hey peeps, newbie...

[saj1985]

hey peeps, im saj, hope your all kewl!

originally i was thinking of getting a motorbike, then i was thinking the whole cost of getting license, bike, insurance etc will cost too much,
then i heard about the electric bicycle, but then im thinking why not get a normal bicycle which will be good for my cardio.

so im obviously thinking of getting a bike,
to be honest i was in my teens when i last had a bike,
which was a full suspension mountain bike, think it was a apollo guru from halfords,
we talking like years ago!

so now im not really clued up! lol...
i'd like to know the difference between road bike, mountain bike and hybrids please?
i understand the road bikes are for road usage and are fast also have smaller tyres, is that right?

i'd also like to know what road bikes are like for going up hills?
can i use the bikes as normal in the winter or do i need to get anything like winter tyres for road bike???

im looking to commute to and from work that's less then 7 miles round trip,
and after work use the bike to get to the gym and back which is like 5 miles round trip.
my intention is to also try and go for long rides on the weekends.

ideally i'd like to be able to put mud guards on the bike cause i'll use it to commute,
also would like to put the rack at the back and be able to put the cycle pannier bag on.

by the way some of you commute to and from work with your bikes,
how many miles do you ride to and from work?

i want to improve my cardio and save some money at the same time to be honest,
id obviously like to spend as less as possible, you know get as much value for money as i can,
dont get me wrong if i see something i really like i can buy it,
but the worry i have is that if i buy a bike and then down the line i get lazy and don't end up using it at all,
then it will be a waste of money so to speak!

i've had a look on the famous auction site but seems to be so many bikes im a bit lost lol!

any help would be much appreciated, thanks saj!

p.s sorry for asking so many questions lol!

 

[cyberknight]

Welcome to CC
Lets start with electric bikes, they may hve a motor but once you get to 15 mph it cuts out and you have to pedal a bike that weighs about twice as much as an average bike so it is better just to get a reasonable normal bike.
I am sure others will have opinions on this but for me bikes fall into these catergories..

Full suss MTB, great if your planning to go serious off road but on the road your just wasting energy bouncing up and down rather than going forward.
hardtail MTb, front suspension can take the sting out off rough surfaces .
Non suss MTB/MTB hybrid is fine for canal paths,road use , commuting but are generally heavier /slower than a "road bike ".Fit slick tyres to this sort of bike and you would be ok for your of distance, an example is the carrera subway.
flat bar road bike/hybrids are basically a road bike with a mtb style flat handle bar that can have clerances for a wider tyre that can offer a bit more comfort.
Road bike, the "racer "
Skinny tyres offer plenty of grip , the handle bars give you plenty of options for hand positions and the bikes tned to be lighter than MTB style bikes.Great if have a far distance to ride , like to ride fast and plan to do longer leisure rides.
Touring bikes are a road bike that tend to be made stronger with a wide range of gears to carry a large load .
Cyclo cross bikes are road bikes with wider tyres that can be taken off road and if you change the tyres to a normal road tyre will be nearly as fast as a full on road bike, These bikes are gaining popularity for there versitily.
My commute is 10 miles each way which i ride on a carrera virtuoso , an entry level road bike that i have fitted with mudgaurds,lights and panniers .
If you do not want to carry panniers all the time you can look at a seat post rack that you can take off or a back pack ( if you d] not mind a sweaty back )
I ride this bike all year around in all weathers except snow and ice when i switch to my non suss MTB with wider tyres although no tyre except spiked ones will give grip when its really bad, do not let this put you off as long as the road is clear is is generally safe to ride and you can be quicker than cars .I have only had 2 slow speed falls on ice in 4 winters of riding in all conditions.

 

[saj1985]

Welcome to CC
Lets start with electric bikes, they may hve a motor but once you get to 15 mph it cuts out and you have to pedal a bike that weighs about twice as much as an average bike so it is better just to get a reasonable normal bike.
I am sure others will have opinions on this but for me bikes fall into these catergories..

Full suss MTB, great if your planning to go serious off road but on the road your just wasting energy bouncing up and down rather than going forward.
hardtail MTb, front suspension can take the sting out off rough surfaces .
Non suss MTB/MTB hybrid is fine for canal paths,road use , commuting but are generally heavier /slower than a "road bike ".Fit slick tyres to this sort of bike and you would be ok for your of distance, an example is the carrera subway.
flat bar road bike/hybrids are basically a road bike with a mtb style flat handle bar that can have clerances for a wider tyre that can offer a bit more comfort.
Road bike, the "racer "
Skinny tyres offer plenty of grip , the handle bars give you plenty of options for hand positions and the bikes tned to be lighter than MTB style bikes.Great if have a far distance to ride , like to ride fast and plan to do longer leisure rides.
Touring bikes are a road bike that tend to be made stronger with a wide range of gears to carry a large load .
Cyclo cross bikes are road bikes with wider tyres that can be taken off road and if you change the tyres to a normal road tyre will be nearly as fast as a full on road bike, These bikes are gaining popularity for there versitily.
My commute is 10 miles each way which i ride on a carrera virtuoso , an entry level road bike that i have fitted with mudgaurds,lights and panniers .
If you do not want to carry panniers all the time you can look at a seat post rack that you can take off or a back pack ( if you d] not mind a sweaty back )
I ride this bike all year around in all weathers except snow and ice when i switch to my non suss MTB with wider tyres although no tyre except spiked ones will give grip when its really bad, do not let this put you off as long as the road is clear is is generally safe to ride and you can be quicker than cars .I have only had 2 slow speed falls on ice in 4 winters of riding in all conditions.

