Advice Wanted: Caught the cycling bug!

[PK99]

My main problems are that of funds, I cant afford to go out and buy to bikes and I am looking for advice on how I could possibly comprimise.

You clearly suffer from the same problem as most keen cyclists. Psychologists recently quantified the problem in the equation:

N = H +1

Where N is the number of bikes Needed
and H is the number of bikes you currently have.

 

[willem]

The Sirrus is one of those bikes devised by the marketing department, to persuade people who know little about bikes and who are afraid of drop bars. However, it is not a horrible bike either. So if funds are tight, the simple answer is to just keep riding it, and stop thinking about what you could have bought instead (such as a Dawes Sportif audax bike). Trying a part exchange is pouring money down the drain, and really, if you don't have much money a second bike is similarly irresponsble. I would simply wait untill the next opportunity to buy a bike to work bike, when I would buy something like the Dawes Sportif (a sensible road bike for real roads and real riders) or some other nice steel audax bike.
In the meantime, if you want to go faster, you might lower the handlebar for better aerodynamics, avoid loose clothing for the same reason, and fit faster tyres. Unless you are already really fast or very light, narrower tyres will not make you faster: only quality flexible tyres will, and better arerodynamics. If you want to treat yourself, get the widest Grandbois tyres you can fit. They will not last for ever, so if you need to save money, only use them for when you really want to ride fast.
Bike stores love riders who upgrade frequently, just like car dealers love people who only buy new cars, and trade them in after two years. Financially it is far smarter to buy an expensive quality bike that is also built to last (so no carbon), and then use it for half a lifetime.
Willem

 

[PK99]

and fit faster tyres. Unless you are already really fast or very light, narrower tyres will not make you faster: only quality flexible tyres will,

Eh? Soory to sound stupid, but could you expand on that

Financially it is far smarter to buy an expensive quality bike that is also built to last (so no carbon), and then use it for half a lifetime.
Willem

[/quote]

Agree completly on that. I've just ruled out carbon for that reason and hope to bite the titanium bullet

 

[HJ]

It isn't that difficult to convert the Sirrus to drop bars, HLaB, has done it, I would suggest that you PM him and ask advice on how to do it....