My advice to newbies.

[LordGrover]

My advice: approach every junction with extreme caution and assume you haven't been seen.

After a twenty-year break I've only been riding for a couple of months and have already had three driver's pull out right in front of me. The only damage I've suffered thus far is one puncture, when I had to swerve and hit a curb.

It seems lights, a luminous yellow shirt and me having the right of way make no difference: many drivers just don't look properly.

SMIDSY

 

[solan]

I want to start cycling and I have a bike I got when I was 18 and it's a little rusty in the nuts and bolts.
What do I need to do to make it "road worthy"? Do I need special tyres?
It's a mountain bike typically girly with hippy dippy flowers which is very embarrassing.
I was thinking just getting a new bike but don't want to fork out a small fortune.

 

[solan]

Wondering what sort of bike to buy? Start here.

pretty much everyday there is a post on this forum saying,

'hi newbie, which bike?'

This is good, the people on this forum are passionate about helping people begin cycling.

Unfortunately there are so many, that the responses can be somewhat sporadic. It's not that people dont want to help but it really does get asked an awful lot. These are my views, there are a lot of people with more experience than me on here, but i have been in the same position as most people asking this question as i only got back into cycling over the last couple of years. i have included a lot of generalisaton but these tend to be comonly expressed views on this forum.

So what have you got?
First things first, i'm fairly sure that most people on here have, in a deep dark corner of the garage 'an old bike'. Well thats good, drag it out hose it off and assess the beast. Put some air in the tyres (i KNOW that theyre flat!). My guess is that this bike will do 90% of people who are getting back into cycling, at least for the first couple of months. If it has been in there, unused for a good while, say 4 years plus treat it to a service at your local bike shop (LBS). This should cost you about £60. Use it, enjoy it and if you are lucky you will have no need of new bikes.
If however there is no 'old bike' in the garage or it is completely inappropriate or unsafe then read on.

Firstly a bit of background
You can buy bikes EVERYWHERE nowadays. so lets have a look at the options.

Internet - Great deals - Little service, problems with sizing, not for the uninitiated
Discount suppliers - Motorworld and the like - Very Cheap, Bikes from about £80. The reason theyre cheap is because they're crap. Avoid at all costs.
Specialist bike chains - Buy a bike mag, the big swanky adds will be bike chains, Evans, Edinburgh Cycle co-op. and the like. They offer great choice, decent service and keen pricing. - A bit too corporate for some tastes (not edinburgh cycle co-op which i beleive is a proper co-operative)
Local Bike Shop-Every town has at least one, they dont always have the greatest choice but they do have almost without exception a passion for cycling, and a desire to see you leave on the right bike for you. Fnd a good one and you will treasure it like your firstborn child. These men and women know their stuff.

All things being equal - use your LBS, you wont regret it.

Halfords-One of britains biggest bike retailers, tens of thousands ride happiy on bikes from halfords. They are selling some pretty nice looking Chris Boardman bikes right now. But it is fair to say that they have earned a poor reputation on cycling forums like this. So use with trepidation.

You want a bike? WHAT FOR?
What sort of journeys do you have in mind? This is THE crucial question to deciding what bike you chould buy. I reckon the easiest way to adress this is to look generally at what each type of bike does, then match it to your needs.

ROAD BIKE - A racer as most of us used to call them when we were kids. If you are of a certain vintage then you will find things have changed... A LOT! They are as light as a feather and very quick. But by far the biggest change is that there are no more levers to change gear any more, they are incorporated into the brake levers and it was an invention bordering on genuis!! Dropped handle bars, thin wheels and tyres, anywhere between 10 and 27 gears. These are light fast, used for commuting where your journey is by road (or very good quality cycle tow path). Used for keeping fit, club and sportive (long timed rides). Not great for hooking up child seats trailers etc. If it was a car it would be a Ferrari.



HYBRID - pretty much designed to be fast commuters. They have 'flat' handlebars, (more comfortable/better view) Good brakes and bits that commuters need such as screws for mudgaurds and panniers etc, Use on road and good quality cycle paths. not ideal for the 'sportier' side of cycling. If it was a car it would be a Golf GTI





TOURER - a sort of relaxed road bike, will do everything that the bikes above will and a hole lot more, if a tad slower. Comes with holes and screws for lots of panniers and racks in case you fancy going to Bolivia. A comfortable ride. If it was a car it would be a Volvo Estate.





MOUNTAIN BIKES

Heavyier and sturdier than the bikes listed above. They have different gearing too, which means it's much easier to get up hills on them but not quite so easy to tear along on the flat. Not my area of expertise but they generally fall into three catagories

Rigid - Similar to a Hybrid but a bit slower. Big fat tyres = comfy ride. great for tarmac and rougher trails and cycle ways. Ideal for fitting kids seats to it. A great all rounder used by lots of commuters. If it was a car it would be a Ford Mondeo.





