Buying 2 bikes - any advice appreciated!!

[Rapscallion]

Hello folks,

My girlfriend and I are looking to purchase bikes for a new hobby. Neither of us will use them to commute so they will be used mainly for road/light off-road use. Our budget is around £400 per bike but we may be prepared to stretch a little higher as from my brief research (including skimming through some threads on here) that seems to be around the starting point for a decent bike. Even though they will be used once or twice a week, we don't want to buy cheap but on the same token, don't feel we can justify going up into the £500s and beyond.

I've listed a few below (most have women's versions). We need to go and see some in person, and get sized-up etc, which could be delayed for obvious reasons! Happy to hear your thoughts.

Thanks in advance!

VooDoo Marasa (currently extra 10% off)
Pinnacle Lithium 2 Hybrid
Boardman MTX 8.6 Hybrid (currently extra 10% off)
Merida Crossway Urban 20
Boardman Hybrid Comp
Board Hybrid Team
Riverside 900

 

[steveindenmark]

My only advice is to choose the same bike. That way you only need to carry one set of spares and tools.

 

[biggs682]

My advice would be for both of you too go and try the bikes and actually ask for test ride although not sure if that will be possible at the moment , please do not just buy on looks alone

 

[Gunk]

I think if you dig deep into Decathlon and Halfords websites there will be some bargains coming up in their clearance sections, both retailers are well known to massively slash prices on old stock.

 

[Shadow121]

Make sure the bike is the right size for the rider, you will never be
happy on a bike that is too stretched out for your fitness level.

As the bikes are for fun, a bike with a sit up straight position will
allow you to see what’s in front of you and react to any dangers in time,
if your bent over looking at the front wheel, you will struggle to enjoy
yourself or see around you, that includes traffic lights, cars coming
out in front of you and even pedestrians falling into your way.
If you can manage at all drop handle bars will give you at least
Three options on where to place your hands, the benefits being you
can sit up straight or hold the drops for a more racey position like
when cycling into wind or even rain, while the sit up straight position
will take the strain off your back, you won’t have both options if you go
for straight handlebars.

A wider tyre will be way more comfortable and will only marginally effect
your speed, comfort is key on a bike especially if your new to biking.

If you care to mention your height, and inside leg measurement it
would help people comment on the size of bike that would be in and
around what would fit, or at least what definitely won’t fit.

 

[Rapscallion]

Make sure the bike is the right size for the rider, you will never be
happy on a bike that is too stretched out for your fitness level.

As the bikes are for fun, a bike with a sit up straight position will
allow you to see what’s in front of you and react to any dangers in time,
if your bent over looking at the front wheel, you will struggle to enjoy
yourself or see around you, that includes traffic lights, cars coming
out in front of you and even pedestrians falling into your way.
If you can manage at all drop handle bars will give you at least
Three options on where to place your hands, the benefits being you
can sit up straight or hold the drops for a more racey position like
when cycling into wind or even rain, while the sit up straight position
will take the strain off your back, you won’t have both options if you go
for straight handlebars.

A wider tyre will be way more comfortable and will only marginally effect
your speed, comfort is key on a bike especially if your new to biking.

If you care to mention your height, and inside leg measurement it
would help people comment on the size of bike that would be in and
around what would fit, or at least what definitely won’t fit.

Thanks for the advice.

I'm 6ft and inside leg measurement is 37".

 

[Pale Rider]

You've correctly worked out that £400 is the start of decent bike territory, so there's no need to push the budget.

Worth considering if the women's version is any more suitable for your girlfriend than the men's version.

There's a theory the women's version of a bike has geometry better suited to a woman, but I'm not sure that's true, particularly for an upright flat bar bike.

I'm not qualified to comment on whether a female-specific saddle is worth having, but one of those could be fitted to any bike.

Generally when assessing spec, be wary of what a female former member on here described as the 'vagina tax' - paint it pink and charge more for it.

Buying the same bike is good advice.

This will be easier to follow if you are both riding the same style of frame.

 

[Milkfloat]

I would argue that buying the same bike is not wise. It is pretty unlikely that both of you will prefer the same bike after test riding them and thus at least one person will be forced to compromise. Plus to be honest his n' hers anything is a bit naff.

 

[DRM]

I wouldn’t be overly worried about a woman’s specific bike, you’ll get a better fit by fitting a suitable length stem to the correct size frame

 

[vickster]

How tall is your partner - if she's very petite she might find it easier to get a small enough frame in WSD

Just don't get his and hers in the same colour scheme

 

[Blue Hills]

My only advice is to choose the same bike. That way you only need to carry one set of spares and tools.

Bikes aren't that different surely? Most take the same tools surely?
I do hope they won"t be walking down the streets in colour co-ordinated togs.
I'd maybe try to have the same braking system and leave it at that.
Edit, vickster clearly shares the horror of matching partners. I have seen it in clothes and bikes. Spooky.

 

[steveindenmark]

Bikes can be very different. Disc brakes, brakes with pads. QRs, through axles. With and without bosses for racks etc, etc

 

[CanucksTraveller]

They have to buy the same bikes?
Is this a new thing? 😄

My wife goes out on a Giant Hybrid, me on a Genesis tourer, daughter on a junior sized Carrera MTB. We have one saddle pack with the basics, tubes, levers, a patch kit and a multitool.
I'm rather glad we never heard of such an idea when we were buying at different stages!

Buy the right bikes for you as individuals, unless you both just happen to really like the same one.

My twopence: Have a look on Paul's Bikes, he has a lot of "last year's stock" bikes at big discounts and it should bring others within reach. And / or leave you a goodly amount of change that you can spend on lights, or helmets or locks.
(Or these highly specialised, brand - specific tools that each of your bikes will apparently need before you go and pootle along a track).

 

[Blue Hills]

They have to buy the same bikes?
Is this a new thing? 😄

My wife goes out on a Giant Hybrid, me on a Genesis tourer, daughter on a junior sized Carrera MTB. We have one saddle pack with the basics, tubes, levers, a patch kit and a multitool.
.

Got to agree - seems to me I'm a one person double family - getting on for ten bikes. I carry the same seatpack with the same tools for any bike - I sometimes swap the tubes in it depending on which bike I'm clipping it to but that's that. If the wheels are all the same size on the two bikes that isn't even vital - Schwalbe do a 700 tube which I think caters for 28 to 40.

 

[Gunk]

Got to agree - seems to me I'm a one person double family - getting on for ten bikes. I carry the same seatpack with the same tools for any bike - I sometimes swap the tubes in it depending on which bike I'm clipping it to but that's that. If the wheels are all the same size on the two bikes that isn't even vital - Schwalbe do a 700 tube which I think caters for 28 to 40.

I do exactly the same