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Budget Commuting Bike

Posted: 6 Jul 2014, 10:36am
by BeeKeeper
I am looking for a budget commuting bike for a member of my family. I know there is a danger of some parts being made of cheese but a year ago or so there were links posted here to some good value bikes which included a hub dynamo.

I've tried searching the Forum but without success and anyway I suspect those offers will be finished now.

Does anyone know of a good commuting bike for a 5 mile run? Ideally with lights, hub dynamo and mudguards already fitted as this seems the best value way to get these, rather than add them later. Under £500 if at all possible.

Re: Budget Commuting Bike

Posted: 6 Jul 2014, 10:53am
by gaz

Re: Budget Commuting Bike

Posted: 6 Jul 2014, 11:44am
by BeeKeeper
Many thanks, I looked at the Decathlon bikes but that one!

Re: Budget Commuting Bike

Posted: 6 Jul 2014, 12:03pm
by Si
Going slightly left field, but if you want dynamo lights, guards, rack, built in pump, and a reasonable ride quality....plus added convenience then have a look at the Tern Link range (were going cheap at Ev*ns a while back).

Re: Budget Commuting Bike

Posted: 6 Jul 2014, 12:20pm
by BeeKeeper
Si wrote:Going slightly left field, but if you want dynamo lights, guards, rack, built in pump, and a reasonable ride quality....plus added convenience then have a look at the Tern Link range (were going cheap at Ev*ns a while back).


Drat! Ev*ns seem to have discontinued the one with lights and internal gear hub.

Re: Budget Commuting Bike

Posted: 6 Jul 2014, 5:43pm
by Si
that's a pity - I really like my P24...very good for cross city commuting.

Re: Budget Commuting Bike

Posted: 6 Jul 2014, 6:40pm
by Tonyf33
Buy near new second hand and £500 gets you nothing that's made of cheese, in fact for not a lot you could get something like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Specialized-G ... 19f00cc58e
I've got one, great bikes, rock solid frames that take an absolute hammering but are light and comfy. The spec is great too.
There are similar like it everywhere and instead of buying a lot lesser new bike for under £500 you could buy 2nd hand and spec up to your hearts content.
Oh and buy lights with a battery, forget dynamo. 8)

Re: Budget Commuting Bike

Posted: 6 Jul 2014, 7:33pm
by [XAP]Bob
For commuting I can't recommend a dynamo enough - although at this time of year you can always simply put the first "saved" tank of fuel to a second front wheel with a dynamo and some lights - if you have lots of serious unlit sections then maybe use some of the next tank as well...

Re: Budget Commuting Bike

Posted: 7 Jul 2014, 3:19am
by Tonyf33
Each to their own re dynamos but for their relatively expensive up front cost against a set that runs for several hours with enough light to ride at a decent lick in complete darkness for £17 and not require any special wheel or other set up and can be removed for use on any other bike or handle bar in seconds I can't see why one would want to bother.

Re: Budget Commuting Bike

Posted: 7 Jul 2014, 7:43am
by PH
Tonyf33 wrote:Each to their own re dynamos but for their relatively expensive up front cost against a set that runs for several hours with enough light to ride at a decent lick in complete darkness for £17 and not require any special wheel or other set up and can be removed for use on any other bike or handle bar in seconds I can't see why one would want to bother.


You wouldn't say that if it was a car or motorbike would you? For any vehicle to be a practical ready to go means of transport, lights fitted and always available seem to me to be an essential component. Look at the bikes used in the countries where cycling is far more the norm, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, you hardly see a bike without dynamo lighting.

Re: Budget Commuting Bike

Posted: 7 Jul 2014, 7:46am
by [XAP]Bob
Tonyf33 wrote:Each to their own re dynamos but for their relatively expensive up front cost against a set that runs for several hours with enough light to ride at a decent lick in complete darkness for £17 and not require any special wheel or other set up and can be removed for use on any other bike or handle bar in seconds I can't see why one would want to bother.

Because for commuting reliability and ease is everything. You are saving a huge amount each month compared with any other form of transport, so why wouldn't you want a vehicle you can just get on and go. I used to use battery lights, and the batteries are the pain, not the lights - Running out of batteries is not something you want to do. Faffing with batteries (and keeping them conditioned) is not something you really want to be doing every single day.

And actually bottle dynamos do work - they don't need anything special about the wheel...

Re: Budget Commuting Bike

Posted: 7 Jul 2014, 9:18am
by BeeKeeper
Many thanks for the above suggestions. The bike is for someone who would struggle to remember to charge up batteries so a dynamo is best I think.

Re: Budget Commuting Bike

Posted: 7 Jul 2014, 11:41am
by pyruse
Charge up batteries? Surely easier to use lights with disposable batteries and just have a couple of spare batteries with you?
I have two lights front & back - all disposable battery powered. Very unlikely that both would go down at the same time, but if they do I have a couple of spare batteries, too.

Re: Budget Commuting Bike

Posted: 7 Jul 2014, 1:37pm
by [XAP]Bob
pyruse wrote:Charge up batteries? Surely easier to use lights with disposable batteries and just have a couple of spare batteries with you?
I have two lights front & back - all disposable battery powered. Very unlikely that both would go down at the same time, but if they do I have a couple of spare batteries, too.

Costs a fortune in batteries. I used a decet set of electronics, driving decent lights and burnt through 8 AAs each day (I charged them during the day at work, and used them on the way home, then the way in. That meant that imminent failure occurred as it was getting lighter, not darker.

Re: Budget Commuting Bike

Posted: 7 Jul 2014, 3:20pm
by burnsie
Hmm. Can easily see the point of dynamos. I wish I knew now what I needed to know 5-6 years ago when I got back into cycling and started a 20 mile round commute-I found the ideal bike I think-looked gorgeous, with rohloff hub, dynamo lights -just needed mudguards fitting (it was the Villiers Voyager).

Anyway I digress...I had batteries which were so unsatisfactory as to be untrue (without even thinking about cost and environmental issues)-ended up with a set of ay-ups for front, and a light and motion high-viz for rear. Both rechargeable via computer-not possible for everyone in work I know, but made a world of difference-I feel batteries of this nature can indeed give dynamos a run for their money-which completely accepting I've never used a dynamo.

Dave