nice reply....yes a lad i know mentioned Hargroves...might have a mooch round there tomorrow. i am just bouncing back after a cancer diagnosis last year and fancy a new challenge. been very much into concept rowing last 2 years so will compliment this with the bike on a 50/50 basis. Got 1k as a budget for bike/clothes....exited!!catalan chris said:Welcome to CC!
Before you're inundated with advice you might want to give people a bit of a steer what sort of cycling you intend to take up initially (it's a braod church as you probably know).
As a starter, take it steady. You come across people on this website who have done some pretty spectacular feats of stamina (sometimes involving a bike too!!), eg; 400km rides. Don't let this put u off or think you have to do anything other find yourself a bike that you're comfortable with and get out their and enjoy.
Consider looking up your local branch of the CTC (Cycling Touring Club) - they'll happily take you under their wing.
In terms of local bike shops (LBS) for you I'm not that familiar with Southampton but I know of Hargroves (and they have a website).
you guessed right...middlesbrough fc....thanks for furthur advice matecatalan chris said:Trying to work out your name - theborofc. Middlesboro football club? If so, you're a long way from home!
£1k for a bike and some gear - no wonder you're excited. You should get something really neat.
Also check out www.wiggle.co.uk (who are an on-line bike store only). There are of course many others but you can browse (in a virtual sense)thro their different types of bike (hybrids, commuters, road bikes) and read the reviews. Also if you ever decide to go down the route of getting a road bike, wiggle will let you 'try before you buy' (on certain brands).
To tap into the vast collective wisdom on this forum, take a while to decide what type of bike and then the budget (say £800 for the bike and £200 for the clobber) and then set these guys going with the challenge, eg: 'What's the best hybrid for £800' - and then you get lots of responses from folk who have had first-hand experience. It won't make your decision any easier necessarily as you'll get plenty of conflicting opinions (everyone has their own favourite bikes...and I guess it's ultimately a personal thing too).
Best of luck!