Is choice a good thing ?

[SlowJoe]

Hi all,
I'm sure you get a lot of this but it ;s best to get advice straight from the horses mouth. I'm suffering from information overload , Aluminium or steel , a hybrid or Audax , suspension or not etc etc. It;s very bewildering to us new guys. there is only so much research you can do before you want pluck your eyes out and think sod it I'll stick with my bike shaped object.

I've recently started commuting on an old cheapy (10 miles round trip on canal path) I truly love it and want to ride as much as possible for fun at this time and would consider a cycling holiday. I want a good work horse which will be reliable and cope with the canals rather more exciting bits ! but will go a bit faster than the cheap suspension mountain bike (fair do's it;s done a job and) I think I want the following

A hybrid ?
Steel or Aluminium (is Aluminium fatigue a real problem ? i'm not aiming to buy another bike for a good few years )
Suspension ?
Ease of maintenance
Comfort is my main aim and of course will test ride before I buy , but any recommndations would be more than welcomed. I have been looking at the Dawes Discovery 401 ? Carrera what are they like ? I;m looking to spend about £400 -£500 but could be pushed a couple of hundred more for the right bike as long as it will last . Thanks to anyone who bothers to answer

 

[ComedyPilot]

Hello and welcome on board.

IMO, FWIW, AFAIAC, TCIY.

In my opinion, for what it's worth, as far as I am concerned, the choice is yours.

If you are using a canal path for most of the commute, a twitchy racer is not the way to go. Also a heavy full-sus MTB might be a bit overkill in the opposite direction. a hybrid is a good choice, as is a good tourer - if you plan for it to be your only bike for a few years, and tour/holiday with it.

 

[Perry]

Don't rush into suspension, you may be happy with a shock-post.

As mentioned about, a racer won't do.

I'd suggest to look at a mountain bike without suspension but with road tyres.

Maintenance? Internal gears

 

[GrasB]

You may want to look at lower end cyclocross bikes, they typically have a more stable geom than a road bike but almost as fast without the flexure issues when you load them up. I have an '03 Marin ALP Mill Valley, it's a trusty work horse having covered over 50'000 miles & showing no signs of fatigue despite it's aluminium frame.

Your best bet is to get down to a local bike shop (aka LBS) which is run by riding enthusiast & talk to them. You can get more information in a 10min chat in a bike store than an a week of discussion on-line due to being able to pick up on little things with the bikes around you.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Welcome SlowJoe

I think your assesment of what you need is pretty good. A decent hybrid will easily deal with canal paths, take full mudguards and a rack for loaded touring. Your budget will buy something decent as well.
Forget suspension, waste of time unless you'll be hurtling down mountainsides, I don't know why in the UK we have this bizzare affection for 'MTB' style bikes, nowhere else in Europe does... they buy sensible bikes!

So, where next, the options would be whether to have 700c wheels or 26" mtb sized, the 700c tend to be slightly thinner, faster and more lively feeling, the 26" MTB size slightly fatter and more comfy/shock absorbing and slightly tougher. Gearing, most will come with a triple chainset system which are reliable and easy to maintain.

So, choices choices!
The Dawes Discovery 401 an odd bike in their range as all of a sudden they put in a suspension fork... weird marketing, but if you MUST have suspension it at least has lock-out, otherwise it's all good. Also look at Specialized Sirrus range as well, a good benchmark for Hybrids. Carerra from Halfords are a mixed bag, the Carrera Subway is a fine bicycle and well recommended, their basic road-bike is OK, but avoid averything else in Halfrauds except the Boardman range.
Marin and Ridgeback also do nice hybrids. Take a look at some websites like Evans for example to get ideas.

 

[bonj2]

Welcome Joe,
Obviously there are those that say a racer is not the ideal thing for a tow path. And taken literally, they're probably right. But it might (read: would) work out more fun to get a racer and just use the road instead of the tow path.

 

[skrx]

Obviously there are those that say a racer is not the ideal thing for a tow path. And taken literally, they're probably right. But it might (read: would) work out more fun to get a racer and just use the road instead of the tow path.

Yeah, but with a hybrid you can do both.

I have a choice of using the Thames Path (gritted, mostly flat-ish) or the A something-or-other for the last half of my commute. I can go fast and mostly uninterrupted on the A-road, but that's all there is to it. The road is completely flat, the view is of houses, the cars go past at 40 (haha, more like 20...)

The Thames Path is slower -- in the morning I have to go slowly around some dogs, in the afternoon around children on bike rides with parents -- but it's more enjoyable than a busy road. I don't commute to work, I just do two bike rides a day :-).

(I sometimes use the A-road -- if it's been raining, or on a weekend when the Thames Path will be full of kids *and* dogs.)

 

[bonj2]

Yeah, but with a hybrid you can do both.

