To Hire or to Buy

[Mark Gowans]

Am thinking about taking a week's break from the manic city life and escaping to the country to go
cycling. So here's my question..

To rent a bike for a week seems to cost around £70.. but I dont really know the first thing about
bikes so... did a spot of research and found plenty of el-cheapo new bikes (ebay!) or second hand
ones to buy for a similar price tag. Everywhere on the net seems to suggest avoid cheap bikes like
the plague.. but how true is that...?

Is a rental bike actually going to be any better than buying one pound for pound? I'm only planning
on cycling country lanes / mild off road a few times a year. So, to rent or to buy?

Thanks in advance!

M

 

[Sandy Morton]

In article <[email protected]>, Mark Gowans <[email protected]> wrote:
> To rent a bike for a week seems to cost around £70.. but I dont really know the first thing about
> bikes so... did a spot of research and found plenty of el-cheapo new bikes (ebay!) or second hand
> ones to buy for a similar price tag. Everywhere on the net seems to suggest avoid cheap bikes like
> the plague.. but how true is that...?

I wish!!!!

£14-00 for a week in Millport.

H & J have just about closed their Scottish depot and some of the discounts have been quite good - I
could sell some quite reasonable bikes for £70-00.

Another wholesaler who I deal with has had on offer a pair of 26 x 1.95 alloy wheels with tyres and
tubes for - wait for it -





£5-95 + vat.

--
A T (Sandy) Morton on the Bicycle Island In the Global Village http://www.sandymillport.fsnet.co.uk

 

[Mark Gowans]

I wish people in North Wales would charge your rates! Still cant find anything for less than £10 a
day .. ..or am I looking in the wrong place?!

Ok - the plot thickens a little.. a good deal of the places I've checked on the web seem to use
"Saracen Vex" 's as their hire bikes (at the above rate). And doing a bit of digging, 2nd hand ones
are definitely available for around the £80 mark..

Another question for the pot then.. if going down the 2nd hand route - is there anything special to
look out for? (Is it like buying a 2nd hand car or is it pretty much common sense and wysisyg?)

So what to do..... ooh the decisions!

"Sandy Morton" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>, Mark Gowans <[email protected]> wrote:
> > To rent a bike for a week seems to cost around £70.. but I dont really
know
> > the first thing about bikes so... did a spot of research and found
plenty of
> > el-cheapo new bikes (ebay!) or second hand ones to buy for a similar
price
> > tag. Everywhere on the net seems to suggest avoid cheap bikes like the plague.. but how true is
> > that...?
>
> I wish!!!!
>
> £14-00 for a week in Millport.
>
> H & J have just about closed their Scottish depot and some of the discounts have been quite good -
> I could sell some quite reasonable bikes for £70-00.
>
>
> Another wholesaler who I deal with has had on offer a pair of 26 x 1.95 alloy wheels with tyres
> and tubes for - wait for it -
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> £5-95 + vat.
>
> --
> A T (Sandy) Morton on the Bicycle Island In the Global Village
> http://www.sandymillport.fsnet.co.uk

 

[Elyob]

"Mark Gowans" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Am thinking about taking a week's break from the manic city life and escaping to the country to go
> cycling. So here's my question..
>
> Everywhere on the net seems to suggest avoid cheap bikes like the plague.. but how true is
> that...?

My Dad bought a bike from JJB 'sports' shop. It was a cheap crappy job. It had twist grip gears.
They had but the brake blocks upside down, and I decided not to use the bike for any distance. It
makes a great 'shops and back' bike. Twist grip gears are terrible though.

Hiring a decent bike was far too expensive, and I'd also want to re-check/service it before anyone I
loved got on it.

Put out £400, look around your nearest local bike shop (LBS), and maybe compare prices on
the internet.

A decent average bike will become as reliable as a labrador. You'll take it everywhere. Just lock it
up better than a labrador. People tend not to steal canines.

> Is a rental bike actually going to be any better than buying one pound for pound? I'm only
> planning on cycling country lanes / mild off road a few times a year. So, to rent or to buy?
>
> Thanks in advance!
>

Without becoming a hippy, a bike can become a passion/sport/transport. I would never jog or gym in
my life, so a cycle and a pool are all I need. You have to know whether you find it a chore.

Question back ... why did you decide to go cycling to get away from the smog?

 

[Marc]

Mark Gowans <[email protected]> wrote:

> So what to do.

