Looking at FGF this week there is a set of Decathlon waterproof dungarees that are 40quid ish. They look perfectly serviceable and Hannah recommends them.
My choices are:
1) Deore or SLX. I have never found a performance increase with XT or XTR and have run deore gears for years.
2) Brandx seatposts have revolutionised the uppy downy market, at normally less than £130 the one I have is 2 years ald and still going strong, my first Reverb was serviced 4 times at £80 a go and was still crap.
3) I am really impressed with the Army Goretex jackets at less than £20 on ebay, mine has been amazing so far this winter.

With people paying 100’s for posh kit, what are your favourite cheap things that offer great performance?

Bolle safety glasses. Keep shit out of my eyes just as well as £200 Oakley’s

@5plusn8 do you have a link to the goretex jackets please pal? There’s about a million different ones on eBay

Make sure you get sleeves long enough on your army jacket.

Having spent £60 on some Ron hill trackster things that the wind rips through I’ve taken to commuting in my Primark army trousers. Good pockets ,elasticated ankles and £12.

Search for mtp lightweight goretex jacket
I paid 19 quid for mine, thats the first link, and its gone up by a pound. but I’d still pay 30 or more in future.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/383292193702
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/293808345395?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154587767130?

It’s amazing how much stuff is available second hand, a few rides in.

Tyres, saddles, grips etc… Even second hand, forks, bikes with care etc.

Mud guards make a big difference bang for buck..

Wiggle/CRC ebay outlet is good for bargains off you’re reasonably lucky or shop slightly off-trend. I recently got an XT 12s chainring for 20 quid which had had the box opened.

Cheapo cables and outers. I’ve run Shimano XTR in the past, and Planet X cheapies. They’ve all Just Worked, for me at any rate.

Superstar for pedals and headsets. Nice quality gear at reasonable prices.

CandB seen lights are gvfm

Wait for the next big thing in mtb, find somebody selling a nearly new last big thing in mtb.

It’s amazing how much stuff is available second hand, a few rides in.

Tyres, saddles, grips etc… Even second hand, forks, bikes with care etc.

Not cheap I grant you but with careful shopping for new bargains and vgc second hand bits I built an SC Bronson for pretty much 4k on the nose with a much better spec (better wheels, finishing kit and arguably forks) than the C S model at £5200.

Used parts included.

Burgtec Carbon bars and stem – immaculate – STW

GX Groupset – new, removed from a new bike – STW

Lyric Ultimates – almost unmarked – eBay

Ergon saddle – STW, vgc
Reverb – already had one but factored into the build cost above

New parts included

Frame, Hope headset and Burgtec pedals (plus invisiframe) – bought from local SC dealer who had broken down a C level frame build for parts.

DT Swiss XM1501 wheelset – OEM colourway, bought at 60% off after a lead from STW

The strange economics of the Charge Spoon. A very good saddle for £25, which if you don’t like it, you can sell for £30

tomhoward
Full Member

Bolle safety glasses. Keep shit out of my eyes just as well as £200 Oakley’s

Agree but I’ve gone upmarket now to the £3.99 Decathlon riding glasses.

Agree but I’ve gone upmarket now to the £3.99 Decathlon riding glasses.

‘Ow much!?!

There are some bargains on AliExpress If you know where to look. ZTTO components is pretty good price performance, not the top end of performance but worth it for the price if you know what I mean.

For example – https://a.aliexpress.com/_uwcApD

I understand the patent for star ratchet hubs ran out, so DT Swiss 240 equivalent hubs for £70. (All DT Swiss 240s spares fit, for piece of mind)

‘Ow much!?!

It gets worse, they’re now £4.99 (available in 3 tints though).

Still cheaper than Bolle at Screwfix though.

Always been a fan of Decathlon kit. Never had an issue.

Sram GX is lovely and really can’t fault it. I’d only get xx1 if I could afford it to save some wieght.

Endura clothing has been great for me. No issues so far.

Looking at my bikes, I could upgrade stuff but it would only save wieght. A lighter bike would be nice but can’t afford it.

I don’t think C&B Seen are still trading, they weren’t when my battery packed up and I didn’t bother trying them when the lamp stopped working although that might have been my fault when I dropped it. I just bought a Ground Effect Baked Alaska top on eBay for half the new price. Looks like new. I get Merino socks and baselayers in Aldi when I see them.

C-eem to still be trading…

CandB

Don’t Ceeem to have any stock…

Well, that’s hardly unusual in this peculiar decade.

I suggest you check Companies House.

tomparkin
Full Member

Wiggle/CRC ebay outlet is good for bargains off you’re reasonably lucky or shop slightly off-trend. I recently got an XT 12s chainring for 20 quid which had had the box opened.

That outlet is a strange place. Great deals to be had, but at the same time people paying more than you would pay for the same thing on the normal CRC/Wiggle sites.

I was happy getting an ex-demo Ragley BigWig for £875 a few months ago. The photos were a bit odd, but I realised it just hadnt been washed. It turned up with the tyres not having had even the slightest edge taken off them (figures for a lockdown period demo bike)

Singlespeed!!

Bought a pair of Hump mountains bike shorts for a fiver off Freewheel a couple of weeks ago. Fit, design and quality seem comparable to other shorts I have owned that cost upwards of £40-50.

