Hi there, i've not been on a bike in over 10 years but like many people the cycle to work scheme has made me decide to change that and cycle the 12 miles to work rather than walk and get a train
I've read up on the c2w and thankfully my employer has agreed a £10 nominal fee to 'transfer' the bike to me after the 12 month contract so i don't think i'll be falling in any of the potholes which others seem to have suffered from when taking up this offer, and colleagues who have taken advantage of it seem satisfied.
Originally i was looking at spending £700 for a bike plus accessories but i've decided to up my budget to £850 now after speaking to a few people who have skimped and got cheaper bikes only to end up spending more in the long run. I was thinking that £650 for the bike and about £200 for assorted accessories would be a good split, as i've read countless posts on here urging people to avoid buying cheap d-locks and i have no helmet, lights or anything else for that matter.
I've done plenty of research speaking to friends who are cyclists and i've been hooked to this site for longer than i'd care to admit but i think it's time i picked your brains now, as i want to make sure i make a good decision
My company uses Evans for the scheme and my commute to work consists of about 3 miles across footpaths and very poor country roads, and then about 9 miles on roads. I live on top of a hill as well which is probably something i ought to consider.
Because of the mix i didn't want a road bike, and while some people have told me to look at cyclo cross or touring bikes the few ones which were in my price range didn't catch my eye.
The bikes which stood out on evan's site were the crosstrail range, which seemed pretty much designed for what i'd want, i particularly liked the idea of locking suspension so i could enjoy a smoother ride along the really bad roads and then lock them off for when i was on the roads or uphill. Though as i've not riden for 10 years i'm basing this purely on what i've read
i was originally looking at the crosstrail elite here but since upping my budget this comp version seemed a better fit.
Would you guys say this would be a sensible choice for me? I went into the store and the assistant was positive about it being a good fit for me and after test riding it i did feel like it was a good choice, but i was riding it apprehensively around central london in heavy traffic which quite honestly petrified me, rather than in the essex countryside where i'd actually be using it so i didn't want to rush into a decision
He also tried to push a few more hybrids on me like the cannondale bad boy and scott sub range but the small wheels didn't fill me with confidence for long rides, it just felt like i was too low down and i didn't fancy cycling down a main road on it, the higher seating position and bigger wheels on the specialized was definitely a plus point in that respect.
I also looked at a few cross bikes which were only in my price range because they were 2009 but i didn't really like the seating position. That may be something i'd get used to though? I've only ever ridden mountain bikes before so i guess even though that was a while ago it's still going to have an impact.
He said i ought to think about getting some new tyres for the crosstrail mind, as apparently the stock ones aren't very puncture resistant which didn't fill me with confidence I kind of expected the tires on a £650 bike to be pretty decent! i mean they felt fine when i was riding it but if im going to have to spend another £50 on replacing them i'd rather do it while i have a 40% discount.
He also claimed that replacing the quick release bolts with a set of anti-theft bolts, which seemed seriously overpriced, would be a sensible idea. Good idea or not? He seemed like a pretty genuine enthusiast and knew i'd be ordering it online at a later date rather than buying from him so i don't think it was a case of selling crap for commission, but it seemed ridiculous that they're selling bikes in london with quick release parts given the crime problem, only to push secure bolts afterwards!
lastly (honestly) what d-lock would be a good fit from evans? i won't be skimping but the vast array of locks is quite daunting, i'm sure i can pick a good helmet, set of lights and speedo etc out but i don't want to buy the wrong lock for obvious reasons
Thanks a lot for reading all that lot, I can't believe how much i've just written for my first post on this forum but i didn't want to miss out anything
Any pointers you guys can offer are greatly appreciated, as i say i've spoken to people but it's obvious there are people here who not only know what they're talking about but also answer this type of question regularly and from reading those threads give good answers, so i want to take advantage of that!!
Cheers,
smoiu
I've read up on the c2w and thankfully my employer has agreed a £10 nominal fee to 'transfer' the bike to me after the 12 month contract so i don't think i'll be falling in any of the potholes which others seem to have suffered from when taking up this offer, and colleagues who have taken advantage of it seem satisfied.
Originally i was looking at spending £700 for a bike plus accessories but i've decided to up my budget to £850 now after speaking to a few people who have skimped and got cheaper bikes only to end up spending more in the long run. I was thinking that £650 for the bike and about £200 for assorted accessories would be a good split, as i've read countless posts on here urging people to avoid buying cheap d-locks and i have no helmet, lights or anything else for that matter.
I've done plenty of research speaking to friends who are cyclists and i've been hooked to this site for longer than i'd care to admit but i think it's time i picked your brains now, as i want to make sure i make a good decision
My company uses Evans for the scheme and my commute to work consists of about 3 miles across footpaths and very poor country roads, and then about 9 miles on roads. I live on top of a hill as well which is probably something i ought to consider.
Because of the mix i didn't want a road bike, and while some people have told me to look at cyclo cross or touring bikes the few ones which were in my price range didn't catch my eye.
The bikes which stood out on evan's site were the crosstrail range, which seemed pretty much designed for what i'd want, i particularly liked the idea of locking suspension so i could enjoy a smoother ride along the really bad roads and then lock them off for when i was on the roads or uphill. Though as i've not riden for 10 years i'm basing this purely on what i've read
i was originally looking at the crosstrail elite here but since upping my budget this comp version seemed a better fit.
Would you guys say this would be a sensible choice for me? I went into the store and the assistant was positive about it being a good fit for me and after test riding it i did feel like it was a good choice, but i was riding it apprehensively around central london in heavy traffic which quite honestly petrified me, rather than in the essex countryside where i'd actually be using it so i didn't want to rush into a decision
He also tried to push a few more hybrids on me like the cannondale bad boy and scott sub range but the small wheels didn't fill me with confidence for long rides, it just felt like i was too low down and i didn't fancy cycling down a main road on it, the higher seating position and bigger wheels on the specialized was definitely a plus point in that respect.
I also looked at a few cross bikes which were only in my price range because they were 2009 but i didn't really like the seating position. That may be something i'd get used to though? I've only ever ridden mountain bikes before so i guess even though that was a while ago it's still going to have an impact.
He said i ought to think about getting some new tyres for the crosstrail mind, as apparently the stock ones aren't very puncture resistant which didn't fill me with confidence I kind of expected the tires on a £650 bike to be pretty decent! i mean they felt fine when i was riding it but if im going to have to spend another £50 on replacing them i'd rather do it while i have a 40% discount.
He also claimed that replacing the quick release bolts with a set of anti-theft bolts, which seemed seriously overpriced, would be a sensible idea. Good idea or not? He seemed like a pretty genuine enthusiast and knew i'd be ordering it online at a later date rather than buying from him so i don't think it was a case of selling crap for commission, but it seemed ridiculous that they're selling bikes in london with quick release parts given the crime problem, only to push secure bolts afterwards!
lastly (honestly) what d-lock would be a good fit from evans? i won't be skimping but the vast array of locks is quite daunting, i'm sure i can pick a good helmet, set of lights and speedo etc out but i don't want to buy the wrong lock for obvious reasons
Thanks a lot for reading all that lot, I can't believe how much i've just written for my first post on this forum but i didn't want to miss out anything
Any pointers you guys can offer are greatly appreciated, as i say i've spoken to people but it's obvious there are people here who not only know what they're talking about but also answer this type of question regularly and from reading those threads give good answers, so i want to take advantage of that!!
Cheers,
smoiu