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Marc
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Lionel Scales
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IMHO As something for the kids until they grow out of them or lose interest - great. As a serious
longer-term machine - no.
Cheers, Lionel
"Dennis" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:%[email protected]...
> Just a quickie folks, are Makro bikes junk or passable? Den.
longer-term machine - no.
Cheers, Lionel
"Dennis" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:%[email protected]...
> Just a quickie folks, are Makro bikes junk or passable? Den.
A
Anonymous
Guest
In a brief moment of lucidity Dennis scribbled:
> Just a quickie folks, are Makro bikes junk or passable? Den.
If you've never ridden a bike, or know absolutely nothing about bikes and riding, then they're ****.
If you know even a little about bikes then they're absolutely f'ing terrible and you wouldn't touch
them with someone else's ...
A bro-in-law bought a BMX from Makro (Nottingham) for his son. It lasted about a week.
He returned it and got a full suspension (hahahahah) mountain bike in exchange .. that lasted
two weeks ..
Seriously, they are fine if all you want to do is pop to the shops, that are less than a couple of
miles away, and back again, and you know how to setup a bike reasonable competently. Anything more
serious than this and it would be worthwhile passing Makro by and going to a local bike shop. The
bikes, as supplied, are not necessarily setup at all, and as the nature of them suggests that
newcomers to cycling, or at least less knowledgable people buy them, I consider them to be potential
death traps. Both my bro-in-laws cycles head sets were loose, the bmx bike didn't have the front
brake working at all, the mountain bike (in name and style only) couldn't change up the gears past
3rd gear at the rear and couldn't change onto the small front ring, the handlebars weren't tight and
neither brake worked properly. Indeed the rear brake cable wasn't tight in the brake clamp. None of
the tyres were pumped up anywhere like properly.
All the above problems are fine if you are even slightly experienced and know what to do to 'fettle'
a cycle, but for beginners (like my bro-in-law and his kids) they are potentially life-threatening.
When they're sorted so that everything works, they're fine for youngsters, but they'll probably
break them before they grow out of them ..
--
Completed 1568 Seti work units in 11876 hours http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
> Just a quickie folks, are Makro bikes junk or passable? Den.
If you've never ridden a bike, or know absolutely nothing about bikes and riding, then they're ****.
If you know even a little about bikes then they're absolutely f'ing terrible and you wouldn't touch
them with someone else's ...
A bro-in-law bought a BMX from Makro (Nottingham) for his son. It lasted about a week.
He returned it and got a full suspension (hahahahah) mountain bike in exchange .. that lasted
two weeks ..
Seriously, they are fine if all you want to do is pop to the shops, that are less than a couple of
miles away, and back again, and you know how to setup a bike reasonable competently. Anything more
serious than this and it would be worthwhile passing Makro by and going to a local bike shop. The
bikes, as supplied, are not necessarily setup at all, and as the nature of them suggests that
newcomers to cycling, or at least less knowledgable people buy them, I consider them to be potential
death traps. Both my bro-in-laws cycles head sets were loose, the bmx bike didn't have the front
brake working at all, the mountain bike (in name and style only) couldn't change up the gears past
3rd gear at the rear and couldn't change onto the small front ring, the handlebars weren't tight and
neither brake worked properly. Indeed the rear brake cable wasn't tight in the brake clamp. None of
the tyres were pumped up anywhere like properly.
All the above problems are fine if you are even slightly experienced and know what to do to 'fettle'
a cycle, but for beginners (like my bro-in-law and his kids) they are potentially life-threatening.
When they're sorted so that everything works, they're fine for youngsters, but they'll probably
break them before they grow out of them ..
--
Completed 1568 Seti work units in 11876 hours http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
S
Simon Mason
Guest
"Dennis" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:%[email protected]...
> Just a quickie folks, are Makro bikes junk or passable? Den.
I bought a decent MTB from Makro for 250 quid in 1998 which after changing
a few bits like the saddle and tyres, I did a 200 mile ride in 16 hours. It
was more comfortable to ride than my current Hybrid and only a tad slower.
However, that was in 1998 and the last time I visited the place, there were no decent bikes at all.
All they had were the current range of fashion bikes with Y frames and dirt cheap suspension that
weighed half a ton. Leave well alone.
--
Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W http://www.simonmason.karoo.net
news:%[email protected]...
> Just a quickie folks, are Makro bikes junk or passable? Den.
I bought a decent MTB from Makro for 250 quid in 1998 which after changing
a few bits like the saddle and tyres, I did a 200 mile ride in 16 hours. It
was more comfortable to ride than my current Hybrid and only a tad slower.
However, that was in 1998 and the last time I visited the place, there were no decent bikes at all.
All they had were the current range of fashion bikes with Y frames and dirt cheap suspension that
weighed half a ton. Leave well alone.