Avoid top posting!

 

[Elyob]

"Mark Gowans" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Another question for the pot then.. if going down the 2nd hand route - is there anything special
> to look out for? (Is it like buying a 2nd hand car
or
> is it pretty much common sense and wysisyg?)
>
> So what to do..... ooh the decisions!
>

Buy new IMO. It takes a bit of an eye to buy any vehicle 2nd hand. I can't see a repainted car from
any distance ... I'd have to get the AA in to help
me. Never have done that though. Bought a dog of a motorcycle when I was 18.


If you don't have a mate locally to advise, i'd advise visiting a Halfords and a specialised bike
shop (1), and check the different advice you get. You will get what you pay for.

Just make sure you can ride the bike for a while before you buy. Different angles etc will have
different effects on your limbs.

Enjoy your tour ....

Nick

(1) If you're going for a mountain bike, names like Kona, Trek etc is a good shop. Apollo isn't IMO.

 

[Mark Gowans]

Mark Gowans" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Top posting?

> > > So what to do.
> >
> > Avoid top posting!
>

ok ignore that - google'd it.. evidently (http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/usenet/brox.html) - I'm an
"Ordinary, clueless person"

;o)

 

[Mark Gowans]

Top posting?

"Marc" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Mark Gowans <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > So what to do.
>
>
> Avoid top posting!

 

[Mark Gowans]

"elyob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Put out £400, look around your nearest local bike shop (LBS), and maybe compare prices on the
> internet.
>
> A decent average bike will become as reliable as a labrador. You'll take
it
> everywhere. Just lock it up better than a labrador. People tend not to
steal
> canines.

Didnt really want to fork out as much as that.. This'll be the first time I've ridden a bike
properly in the last hmm.. <ahem> years (since I managed to hospitalise myself on a Raleigh Wildcat.
Bike's have come a long way since then seemingly!) - As such - just wanted something cheap to test
the water (hence was going to hire - but pondered over the proximity of the hire-purchase cost hence
this thread). Or is that a bad idea?
>
> Question back ... why did you decide to go cycling to get away from the smog?

Am escaping to the North Wales hills.. but hey - anything beats London! )

 

[Stephen Pridgeo]

"Mark Gowans" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Am thinking about taking a week's break from the manic city life and escaping to the country to go
> cycling. So here's my question..
>
> To rent a bike for a week seems to cost around £70.. but I dont really know the first thing about
> bikes so... did a spot of research and found plenty of el-cheapo new bikes (ebay!) or second hand
> ones to buy for a similar price tag. Everywhere on the net seems to suggest avoid cheap bikes like
> the plague.. but how true is that...?
>
> Is a rental bike actually going to be any better than buying one pound for pound? I'm only
> planning on cycling country lanes / mild off road a few times a year. So, to rent or to buy?
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> M

Mark, if you just want to try it out then just hire one. Consider it an investment, or research.
BUT, and here's the thing which you have probably considered then rejected for a good reason, hire
it by the day!! Obviously you'll be hiring where you holiday, not where you live, I assume?

Don't forget, if you buy a bike it also means investing in cages, lights, bags, tubes, tools, a
means of getting the bike to your desitnation, and possibly a helmet. Hiring a bike should get you
all these things thrown in (or at a nominal charge). Having said that, when I go to hire a bike on
holiday I take my helmet, my pump, my levers, my multitool and my tubes.

Half decent gloves are an essential, and will have to be bought though.

Good luck, and enjoy. SteveP

 

[John]

On Fri, 21 Feb 2003 01:23:01 -0000, "Mark Gowans" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>"elyob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>
>> Put out £400, look around your nearest local bike shop (LBS), and maybe compare prices on the
>> internet.
>>
>Didnt really want to fork out as much as that.. just wanted something cheap to test the water
>>
Last time I was googling around, I found a Specialized Hardrock for about £220 or £230. Sorry, I
can't remember where.

The Hardrock is a decent entry-level bike without suspension, and it will take a rack and guards if
you decide to use it for utility cycling.

Would this fit the budget? Regards,

John

 

[Peter Clinch]

Mark Gowans wrote:
> Am thinking about taking a week's break from the manic city life and escaping to the country to go
> cycling. So here's my question..
>=20
> To rent a bike for a week seems to cost around =A370.. but I dont reall=
y know
> the first thing about bikes so... did a spot of research and found plen=
ty of
> el-cheapo new bikes (ebay!) or second hand ones to buy for a similar pr=
ice
> tag. Everywhere on the net seems to suggest avoid cheap bikes like the plague.. but how true is
> that...?

