Bikes..............

[roundthebend]

I'd suggest trying it out if you can. I'd say the Subway being brand new and from a high street retailer would be a safer bet. Second hand could cost you in repairs so only worth doing if you get a great bargain.

[JAYJO]

Horses seem popular at the mo!

[bertie]

well the ad says 4 months old bought from halfords !! - its a few miles down the road.......... I guess a better plan would be to nip up to halfords, see what they're like.............

[guitarcookie1]

I have a Trax T700 from Halfords which was about £100.

Suits me fine for the occasional trip round the park/lanes, I ain't ever going to be no Wiggo...

[Grunfeld.]

heavy isnt an issue, bady made would be

"Heavy" really is an issue. I didn't think it would be either, but it is.

Long story short: my first attempt at a bit of cycling was with a bike that in retrospect now seems so heavy you needed an HGV licence to ride the bloody thing and the kid I sold it to last year is probably still trying to push it home. But when my mate (from Bike Radar) got me a much lighter, second-hand bike I started using it. Nothing heroic, just for jaunts, but occasionally commuting and popping around the shops.

The lighter bike was £50 from Brick Lane but needed £40 of work doing to it, luckily my mate did easily and saved me the hassle. I really like riding it.

Go for lighter Bertie, you really won't regret it. And second-hand bargain is the way to go. You need a knowledgeable mate who spot the right ones for you and your missus.

[DiscoStu]

Go for lighter Bertie, you really won't regret it. And second-hand bargain is the way to go. You need a knowledgeable mate who spot the right ones for you and your missus.

When I was shopping for a mountain bike I set myself a £500 budget. Looked at new bikes around that price and learned all the spec.
Then I spotted a £2000+ bike in a local buy/sell paper going for my budget. Thought it too good to be true so got some proper mountain biker mates to suss it out for me. They all said it was crazy good and I'd be mental to pass it up, so I bought it.

They weren't wrong! It's an amazing bike and let me tell you that weight DOES make a difference. It was replacing an old Raleigh mountain bike (top of the range at the time I bought it) and the two just don't compare. Hills are so much easier now!
My girlfriend soon followed and got rid of her tank and bought a similar bike to me for £500 from a local mountain bike forum. Hers was in even better condition than mine!

If you can get a much higher spec bike second hand then do it.

[bertie]

hills arent a problem, as they wont be an option. Very leisurely 5 mile jaunts up disused rail lines is as hard as it will get.

I simply do not have the budget to go over what Ive already specified, no matter what reasons are presented.

[thebeagle]

I got myself a Raleigh (I think) AT30 for less than a ton last year to start riding in and out of work, apart from normal chain maintainence it's needed nothing doing to it and it feels fantastic; not super-light but it certainly doesn't fill me with dread when I have to get it on my shoulder to carry it up the (many) steps on the way in or anything. You should be able to get something more than workable secondhand for well under budget.
eBay is your friend, though, especially if you have a knowledgable friend to filter out the crap (I fortunately did...)

[amberlamps]

do you have a Decathlon nearby, the BTwin always come out good in budget reviews, those and Forme but they are still out of your budget.

look on eBay and by distance for potential bargains, most 2nd hand bike sales are collection only so usually go cheaper.

[Fusionista]

Oh .. those kind of bikes. How about second hand? There are some bargains to be had.

This. New bikes are IMHO not value for money. Used ones often are very good value indeed. (Sold by people who thought it might be a good idea to go cycling for pleasure, but then discovered how dangerous/much effort it is )