What do I need?

[mdk1]

Hi all,
As some of you may have seen from my welcome thread, I have just started to take up riding after losing 3.5 stone,
My bike I currently have is about 20 years old, has 15 gears and was bought new for about £50, it has sat all that time in the garage until last week, it's been dusted off and some oil put on the chain and gears and tyres pumped up! And a Gel saddle cover! I find it's quite heavy.
Now I'm thinking in the next few months about upgrading to a new bike, but I don't know where to start,
So far I have been on the road, which I enjoy, now some of the roads or not in great shape being out in the sticks,
So I'm not sure what I should be looking for really.
Thought I might go up to the bike show in Birmingham to have a nose around,
Now budget £ may be able to stretch to about £500 but would prefer around £350 - £400. What I don't want to do is buy a bike and find I've bought one that after a year I will need to change again.
Sorry for the long post.

 

[biggs682]

@mdk1 first decision is do you go for a road bike , hybrid bike or even an Mtb ?

choices are unlimited and only yours

my choice is retro road bikes with a retro MTB for daily commuting

so have fun choosing and deciding

 

[Brava210]

That does look heavy,
I would go the Hybrid route but you need to have a sit and ride a few first I think..

Currently 15% off
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http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/hybrid-bikes-and-classic-bikes/boardman-hybrid-sport-bike

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/road-bikes/boardman-road-sport-bike

 

[Dayvo]

Start with a decent hybrid: lightish with decent components (ie gears, brakes, pedals etc), then get the miles in and decide what kind of cycling you're going to do. Commuting, off road, touring, or posing on a nice shiny road bike.

Plenty of options, so get out there and find out.

N+1 WILL come into the equation at some stage.

 

[mdk1]

Thanks for the replies,
I'm struggling to see what the difference between a Hybride bike and a road bike is apart from the handlebars.
Is there much difference in there riding characteristics?

 

[Cyclist33]

Thanks for the replies,
I'm struggling to see what the difference between a Hybride bike and a road bike is apart from the handlebars.
Is there much difference in there riding characteristics?

Cue lots of sweeping generalisations... But...

Let's just compare roughly entry level Road bikes with the sort of hybrid that is designed for mainly Road use, ie no suspension and a skinnyish frame. But not a flat bar road bike. Eg a Trek 7.3 fx.

Generally Road bike frames are lighter than hybrids. Not sure why this is. It is usually marketed as "stronger" or "tougher" but a road frame cannot be too weak to handle real world riding otherwise they wouldn't be able to sell them. I suspect hybrids are made with a cheaper process that requires less engineering to make the frame lighter. Also a key element to Road cycling is less weight for improved performance. That's not as important on a hybrid which, generally, people don't expect to hammer as hard or go as fast on.

Generally, road bikes have a shorter wheelbase, either by having shorter rear stays on the frame or by having a steeper angle at the front end. Or a combination of both. This makes them twitchier to handle and they hold a tighter line round corners. Conversely a hybrid tends to be more stable to ride. The handlebar width also affects this as a narrower handlebar sharpens steering.

Hybrids usually have a lot more clearance in the frame and fork areas where the wheel rim passes the frame and fork. This means you can fit wider tyres which usually equates to more comfort as a tyre is basically suspension. This extra clearance also lifts the front end up so a hybrid is likely to have a comparatively upright position.

So there are some of the differences. It's a minefield not least because they now do "adventure Road" bikes which are basically Road frames but designed with hybrid sensibilities. Actually these have been around for years but they are now being strongly marketed.

That's not to say you can't go fast and hard on a hybrid. I had a cannondale quick that I worked on slimming down and at one point had it down to about 9.5 kg which is about the same as an equivalent priced road bike, and it went like the clappers. But it wasn't a road bike even after that.

 

[mdk1]

Thank you cyclist33,
Very interesting, need to do a lot more reading I feel.

 

[doog]

Unless you fancy a road bike a hybrid sounds about right. Try visiting a bike shop and ask to try one out. A quick cycle around the block will probably convince you to go in that direction, then go away and do a little more research on whats what.

 

[Pale Rider]

Your bike looks to have survived its 15 years in the shed quite well.

The saddle looks low in relation to the handlebars, but that depends on your height/leg length.

As a general rule, your leg should be fully extended with your heel on the pedal at the bottom of its stroke.

You don't pedal with your heel, but with the front of your foot on the pedal you will have close to full leg extension, which is what you are after.

The rear cogs look to have a bit of surface rust.

You wouldn't usually lubricate those, but in this case some oily maintenance spray would be a good idea.

 

[DCLane]

- if you're riding a 15-speed Townsend Timber Trail then it will be heavy. And slow. But it's a starting point.

My basic suggestion is whether you are looking to ride solely on the road or a mixture of trails, road, paths, etc.

If it's the former then you're looking at a road bike. If the latter a hybrid or cyclocross/gravel bike. I'd suggest a road bike but then I'm biased - my MTB hasn't been out since January

Finally, have a look, try some and see what type you prefer. We can suggest all sorts of things but only you can find out what's best for you.