Bike advice?

[Chris_1]

Hi,

I haven't owned a bike since I was in my teens ( now 24), thinking about buying one to cycle to work on, with running my car being so expensive now etc! I'm guessing I would want a mountain bike as its for road use and a bit of cycling through woodland tracks Where's best to buy from? Any other advice appreciated.

 

[zimzum42]

It's quite a b ig question, and I'm sure others will offer advice, but the one tip I'll weigh in with is that you should consider buying second hand, you'll get a lot more bike for your money...

It can be a bit of a chore, certainly more of a chore than just going to a shop, but it's often worth it....

 

[DLB]

may i suggest a hybrid bike which is like a mountain bike but has larger wheels and therefore is less effort to ride. You can get them with drop handlebars or mountain bike type bars. A hybrid would be ok for most woodland paths.

A highly regarded hybrid is teh specialized sirrus. I haven't got one but alot of people on this forum rate is highly.

oh, and welcome to the forum

 

[RedBike]

MTBs are hard work on the road. Slick tyres will improve things dramatically; but you'll need to switch back to the knobblies for off-road use.

How far is the commute?

 

[Chris_1]

Commute is only a few miles.

 

[andyfromotley]

Hi chris welcome,

just spend a bit if time at your LBS, if its quiet they'll show you whats what and you'll get a grasp of whats about.

Plenty of good people on here will help you, if its not too personal giving an idea of your budget will help enourmously.

Well done by the way, commuting may turn out to be the best thing you ever did.

andy

 

[Scoosh]

Hi Chris_1 and welcome to the forum and to re-cycling !
I came back to cycling about 15 yrs ago and wanted a bike to go on roads, local cycle paths, canal towpaths and a bit of light off-road, like on tracks through woods or forests.
My brother had a mountain bike and advised me to get one of the 'new' hybrids, which were just on the market. (maybe it was more than 15 yrs ) I took his advice and bought a Specialized CrossRoads Cruz - now superceded by the Spesh Sirrus.
It has been brilliant, done everything I wanted (including 50 miles round Lochs Rannoch and Tummel), comfortable, sufficiently rugged and reliable and I still use it for shopping and local rides.

Since then the range of bikes has increased hugely, with many niche bikes eg. a hybrid-that's-a-bit-more-rugged or a hybrid-type-that's-a-bit-quicker etc. etc. I would be the first to agree that it can be confusing.

just spend a bit if time at your LBS, if its quiet they'll show you whats what and you'll get a grasp of whats about.

... is some of the best advice you can get.

Depending on how fast you want to go , there are cyclo-cross bikes too.
Either way, remember to factor in the addictive quality of cycling - and some extra dosh for clothes, spares, tools etc.

Enjoy it and let us know how you get on.