How much?

[Hebe]

I like the look of the vintage Dawes but am not sure they would be adequate to hand the hills I will be tackling - albeit after my fitness improves.

I started a thread here asking about Dawes Heritage bikes, then came over here and read this. The Duchess and Cambridge have 7 gears, personally I'd prefer to ride steeper hills on something with a few more gears. They are very pretty bikes though, I'm hoping to get one as an errand bike.

My suggestion for you would be to try a Specialized Vita. Mine has changed my cycling out of all recognition, it's a such a good fit for me and so easy to do the miles on compared to my first "comfort" hybrid. It will take mudguards and a rack, and you can add slightly chunkier tyres if you'll be riding on towpaths/less smooth surfaces.

eta, the entry level Vita is gbp370, without mudguards and rack. I'd also recommend visiting your local bike shops, they are invaluable. I did a basic maintenance course at mine and learned how to replace tubes, fix a broken chain etc - I'm far more confident now.

 

[Pauluk]

I would make one recomendation do not waste you time with suspension [even if you decide to use the towpaths] at the lower end it only adds weight for naff all gain

My Carrera has front suspension (and disc brakes) and is only 1Kg heavier than a subway.

I personally think that the front suspension is worth the extra couple of pounds when I'm off road for any length of time. It makes for a much more comfortable ride in bumpy conditions as I start to suffer from some wrist pain after a while on a bike without suspension, even with the correct setup. I initially thought front suspension was a gimmick until I tried it. Worth the extra weight for me.

 

[sidevalve]

My Carrera has front suspension (and disc brakes) and is only 1Kg heavier than a subway.

I personally think that the front suspension is worth the extra couple of pounds when I'm off road for any length of time. It makes for a much more comfortable ride in bumpy conditions as I start to suffer from some wrist pain after a while on a bike without suspension, even with the correct setup. I initially thought front suspension was a gimmick until I tried it. Worth the extra weight for me.

The subway was over the OP budget [never mind something with even half decent sus forks as I admit some of the carreras are but they are dearer still] and really I was refering to even cheaper sus bikes of which there are a lot about. Disc brakes are just a personal thing, I simply think they are just a bit of extra kit that pushes the price/weight up. Look nice but not really needed on a road use bike, however each to his/her own on that one. Just pointing out that every Kg has to be pushed, for example you'd look a bit silly if after buying a lightweight bike you put 4 1kg bags of sugar in you pockets just to make life harder. If you need suspension for a reason then fine but to most it isn't really vital and it IS often used as a gimmick to sell a poor quality bike.
If you buy a good quality made bike and it doesn't turn out you can sell it on for more or less what you paid for it, the same can't be said for even some mid range hybrids, never mind the low end stuff.

 

[Nigeyy]

I wouldn't mind tackling any hills on a 7 speed bike, so long as the gearing range is appropriate. The number of speeds should just provide you with closer ratios past about 5 speeds. One nice thing about 7-8 speeds is that the components are usually cheaper and can be less finickety.

I have an old Raleigh SuperCourse with a triple front and 7 speed freewheel, no problem tacking steep hills (well apart from me needing to lose weight and get fitter )

...personally I'd prefer to ride steeper hills on something with a few more gears.

 

[Rachnewbie]

Thank you all for the replies, they have been very useful and given me even more to think about. After discussing things with the hubby he has asked that I find a bike to borrow and trial commuting for a month before splashing out on a decent bike. I can understand this so have managed to secure a loan of a bike a friend does not use and will see how I go. I have no idea what bike it is and think I will probably take it to the local bike shop (is that LBS?) to make sure it is roadworthy before going on the daily trek. It gives me more time to research and mull things over.

 

[I like Skol]

After discussing things with the hubby he has asked that I find a bike to borrow and trial commuting for a month before splashing out on a decent bike........I will probably take it to the local bike shop (is that LBS?) to make sure it is roadworthy before going on the daily trek.

All sounds very sensible and much better than rushing in and making a (costly) mistake. Do you drive a car because IMO having the road sense needed to pilot a car puts you in good stead for riding a bicycle in traffic, if you kinow the rules of the road you are halfway there.
Rather than taking your bike to a bike shop where it's workings will remain a mystery to you I wonder if there are any willing cyclechat members who will cast an eye over your bike and try and explain some of the key points to you. If you are in my part of Manchester I would gladly spend an hour with you giving the bike a once over and discussing possible commute routes. The money you might have spent on a check-up could be used to buy some essentials (pump/inner tube etc) and spending £20-30 on bits might seem less extravagant than the check-up.

 

[Rachnewbie]

I don't drive as I am epileptic but have been fit free 3 years so legally could drive. The only reason I don't is the 'just in case' argument, I wouldn't take the chance of having my children in the car with me if I did have a seizure - even though it is unlikely now that that would happen.

I am in North Manchester, Middleton to be precise and would be very grateful for your opinion Skol if you are anywhere near?

 

[Hicky]

Rach, I'm in Castleton Rochdale....I've sent you a pm(private message) I'll have a look over the bike if you want?

 

[Peowpeowpeowlasers]

Manchester's roads aren't too bad for cycling, the A56 north, off Deansgate, is pretty wide and generally parked-car free. You could use the Rochdale Canal, plenty of people using that, although the last time I cycled on it (2-3 years back) the bit into Manchester was full of building works. I live in Urmston, the other side from you.

A good LBS I've used in the past is Harry Halls Cycles, they're on Whitworth Street West, not far from Oxford Road Railway Station. They've been in Manchester for donkey's years, they used to be under the Corn Exchange before it got damaged by the IRA and destroyed by the developers.

A really good resource for you might be this website:

http://www.cyclestreets.net/

It'll give you three route options, the green one might be best for you. What you can't beat, however, is local knowledge, so go exploring that little footpath that dog walkers use, the one that might shave half a mile of road off your journey. Or the shortcut across a field that keeps you away from that massive, busy road junction. Have a few rides around Alkrington Wood to get used to the bike.

Oh and one more tip - try not to stare at your front wheel when you're cycling through narrow bits. The bike will go where you're looking, so keep looking ahead, not down.