Author Topic: do it all bike for under £250?? ideas please (Read 6431 times)

medved · « **on:** April 09, 2013, 01:05 PM »

my riding time keeps getting less and less and getting down to a track is a mare at the moment.

i have a race bike but is so set up for racing that i's hate to wreck it by mashing it up at the skate park.

i'm mid 30's 5 foot 6 and about 12 stone. i cant manual or do any tricks but can sort of bunny hop and want to learn some tricks and improve bike handling and generally play on my bike a bit more.

given i already have a race bike that i've built up i dont have th £££ to drop on a street bike, nor do i have the skill to notice the upgrades/improvements on parts.

somebody please point me in the direction of a decent bike. i have no idea what difference a shorter TT makes for street as all i'm used to is a 21" TT on my race bike (its just about long enough)

just want to ride and have fun. ta

HEYWOOD BMX · « **Reply #1 on:** April 09, 2013, 01:08 PM »

21 seems a tad long for a racebike at your height.Try an Amity Zenta 2012-E-Gay`s your best bet

ED209 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 09, 2013, 01:11 PM »

yeah James is right - loads of bikes on Ebay of the newer school freestyle variey ... WTP / Fit etc etc

just a case a watching a load to see what comes up... something like this...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fit-Aitken-Bmx-Complete-Bike-Custom-/121091288505?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item1c319a6db9

Spen69 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 09, 2013, 01:19 PM »

Yep, buy yourself a secondhand or ex-display newschool complete - try for about a 20.5" to 20.8" TT I would guess.

Have you asked the Stodgemaster if he has anything lying about in the Radshop? He might have some deals coming up, you never know.

Failing that there are plenty of discounted shops still flogging last year's model completes - try Winstanleys (but be ready for their legendary hit and miss service)

Don't spend a fortune - you should get something useable for around that budget as long as you're not worried about having the very latest colours (which will all be spray-bombed black by next year and sold for a tenner next year anyway)

pickle · « **Reply #4 on:** April 09, 2013, 01:29 PM »

The United and FIT completes are amazing for the money!

Look at the spec on this for £299

http://www.radbmxshop.co.uk/shop/article_181.001/FIT-BF1-2013.html'sessid=ZpRF3Q8XErqR7BNjDuSTeaPTbxNSWCxSYeKCEebRjOfaCanFIHiQDrSYEZ6qokd8&shop_param=cid%3D39%26aid%3D181.001%26

Munnyella · « **Reply #5 on:** April 09, 2013, 05:25 PM »

These are often at £150 on winstanleys, ok, at the minute, they are £450, but have been on and off at £150 since christmas.

http://www.winstanleysbmx.com/product/36631/Sunday_Scout_Trails_Bike_2011

BMX city usually have some 50% off completes, as do CRC.

And Radshop is always worth a call.

QUADROPHENIA · « **Reply #6 on:** April 10, 2013, 09:11 AM »

Give Stodge a call at the RADBMX shop for a deal, fook winstanleys pram and toy store, support a BMX store

garran · « **Reply #7 on:** April 10, 2013, 10:03 AM »

Search mafia bikes, cheapish

KeithyT · « **Reply #8 on:** April 10, 2013, 10:23 AM »

I'm always intrigued by the 2012 Hoffman Condor completes. They are well below £200 (£181.99) at chainreaction at the moment.

The price might reflect the relative quality but can anyone confirm. I guess they're not in the same league as what's already been mentioned but a good starter bike maybe?

medved · « **Reply #9 on:** April 10, 2013, 12:42 PM »

are Verde bikes any good? sourcebmx seem to have some reduced that i'm tempted by

http://www.sourcebmx.com/product/bmx-bikes/verde-bmx-bikes-2012/verde-spectrum-bmx-bike-2012/11253.shtml

Spen69 · « **Reply #10 on:** April 10, 2013, 01:24 PM »

Don't have any opinion on the brand but a full cromo f&f with sealed bearings and the right top tube length for change out of £240 brand new seems a no-brainer to me.

