Money saving commute

[cookiedude86]

Hi guys,

I am in a need to do some serious saving and am seriously considering swapping my 12 mile commute by car, to a commute by bicycle. The route isn't particularly straight forward but I imagine there are many out there who have more problematic routes (mine is typically minor roads and the occasional main road).

I currently have an old steel frame Raleigh MB given to me for no charge by a friend, however I am very green to bike riding as an adult and have no idea of how to assess the reliability of the bike, or ultimately whether or not i need a new one.

Baring in mind my primary reason for doing this is to save money (from petrol etc.), to me it seems counterproductive to pay hundreds for a new bike when I'm trying to save money. I would ideally like to hear that my older, cheap MB will be ok for my mileage, and with a couple of minor tweaks should be sufficient for a commute.

Only problem is I'm a complete newbie and will not know if my bike is any good until I'm there on the road commuting....

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Darren

 

[Deleted member 35268]

An older steel MTB is going to make your commute slow and strenuous but if the route is flat, it will be OK.

12 miles at say 12 mph is obviously gone to take you an hour.

A lighter hybrid or road bike might get you up to 15 mph or faster, which would take you 45 minutes or less.

Bike check: Are the tyres worn, do they hold pressure. What sort of tred do they have (rough and nobbly, or more subtly grooved). Do the gears all work up and down without agro. Does the chain jump when you pull away. And the brakes, do they work perfectly. Loose stuff: Does the rear wheel have any lateral movement / play that should not be there.

Perhaps your work do the cycle to work scheme ??

Personally, I would buy a second hand road bike or hybrid bike for £200-£300.

Savings on Petrol:
I reckon you would save £3+ on fuel a day by cycling
So £15+ a week, £60+ a month.

So, within four months, you have paid for a £200-£300 bike.

You would have to cycle EVERY DAY though.

Come winter, you'll need lights and waterproofs, and MUDGUARDS.

 

[raleighnut]

Old Raleigh MTB's are bombproof, change the tyres for some road semi-slicks and pump em up to near/on Max Rated Pressure (on the sidewall).
Might need a new rear sprocket and chain and new cables/brake blocks wouldn't go amiss, other than that they just go on forever and last much longer than the "bargains" sold by many large retailers. They are heavy though but that makes them ideal for starting on or training as when you get on a decent bike you'll fly along.

 

[Profpointy]

If it's not got suspension, or at a pinch, front sus only, then it should be ok for the road if everything basically works, with brakes adjusted and chain oiled. The biggest single improvement would probably be smooth tyres as nobbly off road tyres are very hard work on the road. Pump em up fairly hard too.

See how you go, the consider upgrade as and when - eg if you need major repairs say

 

[sidevalve]

Steel isn't always bad [yes I'm a steely] but the old Raleighs could be a bit heavy. As a check put it on the bathroom scales [just balance on the back wheel - not perfect but it's a guide]. As a guide my old Dawes weighs in at around 10k and only cost me £50. Some modern hybrids seem to be anywhere up to 15/16k. Short of major frame breakage or chain snapping not much will stop you [but it may slow you down], bicycles are pretty tough things.
Definately fit slick tyres and check chain/sprockets etc but remember bits for older bikes can be seriously cheap [check out E Bay].

 

[KneesUp]

Old Raleigh MTB's are bombproof, change the tyres for some road semi-slicks and pump em up to near/on Max Rated Pressure (on the sidewall).
Might need a new rear sprocket and chain and new cables/brake blocks wouldn't go amiss, other than that they just go on forever and last much longer than the "bargains" sold by many large retailers. They are heavy though but that makes them ideal for starting on or training as when you get on a decent bike you'll fly along.

Absolutely. I commute (short and hilly) on a 1990 Muddy Fox - those old rigid bikes are indestructible, and with the correct gearing you'll be fine. Mine weighs about 15kg I think, with all the bits on it (lights and pump) but it's fine even on hills. You'd be quicker on a lighter bike for sure - but then you'd be more worried about it getting stolen as well. Plus you'd have to buy it.

I'd recommend getting a pannier bag and rack though if you need to carry anything - just cheap ones of eBay to start with - 12 miles with a rucksack will get tiring pretty quickly.

And definitely get slicks.

 

[cookiedude86]

Wow I was not expecting that many responses! Cheers guys

The small child within me wants to buy all the gear from scratch but it sounds like a fairly expensive proposition in terms of upfront costs... The general consensus seems to be that my current Raleigh COULD do the job, but probably needs a little TLC beforehand.

I've decided I'm going to try the route with the bike as-is one Sunday morning, less traffic for me to hit and theoretically the toughest of my journeys (as the bike will be completely unprepared). That will at least allow me to gauge it's current performance.

