Cross LXT300 Womens Mountain Bike - £133 + Free Click and Collect @ Argos

A quick look at Decathlon shows this bike for £200 which is currently on offer from £250. It's got naff suspension, similar drivetrain and brakes. The same low end freewheel based drivetrain not suitable for off-road use so its mountain bike in style only. The weight limits are much lower on the Decathlon bike and consequently the wheels have a lower spoke count. I think I actually prefer the Argos bike because it hasn't got garbage suspension and you have to pay 50% extra to get the Decathlon bike. Yes Argos sell bikes in boxes where as Decathlon will setup for you if you buy from a store but same as Argos I guess if you buy online. One thing in the Decathlon's favour is they are shipping it with tyres that look more suitable for road use. I don't think either are ideal bikes but the Argos bike seems better value to me. If you wanted to later convert to an ebike the Argos bike has steel forks ideal for a front hub motor. Ultimately the sweet spot for a good quality bike is above this price. A recent £220 offer for a polygon bike was actually a decent bike with freehub gearing and good entry level brakes. There is absolutely no point paying £200 for this Decathlon bike as its worse than the Argos bike in many ways and much better bikes are only marginally more expensive. One thing that is absolute garbage about the Decathlon bike which compromises its long term use is its an aluminium frame but doesn't have a removable gear hanger so once its bent a couple of times the frame is only fit for the bin. The Argos bike has a removable gear hanger. So in reality BSO seems much more applicable to the Decathlon bike as there is unlikely any service parts available for that suspension fork either.

I'll have to come check out your skip! 🤪

The quill stem can be raised or lowered to exactly where you want it to get the perfect bike fit and lets face it this is not a mountain bike its mountain bike style only. I feel a quill stem is actually a good option personally. I see threadless stems on pretend mountain bikes and I question what benefit they bring restricting the bike fit.