Hi newbie here, bike advice needed.

[sheva]

Hi all. been cycling fairly regularly for 18 months now and I`m looking to upgrade now I know I`ll stick at it.
My current bike is a cheap and nasty thing I bought for £100 just to see if cycling really interested me (jogging bored me and the exercise bike in the house was ok but didn`t like going nowhere).
I want to commute to work, less than 4 miles , and use it for weekend cycling on roads and trails through woods/parks etc.
Don`t want to spend lots and I`ve been looking at this:
http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=87372

any good? any better recommendations? cheers in advance.

 

[sheva]

That's a good bike. I've got the Specialized Crossroads, which was the previous model. I've had it for 3 years and it's been great. I'd definitely recommend it for your kind of use.

thanks for the reply mate, think I`m going to go for It. At that kind of price If I can get three years out of it I`ll be well happy. cheers.

 

[Over The Hill]

Hi and welcome to CC.
I went from old cheap bike to something a bit nicer and it has been really good. You will feel the difference.
Go for 3 ring front unless you live in Holland it makes life so much easier. Spec looks good on the model you highlight. Just one gripe I would never get a black bike as they are harder to see.

 

[water]

Got myself a Marin Muirwoods from Winstanleysbikes for £319 and I reckon it's a steal.Chro-mo frame and forks and a 'respectable' mix of Shimano components.Weighs in at 26Lbs and actually looks good too.
26in wheels should suit nicely the type of riding you mention.I will use as a winter bike and fit a rack for carrying my camera gear/tripod/food etc on day outs.I have the tyres pumped up hard for my mainly road use and it is surprisingly fast/nimble.
Similar bikes to the Specialized you mention, from Giant/Trek/Kona/Ridgeback etc, are all good bikes and worth a look.
Enjoy whichever one you choose,
John.

 

[sheva]

thanks again for the replies. not got round to getting new bike yet, I`ve been loaned a bike just to get the feel of things and see the difference between mine and something a bit better/more suited.
I don`t know much technically but it`s a muddy fox thats been stripped and rebuilt using better front shocks, new gearing and various other bits.
It`s a complete revelation compared to mine, took it out for just under three hours yesterday and it was brilliant.

 

[Soltydog]

I've got the Globe sport 2007 model. I mainly use it for commuting, 16+ miles on cycle paths & it is more than up to the task.
I've also done the TPT & C2C tours on it.

I found the original tyres rather easy to puncture After suffering 3 times on my way to work one day i changed to Marathon + & not had any issues since.

I bought mine at a LBS & although he couldn't offer a discount he threw in a pair of mudguards & a rear rack, so maybe get a better deal at your LBS than online.

 

[sheva]

Decided to take advantage of the cycle2work scheme and while i still fancy the specialised further up this thread my employers c2w scheme insists i use Halfords.
now i could get them to order me a spec in and buy without trying it out. alternatively, they have this bike in stock.
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...rumb_33980-33957-31319_parentcategoryrn_60956

Is it comparable to the specialised globe?
my LBS hasn`t got a globe I can try out and anyway I`d feel bad wasting the shops time if I was buying elsewhere.

cheers.

 

[HelenD123]

sheva, Halfords can order you virtually any bike through the cycle to work scheme. I enquired about a Specialized and there was no problem about getting one through them.

 

[Andy in Sig]

I would also suggest avoiding front suspension. If you do find the frame a bit hard you can always invest in a really good suspension seat post like the Thudbuster. Not cheap but absolutely brilliant.