bikes ?

[leon-b]

hi guys, my old bike is now to small for me and as i am 14 and obviosly cant drive a bike is very important to me, i use one everyday, i wouldnt exactly call it a hobby of mine but i do like to get out now and them for a bike ride, i have about £200 max that i could spend on a bike but would like to spend less (wouldnt we all lol) it would be used on roads, back lanes, off road, basically everywhere lol, i abuse my bikes alot, me and my mates like to mess around on the with ramps and stuff so it needs to be strong. weight isnt really an issue but the lighter the better.
any suggestions ?
leon

[nightshade]

You need Boddie,he is the bike expert Leon

[leon-b]

hopefully he will be along soon
leon

[Ben!]

Hi Leon,
I use my bike virtually every day too, but I'm still no bike expert. But my bike is an Apollo bike and I would really recommend them, my previous 2 bikes were Apollo's too. (they didn't break, they were too small).

Apollo Bicycles

[jjada lestoria]

I got the apollo xr26 ( Halfords ) because i wanted a rugged off road/ smooth on road bike ... it was great until the cogs and pedal got damaged .. now i have to either repair @£50 or buy a new one @£80... but woud still go with the Apollo

[Kayleigh]

I am selling mine A ladies mountain bike for £25 and a smaller boys mountain bike for £20 both excellent condition. But I have no idea how to measure the frame. I don't know if the boys bike would be too small for you Leon. I am thinking of putting them on e-bay when I can work out the details.

[leon-b]

thanks guys i have a halfords near so i will check that out, i got my last bike from there.
is there any thing i should be wary of etc ? i want to get a good seat, know any ?
leon

[eeyore]

boddie is definitely your man for that leon - he used to work for / run a saddle company, why not send him a pm ?

[Boddie]

Originally Posted by leon-b

thanks guys i have a halfords near so i will check that out, i got my last bike from there.
is there any thing i should be wary of etc ? i want to get a good seat, know any ?
leon

Dont ever buy a saddle with a hole in the middle. They are bad news and can cause problems lads of your age shouldn't really be worried about A gel saddle is a good idea - the LookIn range from Selle Royal are quality.

As for a bike. I'd steer clear of Halfords and go to an independant - someone who will appreciate your business and guide you on what bike best suits and give quality after sales service

[nightshade]

Modestly priced bikes include; "Specialised" and "Giant"
strangely their models with lights and mudguards are very popular
some even have racks,very useful for camera bags etc.

[leon-b]

thanks guys, so steer clear of the saddles with holes in the middle, i was thinking about a gel seat anyway, we do have a few bike shops in town so i will check them out, i think i ill go for a front suspentioned one
leon

[nightshade]

I have a full suspension bike at the moment the rear is set as hard as possible the front suspension is shimmed to make it immovable.These suspensions are**** and soak up too much effort, better buy a good lightweight cycle with good quality gears

[leon-b]

yes i would like as many gears possible, a lighter bike would be great but i suppose they are expensive ?
leon

[Boddie]

This is my favourite bike



A handbuilt and made to measure Chas Roberts Transcontinental. I've upgraded the saddle to a Fizik Aliante carbon (£149) and a new seatpost - the Thudbuster (£122). I also upgraded the pedals to Shimano 959's which were over a oner. Its got a Shimano XTR / Campag mix groupset. It rides like you wouldnt believe. Not cheap but I'll never need another bike - apart from my Proflex XP8

[leon-b]

that looks nice and expensive lol how much did it cost you overall ?
leon