New cyclists bits

Is it worth taking a look on Ebay?

+1 for saddlebag kit. I have a diffent one on each bike. Only thing you have to remeber is to take everything out and give it a clean every couple of months. 

Drop the saddle bag and put the cash saved from that into a better pump. I had a Lezyne mini pump which had good reviews but really it wasn't great in practise. Got a Birzman Velocity Apogee Mini from Evans on sale recently 14.99 and the difference is incredible. Amazing little pump.

I definitely wouldn't just buy something random because it's 'within budget'. Pick one or two ace pumps, then grab one when the price goes really low. Remember to check eBay. He can get a track pump later when he's ready to invest more cash. I use a Birzman track pump too. Love the snap fit ends on them, makes life easy.

I take this lot personally:

Birzman Mini tools x20 - On Sale for 13.19

https://www.evanscycles.com/birzman-e-version-20-mini-tool-EV230996

Lezyne Tyre Lever Kit - On Sale for 5.94

https://www.evanscycles.com/lezyne-lever-patch-kit-EV163153?esvt=1426-GO...

Birzman Apogee Mini Pump- No good sales at the moment

https://www.evanscycles.com/birzman-velocity-apogee-road-mini-pump-EV230970

Lezyne Co2 - no good sales at the moment

http://www.cyclesurgery.com/pws/UniqueProductKey.ice?ProductID=clez0233s...

Wiggle, Evans and Chain Reaction all sell small saddle bags with that kit in, for around that money I think.  One thing with pumps is  if you leave them on the bike, they get covered with grit rain and road shite like the rest of the bike, and eventually the seals go.  You don't want to find out your pump doesn't work any more when you're miles from home...

Pockets are fine, but it's easy to fill them up and have no space for anything else, and you have to remember to pack it all every ride.  If you have it in your saddle bag it's always there ready.  Plus there is less chance of your better half getting pissed off with you leaving it "lying around all the time" and tidying it away somewhere you can't find it...

Having snapped a few different types of tyre levers, I've found that Pedros levers are really good. 

But good technique is just as important, especially for putting tyres on. I went years force-levering them on with levers, occasionally pinch puncturing the tube and having to start over. Then I found that you almost never need to use levers to fit tyres - worth telling your mate to look at a video or two (the trick is  to get the tyre bead right down into the well of the rim as you fit it so that it isn't being stretched so much).

As to where to get stuff, +1 for Decathlon but there ain't many of them around. Aldi and Lidl's saddlebags are often dirt cheap and decent, although only sometimes stocked. They usually come with tools and levers but I'd consider them only useful as temporary spares if you lose good ones.

Re: pumps... it isn't what you asked but... Unless your mate is going straight into racing and marginal gains territory then relatively puncture-resistant tyres are a great investment. Pumps/levers/tubes are the medicine - it's a good idea to avoid getting sick in the first place!

Durano Plus tyres have done me well in recent years, although there are others. They're not too expensive from Spa Cycles (and maybe ebay) and have saved me many punctures. 

Turning to your actual question, cheap pumps are often a false economy. I'm sure Decathlon's are good value but otherwise I'd tend to stick to a known brand and hunt around for a better price online. I've had a Blackburn Airstik for years - it's rarely used but works when when needed, getting to good pressures fairly easily.

Also not what you asked but... a good way of saving time at home and avoiding the need for roadside repair, it's worth your mate having a track pump at home and keeping tyres at right pressure. Under-inflated tyres are a common sight on beginner's bikes and a big source of punctures. Topping-up is so much easier and more accurate at home with a trackpump. The gauge (which most have) will give your mate a feel (literally) for what tyres pressures should be - if he gets a puncture and puffs in 30psi at the roadside, well he's going to get another puncture pretty soon. And damage his wheels. And not like cycling.

If splashing out on a track pump is too much for now, then there might be a local bike shop (LBS) who have one chained outside - many do. In London they're even installed on the streets, although not always easy to spot... www.cyclehoop.com/pumps.

Sorry for the essay - but information is often as useful as kit when you're starting out!

Don't need a saddle bag - you've got pockets. for the rest, consider the 'Lifeline' brand. Generally really good and very cheap.