£300 set budget for a new bike - suggestions?

[CentralCommuter]

Fair. I should also mention I asked a question about panniers recently that produced perhaps one of the most boring threads ever. As you were.

 

[Chislenko]

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/ridley-tempo.302516/

 

[Aston]

This thread is pointless. So much great advice, offers of very solid bikes at good price points, then all ignored and random Halfords MTB plucked out of nowhere. Why ask for advice if you are going to ignore it all?

I've been lurking here, reading the posts, trying to learn more after deciding I'd like another bicycle after many years without, just something to potter about on. The thread has been really informative, it's the sort of budget I'd be pushed to stretch too, so it has been useful, at least to me.

I'll go back to lurking now but will check in to see how the OP is doing to follow progress 👍

Aston

 

[biggs682]

I've been lurking here, reading the posts, trying to learn more after deciding I'd like another bicycle after many years without, just something to potter about on. The thread has been really informative, it's the sort of budget I'd be pushed to stretch too, so it has been useful, at least to me.

I'll go back to lurking now but will check in to see how the OP is doing to follow progress 👍

Aston

I think this thread illustrates that you don't have to spend lots of cash to enjoy and more people ought to realise that if you ask me

 

[super_davo]

Thanks. So, I will push myself a little harder & stronger on this bike and hope I can complete half the distance of 300 Kms come June.

All on proper roads in & around Basildon, Southend, Rainham, Laindon, High Easter, Good Easter, Wickfore, Dunham etcetera.

Hanningfield reservoir loop was the best ride & Hagg Hill was the toughest climb. Saturday and Sunday were extremely tough as in, more of a physical and mental rides than actual cycling trying (to balance myself and the bike) not to get blown off by the strong winds & headwind all along.

Was giggling a bit when being overtaken by riders (aged 70) on their slender road bikes but I wasn‘t competing with anyone but myself and the winds.

As an Essex resident... assuming from those Strava maps you are starting in Basildon I would say you can have a great route going any direction but south. Great roads through Barleylands to the Hanningfields. If you want hilly, then around Brentwood / Kelvedon / North Weald is surprisingly lumpy and pretty nice country lanes. You actually have one of the biggest hills in Essex on your doorstop in Old Church Hill from Dunton to Laindon. South towards Southend it just gets too built up / busy - but the worst part is getting through that side of Basildon before you even get there (I commute from Great Wakering to Basildon / Laindon... I know!).

If I were you, I would get a trial of the paid version of Strava, and use their route mapping facility and 'use popularity' to create routes using 'most ridden roads' - will be a great way to get yourself started. Plot a fair few in the month trial of varying lengths, save offline, don't worry about actually paying till you are much later on in your cycling journey (you could do similar on Komoot, RidewithGPS etc.)

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

As an Essex resident... assuming from those Strava maps you are starting in Basildon I would say you can have a great route going any direction but south. Great roads through Barleylands to the Hanningfields. If you want hilly, then around Brentwood / Kelvedon / North Weald is surprisingly lumpy and pretty nice country lanes. You actually have one of the biggest hills in Essex on your doorstop in Old Church Hill from Dunton to Laindon. South towards Southend it just gets too built up / busy - but the worst part is getting through that side of Basildon before you even get there (I commute from Great Wakering to Basildon / Laindon... I know!).

If I were you, I would get a trial of the paid version of Strava, and use their route mapping facility and 'use popularity' to create routes using 'most ridden roads' - will be a great way to get yourself started. Plot a fair few in the month trial of varying lengths, save offline, don't worry about actually paying till you are much later on in your cycling journey (you could do similar on Komoot, RidewithGPS etc.)

I agree on all that davo as well as Old Church Hill you've got langdon hills high road up to the Miller &Carter,South hill and numerous short hills like one tree hill and Botney hill road

 

[infinityleague]

Been a while but hello again.

