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I'm looking for an entry-level hybrid bike to ride on weekends. My budget is ~£230, I been looking on ebay, amazon, halfords..

Those two look good to me for the moment:

Forme Brute from Ebay

Viking from Amazon

But my knowledge about bikes is limited, so any suggestion would be appreciated. Cheers.

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If you're going to down-vote a question, leave a comment why you think the question doesn't deserve attention. This one is being asked by someone who admits a lack of knowledge and is asking for some help...color me weird, but I think that's entirely appropriate. – Ken Hiatt May 25 '12 at 22:03
Two people seem to have downvoted this. I did not, but my guess is that people are downvoting because this is a shopping question, asking to be spoonfed a recommendation. I'd suggest that, instead, answers focus on what to look for in a bike in this price range, rather than name a specific bike. (In this price range, that would be a used bike, I suspect.) – Neil Fein May 29 '12 at 15:14

3 Answers

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Don't overthink it. For casual weekend riding a 40-year-old Huffy will be quite serviceable.

It's important, if you possibly can, to actually ride the bike you're thinking of buying, to check it for fit and comfort and to get an up-close feel for "fit and finish".

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I would actually recommend the "40-year-old Huffy" to a new but 'cheap' bike. There are some very serviceable used bikes for sale that have stood the test of time while the new 'discount' priced bikes have cheap components that aren't very serviceable. As Daniel points out, ride before buying. – Ken Hiatt May 25 '12 at 18:30
Yes, there are many used bikes to be had if you look, some very lightly used. Learn to recognize a good quality bike by looking at the rear dropouts, and you'll get a decent bike cheap. – Daniel R Hicks May 29 '12 at 11:23
up vote 1 down vote

I concur with Ken. For that budget, anything you get new won't be great. I'd definitely recommend trying for a second-hand machine - as long as you're careful when you buy it and give it a good once-over.

Buy locally if you can.

Perhaps set a budget of £175 for a second-hand machine, then you've got some cash to spare on a service and a few bits.

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I assume you're in the UK.

Go to http://www.wiggle.co.uk/hybrid-city-bikes/ Use price filters, read the reviews.

Seems like there is only one bike there that fits your requirements, and Raleigh has a decent reputation as a bike company.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/raleigh-urban-1-2010/

It get's nearly 5 star reviews. I say go for it.

The viking looks pretty comparable though, it's got a front shock, which I think is totally unnecessary for a hybrid / commuter bike. Most 'good' front shocks cost almost as much or more than that entire bike.

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