Lots of cheap bikes are sold. Most of them end up gathering dust in=20 garages. That's because
they're no fun to use, for the most part. If=20 you rent you should at least get something right for
the job in hand and =

properly maintained, and it won't eat up any space when you're done with =
it.

Then, if it turned out you really liked the cycling, then get a decent=20 one for yourself.

Pete. --=20 Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics,
Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email protected]
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

 

[Ali Bharmal]

Mark Gowans <[email protected]> wrote:

> To rent a bike for a week seems to cost around 70.. but I dont really know the first thing about
> bikes so... did a spot of research and found plenty of el-cheapo new bikes (ebay!) or second hand
> ones to buy for a similar price

I'll only give an example I've had hiring bikes (both in the States);

one was in Hawai'i and the other in San Fransisco. Both were proper road bikes, and the costs were
both $45 but for 4 days and one day, respectively.

I estimate the value of the Hawai'ian bike was $1200 (new) and the SF bike was $1000 (evidence of
their expense was the need to bring my own pedals from the UK...)

So, I got to try a fantastic (Hawai'ian) and pretty good (SF) bike for a few quid.

Unless you cycle regularly, hiring seemed to be the cheapest option there BUT its not your bike BUT
hiring a good bike teaches you how good a good bike can be.

My advice; don't scrimp but hire one to try it out and see if it suits you. Once you have your own
experience, you can decide whether you want to invest in your own machine - trust me, after riding
the $1200, I wanted that one!

ali
--
Classic : Teenage Fanclub / Bandwagonesque Film : Avalon

 

[Myra Vaninwegen]

"elyob" <[email protected]> wrote
> My Dad bought a bike from JJB 'sports' shop. It was a cheap crappy job. It had twist grip gears.
> They had but the brake blocks upside down, and I decided not to use the bike for any distance. It
> makes a great 'shops and back' bike. Twist grip gears are terrible though.

I disagree with this, that twist gears are terrible. Maybe the really cheap ones are, but decent
(and I don't mean very expensive!) ones really work well. I like the SRAM ESP system -- they have
about 1:1 cable pull for derailleur movement. Shimano stuff have about 1:2 (1mm movement on cable
means 2mm movement on derailleaur) which means that gear adjustment is just a little bit trickier.

The ESP 5.0 stuff is reasonably priced and works well. Don't knock twist shifters until you've tried
some decent ones!

-Myra

 

[Elyob]

"Myra VanInwegen" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "elyob" <[email protected]> wrote
> > My Dad bought a bike from JJB 'sports' shop. It was a cheap crappy job.
It
> > had twist grip gears. They had but the brake blocks upside down, and I decided not to use the
> > bike for any distance. It makes a great 'shops
and
> > back' bike. Twist grip gears are terrible though.
>
> I disagree with this, that twist gears are terrible. Maybe the really cheap ones are, but decent
> (and I don't mean very expensive!) ones really work well. I like the SRAM ESP system -- they have
> about 1:1 cable pull for derailleur movement. Shimano stuff have about 1:2 (1mm movement on cable
> means 2mm movement on derailleaur) which means that gear adjustment is just a little bit trickier.
>
> The ESP 5.0 stuff is reasonably priced and works well. Don't knock twist shifters until you've
> tried some decent ones!
>

I stand corrected. Still doesn't feel as natural to me though. I'd have thought heavy braking and
gear changing ready for a steep ascent would need many hands?

 

[W K]

"John" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> On Fri, 21 Feb 2003 01:23:01 -0000, "Mark Gowans" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >
> >"elyob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >news:[email protected]...
> >
> >> Put out £400, look around your nearest local bike shop (LBS), and maybe compare prices on the
> >> internet.
> >>
> >Didnt really want to fork out as much as that.. just wanted something
cheap to test the
> >water
> >>
> Last time I was googling around, I found a Specialized Hardrock for about £220 or £230. Sorry, I
> can't remember where.
>
> The Hardrock is a decent entry-level bike without suspension, and it will take a rack and guards
> if you decide to use it for utility cycling.

I too always push this bike... its about the only one of its kind around (no-sus, cro-mo steel, good
gears etc.)