Gotta be worth a punt if you just want a roll around

pickle · « **Reply #11 on:** April 10, 2013, 01:55 PM »

bargain!

griff · « **Reply #12 on:** April 11, 2013, 10:22 AM »

they might sell prams but this isn't a bad buy at 1p under budget, probably bit long for you though - I'm 5'8'' and 20.8 is plenty long enough for me

http://www.winstanleysbmx.com/product/44660/WeThePeople_Trust_2012_BMX_Bike

would always suggest speaking to stodgy though, they know their sheet and should be able to offer you a good deal on the right size bike

m1ke · « **Reply #13 on:** April 11, 2013, 10:34 AM »

ive got a verde theory 2010 that ive bult up, and they are really good underated bikes

trickydeno · « **Reply #14 on:** April 11, 2013, 10:52 PM »

Yeah those verde deals at source are a proper bargain. As spen says full cr-mo f & f & decent cinema rims for less than £240.....can't go wrong

There's good deals everywhere you look though, it's all about preference & what's most important to you at your budget

paulb113 · « **Reply #15 on:** April 14, 2013, 02:47 PM »

Some bargains on Ebay

just got this for Â£74.99 full cromo premium Garrett Reynolds looks good to me but I am a new school newbie

pickle · « **Reply #16 on:** April 18, 2013, 03:15 PM »

Bargain!

I popped in the radbmxshop this morning and fook me they've got some massive bargains on completes!

United down to £299 from £399. Absolute gorgeous bikes with sealed bearings all round

medved · « **Reply #17 on:** April 19, 2013, 12:54 PM »

went for the verde in the end from sourcebmx. it seems a good enough deal and i like to support a bike shop that i know where possible. will let you all know how i get on when it arrives

Rodgy1970 · « **Reply #18 on:** April 19, 2013, 04:32 PM »

Quote from: griff on April 11, 2013, 10:22 AM

they might sell prams but this isn't a bad buy at 1p under budget, probably bit long for you though - I'm 5'8'' and 20.8 is plenty long enough for me

http://www.winstanleysbmx.com/product/44660/WeThePeople_Trust_2012_BMX_Bike

would always suggest speaking to stodgy though, they know their sheet and should be able to offer you a good deal on the right size bike

Bought one, price matched by Evans with free shipping so saved £15 Wankstanleys would have charged for shipping.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/wethepeople/trust-2012-bmx-bike-ec029608#features

medved · « **Reply #19 on:** April 22, 2013, 10:19 PM »

Bike arrived today via the bike in a box service with sourcebmx. Quick once over with scanners to make sure all tight and ready. The bike looks good but the brakes I'm not sure on.

Do you guys find bikes that are capable of being ridden brake less scrimp on putting in a decent brake? I'm not expecting vbrake power but I am worried I will stop at the bottom of the hill tomorrow!

paulb113 · « **Reply #20 on:** April 23, 2013, 05:15 AM »

My new bike is the same all top spec parts, but front brake looks like its from a pound shop

rear bake on lugs and works ok,but not a patch on my old school bike, and brake blocks look cheap and nasty.

QUADROPHENIA · « **Reply #21 on:** April 23, 2013, 06:30 AM »

That's why it was £75, have a look at an evo brake about £80 for the set up, as for the front look at some s&m lugged forks and again an evo brake roughly another £200 set up and you should be stopping then

Spen69 · « **Reply #22 on:** April 23, 2013, 10:45 AM »

Three words will help you here guys, and are a pish cheap solution.

CLEAR STICKY PADS

Yes they squeal like a beeatch, but any AD mounted centre-pull set up correctly with these type of brake pads toed-in right will throw you over the bars and you can chuck the front pound shop caliper in the bin

If you're not sure how to set up your AD caliper, just think logically and run through the cable from the lever to the caliper and think where you could be getting flex or stretch. If it's a shiote cheap cable, then buy an Odssey Linear or similar decent one and make sure your threaded adjusters are rigid in the frame and lever and set about half way extended abs max or they will move too much. Keep the joining cable from both calipers as short as you can and you must absolutely toe your pads in correctly. Also cut the ends of your outer cable with a hacksaw so they are square and not jagged.

Like a fair few of us on here, I actually ride my bike in anger and I only use a rear AD mounted caliper with an Odyssey one-finger Monolever and it is awesome. What made most difference was a good high quality cable and they are pence in comparrison to a new caliper and that won't solve your problem automatically anyway $:-\$

Now the good weather is here, get it sorted and get it ridden