Bicycles!

[Miss-taken]

I am looking to buy a bike in order to get fit as last! Trouble is I have no idea what to buy. It has to be as cheap as possible (as I am pretty skint) and will be used only on roads etc (ie. I have no plans to go dirt jumping on it or hurtle down mountains at break neck speeds). I am a girl so pink is always preferable :o) and I'm not exactly light in weight (hence the need to get fit) so I would assume it needs to be pretty sturdy as well so it won't break when I sit on it!
There seem to be so many different kinds now - full suspension, half suspension, no suspension.......how am I meant to know what kind I need!
Any advice/links would be most appreciated

TIA

[RATTER15]

The best bet is to keep an eye on your local paper for a cheap Mountain Bike, loads of them around. You don't need suspension at all, suspension is for the enthusiast mountain biker. you don't need loads of gears but they will help if you learn to use them effectively. Assuming you are an adult of typical adult size most bikes will fit with a little adjustment. Just look for something in clean and working condition with no rust. If you can sit on it and ride it and everything works OK, you cant go far wrong, I know bikes have changed a lot over the years but at the end of the day a bike is still a bike!!

[whiffey]

Like anything in life, you get what you pay for. Ratter is right, suspension, particularly rear, is a waste of time on a cheap bike, just adds weight and looks daft. Get the lightest frame you can afford, and if possible puncture-resistant tyres, e.g. Armadillo. Carry something to get you home in the event of a puncture, e.g. SealFlate at just �6. A puncture 20 miles from home is very depressing !

Keep tyres really well inflated, e.g. up to 80psi on a mountain bike. So many people ride round with underinflated tyres, they are harder to pedal and more prone to punctures.

Bikes are a way of life for me, again I would say invest as much as possible and go for the lightest frame you can afford. It will become your friend and companion. Have fun, and don't be ashamed to get off and push up the steepest of hills.

[Gromit]

If possible, loan one first. You have only got a few weeks before autumn and you are unlikely to want to got for a ride in the wind and rain. It sounds like you have not used a bike for a while. The roads are perilous and scary. I would hate for you to fork out and then the thing just being clutter all winter. Have you thought about swimming.

[annie0000]

Personally, I would go for a hybrid bike. A mountain bike is far too heavy and the tyres are too thick making it hard to cycle on the road if you are not fit. A road bike is too delicate for your purposes. A cheap hybrid would cost about �100 but you may be able to pick something up nd hand.

I don't know what height you are, but if you are small, you may get away with a boy/girls bike and save some cash. I am tall, so I got a good deal on a large framed womans bike, but equally, I am comfortable with a mans bike.

[Hellyon]

Or if you want to go really cheap try your local tip. I bought sevaral children's bikes from their for a �5 each they were great when my son was growing up now he's older we have bought him a bike from a shop but do try there you'd be amazed at what good quality some of them are, people dump them because you don't get much for them second hand.

[annie0000]

Also, just thought, we have a bike recycling place near us where they collect old bikes, do them up and sell them on cheaply. They are a non profit making organisation. Don't know if you have anything like that, or one of these ex catalog shops nearby.

[theonlyone]

I was at the local tip yesterday and was amazed at the things for sale , bikes of all sizes ,tv's , I can't believe what people throw away , so I Hellyon is right have a look for a bike there , or in the local paper .We also have recycle charity place that does furniture and they have bikes .If you live in Sussex I have a bike which never gets used , and needs a new home .

[Richkent]

I agree with RATTER15, It maybe be worth investing in a set of road tyres. They are smoother than off road tyres and it is suprising how much easier they make the riding. The good thing is you dont have to buy these stright away, you can get them when you got a bit more cash. A decent independent bike shop will fit them for free rather than somewhere like halfords. Oh and being a girl dont forget a basket on the front and ribbons an the handle bars. lol

[theonlyone]

Do you have blue ribbons on your bike and a macho bell !!