As title really.

Rather than using my 5 spot to commute on I need a hack/commuter and was wondering if its possible to build a hack for aorund £120 or am I better off getting a cheapo hybrid off of ebay?

Depends how well stocked your spares box is and/or whether you had any donor bikes you could strip. Personally, I reckon a very cheap donor bike of eBay would help you hit that price.

local free-ads/gumtree would be my choice for a bike at that price.

Spares wise I have a tyre and a 130mm stem !!!

Seen quite a few hybrids but not sure what to go for !

Depends what you’re after really, but I’m sure there’s plenty of folks in these parts could help.

I have a hard tail Scott Reflex in reasonable repair with a few bits to fix… yours for less than £120!

You could get a complete POS of gum tree for £20 or so, depends how hack like you want it to be.

I’m thinking of moving on my hack as I hardly ever use it. it’s a 2003(ish) Saracen Dirttrax Disc, I was going to stick it on here and BR for about £150. No lockout on the forks though.

free-ads, gumtree, ebay, the local tip, cash converters

you should pick up something for £50, then brake blocks, new cables, tyres, grips, saddle from the remainder of your budget.

BB choice is key, as if you need to replace the drivetrain, you have blown your budget already.

I need something that will last a few years with little maintenance.

ideally a large or something suitable for someone 6 foot 2.

email in profile if you have anyhtig suitable!!

Where are you based, renton?

My Scott would suit, I think. It’s large enough, just needs a service and a new front mech. BB etc are fine. I’d sell it for £70 ish, but sending it would be a pain…

Are there any bike recycling places near you? Should be able to get something fully serviced and cheap from them.

Based in the oxford area camo16 !

Miketually I dont actually know to be honest!!

How would I find out?

I am based in between oxford and reading

Have a look on retro bike – I bought this Diamond Back Apex for £90, immaculate condition, was a £700ish bike back in the day from what I can work out. Check both the pre and post 1997 forum sections – some v cheap old-ish bikes on there in good nick, often going very cheap.

Ideally I want something I can put slicks and mudgaurds on to !

I’ve a set of race face turbine bars doing nowt if you want them?

I’ve got a giant coldrock c.1993 that’s free to a good home..or it’s going to the dump.

Got a Claude butler Kylami off eBay for 25 quid

New cables and a bit of fettling got it feeling very nice … All depends on what you’re prepared to accept as a hack

Send me some pics camo!!

Are there any bike recycling places near you? Should be able to get something fully serviced and cheap from them.

We have a cycle project in Bath ,it takes donated bikes and tart them up to help the homeless .A worthy cause but their prices for old tat are silly because it actually costs more than the bikes are ever worth to do them up

I have a couple of bikes that probably fall in the sub £150 category one is my rigid SS old kona fire mountain frame, fork and headset I got from retro bike for £50 other parts from spares box
classified and ebay.

Other one is a norco 250 frame and cranks were £50 from pinkbike this time and more spares box and ebay raiding for the rest of it.

So an XC ss Hack and a DJ ss hack the pair cost well below £300 together.

Both bikes are basic but functional.

It all comes down to what you consider a “hack bike” to be…

Double post

I managed to build mine for about £80 but had the big things (frame and wheels) already available. A quick Fleabay search brings up quite a few frames for about the £30 mark.

Rcyckabike FTW.

Ancient mountainbike out of a skip or possibly off Gumtree for peanuts, plus el cheapo drivetrain and tyres, job done.

I bought a complete original spec 2000 Kona munimula on eBay for that amount.

Its a lovely bike to ride.

How far are you planning on riding it?

For up to ten miles each way I would go for a retro hybrid. Old ones tend too have mudguard and rack mounts and clunky heavy steel components last ages (but weigh a tonne!).

I have an until recently low mileage 1993 hybrid which has been treated to some v brakes (deore trekking sets with full length outer cables). It also got some plastic mudguards as the steel ones were rusty as and an old alloy bar. This makes an ace hack the bike was donated by av family member and the other bits probably came to about 100

I’ve been looking at the carrera gryphon which looks ok!

Anything else similar to look at?

I built a single speed for this winter from here for £150. Charge duster with mavic cross rides, Bonty mud x tubeless, deore cranks and brakes, fantastic bike.

I paid for it by buying good quality 90’s MTB’s for peanuts on eBay giving them some TLC with shed bits and selling them to workmates and neighbours. It helps that I’m the go to ‘bike guy’ so people trust me. It wasn’t that difficult tbh and given the space and time I could get near to funding my multiple bike addictions..

I got an old Kona Hahanna for £65 off ebay earlier this year which i use for general riding about, a bit of commuting, and canal rides with the missus. It had new cables all round recently and 2 virtually new Conti speed king tyres which was probably worth half what i paid for it.

The annoying thing is i’ve used it a few times instead of my proper bike, probably had more fun and beat a load of my personal best times on gps on it 😐

I built a lovely 1991 Cannondale up with Shimano Ebay buys for about £80. I salvaged the Frame, wheels and a rigid fork from my mates garage, didn’t even know he had it. Ask your friends/family, you’d e amazed at how many people have old bikes lying in their sheds or garages that they could really do without.

Cheap fully rigid from Tesco etc, for about £75, slicks & full guards from EBay.

Or

A second hand Carrerra Subway would be my choice. The drab grayish anodised finish is tough & it blends in rather than shouting “nick me”. They’re actually not a bad bike.