Help a newb pls? No idea what bike to get!

[tony cardall]

This is quite light .....

 

[Leccy]

Thanks for that last one?!

I've ridden a friends Cambridge Minerva this morning, really heavy and only 3 gears but so easy to ride and free wheels forever! Any opinions on these? Struggling to find anything about them online

 

[tony cardall]

Thanks for that last one?!

I've ridden a friends Cambridge Minerva this morning, really heavy and only 3 gears but so easy to ride and free wheels forever! Any opinions on these? Struggling to find anything about them online

my wife used to ride a similar bike at uni and suggested if you know someone with a student uni id card then register on student to student website.They have those type of bikes for sale all the time at very reasonable prices....oh sorry about the vacuum pic ,i put it up to annoy the wife (it worked).

 

[Zakalwe]

Not being an ever popular hybrid doesn't make it any less fit for purpose. Yes the frame will be heavier but the gearing should reflect that, if personal bests don't interest you and just want to cruise about with family and to get from A to B then a super light frame with 2 dozen gears isn't the right thing for you.

So called Hybrids seem to have become the standard call for someone getting a first bike because they seem to cover all bases. For me personally, they're a compromise I'm not willing to take - I like riding fast and training hard, I don't see any point in putting a flat bar on a fast bike. Others have different needs and would disagree with me.

There's enough types of bike out there to cover whatever your requirements are without getting a sort of jack of all trades bike but the only person able to determine what your requirements are is you. What you gain from that heavier step through frame is the practicality of a set through, front basket mounting points, internal hub gears for low maintenance and a lack of derailleurs to have to fiddle with and keep clean an tidy.

 

[Leccy]

Hmm it's all so confusing!

As I've said I'm not interested in racing or setting PBs etc, I just want a practical leisure/shopper type bike but at the same time I don't want to be left behind, struggling unnecessarily because the bike I've chosen cant do hills or stones tracks etc or is too uncomfortable to ride all day

 

[Zakalwe]

If you google for reviews of pashley princesses, you might get an idea of what day to day owning a bike like that would be like. There's a good few blogs from people giving their experiences.

 

[Fubar]

Hi Leccy, as mentioned earlier the VP range is aimed specifically at women - my wife has just bought the VP Brookes from Halfords - link here

I know a lot of folks on here do not like Halfords but we got good service - for the mileage she is doing she is very happy with the bike, we looked at the range and the Somerby is very heavy and only 3 gears - and she didn't like the Dalby 'cos it was white! Probably not everyone's choice but she is happy with it.

 

[Leccy]

Thanks again all. Unfortunately todays planned cycle hunt was put on hold, son sick home from school.

I've been looking online today and do quite like the VP Somerby, was a bit concerned about he whole size and weight of it, whether it was form over function etc so popped along to Halfords this evening after my husband gotten home to have a look at the beast in person, maybe even a test ride - but it was not meant to be, my local Halfords doesn't stock it currently and only had a picture of it on the wall

They had the Dalby (also not keen on the white, or the angular frame!) and the other VP, can't remember its name, but the style of the Somerby is more what I'd choose. Halfords offered to order it in and build it ready for me to collect but I don't want to commit to buy it before even trying it!

 

[Cyclist33]

I know you said you sometimes wear a skirt but.... step-through frames are the worst possible. Because they lack the top tube (or crossbar) to brace them, the frame is always trying to fold up, if you can see what I mean. This means a step through frame has to be built much stronger and is consequently a lot heavier and stiffer and certainly less forgiving to ride. A traditional two-triangle frame with a simple non-suspension front fork is your best chance of getting a reasonable weight. The advice to buy a hybrid was good advice and do budget at least £250.

That's certainly not the case with my sister's step-through Giant Escape 3W, which is almost as light as my hybrid, very comfy and with a 48/12 tooth top gear combo, quick enough for most people.

 

[johnr]

My daughter in law has a Pashley equivalent of the bike you like. She loves it, but doesn't live near any hills! Edinburgh Cycle Coop have a similar bike (and they're reputable suppliers). I also found a number of similar bikes on Wiggle and Evans whilst looking for a friend recently.

 

[Leccy]

Thanks all, I've decided I definitely like the Pashley/vintage style - but not the Pashley prices

My son is still off sick from school and currently fast asleep so my search is continuing online for now! I want something with the classic look of a Pashley Princess, but with the ability to get a little bit more speed, get up hills and something a little bit more competent off road (footpaths etc, nothing to adventurous!)

My search keeps bringing me back to these 3;

The Pendleton Somerby
The Kingston Mayfair
The Viking Downtown

They are all very similar and I'm struggling to find actual shops and not just online for the latter 2 to go and test ride. Obviously the Pendleton is the most expensive, by far, but is it better or is it just the name?

Any advice on how to compare these? Or any other suggestions of similar bikes that would fit the bill? Thanks all for all your help so far, I'm such a newb! I've ridden bikes all my life just for fun and they've always been hand me downs or cheapy ones just to get me from a to b, now I'd like a nice bike to enjoy riding for the sake of it x

 

[Zakalwe]

One significant difference between the Pendleton and the other two is the gearing - the Pendleton has a 7 speed cassette operated with a derailleur while the other two have 3 speed hub gears. Forgive me if you know this already, but I'll briefly explain; the derailleur operates out in the open and is subject to dirt, increased wear and the chance of knocks to the derailleur itself depending on your riding, but you have a wider range of gears which is nice and probably get a bit more speed going as a result. The hub gears are all enclosed within the hub and sealed away from the elements, there's grease in there to keep things smooth, you'll just need to keep the chain itself relatively clean. The flip side is there's only 3 speeds available.

 

[Leccy]

Thanks, that does help a bit, I'd no idea what the difference was, or how one was better than the other!

Still sounds a lot like swings and roundabouts!