Btwin forme/fitness 5 - worth an offer?
Discussion
Hi all,
Currently on a cheap folding bike for the 10 mile round city trip to work, but after 12 months completely fed up with lack of gearing and uncomfortable position (but fits away nicely in a small cupboard in my tiny flat!). It's time to Gumtree it!
Anyway, Colleague at work is heading abroad on assignment and needs to get rid of his btwin forme 5:
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/btwin-form-5-id_8188896...
Have done some research and looks to be relatively well regarded, but not a huge amount of info on the model. Keen on this type of sport/hybrid for robustness and not really in the market for a featherlight pure road bike or trick mountain bike; I just need to reliably blast too and from work with the odd weekend excursion on the roads as needed to get in some longer mileages and enjoy the countryside.
It was bought 6 months ago for £449 ( but looks to be discontinued now) and is still in as new condition. He is looking at about £225ish. Worth it for this outlay / negotiate on price / better second hand options available? Also anyone owned a btwin with thoughts?
Cheers, Grant
Currently on a cheap folding bike for the 10 mile round city trip to work, but after 12 months completely fed up with lack of gearing and uncomfortable position (but fits away nicely in a small cupboard in my tiny flat!). It's time to Gumtree it!
Anyway, Colleague at work is heading abroad on assignment and needs to get rid of his btwin forme 5:
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/btwin-form-5-id_8188896...
Have done some research and looks to be relatively well regarded, but not a huge amount of info on the model. Keen on this type of sport/hybrid for robustness and not really in the market for a featherlight pure road bike or trick mountain bike; I just need to reliably blast too and from work with the odd weekend excursion on the roads as needed to get in some longer mileages and enjoy the countryside.
It was bought 6 months ago for £449 ( but looks to be discontinued now) and is still in as new condition. He is looking at about £225ish. Worth it for this outlay / negotiate on price / better second hand options available? Also anyone owned a btwin with thoughts?
Cheers, Grant
Don't touch it with a barge pole.
I'm currently "in discussion" with Decathlon regarding a B'Twin bicycle I bought for the wife just over a month ago. She only rides it 3 miles to work and back on smooth cycle paths, yet the bike has the reliability of a 20 year-old Alfa Romeo.
In the 6 weeks we've had the bike, it has had a new chain (snapped), new pedals (fell off) and a new bottom bracket. Last week she was riding it and the reflectors in the wheels flew off and there is now a clunking noise that you can here and feel through the pedals.
Maybe we just bought an unlucky turd (even though it was £300!) but I think they are sold cheap for a reason.
By comparison, my 9 year-old Kona Stinky has asked for nothing in recent memory, just brake pads. I would save a few more pennies and opt for a decent brand. Just my opinion...
I'm currently "in discussion" with Decathlon regarding a B'Twin bicycle I bought for the wife just over a month ago. She only rides it 3 miles to work and back on smooth cycle paths, yet the bike has the reliability of a 20 year-old Alfa Romeo.
In the 6 weeks we've had the bike, it has had a new chain (snapped), new pedals (fell off) and a new bottom bracket. Last week she was riding it and the reflectors in the wheels flew off and there is now a clunking noise that you can here and feel through the pedals.
Maybe we just bought an unlucky turd (even though it was £300!) but I think they are sold cheap for a reason.
By comparison, my 9 year-old Kona Stinky has asked for nothing in recent memory, just brake pads. I would save a few more pennies and opt for a decent brand. Just my opinion...
BMWTech said:
Don't touch it with a barge pole.
I'm currently "in discussion" with Decathlon regarding a B'Twin bicycle I bought for the wife just over a month ago. She only rides it 3 miles to work and back on smooth cycle paths, yet the bike has the reliability of a 20 year-old Alfa Romeo.
In the 6 weeks we've had the bike, it has had a new chain (snapped), new pedals (fell off) and a new bottom bracket. Last week she was riding it and the reflectors in the wheels flew off and there is now a clunking noise that you can here and feel through the pedals.
Maybe we just bought an unlucky turd (even though it was £300!) but I think they are sold cheap for a reason.
By comparison, my 9 year-old Kona Stinky has asked for nothing in recent memory, just brake pads. I would save a few more pennies and opt for a decent brand. Just my opinion...
And yet we've had 6 Decathlon Bikes in the family over the last 7 years and each and everyone has been utterly brilliant. They've all led a very hard life with very little servicing and have had zero mechanical failures. Replacement has only ever been due to upgrading or theft.I'm currently "in discussion" with Decathlon regarding a B'Twin bicycle I bought for the wife just over a month ago. She only rides it 3 miles to work and back on smooth cycle paths, yet the bike has the reliability of a 20 year-old Alfa Romeo.
In the 6 weeks we've had the bike, it has had a new chain (snapped), new pedals (fell off) and a new bottom bracket. Last week she was riding it and the reflectors in the wheels flew off and there is now a clunking noise that you can here and feel through the pedals.
Maybe we just bought an unlucky turd (even though it was £300!) but I think they are sold cheap for a reason.
By comparison, my 9 year-old Kona Stinky has asked for nothing in recent memory, just brake pads. I would save a few more pennies and opt for a decent brand. Just my opinion...
My mate has just had a 6 month old Planet X bike implode on him, does it make them a bad brand?
Sounds like you got a Friday afternoon bike.
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