Absolute Beginner - looking for advice

[NeilEB]

Hi all,

I've stumbled across this forum and it seems like a good place to get advice so here goes!

As a bit of background, I'm 34 and looking to get into cycling, having not cycled since I was about 14 or so.

I'm looking to try and get fit, as well as take my 3 year old son out on trips occasionally.

So I'm looking for:
- A multi-purpose bike that is newbie-friendly if such a thing exists.
- Suitable for roads, pathways and very gentle x-country (cycling through woods etc). I'm not going to be doing any major off-raoding or anything like that
- Preferably something that I can attach a kids bike to so that my son can ride behind me (he can't really cycle on his own yet)
- Budget wise, as I'm not sure how much I'll be enjoying it, I don't want to spend ridiculous money. Preferably around £100, certainly less then £200
- I wont be using it to commute to work (it's about 25 miles straight up the M1), so it will be more of a weekend thing.
- In temrs of me, I'm around 5'9, and wieght about 17 stone (hence the wanting to get fit!)

Any ideas?

 

[HLaB]

You'll pick up a hybrid that should be able for what you describe. I think the Carrera subway from Halfords starts at your upper budget and from all accounts they are good bike, other ones which are good vfm apparently are ones from Decathlon. Although 2nd hand may be best for that budget. Stick away from bikes of that value from supermarkets and catalogues, they tend to be not just heavy but badly constructed, sometimes dangerously and will not be up to what you describe (they have the tendency to fall apart) buying them is a false economy.

Edit: And Welcome to the forum

 

[coffeejo]

Second the vote for a hybrid - mine happily goes through the woods, across fields and down muddy paths. Just remember to stand up on the pedals for the bumpy bits, if you end up with one without suspension

 

[the snail]

Sounds like a hybrid type bike would suit you. Personally I'd go for thinner tyres (28/32mm?) and some mudguards. Your budget is low though, I think you will struggle to get anything decent for £200 new (the carreras start at £299?). The cheaper bikes (like halfords apollo ) have a rather poor reputation, so if you want something under 200, 2nd hand would be the best option.

 

[numbnuts]

well you have done something right, to CC

 

[NeilEB]

Hi all,

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

I know <£200 is a low budget, but I don't want to spend a fortune only to find out that cycling isn't really for me.

I'm in the Borehamwood / Stanmore area of North London, if anyone knows a FLBS :-)

 

[andylaw79]

<shameless_plug>

Got just the bike for you here I'm 5'9" and and about the same weight and it's a cracking bike.

</shameless_plug>

 

[mickle]

There is no such thing as a hybrid.

 

[NeilEB]

Cryptic.....care to expand?

 

[abo]

Carrera Vulcan my bike, has been bulletproof so far, haven't done anything too silly with it though. V-brakes are mechanically simple and trigger shifters are way better than grip shifts! This bike comes with knobbly tyres though and front suspension with no lockout so not the best choice for riding on roads. I swapped my tyres for Double Fighters which give me a lower rolling resistance on the road yet still retain some useful offroad ability.

As for your son, my sister used a Trail Gator with her two boys, not tried it myself but apparently it folds away so they can ride along on their own (using their own bike), then when they get tired you just unfold, attach to their bike and you tow them along.

 

[apollo179]

Not the kind of thing anyone on this forum would ever say but you might be best advised buying a cheap bike off ebay - you can pick serviceable secondhand bikes up for £10 to £20. Id estimate about a 19 - 20 inch frame mountain bike would suit, hybrid bikes are more expensive even second hand. Then if you get hooked you can investigate buying something better - as hlab observed decathalon are well regarded.

 

[mickle]

Cryptic.....care to expand?

I've just managed to write a book on cycling without mentioning the H word once. There is no such thing - it's a name dreamed up by marketing gimps and has no meaning.

People whi jump to the defence of the word will say that it combines parts from road (touring) bikes and mountain bikes - hence hybrid. But mountain bikes used parts developed for tandems, and road bikes and BMX. That doesn't make them hybrids.

Show me any bike and I'll tell you into what category it falls. And it wont be a hybrid.

 

[mightyquin]

Stretch the budget a little and consider this http://www.evanscycles.com/products/kona/dew-city-2011-hybrid-bike-ec027214 or this http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebw...home&utm_content=offers&utm_campaign=REVTRA11

Don't buy anything new for around £100 unless it's from Decathlon.

 

[mightyquin]

I've just managed to write a book on cycling without mentioning the H word once. There is no such thing - it's a name dreamed up by marketing gimps and has no meaning.

People whi jump to the defence of the word will say that it combines parts from road (touring) bikes and mountain bikes - hence hybrid. But mountain bikes used parts developed for tandems, and road bikes and BMX. That doesn't make them hybrids.

Show me any bike and I'll tell you into what category it falls. And it wont be a hybrid.

Interesting. When I first looked for advice for buying a bike for general use, I was mostly advised to buy a 'Hybrid' although a few people said it's better to decide on your priority and go for a road or mountain bike (MTB for the benefit of the OP). I became interested in single speed bikes and went for a road SS which was a good choice for me, and as it happens a friend gave me a Decathlon 'MTB' they didn't want.

My old Raleigh MTB (bought early 90's I think) is basically what are now termed 'hybrids' but with 26" wheels, whereas it seems virtually all MTB's now have suspension.

Perhaps Compromise Bike would be a better term than Hybrid? Of course the marketing guys will never have that!

 

[apollo179]

I've just managed to write a book on cycling without mentioning the H word once. There is no such thing - it's a name dreamed up by marketing gimps and has no meaning.

People whi jump to the defence of the word will say that it combines parts from road (touring) bikes and mountain bikes - hence hybrid. But mountain bikes used parts developed for tandems, and road bikes and BMX. That doesn't make them hybrids.

Show me any bike and I'll tell you into what category it falls. And it wont be a hybrid.

I agree - lots of rubbish spoken for lots of reasons.
My bike is called an apollo mountain bike but except for the mountainbike style wheels and tyres its a town bike. A town bike with "odd" wheels/tyres on it. Or am i missing something.