What, roughly, does a bike cost?

[themousedogbird]

I'd quite like to get a bike to give me the option to cycle to work (about six miles, all road) and also go for a ride in the forest every now and again. I'm certainly not sporty, or in need of anything high performance, but don'tmind paying a bit more if it's going to be worth it; can anyone advise roughly what price bracket I should be looking in (or, if you're an expert, any recommendations for specific bikes?).

Go for it OP!
And Yolio!
And anyone else hesitating.
Bike, trike, whatever. Freedom, independence and fun await!

Have you ever noticed that cyclists smile a lot? There's a reason for it!

You might find a cycling club near you, if you want to make it a social thing.

For all of you saying avoid Halfords to buy a bike....there isn’t any stock they have empty racks, bikes are in very short supply

I've got a Liv Alight 3 after asking on here. It's a hybrid which costs around £400.

I use it for my 2 mile commute, generally getting around and the odd longer ride. It's light enough (I didn't want to spend more for a lighter bike).

It is fair to say that like sewing machines, bikes have become very popular this year and the second hand bargains are scarce. I went to Decathlon recently and the racks were empty. It might be a case of trying some bikes to get an idea of type and size (Small fits me at 5.3). Then you might have to mail order the model you want. Many of them come in a range of versions at different prices.

Oh my gosh, such a lot of wonderful replies! Thank you so much! Lots to think about and explore here. I'm a big Decathlon fan for running stuff, so pleased to hear their bikes come recommended!

Yolo, I'll wave at you on your lovely trike!

to all for such wonderful helpful posts- thank you so much! You've all made me feel a bit braver about it!

I purchased a pair of decathlon panniers last Saturday, they come recommend on a few surveys as they are as good as the equivalent big brand names and are a quarter of the price. I used them to go on the train to Bristol and cycle 100 + miles home. I rate decathlon but do watch some of the really cheap. items - sunglasses I have are adequate but not great

@Yoilo.

You are welcome. I’d recommend you contact an accessibility specialist. We saw these guys in York (bit of a trek for us but worth it). www.getcycling.org.uk/

They helped us find something for DH who had joint problems. He opted for an ebike in the end, but they were so knowledgeable and helpful and let him try all sorts of stuff, like trikes and recumbents focusing on what he COULD do rather that what he couldn’t.

YouUnlockedTheGateAnd

Thank you. I have balance issues, tried an ordinary bike and it didn't work, I couldn't find my balance properly. So a trike it is for me!

I know people will look and laugh but who cares. Outdoors, fresh air, no worries about falling off lol, and a space to put things in.

Will go for it. Have to be brave and do it. Thank you and everyone for the positive vibes.

Yolio I don't know how Covid will have affected things but I would definitely agree with the suggestion of finding an accessible cycling venue and trying a few things out if you can. There are quite a few places around the country that hire out different types of bike and there may be types that you haven't yet thought of that would be ideal for you. My son was at an event a couple of years ago that happened to have an accessible cycle hire place at the same venue and when they had finished what they were doing, the owner let them try out some of the different bikes. It was brilliant- I had no idea how many different types there were. I hope you find something that suits you as its such a great hobby and there are many different ways to enjoy riding.

My dad always says you can have two of the following 3 factors with bikes 1) Cheap 2) Light 3) Strong.

A cheap strong bike will be heavy as hell
A strong light bike is going to cost a decent amount of money etc.

I’m a big fan of Kona I have had about 3 of them since I was young and they are really great bikes. My most recent one about a year and a half ago was about £700 but got it on the cycle to work scheme (definitely recommend this if you can get it!£

My initial reaction was to say don't spend loads to 'give you the option' if you are unlikely to do it regularly. But then my bike was £250 over ten years ago and has been used regularly, so had it been more expensive it would have been a good investment. I only have a sit up and beg bike for a short, flat commute.

A second-hand higher end bike would be a good first option.

You definitely need a good lock, helmet, lights (and basket/panniers if transporting stuff) - which can all add a lot more than you might expect.

A decent bike makes all the difference! Definitely look into whether your work does a cycle to work scheme.

yolio trikes are great - we had one so I could take DD out with confidence. If you've ridden a bike before, they take a bit of getting used to - for the first fortnight, I kept riding into the kerb, because if the road slopes at all (most do), it feels as if you're falling off, so you steer to 'correct' the slope and end up hitting the kerb/fence/hedge. However you will get beyond that, and it's definitely worthwhile.

Trikes are also stable at low speed, but less stable at high speed - I never turned ours over, but I did end up on two wheels a few times...

bathorshower

Thanks so much for the encouragement! And for the tips you gave also.

Am looking around at the moment. Am a bit nervous or maybe I feel a bit of an idiot riding one of these, but what the heck, I'll get over it.

Hybrid/city bikes aren't made for performance, therefore a 'good' bike will cost considerably less than a mountain bike or a recreational road/gravel/CX bike, around $600-850, and as useful utility bikes, there's little purpose in spending more on fancy lightweight parts. I suppose you can spend a lot more on bikes with dynamo hub wheels or IGH/belt drive drivetrains, as well as fitted fenders and racks.

Mountain bikes in the 'good' category (i.e., above entry level and below mid-range) cost around $1800 for a hardtail and $3000 for a full suspension bike (at MSRP from major brands).

4 stoke 250cc dirt bike may cost between $2.5-3k, while the performance of less expensive bikes is not as poor as it is with MTBs.

However, if you look at used bikes, they may be significantly less expensive. You don't have to buy dingy old beaters from Craigslist; high-end recent model year bikes are occasionally available.

Yes to the right size frame. Game changer for me.

It really does depend OP, and they are more expensive now because there has been such demand.

But in 2015 I bought a Specialized Arial hybrid which has served me well for mild trail riding (like canal towpaths) and road rides and it cost around £350. I did a charity ride on it in the Netherlands and Germany too. You can get cheaper ones in places like Decathlon and Halfords. And it's worth seeing if there are any bike mechanics near you who recondition old bikes and sell them cheap.

I don't know what the position will be like this year as there has been such a shortage of bikes, but one of the reasons mine was pretty cheap was because it was the previous year's model being sold off before the new models came in. So it may be worth waiting until eg September and going to a specialist bike shop to see if there are any bargains, though not the one on the other thread that sold the poster a second hand bike without telling her it was second hand!