[felixcycling11]

I am looking to buy a bike for a  20-30 minute daily commute and some leisure riding, for around £200. I would prefer to buy new, but if anyone can reccomend something good to get used that would be great as well.

I have seen some Apollo bikes but people seem to think they are quite bad, any opinions on those would be useful.

Topic

[Griff500]

The biggest problem with
The biggest problem with ultra cheap (£200) bikes IMHO is the quality of components used rather than the frame itself. This is especially true for everyday use, where you will very soon find corrosion setting in, starting with a stiff chain, moving on to sticky derailleur and brake action and finishing with nuts and bolts being hard to remove. As others have said, a little used bike from a proper manufacturer built with half decent components can be had for your budget, and give much more reliable service for years to come than a bargain basement new model with low quality, and in some cases unbranded components. Look for a Tiagra, or if you are very lucky 105, groupset with frame manufacturer almost being a secondary consideration.

[Chris Hayes]

You’ll get a BTwin / Triban

You’ll get a BTwin / Triban for £200-350 from eBay (just checked there are a few 520s), and like many would suggest you start there – making sure the thing is looked after and works…or this if you can stretch your budget… 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203915489000?hash=item2f7a4f6ee8:g:nXsAAOSwK05iWv9c

[Dnnnnnn]

kil0ran wrote:

kil0ran wrote:

have a look around your local area and see if there’s a bike charity

This is a good tip, although there aren’t so many of these charities around. Not new, of course, but their bikes should be in good functional condition. Some local bike shops will also offer similarly-refurbished rides (more since the pandemic-inspired shortage of new bikes).

£200 for anything decent new is a stretch these days – a basic Decathlon hybrid is just about within reach. Road bikes with ‘drop’ bars tend to be more expensive.

[pablo]

I would probably go used from
I would probably go used from a decent brand you’ve actually heard of or some already recommended here would be a good start. A £200 new bike unfortunately will be of very poor quality and a falsh economy if used for any decent miles. Unfortunately £200 doesn’t go far these days at around £500 you migh get something serviceable new.

[Simon E]

Apollo bikes are heavy and

Apollo bikes are heavy and fitted with poor quality components. A local shop mechanic told me recently that the old ones like my wife’s 15+ y/o model were a bit better and advised me to avoid newer ones. Avoid anything with ‘suspension’.

Halfords’ Carrera range would be a better option and would be the minimum I’d recommend for something that will get used regularly – you’ll enjoy riding a decent bike far more than a bargain basement model. Halfords also sell Boardman, which are also extremely good VFM.

A well cared for secondhand bike from a reputable brand would be better value, though the high demand for bikes in the last 2 years means that choice is often limited. If you go s/h then facebook marketplace or local selling groups are worth a look. In Shropshire there is now a local charity that refurbishes used bikes for sale. There may be a similar enterprise near you.

Finally, it’s very important that you get a bike that fits you properly.

[Sriracha]

There’s a deal on the MAKITA
There’s a deal on the MAKITA DGA452Z at Screwfix, under a ton. Otherwise I’m out of ideas.

[Rendel Harris]

“Decent” “new” and “£200” don

“Decent” “new” and “£200” don’t go together, you can get two of the three but not all three. Look around on eBay and Gumtree etc and you’ll be able to find a Triban 500 or 520 for around £200, excellent bikes for your intended purposes and they’re pretty hardwearing, so unless they’ve been really abused they’ll last much longer than a £200 new bike. The Apollos are criminally bad, real tat. 

[Grahamd]

Good luck with finding a

Good luck with finding a suitable bike, a good second hand bike will likely serve you better than a cheap new bike. 
Have you considered using the Cycle to Work scheme? As this would allow you to buy a more expensive bike, with tax and national savings and spread the cost over a period of time. 
I have used this for my last 3 bikes, and wholeheartedly recommend it.

[kil0ran]

You won’t find anything

You won’t find anything decent new that will stand up to a daily commute. Well, not from a mainstream retailer. Maybe have a look around your local area and see if there’s a bike charity, they might be able to help.

If not, your best bet is eBay, particularly if you either know how to check a used bike or can take someone with you who does.

Specialized Allez would be my choice, or have a look for used Triban bikes (they’re all good except the Triban 100)

If you are buying used make sure that the brakes and gears work well because they’re expensive to fix, particularly at the moment with supply chain issues. 

[Author]

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