hey cyberknight, for a start thanks for replying!

im thinking if im pedalling i dont want my energy to be wasted so im thinking of avoiding a mountain bike,
obviously you have to put effort into pedalling,
but i get the impression its a bit more effortless on a road bike compared to a mountain bike

road bike seems to be the way to go,
the road bikes with the drop down bars, what sort of gears does that have?
its been years since i've been on a bike,
but even longer since i been on a drop down bar bike lol

on a road bike, speed wise and handling wise, is there a difference between the drop down bars and the flat bars?

for example when i go onto the famous auction site theres so many road bikes but which one do i need?
any recommendations?

im 5'7 from birmingham

 

[cyberknight]

If you live near a decathlon store they have a great range of bikes that are well specced for the price.
Halfords get good and bad press which is mainly based on the staff, some are goood and some can be the sterotypical "yts" that cant put a wheel on straight.The carrera and boardman bikes are very good bikes .If you buy a bike from them just make sure it is running smoothly but at least you can take it back very easily if you have a problem where if you buy a bike from fleabay it can be a problem as once you have bought it then your on your own if its a lemon.
The "LBS" or local bike shop in general will mean you pay more for your bike but it is liable to be assembled very well and the level of service will be better than above .

To save costs buy a tool kit and learn to keep your bike running , is easy to do and will save a lot of money .Do not be fooled into thinking that you will save money immediatly as the cost of buying a bike, lights, locks , clothes etc soon mount up and you just have to weigh up the health benefits untill you start seeing any saving .I reckon i save over £1000 in petrol money every year but i spend maybe £200 for parts , clothes and shiny stuff
Then of course once you have been bitten by the cycling bug you need another bike, and another bike etc etc........

 

[saj1985]

If you live near a decathlon store they have a great range of bikes that are well specced for the price.
Halfords get good and bad press which is mainly based on the staff, some are goood and some can be the sterotypical "yts" that cant put a wheel on straight.The carrera and boardman bikes are very good bikes .If you buy a bike from them just make sure it is running smoothly but at least you can take it back very easily if you have a problem where if you buy a bike from fleabay it can be a problem as once you have bought it then your on your own if its a lemon.
The "LBS" or local bike shop in general will mean you pay more for your bike but it is liable to be assembled very well and the level of service will be better than above .

To save costs buy a tool kit and learn to keep your bike running , is easy to do and will save a lot of money .Do not be fooled into thinking that you will save money immediatly as the cost of buying a bike, lights, locks , clothes etc soon mount up and you just have to weigh up the health benefits untill you start seeing any saving .I reckon i save over £1000 in petrol money every year but i spend maybe £200 for parts , clothes and shiny stuff
Then of course once you have been bitten by the cycling bug you need another bike, and another bike etc etc........

there's a decathlon store not too far from me,
these any good?
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-3-id_8167038.html#more_infos

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/btwin-fitness-3-id_8188895.html

really like the look of this but its a shame its for juniors!

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-junior-id_8129804.html

by the way in regards to specs what do i need to keep an eye out for when it comes to road bikes?

 

[cyberknight]

road bike seems to be the way to go,
the road bikes with the drop down bars, what sort of gears does that have?
Road bikes now start with 8 gears on the back , up to 11 for the top level,on the front you can have a fullon race 2 chainrings, a triple ( like a mtb ) or the popular compact double .As long as the bike has a spread of gears that you can go fast enough on and get up hills then do not worry to much about it, you can change the spread of gears after you have bought it if needed.
its been years since i've been on a bike,
but even longer since i been on a drop down bar bike lol

for example when i go onto the famous auction site theres so many road bikes but which one do i need?
any recommendations?
So many choices and depends how much you want to spend, do you want points for a rack and mudgards ? try to get a bike with shifters that are integrated into brake levers .Might be best to post a link of what takes your fancy.


im 5'7
Bike sizing depends on so many things,your the same height as me and i ride a 52-54 cm frame dependant on the length of the top tube and stem.If you can get the saddle height right (leg straight when heel is on pedal is a rough guide ) then the reach is also important for comfort which you can alter by changing the stem .Best to try before you buy, i have travelled over 40 miles to try ebay bikes before i have made an offer just to be sure
from birmingham

If your from brum then are there any local CCers you could ask ? your more than welcome to try mine for size but Burton upon Trent might be to much of a trek ?
This is my commuter set up , carrera virtuoso...

