My advice to newbies.

[Southdowner]

Feel like a right wally now, having just posted a message regarding upgrading my bike and 'does anyone have any ideas...." ?
Brilliant website,,,I think I need to read more before asking....

RE - Halfords..I have just experienced total customer service failure from three different outlets in my area..I don't know why I bothered, especially as I was warned beforehand...

The words Bargepole...touch..and don't...... spring to mind...

Southdowner

 

[Cheule]

Excellent guide.

Bit disappointed I have a RAV4, I suspect a bit of tinkering, swapping the forks out I can get it to be a Mondeo which is ideal for me. Also mounting a bike computer sensor is a bit tricky when the front end moves.

 

[tachi]

Can anyone recommend a good bike shop in West London? Chiswick, Uxbridge or even Slough/Reading.

Thanks

 

[cameramanjim]

Hi Andy

What an amazing post - I´m one of the ´newbie, which bike´posters and you´ve answered every question I could ask (apart from the one I just posted on the Bikes, Accessories section). Many thanks for going to the trouble of doing this for us.

CJ

 

[Cardiac]

Excellent thread - thanks to the OP for starting it.

I just joined the forum to look for hints, tips, etc.

Cheers,

Les.

 

[dobber]

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

 

[dobber]

very informative and straight to the point..nice one

 

[Maverick Goose]

On the old WMB forum, the swear filter would change 'crap' to 'Apollo mtb' ...a not universally loved offering from Halfords..

 

[mightyquin]

Hi,

I've already posted a couple of threads about bike options/opinions, then found this.

I'm a 'newbie' in that I haven't bought a bike for over 10 years, and haven't ridden the one that I've got at the back of the garage for a few years now - it's a Raleigh MTB, was cheap when I bought it and the gears are shot. Needs new tyres and a complete overhaul. So I thought it would be more cost effective for me to buy something new/ish.

As a newbie, my experience so far. I started out thinking just get a new MTB, maybe with tyres for road use (I want a bike for general running about, commuting, shopping, exercise and the odd day out in the country on off road cycle trails). I've committed to a charity bike ride in the Spring too. I'm not going to be using the bike every day though, nor every weekend, so I figure I really don't need anything too fancy or high spec. I know you get what you pay for and all that.

I'm lacking decent bike shops in the immediate area. There's a couple of very high end places where they'll snigger at me because the bikes they sell cost more than my car, and there's a couple of places that mostly sell bright pink trikes or flashy full suspension mountain bikes. Oh, and Halfords and an Evans.

I almost bought a bike at Evans last week, they were meant to set one up so I could test ride it. I phoned them back to see if it was ready and I'm still waiting for a call back days later! Halfords were worse, no staff in the cycle dept at all, and one person on the till downstairs with a queue of people to serve.

I've had advice to buy s/h, check e bay etc. That's fine if you know what you want and know what to look out for. But I'll probably end up with a bike that doesn't fit and is in worse condition than my knackered Raleigh. I've had a couple of offers from people on the forums of bikes for sale, they looked great but again, I'd like to see/try them first.

So, for us newbies, it really is quite difficult. I'd much prefer to buy from a good LBS and have someone I can go back to for after sales service, to buy accessories when I want them and probably to upgrade later on.

The main thing is deciding on the style of bike. A mate said to me just buy one you like the look of, and he might be right! Pretty much every bike you look up on the net has a review that says something like "it's OK but spend £80 more on the next model up" - and the next model up will be just the same!

The more I look, the more I read, the more confused I'm becoming! I do fancy a single speeder though....

 

[fugsy2011]

Hello,
This is my first post so let's hope I don't make a fool of myself.

I've been cycling for many a year so might be able to help. As my brother always says 'you need a system' to work from before you buy.

Work out what kind of rides you will make the most initially then ask yourself what kind of rides you want to be doing in 6 months time. Find a style of bike, be it off-road, hybrid or a road bike that would suit these rides then ask several local bike shops to set up 2 or 3 to try out. Don't be intimidated, it's a sale for them and they'll be content to help even if they don't look it.

It's really important to try your bike out beforehand and as many as possible. Take your time, don't rush and enjoy the buying process as the last thing you want to do is regret your purchase. Don't go crazy on price initially but feel you are buying something you will be proud to ride about on. If it feels good to ride and you enjoy the look of your bike then you can't really ask for more.