If we keep on pushing it perhaps they'll still be making it if ever I need a replacement.

 

[Peter Clinch]

elyob wrote:

> I stand corrected. Still doesn't feel as natural to me though. I'd have thought heavy braking and
> gear changing ready for a steep ascent would need many hands?

Why would you want to brake heavily before a steep ascent? If you were braking to come to rest, say
at a junction or the like, that'll give you plenty of time to change.

People managed for years with shifters on the downtubes: you should aim to be in a gear just before
you need to use it on a derailleur system, as they don't change happily under heavy pressure.
Anticipation is a Good Thing, and will make your use of gears better. If you can do that, what sort
of gear change you use is really a matter of preference. I prefer bar ends and rapidfires, but a
properly implemented twister works and is simply a matter of getting used to.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email protected]
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

 

[W K]

"wafflycathcsdirtycatlitter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> >As such - just wanted something cheap to test the water (hence was going to hire - but pondered
> >over the proximity of the hire-purchase cost hence this thread). Or is that a bad idea?
> >>
>
> Hmmm... there's a world of difference between cheap and good value
>
> I had a cheap bike - an old pink eastern European thing which had five
gears
> and weighed a ton.
<...>
> If I was going to be cycling the hills of North Wales, I wouldn't want to
be on
> a cheap bike It would put me off cycling for life!

The bike I restarted cycling on was HT steel, cost 120 quid, from a supermarket. I've done a couple
of fairly long days out on it, and a few 20+ mile commutes (inc one over the penines.)

Cheap bikes might not be _very_ nice, but they can be OK, and not offputting.

Its now in a right state, and I often leave it unlocked and leaning on the front of the house
overnight.

 

[Elyob]

"Peter Clinch" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> elyob wrote:
>
> > I stand corrected. Still doesn't feel as natural to me though. I'd have thought heavy braking
> > and gear changing ready for a steep ascent would
need
> > many hands?
>
> Why would you want to brake heavily before a steep ascent? If you were braking to come to rest,
> say at a junction or the like, that'll give you plenty of time to change.
>

Plenty of reasons Brown pants is the major one! I was more wondering about the use of twist grips
off road, where braking and fluid gear changes are the key to smooth riding over tough terrain ....

> People managed for years with shifters on the downtubes: you should aim to be in a gear just
> before you need to use it on a derailleur system, as they don't change happily under heavy
> pressure. Anticipation is a Good Thing, and will make your use of gears better. If you can do
> that, what sort of gear change you use is really a matter of preference. I prefer bar ends and
> rapidfires, but a properly implemented twister works and is simply a matter of getting used to.
>

Anticipation is the key. Okay, the ones I used were cheapos. However, changing gear whilst braking
would seem to bring up a flaw, from a point of view of having never really used them i.e. no real
opinion or experience.

 

[Russ P]

"elyob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
>
> "Peter Clinch" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> > elyob wrote:
> >
> > > I stand corrected. Still doesn't feel as natural to me though. I'd
have
> > > thought heavy braking and gear changing ready for a steep ascent would
> need
> > > many hands?
> >
> > Why would you want to brake heavily before a steep ascent? If you were braking to come to rest,
> > say at a junction or the like, that'll give you plenty of time to change.
> >
>
> Plenty of reasons Brown pants is the major one! I was more wondering about the use of twist
> grips off road, where braking and fluid gear
changes
> are the key to smooth riding over tough terrain ....
>
> > People managed for years with shifters on the downtubes: you should aim to be in a gear just
> > before you need to use it on a derailleur system, as they don't change happily under heavy
> > pressure. Anticipation is a Good Thing, and will make your use of gears better. If you can do
> > that, what sort of gear change you use is really a matter of preference. I prefer bar ends and
> > rapidfires, but a properly implemented twister works and is simply a matter of getting used to.
> >
>
> Anticipation is the key. Okay, the ones I used were cheapos. However, changing gear whilst braking
> would seem to bring up a flaw, from a point
of
> view of having never really used them i.e. no real opinion or experience.

Off road it's slightly more difficult to brake and change gear at the same time but you get used to
doing it on those rare occasion when you need it. Big plusses are you can change from bottom to top
or vice versa in one go and you can trim front mech neither of which is possible with rapidfire.

It's a great system and that comes from someone who uses both on different bikes.

Russ