Cheapish run around

I use an old (circa 1889) British tourer for this (but I also use it for British touring!) it’s actually a really nice 531 super touring frame set and built with a nice Brooks saddle hidden underneath one of those Aardvark saddle covers. 32c tires do canal towpath unless really muddy. I look at it and call it a ‘grandad bike’ and I’m sure the scrotes/bike thieves also call it that . but if you fancy something more MTB then go for something like a retro bike/rigid mountain bike with decals removed/obscured. Oceans of choice there. I’m still tempted to bag an old mid-range 26er just to use for localish bikepacking/groceries/camping with trailer.

Don’t forget a rack or a basket for the groceries.

Also the Raleigh Pioneer or one of those Dawes hybrids that were around in the 90s

Never heard of the bike you mention.

For just pootling around on roads and towpaths something like a Carrera Subway would do the job and not be too much of a target. I’d get the ‘posher’ of the 2 that has hydraulic brakes rather than the cheaper mechanical braked one.

Brand new the subway 2 is £375 but you’d probably pick one up secondhand for £150. Imagine there’s a mixture of neglected rusty ones and ones that have had all the commuting gear bought for them and never left the shed / garage.

This is what Facebook Marketplace is for. Or look for your local bike recycling place.

What size do you need? I have a small rigid MTB on the classifieds. open to offers.

@mjsmke Medium size, I'm based in West Yorkshire

*1989 😎

If you choose well you can actually get a very nicely-riding bike, not too heavy, performs flawlessly yet can do all manner of tasks is swift and yet invisible to most bike thieves/opportunist scrotes. This old tourer is by far the best all-round urban/touring/country-lanes/commuting/shopping bike I’ve ever ridden/owned. Cost me £100 (including bars/Ergon bar-end upgrades) so if it got nicked I’d be very gutted yet not bigly out of pocket

Also - 7 speed or single speed = minimum maintenance IME. Horizontal dropouts worth looking for.

My pub bike is a hammerite'd Spesh Tricross singlespeed. Halo wheels, carbon fork, wonky bars, bright orange grips.... looks like a POS, is permanently obscured by a layer of filth but is mega light and absolutely flies. Cost about £100 off ebay/marketplace... can't remember which.

^ Sounds perfect if not pootling 😉

Mid 90s rigid Marins on ebay for £150ish would be my choice for that sort of thing if you can cope with canti brakes

I picked up a '90s Specialized Hybrid for this. £75 from the Cycle Recycler in Kenilworth.

You can get some lovely retro '90's steel Kona's for a couple of hundred sheets

Cheapo fixed bike here, made from gas pipes with no branding/decals, bought new for £175 (wheels since changed), it's had drop bars and guards previously as a commuter, now wears some old azonic risers and a front pannier with a wooden box grafted on.

Ideal for trips to the shops or pub, nobody would want to steal it, if they did they'd have to deal with a fixed drivetrain and they'd get bugger all if they tried to sell it...

Doing something similar to an old 80s/90s MTB makes perfect sense to me, upright position, add a pannier to allow luggage and make the bike less appealing, mudguards put people off too but are also a practical addition, scuff up the paint/hammerite it to reduce desirability further, just make sure the mechanical basics are sorted fresh brake pads and cables, fresh (cheap) tyres, new grips, etc... Basically make it look crap but function properly.

Boardman hybrid or if you are lucky a cyclocross one. Try Facebook marketplace or gumtree. Loads of Choice in your budget

https://www.halfords.com/bikes/folding-bikes/carrera-intercity-disc-9-speed-folding-bike-536878.html £405 with British Cycling discount and perhaps plaster it in fake rust stickers strips like https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/173602536178