would pay 80% of the new price for a used second hand part, thats not to say it never happens if people get caught up in an ebay biding war, but people also buy secondhand computers from cash converters as a greater price than you can buy them new at tescos

If the ''standard 50%'' of the new price for 2nd hand applies, that a 125 quid, a lot closer to my estimate than your, but ive seen them on gum tree for 80 quid or so a few times

NO he doesnt HAVE to wait, he can rush out and buy the first over priced under speced bike he comes across, If he is prepared to wait for a '' bargain'' it will come along and he can have his rebas etal

croptonboy

Is this going to be another thread where you argue the toss, end up agreeing, and then denying you did?

For example, here's the last set of Rebas that sold on here:
viewtopic.php?f=40092&t=12941572&p=18537932&hilit=reba#p18537932

Of course we don't know what they sold for, but he was asking £160 for them despite a couple of niggles, so double your £80. Wonder who the "nummty" was that bought them?

paulc

It will be my brothers first good quality bike so he will wait for the right one.

He is more than happy with a hardtail... After hiring one at llandegla.

A list of secondhand bikes that fit the bill is what he needs to choose from....

What would be your top 5?

felix.london

there is no such thing as it all depends what condition each bike is in individually. Like I said, you could start with a search for Rockhopper and take it from there, only cos there's generally loads about

croptonboy

Felix is right, the list could be endless, because you'd pay £250 for and older bike in good condition, but again you 'might' pay £250 for a newer bike in not so good condition, if you were happy to replace/fix it up

I'd also agree, a Rockhopper isn't a bad bike as Specialized are quite a well known brand so there's a fair selection to choose from. There's also an abundance of Hardrocks which will be within budget, but new, they tended to be overpriced for what they are and I've seen 8 year old ones fetch £150+

slickmouse

Croptonboy wrote:

Of course we don't know what they sold for, but he was asking £160 for them despite a couple of niggles, so double your £80. Wonder who the "nummty" was that bought them?

thats what i was wondering, ive got some magic beans to get rid of

slickmouse

paulc wrote:

It will be my brothers first good quality bike so he will wait for the right one.

He is more than happy with a hardtail... After hiring one at llandegla.

A list of secondhand bikes that fit the bill is what he needs to choose from....

What would be your top 5?

pick the well know names, trek, spec, scott, giant etal, despite what people say they are all much of a muchness, its the specification that makes the difference

specs are over priced always round and id avoid them only for that reason, if you get one at the right price fair enough, as ive suggested above look at paying 25% of the as new price for something say 4 years old, so circa a grand new and buy on the level of equipment your getting rather than on any particular make, if you watch gum tree for a couple of weeks, you get the same bikes coming round again only at a much cheaper price, when it drops into your price range get round there

its a good time to buy, second hand prices have dropped about a quarter since the summer

paulc

Little bit tricky finding out what spec they have as not many people on eBay (gumtree still to look at) out specs up or even what year... So some research to be done.

Will keep you posted.

slickmouse

paulc wrote:

Little bit tricky finding out what spec they have as not many people on eBay (gumtree still to look at) out specs up or even what year... So some research to be done.

Will keep you posted.

yes mate they are a gift to you, if they dont know it has reba forks, they arnt going to take them of and flog them separately

A lot of people buy quite expensive mountain bikes for some keep fit programe that never happened, X years later they pop up on gum tree for next to nowt with less than 100 miles on them

the spec comes in packages, if they have good forks they will have good running gear, so always go for the forks,get a magnifier programe so you can read detail of the picture or failing that ring up and ask. you want discs obviously and it having 27 gears means its quite new, if you come across something that catches your interest hit Google and see if there are any reviews on it and a full spec list or ask on here

paulc

Really am getting my use out of google.

The two main things were looking for are front sus with lockout and hydraulics.

Just a few that seem suitable...

http://bit.ly/18Hy9aJ

http://bit.ly/1bY76gj

http://bit.ly/18HDJcV

slickmouse

this looks interesting ?

http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/mount ... 21/gallery

www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/mountain-bike/1033860021

paulc

Not sure he would like the colour scheme... But he could always ride blindfolded.

The Rookie

Personally I'd steer clear of a Spesh, the name adds about £100 to the price (unless it needs some work).... Carrera Fury are pretty good and go for not much more than a Vulcan, also look out for the other lesser known names like Pinnacle (Evans), and Fuji's etc.

The argument about the price of forks is meaningless as ebay prices are as much to do with the quality of listing, end time and luck as the product (example identical car tyres sold 4 months apart, both ending 8pm on a Sunday, second set went for half what the first set did). My daughters Rev's cost £72 delivered as it was a 3pm Friday afternoon auction.