What Bike should I buy

[CliveG]

I am looking to ride Jogle next April/ May and am fairly new to cycling. I have completed 100+ miles in a day before but this was just on a cheap mountain bike from JJB sports and clearly I need to get something better. My budget is fairly tight and am looking at spending around £500 although anything cheaper would be preferred although realise that cheaper is not always better.

The two I have been recomended when speaking to local shops are

Trek 1.1 priced at £500
Claud Butler also priced at £500 but comes with rear carrier rack and mud guards

Any ideas on pro's and cons and also any other suggestions / advice?

 

[BigGee]

Remember a good bike will last a long time if looked after well, so with that in mind maybe think carefully about whether you could stretch your budget a bit more. I have just sold a couple of 20 year old bikes on e-bay, both well looked after and in very workable condition. I got £150 for each of the and people were queing up for them. Maybe buying a decent 2nd hand bike would be a better option. One of my bikes was a tourer and I am sure if you had spent a few hundred quid on it, then you would have had a very capable bike again and that would still be within your budget. The guy who bought it was planning on doing that and then cycling around europe on it this summer.

The other option is cycle to work scheme, if your employer offers it. That is ultimately how I afforded the Ridgeback Panorama that I replaced my tourer with and ultimately was the bike I always wanted. I did JOGLE on it last sept solo and unsupported and it performed brilliantly. If you have the option think about it soon, as it is likely in the present climate that the gov will be removing it soon.

The outlay on a good bike always seems a bit daunting and I have pushed the boat out on occasions myself. However when you do the maths lookinng backwards, particularly if you use it to commute as well, you will usually find that you have spent your money very wisely.

Happy searching

Grahame

 

[aberal]

For your budget the Revolution Country Traveller would be a good option. In truth if you could squeeze another 2-300 quid into your budget then you'd get quite a bit more bike for not a lot more money.

 

[PpPete]

If your E2E is supported .... Have a look at this thread:

https://www.cyclechat.net/

The only new bike purchased for the JoGLE by any of our team was a Spesh Secteur..... lovely looking thing, very light, but it needed a new rear wheel after day 3 (and that was after two returns to shop to attend to loose spokes before we set off).
Oh yes and no guard clearance so no-one would ride behind him on the wet days.

The 20-30 year old steel Dawes Galaxy's that I bought off Ebay for my family were a lot heavier, but utterly reliable, apart from occasional p... fairy visits.

 

[willem]

The first decision is whether you will want a bike that can take camping gear now or later, or not. The second is if it will also be used for cummuting and the like.
Willem

 

[billflat12]

I am looking to ride Jogle next April/ May and am fairly new to cycling. I have completed 100+ miles in a day before but this was just on a cheap mountain bike from JJB sports and clearly I need to get something better. My budget is fairly tight and am looking at spending around £500 although anything cheaper would be preferred although realise that cheaper is not always better.

The two I have been recomended when speaking to local shops are

Trek 1.1 priced at £500
Claud Butler also priced at £500 but comes with rear carrier rack and mud guards

Any ideas on pro's and cons and also any other suggestions / advice?

I am a big fan of ridgeback bikes, they represent good solid value for money in my opinion, sorry to upset all galaxy owners , check out a typical galaxy competitor spec on ebay only done 4 miles. (currently £600 )http://cgi.ebay.co.u...e=STRK:MEWAXT

 

[rugbyluke]

look at the viking torino its only £370 on ebay, they are amazing i have one and it keeps up with my friends £900 bikes. it has carbon forks etc etc check it out dude

 

[vernon]

One of the most underrated bikes that fit's the bill for you is the Decathlon B'Twin Riverside Seven. It comes with Magura hydraulic rim brakes, Shimano Deore drivetrain, Shimano hub dynamo lighting mudguards and rack for the panniers at the rear. basically all you'll have to buy is the panniers and you'll be ready for touring. It costs £599 but represents excellent value for money.

I have a Decathlon B'Twin Triban 7 which has an SRAM drive train and v brakes which is now discontinued but cost a reasonable £400. I've used it for one and a half cycle tours - I bought it in Orleans last year when my elederly Dawes Galaxy suffered from a fractured drop out and I finished my tour with the B'twin. I used it this year for my tour and in Nevers, met a Brit with A B'Twin Riverside 7 who had purchased it on the strength of my recommendation of Decathlon bikes on the cycling forums last year. He was very happy with his purchase having done LEJOG on it earlier this year and was well on his way to finishing cycling along the Loire.

 

[steveindenmark]

I have always ridden DF bikes and have a very nice, TREK with less than 50 miles in the shed which I bought in February 2010.

Then for some reason I bought an ICE recumbent trike, straight off the bat without thinking about it. WOW....what a difference. No aches, sores ,pains, discomfort. Not just on a 30 mile potter but between 50-70 miles day after day.

The trike was not as fast as my partners road bike and so I have sold the trike and am now probably going to buy a Nazca Feugo, another recumbent. I doubt if I will ever get on a DF bike again.

I never realised how much energy you need just to balance on a DF.

Steve

 

[mcshroom]

What sort of JOGLE are you riding?

If you are going unsupported then I'd recommend a tourer. I like drops and currently ride a Dawes Vantage which 1300 miles in seems to be a good solid bike (I hammer it over some nasty farm roads every day). It has a good range of gears and a relaxed riding position. It is Aluminium with a steel fork, but I have ridden it over 100 miles comfortably and it hasn't broken down so far (famous last words).
All I have had to do is replace a work out chain (and cassette as i didn't check wear properly

)

If you are going supported then a road bike like a Specialized Allez would be a little quicker and lighter. Then of couse there are flat bar bikes of which many would eat up the milage quite happily (fit bar ends if you go this way)

The best thing would be to try and find a shop with a range of different bikes and try them to see what you find best.

 

[Barbelier]

Did my recent JOGLE on the Revolution Country Explorer and it performed perfectly without a single problem.
Current price is £650 but I got mine for £500 last January in their sale.

+1 on the C2W scheme whch can be a very cost effective way of buying a bike if your employer offers it.

 

[bedlington ted]

I am looking to ride Jogle next April/ May and am fairly new to cycling. I have completed 100+ miles in a day before but this was just on a cheap mountain bike from JJB sports and clearly I need to get something better. My budget is fairly tight and am looking at spending around £500 although anything cheaper would be preferred although realise that cheaper is not always better.

The two I have been recomended when speaking to local shops are

Trek 1.1 priced at £500
Claud Butler also priced at £500 but comes with rear carrier rack and mud guards

Any ideas on pro's and cons and also any other suggestions / advice?

hi , i am doing the jogle hopefully in 10 days in april 2011 , i have recently purchased a Norco VFR disc, really comfy and eats up the miles, this is around £600 , however i got a great deal as it was end of season paid 399!, so had a bit of change for panniers.
best of luck
paul h.