Buying a light bike for around £200 - what to look for

phospho

Dirt Disciple
I'm planning on buying a bicycle for around 30-40 minute commutes, perhaps longer on the weekends. What should I look for exactly on ebay gumtree etc? There are a lot of raleighs etc. and they all look the same to me, but how do I tell the bad ones from the good ones? I'd like the bike to be around 11kg also, or is that out of the price bracket?
 
This should be doable but may take some time. Finding a bargain means looking where others are not. For instance aluminum bikes are out of fashion so they tend to sell for less than a similarly equipped steel bike. Cannondale 3.0 with Shimano 105 should be in your price range and will weigh in the 9 kg range (BTW the 3.0 and the 2.8 were great values as new bikes) If you are set on buying a steel bike look for one by a big manufacturer like Trek of Giant. These can be fine bikes but are not collectible (i.e. high price) because they were mass produced.
 
Hi

You need to bide your time and scour all the european ebay sites, as there are some fantastic buy it now prices sometimes. Plus it's a good way to do homework and get a feel for prices.

Once you start looking through all the bikes you'll get to know what you want.

There's also a site called Retrobike that's full of very helpful bike riders...............OR
You can also try the dark side at lfgss.com but the forum can be a bit brutal at times.

If your lucky you can get full Campagnolo Super Record and an SL or 531 frame, but I wouldn't go for tubular tyres as they aren't for commuting on.

I know nothing about Raileigh and they all look the same to me too :)
 
bugloss":2tdqs1yx said:
Hi

You need to bide your time and scour all the european ebay sites, as there are some fantastic buy it now prices sometimes. Plus it's a good way to do homework and get a feel for prices.

Once you start looking through all the bikes you'll get to know what you want.

There's also a site called Retrobike that's full of very helpful bike riders...............OR
You can also try the dark side at lfgss.com but the forum can be a bit brutal at times.

If your lucky you can get full Campagnolo Super Record and an SL or 531 frame, but I wouldn't go for tubular tyres as they aren't for commuting on.

I know nothing about Raileigh and they all look the same to me too :)


You will be real lucky to get 531 and super record for 200 quid
 
bugloss":13cjdm0w said:
Yes but it's been done.

Got my Mario Conti bike in Italy with full SR and in very good condition for 200 euro. Has a 27.2 mm seatpost so I suppose it's reasonable tubing too, but don't know what...

Also bought a Gazelle Champion Mondial for 120 euro, had Suntour cyclone with the fantastic powershifters.

Just takes a LOT of looking, and being very quick when a bargain comes up.

Also depends on the seller's sense of fair mindedness. In some cases, I've turned up to collect a bike and the seller said 'I had about ten people call after you did, but you were the first so the bike's yours'. In other cases, precisely the opposite: make an appointment, then a few hours before get a message saying 'Bike's sold'.


Good luck,

Johnny
 
bugloss":1gdqff3p said:
I wouldn't go for tubular tyres as they aren't for commuting on.

? Why not? Some folks been doing it for years :cool:. Dispense with those needless tyre levers and the faffing about, whip the spare tub on and arrive refreshed to the privacy of your own office whilst the tyre-tyro's still down the road fixing his pinched flat :D .

Should get a decent machine for £200.
 
All right :) , tubs aren't to everyones liking.
I ride on them all the time and have been since the late 80's, but the roads in Britain are full of shi.., I mean glass and stuff which isn't so tub friendly.

He can, of course, use tubs if he wants.
 
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