Bought a softshell jacket from Planet X about 4 years ago. Cost £15, wore it today. Still works great and shows hardly any wear, one for colder rides though as it can be a bit hot.

2015 105 groupset, still going strong. To buy the next level up Ultegra groupset was nearly twice the price and only saved about 0.5kg.

2016 Stooge Mark 2. I’ve had it set up with 27.5+ tyres, 29er wheels and tyres. Geared and singlespeed, even toured on it. Can’t see me ever selling it and equally can’t see it breaking any time soon. Bargain at £550 for frame and fork.

My 7mesh Northwoods jacket is still (just) hanging in there, bought in 2016 in the sales at Edinburgh bike co-op for £40. Love it! Don’t make the same jacket anymore (same name but different jacket), shame as I’d buy another.

Last year I bought a Galibier long sleeve Roubaix jersey and it is one of my most worn items of cycle clothing. Wear it on the road bike, cross bike and even the mountain bike. Might actually buy the orange one too, I’d hate it when I need a replacement and can’t get one anymore. Perfect cut, great material that has been put together really well, looks understated which I like. Nice amount and size of pockets and provides the perfect level of insulation for riding at around 10 degrees.
Good value too.

Halfords lights. Not eBay Chinese cheapness, but top bang for buck.

Aldi waterproof socks. At least as good as Sealskinz IMO.

Inner tube chainstay protection / noise reduction. An oldie but goodie.

MicroDrive drivetrains. Wide range 1 x 9 FTW.

+1 Brand X droppers. Why buy anything else?

Have a friend who owns more bikes than he/she needs. Borrow.

Galibier gloves are great too. I’ve the Barrier ones as recommended here and then got the Ardennes ones as well.  Both fit well and do what they’re designed for well at half the price of the alternatives.

That outlet is a strange place. Great deals to be had, but at the same time people paying more than you would pay for the same thing on the normal CRC/Wiggle sites.

Yeah, that is a weird phenomenon and one I have also noted. A good tactic I find is to bid as though you don’t much care: bung in one bid then ignore it. Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don’t but it avoids paying more than you want due to last minute bidding wars.

A Montane Dyno jackets (actually two) – both bought in 2012 one bought used off here one bought new from the bargain bin.

They are simply brilliant and work for riding in almost all Autumn/Winter/Spring weather, being mostly but not entirely windproof so extremely breathable and so it doesn’t feel like your wearing a jacket whilst keeping the elements off – also water resistant enough for anything other than proper heavy rain.

I don’t think C&B Seen are still trading, they weren’t when my battery packed up and I didn’t bother trying them when the lamp stopped working although that might have been my fault when I dropped it. I just bought a Ground Effect Baked Alaska top on eBay for half the new price. Looks like new. I get Merino socks and baselayers in Aldi when I see them.

I bought from them a while ago – getting the items I paid for took a while. Then I recommended them to a mate, who had real issues is getting his.
They worked well – but I buggered the head light … didn’t bother going back

This is my kind of thread.

If I need something and don’t need it straight away I tend to look in the classifieds on here and Pinkbike. I also use FB marketplace and on ebay. Decathlon is a good option too, I bought the riding trousers a couple of years ago and are stilling going strong.
On the odd occasion, I’ll troll through the usual bike parts sites for the cheapest option

didnthurt

My 7mesh Northwoods jacket is still (just) hanging in there, bought in 2016 in the sales at Edinburgh bike co-op for £40. Love it! Don’t make the same jacket anymore (same name but different jacket), shame as I’d buy another.

Has the Northwoods always been a lightweight windshell? I just bought one half price in their sale, delighted with it.

Edit – ah, I see it used to be a more road oriented jacket, without hood. The Cypress is the road equivalent, also on sale

https://7mesh.com/cypress-hybrid-jacket-1

3m mastic tape. Get tonnes for the money, easy to work with, quietens and protects.

honourablegeorge, cheers for the heads up on the Cypress jacket being in the sale. It isn’t quite the same as the old Northwood jacket as the Cypress has a membrane front, where’s the old Northwood had no membrane.

Just bought a Giro windproof jacket in the sale so (hopefully) won’t be needing another for a while.

SPD shoes.
People spend a fortune trying them out only to discover it’s “not for me.”
I’ve bought two virtually new pairs of Specialized 2FO shoes on FB for 1/4 and 1/10th the new price. And after one filthy ride you wouldn’t know the difference.

Once they’re almost worn out i’ll clean and advertise them for free for someone to try clipless without the price tag. At least that way they don’t throw their money away before deciding if it’s their cup of tea.

Someone elses old gutties? 🤢

Nah, sorry, it’s fair enough but mine smell bad enough that I know they’ll be hoaching. Just the thought. Especially with your username 😉

x2 Bikehut 1600 lights, Decathlon and CRC/Wiggle outlet.

My 4quid lidl gardening gloves…

Insulated, smart phone compatible.

They’re 6yrs old n dying I’m gutted tried DHB seals sealskins etc and non are as good!

TESA tape for rims.

OKO sealant (bought recently but not tested yet). I’m sure there’s at least one thread on that topic.

Amazon random shorts.

“Skiing” glove liners.

Self-amalgamating tape for chainstay protection.

Bolle glasses (+1).

Marmalade sandwiches 😉

£5 – dropper remote https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265165364394?hash=item3dbd165caa:g:rZoAAOSwXwhgpKwj

Take cover off remove little spring and ta-da