Frount suspension - Great for rough x country rides and a little tarmac based riding. Quite slow as theyre heavy and 'bouncing up and down is an in efficient use of energy. If it was a car it would be a RAV 4.



Full Suspension - usually identified by a metal spring or similar connected to the back of the bike - these are really specialist sports bikes for full on mountain biking. If it was a car it would be a Land Rover.



Specialist bikes - recumbent, trikes, folders, bmx...... the list is endless but most people returning to cycling pass these by. No matter what you are interested in someone on these forums will have one or have ridden one so ask away


Now consider the original question, what journeys will you be using the bike for? Once you have an idea of which bike is for you then get on the internet and get out to the shops. The staff will help you and when you have narrowed it down to two or three models post here and people will find it much easier to advise you on specific bikes. Your big limiting factor is budget but there is something out there for everyone, even if youre skint the second hand market can usually turn something suitable up.

There you go, thats my advice i hope you find it useful. This should with luck enable you to begin making sense of the bike market today. Any feedback welcome.

Andy

Great advice Andy!

 

[solan]

I think the problem with halfords is not necessarily the bikes, the carreras for example tend to be very good, but unfortunately if you are a beginner you cannot necessarily rely on them to put the bike together properly or even in a way that makes it safe to ride.

Oh really they are that bad? I was looking to get my new bike from them due to recommendation

 

[Spinney]

Oh really they are that bad? I was looking to get my new bike from them due to recommendation

From what I've heard it depends very much on who works at the branch. Some are apparently OK, some are verging on the dangerous ...

 

[solan]

From what I've heard it depends very much on who works at the branch. Some are apparently OK, some are verging on the dangerous ...

I may just give my local cycle shop a little visit first then. Wonder if they can do a fix up on my hippy dippy mountain bike. It's a little shameful....

 

[Spinney]

I may just give my local cycle shop a little visit first then. Wonder if they can do a fix up on my hippy dippy mountain bike. It's a little shameful....

Won't do any harm to ask them how much it would cost to fix it up.

 

[Lei]

Wondering what sort of bike to buy? Start here.

pretty much everyday there is a post on this forum saying,

'hi newbie, which bike?'

This is good, the people on this forum are passionate about helping people begin cycling.

Unfortunately there are so many, that the responses can be somewhat sporadic. It's not that people dont want to help but it really does get asked an awful lot. These are my views, there are a lot of people with more experience than me on here, but i have been in the same position as most people asking this question as i only got back into cycling over the last couple of years. i have included a lot of generalisaton but these tend to be comonly expressed views on this forum.

So what have you got?
First things first, i'm fairly sure that most people on here have, in a deep dark corner of the garage 'an old bike'. Well thats good, drag it out hose it off and assess the beast. Put some air in the tyres (i KNOW that theyre flat!). My guess is that this bike will do 90% of people who are getting back into cycling, at least for the first couple of months. If it has been in there, unused for a good while, say 4 years plus treat it to a service at your local bike shop (LBS). This should cost you about £60. Use it, enjoy it and if you are lucky you will have no need of new bikes.
If however there is no 'old bike' in the garage or it is completely inappropriate or unsafe then read on.

Firstly a bit of background
You can buy bikes EVERYWHERE nowadays. so lets have a look at the options.

Internet - Great deals - Little service, problems with sizing, not for the uninitiated
Discount suppliers - Motorworld and the like - Very Cheap, Bikes from about £80. The reason theyre cheap is because they're crap. Avoid at all costs.
Specialist bike chains - Buy a bike mag, the big swanky adds will be bike chains, Evans, Edinburgh Cycle co-op. and the like. They offer great choice, decent service and keen pricing. - A bit too corporate for some tastes (not edinburgh cycle co-op which i beleive is a proper co-operative)
Local Bike Shop-Every town has at least one, they dont always have the greatest choice but they do have almost without exception a passion for cycling, and a desire to see you leave on the right bike for you. Fnd a good one and you will treasure it like your firstborn child. These men and women know their stuff.

All things being equal - use your LBS, you wont regret it.

Halfords-One of britains biggest bike retailers, tens of thousands ride happiy on bikes from halfords. They are selling some pretty nice looking Chris Boardman bikes right now. But it is fair to say that they have earned a poor reputation on cycling forums like this. So use with trepidation.

You want a bike? WHAT FOR?
What sort of journeys do you have in mind? This is THE crucial question to deciding what bike you chould buy. I reckon the easiest way to adress this is to look generally at what each type of bike does, then match it to your needs.