You "CAN" ride on the road on a downhill bike, doesn't mean the experience is as good as riding on a road bike, does it?

All I meant was, you currently ride on a tow path - why not question WHY you ride on a tow path, as well as questionning what bike you want.
You can modify your behaviour to suit your repertoire of kit, as well as modify (increase) your repertoire of kit to suit your behaviour.

The Thames Path is slower -- in the morning I have to go slowly around some dogs, in the afternoon around children on bike rides with parents -- but it's more enjoyable than a busy road. I don't commute to work, I just do two bike rides a day :-).

Why?

 

[dellzeqq]

Slowjoe - the first thing to recognise is that modern bikes are fantastic. For £450 you can get something that will last you a lifetime, with gear changing so smooth that the deed precedes the thought, and brakes that will bring you to a stop just like that.

And it will be lighter than the last bike you bought, with a better saddle (as long as you avoid the nightmare that is Brooks).

So, whatever bike you buy should be a joy. I say should, because between manufacturer and customer there are a variety of sins. You should, in my view, buy a bike from somebody who put it together conscientiously, and then stand by the bike if it does go wrong. I'd find a bike shop that strikes you as decent, go along there, talk about your ambitions, listen to what they have to say, make sure that you get a free 3 month service, and test ride a couple.

And, for my money, Ridgeback dealers are the place to go, if you can find one.

 

[jonny jeez]

Hi SlowJoe, and welcome.

Sounds like you want to get the most "use" from your bike and as such will take a variety of routes/riding styles into account. One of my personal heroes (a chap called Alastair Humphreys), took a ride around the world...over all types of terrain and landscape on a bog standard Spesh with no suspension and no clever bits...mind you...it took him over 4 years

My personal choice for a bike that would suit Canal work plus holidays and possibly a bit of touring would be an mountain bike with a hard tail (no rear shock system) and a front shock (sorry fab foodie, I have to disagree)

You will see a number of mentions of "carpal tunnel syndrome" and "white finger" on thios site.... condition's that are sometimes brought on by impeded circulation or by constant vibration over a prolonged period (1 hour plus). I suffer from this and found it awful on a stiff fork bike, the front shocks help to delay the onset significantly and make for an overall more comfortable and "long distance" ride.

Suspension is not all about rushing downhill (that's a roadies view) as a commuter and ex MTB'er I vouch for good reliable and low maintenance
shocks every day.

I also have had an alloy frame for literally ages (since the dikensian times) and she has sufferd no corrosion or fatigue.

Dellzeqq has a fair point, even the most basic new bikes are a world apart from the old "bike shaped stuff" that you may be used to..Invest your hard earned in a good light, simple hardtail with a good frame (you can always upgrade components so dont get too sold by flashy "bits" its the frame that you need to choose well)

Good luck

Jonny

 

[Keith Oates]

"And it will be lighter than the last bike you bought, with a better saddle (as long as you avoid the nightmare that is Brooks)."

Bad experience dellzeqq? I thought Brooks were supposed to be good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[cheadle hulme]

I'd go for a hardtail too if you're convinced you'll be sticking to tow paths. The tow paths I use are frequently rutted and have extensive cobbled sections. Front suspension takes the worst out of these.

Make sure the suspension has lock out, for when its not needed.

I bought a Carrera Fury (current model is called Vengeance) from Halfords as my all purpose bike. Fitted mudguards and Schwalbe marathon Plus slick tyres and it can tackle anything apart from outright mud.

Great in urban areas for taking advantage of cut throughs, bit of kerb hopping etc.

I wouldn't want to use it 100% on the road (I have other bikes for that) but for what you describe, its ideal.

 

[jonny jeez]

Make sure the suspension has lock out, for when its not needed.

.

Very good point, especially if you do plan to take holidays with front paniers etc

This is the sort of thing looks like the ticket (if budget allows)
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/rockhopper-disc-2009-mountain-bike-ec016418

also, if you plan to ride in all weather and weight is not an issue I would also consider disk brakes as they seem to perform vey well in deep(ish) water.

 

[skrx]

Why?

Because there aren't any cars. There are no traffic fumes, no traffic lights, no parked cars, there are trees all around, ducks and rowers on the river. It's relaxing. If it's raining, or was raining within the last couple of hours, I have the path more-or-less to myself.

If I had a racing bike I couldn't use the Thames Path -- it's too bumpy, and smooth tyres don't grip grit very well.[/b]

 

[jonny jeez]

Because there aren't any cars. There are no traffic fumes, no traffic lights, no parked cars, there are trees all around, ducks and rowers on the river. It's relaxing. If it's raining, or was raining within the last couple of hours, I have the path more-or-less to myself.

If I had a racing bike I couldn't use the Thames Path -- it's too bumpy, and smooth tyres don't grip grit very well.

I thought he was asking why you did two rides a day...but didnt call this a commute...are you a postman?