novice bike selection help

[vikicats]

I am thinking of taking up cycling to go alongside the running I do. I have seen a Claud Butler Urban 100 which I quite like the look of. I was wondering if you could give me some advice. If I get a bike I will mainly be using roads, cycle paths and canal paths. Does any one have any views on this specific bike and/or other ideas of what would suit a complete novice who hadn't been on a bike for 20 years. I have been told that I shouldn't go for anything too cheap but I don't want to spend a fortune at this point either. Thanks.
Vikicats :-)

 

[smokeysmoo]

to CC

The Claud Butler ticks the boxes you've mentioned in terms of the riding you plan to do. Just be aware that it is at the bottom end of things and as such you may quickly want to upgrade if you get into it.

Have a look also at the CARRERA range of hybrids at Halfords too. Although Halfords get a huge amount of stick, (and rightly so in most cases), a lot of the bikes they do are actually not at all bad.

A lot of CC'ers have started out on Carrera bikes, and many still ride them now as second bikes having traded up after getting bitten by the bike bug

 

[snorri]

Or consider a second hand bike to get yourself started.
After a lengthy lay-off, it might be that the cycling you intend to do may not be the same as what you actually do by the end of the summer. It's only after cycling for a period that you will be able to decide just what sort of a bike you really want.

 

[biggs682]

vikicats where are you based as there might be a cycle chat member near by who can let you try a bike or two and see if that helps you decide , most of us on here have more than 1 style of bike

 

[400bhp]

Or consider a second hand bike to get yourself started.
After a lengthy lay-off, it might be that the cycling you intend to do may not be the same as what you actually do by the end of the summer. It's only after cycling for a period that you will be able to decide just what sort of a bike you really want.

Need to be careful of this Snorri, or caveat it with "if you don't know much about bikes I wouldn't advise doing it, but if you can get someone to help you look that knows about bikes then it can be a good route to bike ownership".