The idea of me joining the forum was not to waste anyone’s time or not to listen to any advice (constructive or critical) that’s been given so far. Thank you for that. I still look forward to any advice as every little helps towards my goal. I understand the thread may be boring (I see one other member finding the thread useful) to few of the experienced members but, please do remember that we have all started at the same point. I also understand the few digs but hey, it’s the internet. I asked for it & I will take it in my stride. Thank you again & apologies once again to everyone.

I have read everything in here and have made a small sticky notes to myself.

For example, about the saddle height - I increased it by a bit & feel a lot better. Stickies about changing the tyres (panaracer), for the handle bars, about the hills & Strava routes mentioned. Everything is helpful and important like I mentioned earlier. Thank you again.

Below is my update from the last time of posting my update in here.

 

[infinityleague]

When I started to now :

AVG Power 124 W & now at 157 W.
AVG Speed 15 Kmph & now at 19-21 kmph.
AVG Time taken to do 25 Kms - 1 hour 47 minutes to 1 hour 18 minutes.
Total calories burnt - 27,565.

I did the Strava challenge as well & very glad I could finish it. I know my numbers aren’t great compared to many in here / the competitions I’m trying to take on but I made a start & can hopefully build up on this. The moving time is all over the place as I do stop a bit trying to find directions on my phone (don’t have a navigation unit & have to take it out at every signal to see if I’m in the right direction, charge it while resting so it doesn’t run out of battery etcetera). I was only competing with myself & see where I stand. I think I improved by 5%. The elevation is what I could get on my rides.

Strength training has started so hopefully can get a little stronger & push to the 200 W power zone by January.Working on FTP & Vo2 max on a watt bike on the gym starting next week as I don’t want to be out cycling in the cold (will do the occasional 50-75 Kms to compare progress with a stationary bike).

The only question I want to ask regarding the above is - Are the above numbers any good & what would the difference be, if I did the same on a road bike ?

Thanks in advance. Will keep this thread updated as & when.

PS : will 100% be asking for advice very soon regarding a road bike.

 

[biggs682]

@infinityleague you are still riding that's the main thing and hopefully you are enjoying it ?

So try not to worry about the numbers and enjoy the ride no matter what you ride it's your shout so that's all that matters who gives a monkeys what the keyboard warriors think

 

[AndyRM]

Another nod of agreement with @biggs682

 

[Webbo2]

How are you measuring your power. Given you have spent 300 quid on a bike, please tell you haven’t splashed out the same on a power metre.

 

[infinityleague]

@biggs682 yes, I do enjoy cycling in general as I get to appreciate the surroundings at a slower pace.

I only asked about the numbers because I want to improve every time I’m out there enjoying my ride.

@Webbo2 No mate, I ain’t spending anything extra on any more except a new road bike.

Everytime, I log a Strava activity - I select it as a work out & once it’s done uploading and publishing the feed, I just click the post and it shows the average speed, average power, average times and a whole plethora of things which I’m not interested in like the segments.

The average as shown in the pictures now hovers around 153-157 W (averaging 155 W from 122 W) or maybe I interpreted it wrong.

 

[Webbo2]

So the power through Strada will be meaningless as it can’t take in to account whether you have a head wind or back wind. It might have a bit more realism when you are climbing but again it can’t take in the day to conditions.
You are probably best ignoring it.

 

[infinityleague]

So the power through Strada will be meaningless as it can’t take in to account whether you have a head wind or back wind. It might have a bit more realism when you are climbing but again it can’t take in the day to conditions.
You are probably best ignoring it.

Thanks for that, never did know about that.

I can tell you for sure that I was cycling against headwinds 85% of the time. I think the week before was very very bad When I logged the first 3 rides including a century (posted the screenshot in the last update) It was such a test of physical & mental strength than cycling trying to balance myself & the bike from getting blown away. Few proper conditioning rides. Even saw a couple of cyclists randomly going into the verges.

 

[Reynard]

Red bikes are good, BTW. I have six bikes, five of which are either red or partially red.

Just get out and enjoy the cycling.