General comments seem to promote semi-slicks which seems wise. Halfords for £17.99...... That in addition to the high vis stuff, helmet, lock, pannier should set me back about £150....just a question of whether I can get a better deal (perhaps a little more upfront for an easier riding experience).

Thanks again guys, keep comments and advice coming if you think there anything else i need to know

 

[w00hoo_kent]

What they said, but start by riding it, hold off on the purchases until you're sure what you need.

Look at sites like MapMyRide for cycle paths and other options that you might not have considered, if others where you work cycle to work and come from roughly your direction ask for any route tips.

Clean it and oil it. Put air in the tyres and see if it works. That's all pretty much free presuming you have some oil kicking around and access to a pump of some kind.

If it's mucking you about, look on the internet, there are videos on how to fix just about everything and mostly they just need patience and a bit of luck that everything isn't rusted solid. If the bike starts to need bits, seriously consider the cost of just going for a different second hand bike (or skip to cycle scheme if you're sure you are committed to riding your commute).

Providing it works (you can move forwards by pedalling, you can stop by braking, the gears change, the wheels go round and don't rub) then it will get you to work. Changing tyres, saddle, etc. are all stuff that will make that journey quicker, or more comfortable, but in the first instance none are critical to you getting from your door to your job.

As mentioned, 12 miles is around an hours ride (presuming you manage a 12mph average) although that all depends on what the terrain is like and how fit you are. Start with a short run of a mile or two to check out the bike and yourself. Don't panic if you get aches and pains, it could just be you need to make a few adjustments (seat height, seat position, maybe rotate levers around the bars a bit, again all free.) If you're happy, go for it. Maybe cycle a few days a week at first, that allows you to use the car to ferry changes of clothes and the like. You're only saving petrol money, but it'll be small amounts that add up.

It's a good time to start, the weather stands a chance of being 'not terrible' and presuming you don't work shifts there's no need to worry about lights.

If your work is in a cycle scheme, and cycling is working for you, then come autumn look to replace the MTB with something easier to ride and use the scheme to buy the lights and some waterproofs.

 

[KneesUp]

Steel isn't always bad [yes I'm a steely] but the old Raleighs could be a bit heavy. As a check put it on the bathroom scales [just balance on the back wheel - not perfect but it's a guide]. .

It's more accurate if you weigh yourself, then weigh yourself holding the bike and subtract I reckon.

 

[annedonnelly]

I'd think about paying an LBS (local bike shop) to give it a basic service - about £25 in this area. Hopefully they'd point out any major problems with the bike.

If you haven't cycled much recently 12 miles is quite a lot. Are there any options for taking the car part of the way and cycling the rest? Just until you get into the swing of things.

 

[DCLane]

@cookiedude - if you're looking at semi-slicks, try Schwalbe Land Cruiser tyres, which are about £13 each online.

A service would be advised. Oh, and some padded shorts.

Otherwise my suggestion would be to build up slowly; don't try to go for 5 days at the start. Start with two (i.e. Tues/Thurs), then 3 (Mon/Wed/Fri), etc.

 

[fossyant]

now't wrong with old steel, its bombproof.

What might let you down is parts etc, but you can get round that by looking after it, oil greese and asking here.

This is what I did to my MTB for a year. Been replaced by a fixed gear road bike, but this is a 22 year old MTB with 1.2" slicks. It was fast. I did used to scalp lots of road bikes with it. It is back to being a mucky MTB now. This is a Tange Cromo frame, so at the better end of the scale with good components on it.

 

[sidevalve]

It's more accurate if you weigh yourself, then weigh yourself holding the bike and subtract I reckon.

Fair point -but we're just looking for a rough estimate here. On the OP if you are really on a budget as yet £150 !!!??!!! You REALLY need to shop around. Chop that in half at least - you can spend more later if it all works out

 

[cyberknight]

I'd think about paying an LBS (local bike shop) to give it a basic service - about £25 in this area. Hopefully they'd point out any major problems with the bike.

If you haven't cycled much recently 12 miles is quite a lot. Are there any options for taking the car part of the way and cycling the rest? Just until you get into the swing of things.

+1 if the OP is new to cycling on a day to day basis it would pay to have the bike checked out to see if its worth maintaining or if the condition of it will turn out to be a money pit that could easily turn out to be a fair chunk of what a new bike would cost .

 

[Mandragora]

Ok. Money saving. I know next to nothing about cycling, but scrimping I CAN do! Don't spend a lot of money on new kit. Scrounge, borrow do without almost everything you don't absolutley need until you've tried it for a while and seen if it's going to work for you. Buy a helmet. Everything else - see what friends have kicking around at home - high viz? Someone somewhere will have ten of the beggars lying round somewhere. Try car boot sales - cycling stuff costs a bomb new, and goes for not very much at most car boots, most weekends in the summer. Finally, if you really want a little treat of something new: https://www.aldi.co.uk/en/specialbuys/coming-soon/cycling/