Hello from Leeds

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boy racer

New Member
Location
Leeds
A big hello to everyone!

Iv just started cycling again after about 15 years. One of my friends asked me a few weeks ago and iv been hooked ever since.

We went up to Eccup in Leeds (saw the Emmerdale farm set!) and we are going up to Otley when i feel brave enough. So its all mainly off-road riding

Iv just got my brothers old bike serviced but its nothing special just a standard 18 gear mountain bike. I was thinking of upgrading soon. I was wondering should i buy a bike with suspension at this early stage, and whats a reasonable budget to pay for a beginners bike?

Thanks
 

Hacienda71

Mancunian in self imposed exile in leafy Cheshire
Hello :wahhey:
 

Moodyman

Legendary Member
Hello Boy racer. Some nice rides in North Leeds and beyond.

We're very privileged to be on the doorstep to the Dales
 
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boy racer

New Member
Location
Leeds
Moodyman said:
Hello Boy racer. Some nice rides in North Leeds and beyond.

We're very privileged to be on the doorstep to the Dales
Yeah thats where i live north Leeds. Hopefully when i build up my stamina i will be able to see more of it. I only cycle about 5 miles last week and i was knackered!
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
boy racer said:
Iv just got my brothers old bike serviced but its nothing special just a standard 18 gear mountain bike. I was thinking of upgrading soon. I was wondering should i buy a bike with suspension at this early stage, and whats a reasonable budget to pay for a beginners bike?
It sounds like you've already got a beginner's bike so really you'd be wanting to get a significantly better one or there wouldn't be much point in spending the money.

If you are going to ride some rough stuff then front suspension is very useful, but in my opinion most people don't need full suspension bikes. Cheap ones are horribly heavy and badly made. Good ones are expensive and unnecessary unless you are going to be doing Kamikaze descents over rock fields and big drop-offs. I'd be tempted to go for a hardtail like this one for £500 or if you've got more money, perhaps this one for £1,000 (that's a new version of the one that I've got). If you are really tight for cash, then perhaps go as low as this one for £225 but I definitely wouldn't spend much less than that.

If you will only be pottering about on fairly easy bridleways then a hybrid bike might be your best bet for when you ride on road as well. Something like this one perhaps for £540. Again, you could spend more or less but I wouldn't go much below £225.
 
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boy racer

New Member
Location
Leeds
ColinJ said:
It sounds like you've already got a beginner's bike so really you'd be wanting to get a significantly better one or there wouldn't be much point in spending the money.

If you are going to ride some rough stuff then front suspension is very useful, but in my opinion most people don't need full suspension bikes. Cheap ones are horribly heavy and badly made. Good ones are expensive and unnecessary unless you are going to be doing Kamikaze descents over rock fields and big drop-offs. I'd be tempted to go for a hardtail like this one for £500 or if you've got more money, perhaps this one for £1,000 (that's a new version of the one that I've got). If you are really tight for cash, then perhaps go as low as this one for £225 but I definitely wouldn't spend much less than that.

If you will only be pottering about on fairly easy bridleways then a hybrid bike might be your best bet for when you ride on road as well. Something like this one perhaps for £540. Again, you could spend more or less but I wouldn't go much below £225.
Thanks for the advice.

I took my bike out today and the brake cable snapped, and the tyre was rubbing against the bike as it was fitted wonky by halfords. Anyway i decided enoughs enough so i called Halfords as iv spent the following with them this week:

2 x Tyres £30
Inner tube £5
Pedals £12
Care plan £17 (they provide free labour / fitting for any parts bought form them)

I explained that that i would have just bought a new bike if i knew this one would end up costing so much - the bikes only worth about £20 second-hand. They said they would refund me for all of the parts providing i bought a bike from them, which i suppose is fair enough.

Anyway to cut a long story short i purchased an 20" Apollo Phaze for £199.99, what do you reckon?

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...uctId_762369_langId_-1_categoryId_165499#dtab
 

postman

Legendary Member
Location
,Leeds
That will get you hooked .

A few rides the canal paths of the Leeds and Liverpool .

A few tumbles around Harewood ,and i bet you will start saving and then a trip to Chevin Cycles to upgrade .

If you need a cycling buddy .

