Looking for a decent £200 bike (ideally new)

If you're buying £200 bikes on Gumtree or FB Marketplace, please check the frame number on  https://www.bikeregister.com/ - you might help return someone's stolen bike.

But as others have said, go second hand for better bikes. I got a lovely steel framed Orbit for a student friend last year for £70 on Ebay. Beautifully maintained by its owner, sensible 7 speed Shimano gears, and two new tyres that probably cost £70 on their own.

Below £400 you always get a better used bike that new.

FWIW, this is what I am selling on eBay:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234528198272?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-12763...

which I put a buy it now of £250. Priced because it is old and did some work when it was young, but it was over £1000 new. I've fettled out for sale out of new parts I've had for reasons long forgotten, but actually with new tyres and chain and cassette it's a bargain for someone.

Trouble with eBay is that you don't know what you are buying and I know mine is under-priced but you can't really tell that from the listing... who knows what state a bike is really in?

It will be better if you can increase your budget to 500 definitely find a good bike from here. A Specialized Vilano Diverse 3.0 for example. Otherwise will better to choose a used one.

One way to make a half-way decent cheap bike with reliable components is to use as few components as possible. 

So if you live somewhere flat, then there's this:

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/city-bike-single-speed-500/_/R-p-306292?mc...

There are always compromises with bikes anywhere near this price. As far as I can see this bike has two notable ones:

Very basic plastic pedals. Pedals on bikes this cheap are always crap (and often on bikes costing far more). You can pick up pedals with steel pins so they actually grip your shoes from about a tenner on Amazon.

Fixed-angle seatpost. There's no angle adjustment for the saddle so if it doesn't work for you as it comes, then you're looking at around a tenner for a basic adjustable post.

On the upside, though, you're getting 32mm tyres for pothole-resistance, what look like halfway-decent brakes, and a modern stem and headset.

If you will only consider buying new and can wait for one of the regular sales Halfords do and your employer is part of the ride to work scheme you could get a carrera Subway one for just a little over £200 (£330 full price) and you'll be paying monthly anyway. 

I bought one on the ride to work scheme a couple of years ago as it was £50 off and I wanted a cheap bike to convert to an e-bike. I've used it daily since then and it's used in any weather. I'm too lazy to be constantly fettling it and I'm 6 foot 5 inches tall and weigh 17 stone so i'd destroy a really cheap bike very quickly.

if you're using it every day you'll wear out parts regularly anyway so you can upgrade parts when you have to replace things.

I worked for halfords 30 years ago so things may have changed since then but Apollo bikes were not up to daily use even considering the low price. I always found Carrera bikes were great value when compared to the more expensive makes and you mainly just got lower spec groupsets and one less gear but the frames and forks are well made and finished.

Personally I always buy based on the frame and forks as pretty much everything else i'll eventually replace if I keep it long enough.

Do NOT buy an Apollo bike.
There's a fine line between a BSO (bicycle shaped obkect) and a budget bike.
Halford's Apollo range are the wrong side of that line, their Carrera range are usually about the cheapest budget bikes around.
Other options for budget bikes are Decathlon's own brand or Evans own Pinnalce brand.
Couple of suggestions below. The Vitus looks like it's sold out in size M so will only be useful if you're quite tall. Looks like a great commuter bike though.

Pinnacle Lithium for £260:
https://www.evanscycles.com/brand/pinnacle/lithium-1-2022-hybrid-bike-93...

If I didn't already own a BMC with hub gears that I commute to work on I'd go for this Vitus for £320:
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/vitus-dee-vr-city-bike-nexus-2021?utm_source=af...

It got a rave review from Road.cc at it's RRP of £430
https://road.cc/content/review/vitus-dee-vr-city-bike-nexus-287853
https://road.cc/content/recommends/vitus-dee-vr-city-bike-nexus-2021-288069

This doesn't help directly (after 17 years in Australia I'm not best placed to comment on the supply and costs of bikes in the UK), but just for context, I bought my Orbit Gold Medal in 1983 for just the sort of use you're describing. Back then it cost 220 pounds, so even allowing for a very different manufacturing paradigm today l agree with others that your best bet would be to spend a little more if at all possible or (carefully) go down the pre-loved route.

If you want something new, Decathlon do the Riverside 120 for £230. It's not great, but should be OK for a short commute.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/hybrid-bike-riverside-120/_/R-p-300806?mc=...