My direct bike advice would be to get a hybrid, something that will withstand a moderate dirt track but will easy to jump on and off/nip to shops/commute to work. However, use a system and you'll soon find the right bike for yourself.

Hi,

I've already posted a couple of threads about bike options/opinions, then found this.

I'm a 'newbie' in that I haven't bought a bike for over 10 years, and haven't ridden the one that I've got at the back of the garage for a few years now - it's a Raleigh MTB, was cheap when I bought it and the gears are shot. Needs new tyres and a complete overhaul. So I thought it would be more cost effective for me to buy something new/ish.

As a newbie, my experience so far. I started out thinking just get a new MTB, maybe with tyres for road use (I want a bike for general running about, commuting, shopping, exercise and the odd day out in the country on off road cycle trails). I've committed to a charity bike ride in the Spring too. I'm not going to be using the bike every day though, nor every weekend, so I figure I really don't need anything too fancy or high spec. I know you get what you pay for and all that.

I'm lacking decent bike shops in the immediate area. There's a couple of very high end places where they'll snigger at me because the bikes they sell cost more than my car, and there's a couple of places that mostly sell bright pink trikes or flashy full suspension mountain bikes. Oh, and Halfords and an Evans.

I almost bought a bike at Evans last week, they were meant to set one up so I could test ride it. I phoned them back to see if it was ready and I'm still waiting for a call back days later! Halfords were worse, no staff in the cycle dept at all, and one person on the till downstairs with a queue of people to serve.

I've had advice to buy s/h, check e bay etc. That's fine if you know what you want and know what to look out for. But I'll probably end up with a bike that doesn't fit and is in worse condition than my knackered Raleigh. I've had a couple of offers from people on the forums of bikes for sale, they looked great but again, I'd like to see/try them first.

So, for us newbies, it really is quite difficult. I'd much prefer to buy from a good LBS and have someone I can go back to for after sales service, to buy accessories when I want them and probably to upgrade later on.

The main thing is deciding on the style of bike. A mate said to me just buy one you like the look of, and he might be right! Pretty much every bike you look up on the net has a review that says something like "it's OK but spend £80 more on the next model up" - and the next model up will be just the same!

The more I look, the more I read, the more confused I'm becoming! I do fancy a single speeder though....

 

[Bicycle]

Excellent piece for people just stating out.

I'm not sure about the car comparisons, but that's just me being a geek.

On other advice for new cyclists, I would add this.

USE A LOWER GEAR THAN YOU THINK YOU'LL NEED AND PEDAL FASTER THAN YOU THINK YOU OUGHT TO.

I was told for years not to get into the big gears too early, but ignored the avice.

I now see others all around me who labour along where they could be having a much easier time.

That's the advice I wish I'd taken years before I did.

 

[AaronC]

Nice post Andy!

 

[dicko]

I have just bought myself a bike today. I bought it from the shop in the town, the LBS. I have a lot of respect for these businesses and I was given a good discount for a bike, panniers, lock, helmet and stand, you dont get that on the tinternet, and within thirty mins it was ready to ride away!! I was also invited to take my bike back in six/eight weeks time for a free service. The other thing is if anything goes wrong a quick visit will have it all sorted in minuites. I would like to add that whilst I was there five other people bought bikes too.

 

[Mawsley]

I have just bought myself a bike today. I bought it from the shop in the town, the LBS. I have a lot of respect for these businesses and I was given a good discount for a bike, panniers, lock, helmet and stand, you dont get that on the tinternet, and within thirty mins it was ready to ride away!! I was also invited to take my bike back in six/eight weeks time for a free service. The other thing is if anything goes wrong a quick visit will have it all sorted in minuites. I would like to add that whilst I was there five other people bought bikes too.

Join the CTC and you'll get an automatic 12% off everything at Wiggle.

 

[pipsar6]

Useful/interesting thread.

I got my bike from Halfords a few years ago - the first bik I've had for about 40 years-the last one came with stabilisers...

I did not want to spent 2 or 3 hundred quid on a bike that might end up unused in the shed. my little old banger was half price (about 70 quid) at the end of the summer and without that opportunity I would not be on a bike now. It's been a great learning curve for me... the bike is adequate but has also enabled me to learn-and discover what I might like for my next bike which am prepared to spend more on now that I know I can stay upright.

Incidentally the guys at Halfords were great with me and really approachable and not at all patronising to this fat middle aged woman as I had half feared they would be...