--
Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W http://www.simonmason.karoo.net
S
Sandy Morton
Guest
In article <[email protected]>, Lionel Scales
<[email protected]> wrote:
> IMHO As something for the kids until they grow out of them or lose interest - great.
Only if you can properly assemble them.
IMVHO
--
A T (Sandy) Morton on the Bicycle Island In the Global Village http://www.sandymillport.fsnet.co.uk
<[email protected]> wrote:
> IMHO As something for the kids until they grow out of them or lose interest - great.
Only if you can properly assemble them.
IMVHO
--
A T (Sandy) Morton on the Bicycle Island In the Global Village http://www.sandymillport.fsnet.co.uk
E
Eatmorepies
Guest
> I bought a decent MTB from Makro for 250 quid in 1998 which after
changing
> a few bits like the saddle and tyres, I did a 200 mile ride in 16 hours.
It
> was more comfortable to ride than my current Hybrid and only a tad slower.
>
> However, that was in 1998 and the last time I visited the place, there
were
> no decent bikes at all. All they had were the current range of fashion
bikes
> with Y frames and dirt cheap suspension that weighed half a ton. Leave
well
> alone.
> --
Like many in this group I pay more for a crankset than folk like Safeway charge for a whole bike.
But I still feel drawn to buying a 60 quid supermarket bike. I fondly imagine that you could cycle
gently around flat bits of towns, cruising to buy a paper or nipping to the station to check on the
train times. I fondly imagine that these bikes would give many years of sterling service in such a
low key role.
I assume I am delusional.
John
changing
> a few bits like the saddle and tyres, I did a 200 mile ride in 16 hours.
It
> was more comfortable to ride than my current Hybrid and only a tad slower.
>
> However, that was in 1998 and the last time I visited the place, there
were
> no decent bikes at all. All they had were the current range of fashion
bikes
> with Y frames and dirt cheap suspension that weighed half a ton. Leave
well
> alone.
> --
Like many in this group I pay more for a crankset than folk like Safeway charge for a whole bike.
But I still feel drawn to buying a 60 quid supermarket bike. I fondly imagine that you could cycle
gently around flat bits of towns, cruising to buy a paper or nipping to the station to check on the
train times. I fondly imagine that these bikes would give many years of sterling service in such a
low key role.
I assume I am delusional.
John
W
W K
Guest
"Eatmorepies" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:b6i4hj$5m3in$1@ID-
> But I still feel drawn to buying a 60 quid supermarket bike. I fondly imagine that you could cycle
> gently around flat bits of towns, cruising to buy a paper or nipping to the station to check on
> the train times. I
fondly
> imagine that these bikes would give many years of sterling service in such
a
> low key role.
>
> I assume I am delusional.
Maybe not. I often ride on some really ropey old MTBs at the inlaws. They live in a shed covered in
pigeon poo. They are horrible but if they had been oiled and adjusted they would be OK.
My railway station bike is a bit classier than your 60 quid stuff (2x that in '93). Thin guage
scaffolding but an alivio groupset. Its in a terrible state right now, but it has been to mull and
did more than 1000 miles one year. Its still acceptable transport for what you describe.
I'd still prefer something secondhand, unless that was hard to arrange.
> But I still feel drawn to buying a 60 quid supermarket bike. I fondly imagine that you could cycle
> gently around flat bits of towns, cruising to buy a paper or nipping to the station to check on
> the train times. I
fondly
> imagine that these bikes would give many years of sterling service in such
a
> low key role.
>
> I assume I am delusional.
Maybe not. I often ride on some really ropey old MTBs at the inlaws. They live in a shed covered in
pigeon poo. They are horrible but if they had been oiled and adjusted they would be OK.
My railway station bike is a bit classier than your 60 quid stuff (2x that in '93). Thin guage
scaffolding but an alivio groupset. Its in a terrible state right now, but it has been to mull and
did more than 1000 miles one year. Its still acceptable transport for what you describe.
I'd still prefer something secondhand, unless that was hard to arrange.
M
Mr R@T \ -Lsqco
Guest
In news:[email protected], W K <[email protected]> typed:
> Maybe not. I often ride on some really ropey old MTBs at the inlaws. They live in a shed covered
> in pigeon poo.
Well I guess some old people still just can't get along with modern housing and sanitation
> They are horrible but if they had been oiled and adjusted they would be OK.
I believe there are residential homes for that purpose
Alex
> Maybe not. I often ride on some really ropey old MTBs at the inlaws. They live in a shed covered
> in pigeon poo.
Well I guess some old people still just can't get along with modern housing and sanitation
> They are horrible but if they had been oiled and adjusted they would be OK.
I believe there are residential homes for that purpose
Alex
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