ROAD BIKE - A racer as most of us used to call them when we were kids. If you are of a certain vintage then you will find things have changed... A LOT! They are as light as a feather and very quick. But by far the biggest change is that there are no more levers to change gear any more, they are incorporated into the brake levers and it was an invention bordering on genuis!! Dropped handle bars, thin wheels and tyres, anywhere between 10 and 27 gears. These are light fast, used for commuting where your journey is by road (or very good quality cycle tow path). Used for keeping fit, club and sportive (long timed rides). Not great for hooking up child seats trailers etc. If it was a car it would be a Ferrari.



HYBRID - pretty much designed to be fast commuters. They have 'flat' handlebars, (more comfortable/better view) Good brakes and bits that commuters need such as screws for mudgaurds and panniers etc, Use on road and good quality cycle paths. not ideal for the 'sportier' side of cycling. If it was a car it would be a Golf GTI





TOURER - a sort of relaxed road bike, will do everything that the bikes above will and a hole lot more, if a tad slower. Comes with holes and screws for lots of panniers and racks in case you fancy going to Bolivia. A comfortable ride. If it was a car it would be a Volvo Estate.





MOUNTAIN BIKES

Heavyier and sturdier than the bikes listed above. They have different gearing too, which means it's much easier to get up hills on them but not quite so easy to tear along on the flat. Not my area of expertise but they generally fall into three catagories

Rigid - Similar to a Hybrid but a bit slower. Big fat tyres = comfy ride. great for tarmac and rougher trails and cycle ways. Ideal for fitting kids seats to it. A great all rounder used by lots of commuters. If it was a car it would be a Ford Mondeo.





Frount suspension - Great for rough x country rides and a little tarmac based riding. Quite slow as theyre heavy and 'bouncing up and down is an in efficient use of energy. If it was a car it would be a RAV 4.



Full Suspension - usually identified by a metal spring or similar connected to the back of the bike - these are really specialist sports bikes for full on mountain biking. If it was a car it would be a Land Rover.



Specialist bikes - recumbent, trikes, folders, bmx...... the list is endless but most people returning to cycling pass these by. No matter what you are interested in someone on these forums will have one or have ridden one so ask away


Now consider the original question, what journeys will you be using the bike for? Once you have an idea of which bike is for you then get on the internet and get out to the shops. The staff will help you and when you have narrowed it down to two or three models post here and people will find it much easier to advise you on specific bikes. Your big limiting factor is budget but there is something out there for everyone, even if youre skint the second hand market can usually turn something suitable up.

There you go, thats my advice i hope you find it useful. This should with luck enable you to begin making sense of the bike market today. Any feedback welcome.

Andy

Hi, Andy
How is "Giant Enchant 2" for A Xroad user?!

 

[paddypete]

still trying to get used to these cleats,i was out a few weeks ago, and stopped for a look about and a drink,i took out my right foot and rested in on the pedal,i put my left foot on the grass verge,i had a drink and lost my balance,tried to put my right foot down,but it must have clipped back in during the panic,cuts and grazes were on the menu,need to make sure my shose are properly de clipped,before i do myself a right one

 

[Colnago Master]

still trying to get used to these cleats,i was out a few weeks ago, and stopped for a look about and a drink,i took out my right foot and rested in on the pedal,i put my left foot on the grass verge,i had a drink and lost my balance,tried to put my right foot down,but it must have clipped back in during the panic,cuts and grazes were on the menu,need to make sure my shose are properly de clipped,before i do myself a right one

I've known many seasoned riders do a "comedy dismount" from not getting there foot out in time. If you've ever used toestraps tightened for riding you'll realise cleats are a lot easier to get used to.

 

[contadino]

For several years I used to have clip pedals through winter and flats in summer and I've lost count of the number of times I've been caught out by the changing seasons. Last time it was right in front of one of the towns busiest bars...

 

[peter davidson]

I bought my bike from a LBS through bike 2 work they where fantastic I had fancied a boardman and done a fair bit of research one of the local Halfords the young lad was mega helpful an avid mountain bikers with tons of knowledge. Another local Halfords the assistant was very keen but totally clueless. In the end my choice was made on future service. Everyone at the LBS new there stuff and as one of the guys was the owner he was there to stay

 

[ultraviolet]

I bought my bike from a LBS through bike 2 work they where fantastic I had fancied a boardman and done a fair bit of research one of the local Halfords the young lad was mega helpful an avid mountain bikers with tons of knowledge. Another local Halfords the assistant was very keen but totally clueless. In the end my choice was made on future service. Everyone at the LBS new there stuff and as one of the guys was the owner he was there to stay

and plus if you got your bike at a halfords you couldn't of gone the salary sacrifice route

 

[flick161]

This was my first thread I read months ago, before I considered joining the forum. It was a really useful post

 

[DEFENDER01]

Looks like i ride a Volvo Estate.
But i do drive a Land Rover Defender.