2nd hand is probably the way to go, have a read of this article if that's what you decide to do - https://road.cc/content/feature/your-complete-guide-buying-second-hand-b...

For that money you can get something half decent that's secondhand. Have a look on E Bay. Carrera is the mid price Halfords brand and a lot better than the Apollo range. I had a Carrera MTB and while it wasn't anything to shout about, it was cheap and did the job reliably, while being ok to ride.

Some police forces do sales of stolen/recovered bikes that haven't been claimed. You might want to ring up your local cop shop or check online. The money goes to charity and you get a document saying it's stolen/recovered and been sold legally, just in case the owner appears. They will be cheap.

A new bike at that money will be a bicycle shaped object featuring low end, quick wearing components. It'll not be very nice to ride and won't last very long. 

The biggest problem with ultra cheap (£200) bikes IMHO is the quality of components used rather than the frame itself. This is especially true for everyday use, where you will very soon find corrosion setting in, starting with a stiff chain, moving on to sticky derailleur and brake action and finishing with nuts and bolts being hard to remove. As others have said, a little used bike from a proper manufacturer built with half decent components can be had for your budget, and give much more reliable service for years to come than a bargain basement new model with low quality, and in some cases unbranded components. Look for a Tiagra, or if you are very lucky 105, groupset with frame manufacturer almost being a secondary consideration.

You'll get a BTwin / Triban for £200-350 from eBay (just checked there are a few 520s), and like many would suggest you start there - making sure the thing is looked after and works...or this if you can stretch your budget... 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203915489000?hash=item2f7a4f6ee8:g:nXsAAOSwK0...

Coupla month back I bought an Apollo Paradox £230 from Halfords. Worse thing I've ever ridden.
Set to with a hair dryer, removed all the tacky de-cals. Had a perfectly good Tiagra groupset lifted from a now dead Carrera frame and transferred the lot. Leaving only the frame being the original component.
If it hadn't off been for having the Tiagra it would have been better to just get a new Carrera imo

I would probably go used from a decent brand you've actually heard of or some already recommended here would be a good start. A £200 new bike unfortunately will be of very poor quality and a falsh economy if used for any decent miles. Unfortunately £200 doesn't go far these days at around £500 you migh get something serviceable new.

Apollo bikes are heavy and fitted with poor quality components. A local shop mechanic told me recently that the old ones like my wife's 15+ y/o model were a bit better and advised me to avoid newer ones. Avoid anything with 'suspension'.

Halfords' Carrera range would be a better option and would be the minimum I'd recommend for something that will get used regularly - you'll enjoy riding a decent bike far more than a bargain basement model. Halfords also sell Boardman, which are also extremely good VFM.

A well cared for secondhand bike from a reputable brand would be better value, though the high demand for bikes in the last 2 years means that choice is often limited. If you go s/h then facebook marketplace or local selling groups are worth a look. In Shropshire there is now a local charity that refurbishes used bikes for sale. There may be a similar enterprise near you.

Finally, it's very important that you get a bike that fits you properly.

There's a deal on the MAKITA DGA452Z at Screwfix, under a ton. Otherwise I'm out of ideas.

"Decent" "new" and "£200" don't go together, you can get two of the three but not all three. Look around on eBay and Gumtree etc and you'll be able to find a Triban 500 or 520 for around £200, excellent bikes for your intended purposes and they're pretty hardwearing, so unless they've been really abused they'll last much longer than a £200 new bike. The Apollos are criminally bad, real tat. 

Good luck with finding a suitable bike, a good second hand bike will likely serve you better than a cheap new bike. 
Have you considered using the Cycle to Work scheme? As this would allow you to buy a more expensive bike, with tax and national savings and spread the cost over a period of time. 
I have used this for my last 3 bikes, and wholeheartedly recommend it.

You won't find anything decent new that will stand up to a daily commute. Well, not from a mainstream retailer. Maybe have a look around your local area and see if there's a bike charity, they might be able to help.

If not, your best bet is eBay, particularly if you either know how to check a used bike or can take someone with you who does.

Specialized Allez would be my choice, or have a look for used Triban bikes (they're all good except the Triban 100)

If you are buying used make sure that the brakes and gears work well because they're expensive to fix, particularly at the moment with supply chain issues.