Commuter Bike for Beginner

[Jarwan]

Hello everyone,

I'm new here and pretty much new to cycling. Currently I own a car (through no fault of my own as I have a mother and I'm the eldest child, need I say more?). I'm in my 3rd year at University and I cannot keep the car on the road and pay the bills at the same time on a part time salary.

I'll finish University this year and planning on getting rid of the car when the insurance runs out in July and start cycling. The reason I've joined the forum is that I'm stuck with picking a good bike. My budget is in the region of £600 but anything below £800 I'll consider. I'm looking for a good commuting bike:

1- Low maintenance
2- Excellent build quality
3- Disk brakes
4- Mostly tarmac use but should handle some awfully maintained road (decent suspension)

I'm not asking anyone to go shopping for me, I'd like suggestion on bike brands or specific models that experienced cyclists like many of you have used. Thank you all in advance

 

[terry_gardener]

i would say goto LBS or evans or halfords and sit on a couple and see which fits best at that price point it will be hard to find a bad bike if you stick to top makes.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

A friend of mine has recently bought himself one of these: http://www.cube.eu/tour/cls/ltd-cls-pro/ for about £500 which seems a pretty good bike for the money. If I was choosing I'd personally not go for suspension as it adds weight and needs extra maintenance but he specifically wanted the suspension for off road routes.

 

[heppy]

The cube is a nice bike that fits your requirements but I will also ask if suspension is a must as it adds weight and saps your energy.

Before I got my sirrus comp I did think hard about the cube but once I took the sirrus out I knew what I wanted. I would suggest trying a few different styles and makes, most of the main manufacturers will provide good bikes for your price range.

Good luck with your search

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Perhaps I should add that the Cube I linked to has suspension lockout for the road. Add full mudguards for £35 and a rack for £25 and it's sorted for commuting (doesn't need a disc specific rack due to the position of the caliper).

 

[Jarwan]

Suspension is way down my list of requirements to be honest. I'd like a decent bike that can handle a lot of these badly maintained roads we have all year round. What are the best brands for that £600 price range?

 

[Sittingduck]

Just wondering but why do you specify disc brakes are a must?

 

[biggs682]

thats a lot of money for a first bike

 

[Jarwan]

Just wondering but why do you specify disc brakes are a must?

Not a big fan of old school brakes. They don't do well in wet weather.

 

[Jarwan]

thats a lot of money for a first bike

It's a long term investment

 

[biggs682]

It's a long term investment

does not mean you have to spend a lot of money

 

[PurplePoodle]

I spent 'only' £140 on my bike and I plan to use it long term. I'd have loved to have spent more but I'd rather get a cheaper option first, get into the way of things and make sure its for me before putting such serious money into a bike. Only had my bike a week and personaly I love it.

I'd probaly spend so much on the bike and the rest on decent clothing for when commuting. No point in having a great bike and not so good clothing then you end up not cycling as your too cold etc!

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

To be honest with that budget I doubt you'd find a make who produced bad bikes. Have a look round and see what takes your fancy.

My old rigid framed Raleigh copes fine with bad roads (and goes off road quite a lot) on 700x35 Marathon tyres so you don't need anything extreme for that.

If you are after really low maintenance possibly consider hub gears rather than derailleurs. With the disc brakes ideally you want hydraulics as most models are self-adjusting unlike mechanical discs. A chromoly-steel frame is worth having as they generally give a nicer ride quality than aluminium alloy and are stronger.

 

[2Loose]

I have one of these as my main commuter http://www.btwincycle.com/EN/riverside-7-36344781/
Now I have done over 1k on it I'll be posting a review soon. As soon as I clean it for some photos!

Main thoughts -
Brakes are Magura hydraulic rim type rather than disk, but they are self adjusting and brake at least as good as the old BB5 cable disks I once had. (Not as good as the hydro disks on the mtb though).
Dynamo lighting system (no more batteries over winter), rack and guards with Marathon+ bulletproof(?) tyres to help ensure reliability and easy maintenance, but add over 3Kg to the bike!
Deore and XT drivetrain which is tried and tested reliable.

It is only 4 minutes slower than my significantly lighter and more sporty Giant Defy 2 over my 10 mile commute to work, but is far less exciting to ride (if a lot more practical if I am shopping on the way home). I suppose a comparison between estate car and two seater sports car in rush hour would be similar!

As a robust and reliable commuter it is hard to fault, although I must echo what others say about the suspension fork. I am in two minds about it. The handlebar lockout makes it 'ok' - turn it on when on rough ground, turn it off when on smoother tarmac, starting off or going up hill. However, it really doesn't seem any more comfy at the front than my carbon forked road bike, but it does give the impression of solidity.

 

[musa]

u can do 2 bikes...get something like triban 3 entry bike then buy one secondhand...and one can be your main commute...this budget u have is it just a bike or bike + essentials?