Recommended commuter bike - advice please.

[swayzak]

Hi

I commute about 8 miles each way, road only & some hills.

Everyday come rain, sun or snow.

I have a nice Marin Nail Trail 2006 MB but am fed up with maintaining it as a commuting bike e.g. Hayes 9 disc brakes regularly need piston changes, replacing hub spindles (due to regular exposure to rain/dirt), cables etc etc.

I'm now exploring the idea of getting a dedicated hardy commuting bike - and have found a few interesting models

e.g.

http://www.dawescycles.com/p-131-mean-street.aspx

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...uctId_240363_langId_-1_categoryId_165534#dtab


etc.

The hub gears / brakes sound interesting (and anything that eliminates or minimises maintanence is good with me !).

I like the fact that the Dawes has Shimano hydraulics (as these Hayes are notorious for piston replacements, whereas Shimano are supposed to be OK in this regard)

Are these good choices ?

What are hub gears / brakes like - maintanence, wheel removal etc ?

Any other recommendations ?

thanks

 

[swayzak]

A colleague has the Subway 8. It's very weatherproof. His only gripe is that the brakes can be noisy.

thanks

It's an 18" (can't see a 20") and I'm 6'1" with 33in inside leg - would this be big enough ?

 

[ianrauk]

Hi Swayzak and welcome to the forum.
The Carrera Subway bikes are bombproof, very well made bikes.

I have a Subway 1, 18" frame. I'm 5'9" and find the frame a bit too small. At 6'1" I would say that it would be too small for you. But best you pop down to Halfords and try one first.

 

[swayzak]

Hi Swayzak and welcome to the forum.
The Carrera Subway bikes are bombproof, very well made bikes.

I have a Subway 1, 18" frame. I'm 5'9" and find the frame a bit too small. At 6'1" I would say that it would be too small for you. But best you pop down to Halfords and try one first.

Thanks

Damn. I think this model is old 2009 (hence reduced price) but can't see 20" version on website..

 

[andyfromotley]

This is a great bike, they do a sporty version called the courier nexus.

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebw...1&f_SortOrderID=1&f_bct=c003155c018333c018337

 

[swayzak]

This is a great bike, they do a sporty version called the courier nexus.

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebw...1&f_SortOrderID=1&f_bct=c003155c018333c018337

Looks good.

Shame they don't have more stores - Sheffield is my nearest & that's still a lot further than Halfords (I'm in Leicester)...

 

[Rob3rt]

Looks good.

Shame they don't have more stores - Sheffield is my nearest & that's still a lot further than Halfords (I'm in Leicester)...

Im a road bike newby, but I'd certainly consider the travel to Sheffield worthwhile to avoid a Halford build/aftercare. I always avoided Halfords but the Boardman bikes were too good to not go look at, I was appalled by how badly put together the show bikes were and the store assistant was even more clueless than me. All he knew was carbon weighs less than aluminium and kept repeating this at me.

Are there any local bike shops near you? Or independant retailers and not large chains?

 

[swayzak]

Im a road bike newby, but I'd certainly consider the travel to Sheffield worthwhile to avoid a Halford build/aftercare. I always avoided Halfords but the Boardman bikes were too good to not go look at, I was appalled by how badly put together the show bikes were and the store assistant was even more clueless than me. All he knew was carbon weighs less than aluminium and kept repeating this at me.

Are there any local bike shops near you? Or independant retailers and not large chains?

Yes there are - but they are of variable quality as well. Julies is the best known one but they didn't put my Marin together particularly well.

LBS can be crap too - it's the staff that are most important.

 

[andyfromotley]

Looks good.

Shame they don't have more stores - Sheffield is my nearest & that's still a lot further than Halfords (I'm in Leicester)...

Train there, ride back, sorted.