I am 60 can manage Hrewood and the canal to Bingley five rise locks easy .

So if you are at a loose end and fancy some company .

I have a Giant Rincon .Don't know if it will do proper mountain trails .But Meanwood Valley is on my doorstep .

And i found last night .

A mountain bike site north leeds mtb .They seem a good starting point for local rides .
 
Hiya
 

colly

Re member eR
Location
Leeds
HI Boyracer,

Welcome aboard. :wacko:

Another North Leeds inhabitant here. May see you out and about sometime, although I mostly ride a road bike I do from, time to time, venture out on a Scott MTB.

Colin
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
boy racer said:
Anyway to cut a long story short i purchased an 20" Apollo Phaze for £199.99, what do you reckon?

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...uctId_762369_langId_-1_categoryId_165499#dtab
I'm glad that you spent £200 on a hardtail. You avoided the mistake that a lot of people make which is to try and buy a lot more for a lot less money and ending up with something clunky like this full-suspension bike for £160.

Your new bike should serve you well for a year or two while you get used to cycling regularly.

At some point you will probably want to upgrade but you can ride and enjoy the bike while you save up for the next one. Unless you completely trash it, you should be able to sell it for £50 or so when you decide to buy another one. If that is in 18 months time then you will have only paid about £2.50 a week for your bike (allowing for a new tyre or two on top) which is a pretty cheap introduction to cycling.

Enjoy getting out on your new bike!
 
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boy racer

New Member
Location
Leeds
postman said:
That will get you hooked .

A few rides the canal paths of the Leeds and Liverpool .

A few tumbles around Harewood ,and i bet you will start saving and then a trip to Chevin Cycles to upgrade .

If you need a cycling buddy .

I am 60 can manage Hrewood and the canal to Bingley five rise locks easy .

So if you are at a loose end and fancy some company .

I have a Giant Rincon .Don't know if it will do proper mountain trails .But Meanwood Valley is on my doorstep .

And i found last night .

A mountain bike site north leeds mtb .They seem a good starting point for local rides .
Thanks for that!

Im only a beginner at the moment so i dont reckon il have your kind of stamina. When im a bit better il give you a shout!
 
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boy racer

New Member
Location
Leeds
colly said:
HI Boyracer,

Welcome aboard. :biggrin:

Another North Leeds inhabitant here. May see you out and about sometime, although I mostly ride a road bike I do from, time to time, venture out on a Scott MTB.

Colin
:angry::cheers:
 
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boy racer

New Member
Location
Leeds
ColinJ said:
I'm glad that you spent £200 on a hardtail. You avoided the mistake that a lot of people make which is to try and buy a lot more for a lot less money and ending up with something clunky like this full-suspension bike for £160.

Your new bike should serve you well for a year or two while you get used to cycling regularly.

At some point you will probably want to upgrade but you can ride and enjoy the bike while you save up for the next one. Unless you completely trash it, you should be able to sell it for £50 or so when you decide to buy another one. If that is in 18 months time then you will have only paid about £2.50 a week for your bike (allowing for a new tyre or two on top) which is a pretty cheap introduction to cycling.

Enjoy getting out on your new bike!
Yeah luckily i was advised not to buy a full suspension bike. Previousley i was under the impression (like a lot of beginners) that full suspension are the best bikes. I only found out what 'hardtail' means last week!

Like you say it will keep me going, and il upgrade mabye in a year or 2.
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
boy racer said:
Previousley i was under the impression (like a lot of beginners) that full suspension are the best bikes.
I'm not saying that all full-suspension bikes are very poor quality, but the cheap ones certainly are!

Most people get by perfectly happily without rear suspension anyway and you get much better value-for-money with hardtails.

You can get very good quality full-suspension bikes which are lighter and better than my hardtail bike but they cost more than the £1,000 I spent.

I don't go in for high-speed downhilling and I prefer a simple bike with less moving parts to go wrong. I had a go on an expensive full-sus bike once and found various creaking noises and rattles from the rear suspension annoying.

You'll work out for yourself what kind of riding you like to do and whether you feel like getting full-suspension next time. If you do, I'd really suggest spending a lot of money to get a good one.

Of course, you might end up becoming a roadie instead... :sad:
 
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