Wanted: Commuting bike. Men's, Small/medium frame - £350 budget

[Savio]

As above, looking for a nice bike to get me to and from town and perhaps beyond. I do like to do some quite long distance rides but would consider just getting a second bike in the future as it seems to difficult to find one that fits both my needs.

I have a Dawes Clubman that I got second hand, though it was used once and in mint condition when I purchased it. Only ridden it for 5 or 6 long rides, and a few dozen commutes here and there to the shops. It's still in very good condition. Some wear on the tires, of course. Selling it for around the £400 mark, open to offers and ideas.

I'm currently in Belfast NI but can also have bike delivered to parents in England (West Sussex area) and I'll sort out getting it where I want it.


I don't know much about bikes but I don't want an aggressive racing bike, I want comfort and versatility. Maybe even a hybrid, but I do want something light that will cope with the excessive hills in Ireland. I also live on the side of a mountain, almost. :P

Advise and offers welcome, thanks.

 

[vickster]

Why can't you use the clubman?

 

[biggs682]

@Savio why cant you use the Dawes it sounds an ideal bike for what you want and why do you need a hybrid ?

 

[Savio]

Hmm...actually, I'd like to stick to it... but I'm finding it a job getting up hills. I was wondering why for a long time, and read a review that explained about the weight, and the gearing, making it not so ideal for hilly terrain... I could be mistaken but when I've test ridden over bikes in stores, they've felt more comfortable to me. The geometry feels better. I bought the dawes second hand, my plan this time might be to try to locate whatever bike I may buy instore to try the fit first. I'm not sure, it just doesn't feel quite.. right? I could give it more time... take into my LBS and get them to have a proper look, but it's a lot of hassle....

I've moved to Belfast from south England. The bike is in England, it's an idea time for me to change, if ever, because it's going to cost to get it over here, so yeh, not sure really. I figured something lighter would be better for what I'm doing (going to and from town centre, 3-4 miles, up a massive hill, almost every day)

Edit:

Also feel like I'm stretching to read the handlebars a lot. I've got long legs and a short torso, fairly long arms, but still. The pedals I never replaced, but found a nuisance to get my feet in and out of when stopping at traffic lights etc. I suppose I could have replaced them but I thought the same about the saddle which hurt my arse no end.... but thought wow that's going to cost potentially £50+ on a bike I'm not even sure about... so you see I just keep finding issues.

From the review, which explained my experiences perfectly for what I was doing:

"This hampers acceleration too. Away from the lights in traffic for example, the 30-tooth ring is too low and spinny while the middle 42-tooth when paired with the cassette is a little on the high side. This is the main reason I didn't get on with the Clubman as a commuter: busy roads with fluctuating traffic speeds, roundabouts and traffic lights all take their toll on your legs every time you make a change of pace. The only way I can explain it is that riding the Dawes my legs were feeling like a Friday on a Wednesday; not ideal when you've still got to finish of the week's miles.

Audax or touring tends to bring with it a lot of hills and while the climbing isn't the easiest, the Clubman's descending isn't half bad. The weight, long wheelbase and sensible 72° head angle gives you the same feeling I mentioned above about slippery road conditions. It feels trustworthy, predictable and while it isn't the snappiest handler is does offer plenty of feedback when you need it most."

Although as a whole the review is a bit harsh, it's just that what it finds specifically problematic, happens to be what I experienced. It's a good bike, for what I paid.

 

[vickster]

Hmm...actually, I'd like to stick to it... but I'm finding it a job getting up hills. I was wondering why for a long time, and read a review that explained about the weight, and the gearing, making it not so ideal for hilly terrain... I could be mistaken but when I've test ridden over bikes in stores, they've felt more comfortable to me. The geometry feels better. I bought the dawes second hand, my plan this time might be to try to locate whatever bike I may buy instore to try the fit first. I'm not sure, it just doesn't feel quite.. right? I could give it more time... take into my LBS and get them to have a proper look, but it's a lot of hassle....

I've moved to Belfast from south England. The bike is in England, it's an idea time for me to change, if ever, because it's going to cost to get it over here, so yeh, not sure really. I figured something lighter would be better for what I'm doing (going to and from town centre, 3-4 miles, up a massive hill, almost every day)

What model is it? Perhaps you can add a more hill friendly cassette?

 

[Savio]

There's only one dawes clubman isn't there?

 

[vickster]

There's only one dawes clubman isn't there?

Did it not vary at all between model years? Maybe not

 

[Savio]

think it's a 2012, its this colour

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/dawes-audax-clubman-2012.105928/

It must have been, I got it 2 years ago at least , so :P

 

[vickster]

think it's a 2012, its this colour

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/dawes-audax-clubman-2012.105928/

It must have been, I got it 2 years ago at least , so :P

Google suggests a 12-25 cassette. Should be able to change that although may need a new rear mech too. But a triple chain set

http://m.evanscycles.com/products/dawes/clubman-2012-road-bike-ec035289

I'm sure @biggs682 can advise

 

[biggs682]

@Savio that looks an ideal bike and should manage most hills , and as @vickster suggested swap the cassette over for something with a higher tooth count than 25 ie 32 and you should be able to rival a mountain goat in climbing ability and yes a rear mech change might be needed , but suck it and see .

How much are you selling the Dawes for ??? And where is it located as there maybe other cc forum members who could be interested in it .

A hybrid might have more hill climbing friendly gearing but will be a fair bit heavier inmho

 

[raleighnut]

You'd struggle to get a better bike without spending a bunch more than your quoted budget.

 

[broady]

I love my giant fcr 2.

It's a flat bar road bike that I use it for commuting, touring or popping down the shops/pub.
I can fit 23mm tyres or 32mm on it and rides really well.
I prefer it to my specialized sirrus hybrid.

It's not for sale, but something similar might suit your needs.

But as said, some fairly easy mods to your current bike should suit your needs. Shorter stem will reduce the reach, wider range cassette to help with the hills etc

 

[broady]

I wouldn't get hung up on weight either.
I lost over 15kg last year which is the weight of my heaviest bike I own (just under 15 stone down to 12 1/2).

Legs and lungs are what you want

 

[biggs682]

I wouldn't get hung up on weight either.
I lost over 15kg last year which is the weight of my heaviest bike I own (just under 15 stone down to 12 1/2).

Legs and lungs are what you want

very true

 

[Savio]

Thanks for all the advise I will mull it over..but I really think the bike isn't a good fit for me...just from riding other bikes and feeling like its considerably less effort to drive them. I think it's mostly to amount I have to lean forward for the handlebars...pedals...stem....chainset...this could easily make £100+?

The ascent from town to my house is 240 ft BTW.

For 350-400 I thought second hand I'd be able to come close, but we'll see.maybe I'll get it over here and take it to a bike shop. I just feel I'll sell such a country gents bike a lot easier in west Sussex than Belfast, haha.

Flat bars would have been preferred I think. I can't see any point to them on a tourer, can someone explain? Consumer market surely aren't racing around, they just want to get from A to B in comfort right? I suppose I expect it on an audax but tourers have them too right

Was thinking of selling the Dawes for about £420 maybe