 

[cyberknight]

Triban 3 is an excellent bike, if i was looking for a bike to start with again i would buy one .
It has a carbon fork to take the sting out of road buzz,shimano 2300 shifters are excellent entry level STI , like sora with a button you press with your thumb to up shift and you down shift with the brake lever.The thumb button can be hard to reach when your on the drops or the bottom of the bar but the normal position for riding is with your hands on top of the brake levers so this is not a problem.
Higher spec bikes come with a lever behind the brake lever rather than a button you can reach from the drops but these bikes would probably be out of your price range if your just starting out unless you want to pay around £1k .

 

[saj1985]

Triban 3 is an excellent bike, if i was looking for a bike to start with again i would buy one .
It has a carbon fork to take the sting out of road buzz,shimano 2300 shifters are excellent entry level STI , like sora with a button you press with your thumb to up shift and you down shift with the brake lever.The thumb button can be hard to reach when your on the drops or the bottom of the bar but the normal position for riding is with your hands on top of the brake levers so this is not a problem.
Higher spec bikes come with a lever behind the brake lever rather than a button you can reach from the drops but these bikes would probably be out of your price range if your just starting out unless you want to pay around £1k .

yea seems like a nice bike,
by the way how much was your bike if you dont mind me asking mate?

yea would be good if i can check some local CCers bikes out!

 

[cyberknight]

That bike was £300 new , add a rack 20, panniers were £30 i think, mudgaurds are another £20.

I have not got the lights on that picture but as i ride on unlit roads i use a magicshine 900 lumen light, a standard front flasher and 3 rear flashers.
I changed the tyres to continental gator skins as i ride on a glass strewn section and added "clipless " pedals with shoes that have cleats that click in .These are all optional extras

 

[cyberknight]

If your going to decathlon check out there clothes, great price and comfortablr, i use the basic padded shorts for commuting and the mid range stuff is fine for long rides.I have done 70 miles + with their "5" level shorts , no club run today as its pissing it down... convinced swmbo that a trip to decathlon nottingham is in order lol.

 

[saj1985]

That bike was £300 new , add a rack 20, panniers were £30 i think, mudgaurds are another £20.

I have not got the lights on that picture but as i ride on unlit roads i use a magicshine 900 lumen light, a standard front flasher and 3 rear flashers.
I changed the tyres to continental gator skins as i ride on a glass strewn section and added "clipless " pedals with shoes that have cleats that click in .These are all optional extras

kewl thanks mate!

seems daunting riding a bike with the drop down bars, i think i need to give it a test ride to see if im comfortable!

how about the cheaper road bikes on ebay, any good?
something like this for example...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2011-VIKI...es_GL&var=&hash=item975880a705#ht_2109wt_1195

whats they difference between a touring bike and a road bike?

 

[saj1985]

If your going to decathlon check out there clothes, great price and comfortablr, i use the basic padded shorts for commuting and the mid range stuff is fine for long rides.I have done 70 miles + with their "5" level shorts , no club run today as its pissing it down... convinced swmbo that a trip to decathlon nottingham is in order lol.

yea i'll have a look if i decide to go...

let me know if you can see any good road bikes for less then £200,
or am i pushing it? lol

at the end of the day its for commuting and getting to and from the gym.

 

[cyberknight]

A few people on here have the viking and like them, just be aware that the shifters on on the tops so you will need to move your hands off the brakes to change gear and they are a bit heavier .Otherwise from what others have said the viking are a fairly solid bike.
this looks interesting ( solihull for postcode )
he says hes 6 foot 2 butthe saddle looks way to high so ask if its a medium or you can try it ?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Carrera-V...0969916732?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item3cc304e93c

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Merida-Racer-Road-bike-/200720233655?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item2ebbdbb4b7
depenadnt on size non listed
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Carrera-T...0712012540?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item20c316eafc

 

[saj1985]

A few people on here have the viking and like them, just be aware that the shifters on on the tops so you will need to move your hands off the brakes to change gear and they are a bit heavier .Otherwise from what others have said the viking are a fairly solid bike.
this looks interesting ( solihull for postcode )
he says hes 6 foot 2 butthe saddle looks way to high so ask if its a medium or you can try it ?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Carrera-V...0969916732?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item3cc304e93c

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Merida-Racer-Road-bike-/200720233655?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item2ebbdbb4b7
depenadnt on size non listed
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Carrera-T...0712012540?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item20c316eafc

yea i've noticed that,
might be worth looking at some of the flat handle bar road bikes too,
might feel more comfortable with it.

how does this decathlon fair?
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/btwin-fitness-3-id_8188895.html

 

[cyberknight]

Looks fine i was in decatlon drooling over....
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/btwin-facet-5-id_8127609.html