Is this a good beginners bike?

[GatleyJim]

Hello,

Having bought an old racing bike from ebay, added race mudguards and struggled to add a pannier rack, I've realised that, actually, a touring bike would be more appropriate for my needs. I commute to work, go on quite a few evening and weekend rides and am planning a few short tours.

I don't want to spend too much on the bike as I will be commuting on it so it could get stolen. Having looked on the web, this one looks like the cheapest one out there:

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebw...QRY=C107&f_SortOrderID=1&f_bct=c003155c002912

Can anyone tell me what the negatives of this bike are? I really like the idea of having the separate brakes on the handlebars.

I have been checking ebay for bikes but need to get one fairly soon as I'm going on a four day ride in mid-August.

Any alternative bike worth considering?

Cheers,

James.

 

[jags]

james i would say you could do a lot worse than buying this little gem.your going to have to spend a lot more if you want top of the range gear,really what to look for is great wheels rear derailer saddle,oh yeah excellent tyres,

 

[e-rider]

Well, it looks 'OK' considering the price tag but there are better ones for that price. Also, only very small sizes available so I hope you don't have long legs! Touring bikes are generally pretty expensive. Dawes make some from about £500 - £700+ I think their cheapest is the Dawes Horizon followed by the Galaxy (very popular bikes). Genesis offer good touring/audax machines for £500+ too. Although £500 is that much for a decent bike these days I'd probably not go for the one you suggest - it just doesn't seem to be as good as others that are available for simialr money.

 

[HJ]

For the cycling you say you want to do, yes...

 

[Comatosed]

Yep, the right choice I would say.

 

[GatleyJim]

Cheers for the responses. Looks like it's a good bike then, apart from the fact that I am 6'7". It's probably way too small for me. I had a look at the Dawes Horizon and they do look nice and are available in a 60cm frame. I might pop along to have a look at them in a shop.

I'm itching to splash out on a nice new tourer but there is a chance that my firm will introduce the cycle to work scheme in January, which would give me a massive discount. I might stick with the racer and rucksack for a while just in case.

But they do look like lovely bikes...

 

[Davidc]

Make sure you're happy with an aluminium frame. (Thats why I've rejected it from my shortliist).

if you're OK with that it looks good value for money.

 

[GatleyJim]

Make sure you're happy with an aluminium frame. (Thats why I've rejected it from my shortliist).

if you're OK with that it looks good value for money.

I've heard that steel frames are better than aluminium but I haven't heard why. Can you tell me?

 

[simon_brooke]

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebw...QRY=C107&f_SortOrderID=1&f_bct=c003155c002912

Can anyone tell me what the negatives of this bike are? I really like the idea of having the separate brakes on the handlebars.

I have been checking ebay for bikes but need to get one fairly soon as I'm going on a four day ride in mid-August.

Any alternative bike worth considering?

The co-op's own-brands are always good value for money. If you want something slightly livelier and don't need to carry too much weight their cross bike would also be a good choice.

 

[simon_brooke]

I've heard that steel frames are better than aluminium but I haven't heard why. Can you tell me?

Steel frames - at least, lugged steel frames - are repairable after a crash, whereas aluminium frames (if damaged) generally aren't. But the cost of the repair is likely to be very high. A welded steel frame would require an extremely specialised and expensive repair.

Very good steel frames also generally absorb more vibration than aluminium, but cheap steel frames don't - you need to spend a lot of money on a steel frame before you're really getting a comfort advantage (and then carbon fibre would be better).

It used to be said that steel frames lasted longer, and, again, a really good quality steel frame will last a very long time - but so will most modern aluminium frames.

Quality for quality, steel frames typically weigh more, but not by very much.

Overall, the difference between the best steel frame and the worst steel frame is a lot bigger than the difference between a steel and an aluminium frame at the same price.

You pays your money and you takes your pick, but on the whole aluminium is currently the best choice for relatively inexpensive bikes.

 

[GatleyJim]

The co-op's own-brands are always good value for money. If you want something slightly livelier and don't need to carry too much weight their cross bike would also be a good choice.

I had thought about that one. I won't be carrying a tent and everything so it might be a good choice. It comes in 58cm which I guess could be big enough with a massive seat post. £50 cheaper, which is good but would need to buy mudguards and a rack.

Glad to know that they are good value.

Cheers,

James.

 

[Davidc]

I've heard that steel frames are better than aluminium but I haven't heard why. Can you tell me?

It's all a matter of taste really. Most of my experience has been on full size traditional frames and I prefer the livelier response from steel. The early aluminium frames with that geometry were made of alloys which were particularly stiff and the difference was extreme.

With modern compact frames and modern alloys the difference isn't as great but steel is still noticeably more responsive (after all thats why springs are made from steel not aluminium!)

A lot is said about weight. In practice there's not much difference. Steel is much stronger than aluminium, so to make an aluminium frame strong enough there has to be a greater volume of material than for steel. Early aluminium alloys had a reputation, I don't know how well deserved, for cracking but I've not read that anywhere for many years, and the steels used on mid range bikes like the Dawes Horizon aren't quite as good, or light, as the 531 I rode on for over 20 years. In the Dawes range you'd have to go to the Galaxy for that.

Get onto this topic and the thread will be 20 pages long in a day - especially as I like winding up some of the aluminium fans! The real answer is to persuade an LBS or some friends to let you test ride some bikes so that you can make up your own mind.

It has even been suggested (obviously maliciously) that after riding steel bikes for 45 out of 50 years of cycling that it's familiarity makes me like it and I'm just getting old!

 

[Woz!]

I recently got a Ridgeback Voyage which seems to be a good spec for the price. More expensive than the one you've linked, but it's steel and has pretty nice kit on it. It also has the extra brakes on the top of the bars, which I think are excellent.
Very nice bike, but I'm 6'3"+ and even with the 60cm frame I needed a longer seatpost - I bet any off the peg bike you buy will need one, so factor it in for pricing purposes.

One thing though - you might actually find tourers hard to find at the moment. I had a bitch of a time finding one to buy, and I had to buy blind because I couldn't find anywhere local with any in stock. Mine turned out to be the last one they had where I got mine.

 

[bigjim]

This is my high mileage bike. EBC Revolution Sport. I love it! Never any problems. great to ride, very responsive. I'ts 3 years old now and don't think they do this model currently but looks the same frame as the tourer. I'm 6'2" and 14+ stone. More to go in seatpost. Would highly recommend them.

 

[GatleyJim]

Cheers for the info on steel frames David. I now have some ammunition for when my friends, with their aluminium hybrids, start ripping into my 1980's Reynolds 653 Ribble Racer.

I burn them off riding mine anyway. I suspect they're just a bit jealous.

BigJim, I'm off to Ed Cycles tonight to test ride a couple of their bikes. Think I'll probably delay purchasing a bike though as work will hopefully be introducing the cycle to work scheme in January.