Hi everyone! Please excuse the lengthy post...
I'm looking for a basic commuter bike to use in London. I hope to use it for getting around the city in general so I need something that could be locked in most places without worrying too much. I know that a good lock is essential but I think that the bike shouldn't stand out in the first place.
I visited the local bike shops and tried out these bikes:
Specialized Sirrus Int (£350). Nice ride but I think that it's way too nickable...
Giant Escape 3 (£295). Quite nice. I think I would prefer to be a bit more upright but I suppose I can change the stem if it bothers me. The gears didn't work exactly well but I suppose this is down to adjustment.
Trek 7.1 fx (£380). Felt a bit too small in 20in but the next size up is 22.5in and the shop guy said that would be too large. Besides I think it's overpriced with essentially the same components as the Giant.
Ridgeback Velocity (£399). Quite nice. I like the adjustable stem. The only problem I can think of is that there's no chainguard on the crank and the LBS said it's usually difficult to find one.
(I was quite surprised that I'm 21' on Giant and 19' on Ridgeback, but both bikes seem to fit ok and one LBS said it's just that different brands size their bikes differently. Although I tried them in different shops so it would be difficult to tell the difference.)
So I think I will be deciding between Giant and Ridgeback. The Ridgeback seems to have better components but the Giant is quite a lot cheaper. So I think that I'll pick the one that's less nickable, as this is what I'm worried about... especially after reading on Guardian about people being mugged for their bikes
I think that Giant has quite a nice-looking hydroformed frame which worries me because this could be recognised instantly. The Ridgeback has a bit better components but I suppose a bunch of youths wouldn't be able to notice this quickly enough while the bike is moving. You might think I'm paranoid but coming from a nice and peaceful place the crime in this country and London in particular is just scary.
So here's my question: which is less likely to attract the wrong type of attention: Giant Escape 3 or Ridgeback Velocity? Or maybe I should be looking at getting something cheap from the nearby Halfords? I also looked into buying used but I don't want to end up with a bike that's been stolen from someone else.
I'm looking for a basic commuter bike to use in London. I hope to use it for getting around the city in general so I need something that could be locked in most places without worrying too much. I know that a good lock is essential but I think that the bike shouldn't stand out in the first place.
I visited the local bike shops and tried out these bikes:
Specialized Sirrus Int (£350). Nice ride but I think that it's way too nickable...
Giant Escape 3 (£295). Quite nice. I think I would prefer to be a bit more upright but I suppose I can change the stem if it bothers me. The gears didn't work exactly well but I suppose this is down to adjustment.
Trek 7.1 fx (£380). Felt a bit too small in 20in but the next size up is 22.5in and the shop guy said that would be too large. Besides I think it's overpriced with essentially the same components as the Giant.
Ridgeback Velocity (£399). Quite nice. I like the adjustable stem. The only problem I can think of is that there's no chainguard on the crank and the LBS said it's usually difficult to find one.
(I was quite surprised that I'm 21' on Giant and 19' on Ridgeback, but both bikes seem to fit ok and one LBS said it's just that different brands size their bikes differently. Although I tried them in different shops so it would be difficult to tell the difference.)
So I think I will be deciding between Giant and Ridgeback. The Ridgeback seems to have better components but the Giant is quite a lot cheaper. So I think that I'll pick the one that's less nickable, as this is what I'm worried about... especially after reading on Guardian about people being mugged for their bikes
I think that Giant has quite a nice-looking hydroformed frame which worries me because this could be recognised instantly. The Ridgeback has a bit better components but I suppose a bunch of youths wouldn't be able to notice this quickly enough while the bike is moving. You might think I'm paranoid but coming from a nice and peaceful place the crime in this country and London in particular is just scary.
So here's my question: which is less likely to attract the wrong type of attention: Giant Escape 3 or Ridgeback Velocity? Or maybe I should be looking at getting something cheap from the nearby Halfords? I also looked into buying used but I don't want to end up with a bike that's been stolen from someone else.
