Which bike for commuting?

[nigelb]

Hi

I currently have a Claud Butler San Remo road bike I bought cheap 2nd hand (much unloved, abused etc), its giving me a chance to commute to work, but is far from ideal - I really need something that will handle rougher road/path surfaces, take a rack for back panniers, be more comfortable to ride etc.

Is a hybred the way to go?

Money is absolutely a big deal, don't have much to throw at the problem, so I accept that what I get now may not last for years and years.

Anyone have any experience of the cheaper end of the hybred market?
Commute is 7.5 miles each way, so we're looking at ~75 miles a week, its mostly on the flat, half on roads, half cycleways, I'm 50 and carrying maybe 3 stone more than I should be (hence wanting to build commuting by bike into my daily routine).

Spotted these http://www.evanscycles.com/categories/complete-bikes/hybrid-bikes but no idea what they're like.

Nige

 

[Tynan]

you get what you pay for, cheap means cheaper components especially and cheaper design

people seem to rate some of the bikes that Decathalon sell, and they're very cheap

if you wanted drops you could consider some sort of touring or audax style bike, they'd take bigger tyres, rack and pannier and be more robust, and always ebay, gumtree and the CTC site for something previously enjoyed, do know what frame size you want first though

roads and cycleways should be ok on any bike really, lets face it, the roads themselves are pretty awful, in London at least

 

[nigelb]

Hi

Thanks for the ideas.

Its round Cambridge, current bike has drops but that's not a requirement.

One cycle path has a lovely mend, leaving a nice channel about 1" wide that traps my current thin tyres beautifully. At other points, there are raised manholes, chunks missing from the road surface, gravelly bits - even the occasional bit ofsmooth tarmac (when it isn't lttered with leaves, gravel, or fallen branches).

I assume that if I go cheap, things like back sets etc will wear quicker - is it possible to then replace with better quality bits, so they last longer?

Nige

 

[Wigsie]

I assume that if I go cheap, things like back sets etc will wear quicker - is it possible to then replace with better quality bits, so they last longer?

Nige

This is true however typically people would by a bike with the best frame possible and upgrade the components but at this price the frame will probably be cheaper than the new components once the old ones have worn out.

I would suggest scouring gumtree or ebay for decent second hand options and from the sounds of it a hardtail (front suspension only) or totally rigid Mountain bike with some slick (ish) tyres on maybe a better option, this way you may actually get a better bike. There is a fair bit of 'hype' around Hybrid bikes so second hand ones still hold value quite well.

For example this bike http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GT-Aggressor-...688|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318#ebayphotohosting

is/was £90 with 4 hours left (around £550-£600 new), will probably sell for 130 ish and you would have change to get some slick ish tyres and any spare bits you may need.

IMO Hybrids are a bit of a false buy, they are either road biased or Mountain bike biased bikes and the crossover of what they can actually do seems very limited to me and neither do the job as well as either a MTB or a Road bike plus as I mentioned you pay a bit of a premium for the fact its a 'Hybrid'.

 

[nigelb]

Hi

Appreciate the advice, I guess hybrid sort of means "rolls well on the flat, but handles the bumps - best of both worlds" to the likes of me.

Never occurred to me that you could get more slick tyres to suit, assume I'll be fine putting mudguards and a rear rack on something like that?

How much energy will I lose with front suspension?

Other question is I'm 5'8", what sort of frame size should I be aiming for?

Nige

 

[Freewheeler]

Bah! Just typed a long reply and managed to lose it without posting


Anyway, I used to commute on a Dawes Discovery 201 hybrid bike. It was the bottom of the Dawes range, but still far better than the cheap bikes you see in Tesco or Argos.It had a rigid frame with 38mm wide tyres and wheels a bit bigger than the average mountain bike (27 inch vs 26 inch), this means that it rolls well, but can handle being ridden through potholes and rough tracks. It was a good commuting bike, didn't give me any trouble at all (only 1 puncture in 2 years, and that was when the back tyre had worn out). I eventually bought a touring bike and passed the hybrid on to my father in law, it's still going strong.

Dawes seem to have revamped their product range, but my bike was very similar to their Discovery 101 on this page: http://www.dawescycles.com/c-5-discovery-bikes.aspx

If you do decide to buy a new bike, I'd recommend finding a proper bike shop. They should let you try some bikes out for fit and comfort. It's also worth asking if they can discount accessories such as mudguards, rack and lights if you buy them with the bike.

 

[Ivan Ardon]

If money really is a big deal, why not fit the biggest tyres that you can (28mm or 32mm if you have clearance), and mount a rack using P-clips?

Raise the bar by flipping the stem, and you have what you want for very little money.

 

[jay clock]

Apart from being from Halfords, I cannot speak highly enough of my Subway 1 (now 4 years old)

see here for another posting about them http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/sh...ghlight=subway

I have been VERY pleased with mine. I love it as an allrounder and have upgraded all the drivetrain and the wheels over the past few years. Ideal for taking on family holidays as it will do road or offroad. To be honest it does 98% of what my Koga Miyata touring bike does and will do 50 mile road rides fine too. Takes mudguards and a rack....

Go for it

 

[ed_o_brain]

For that sort of commute, I'd buy an old but good MTB for ~£50, ask an LBS to service and fit some slick tyres. Pretty much as Wigsie suggests. If you shop carefully, you will end up something much better than any cheap bike you could buy for much less £££.

I like the Cannondale M400, M500 or M800s that crop up on ebay from time to time. I've got a 1995 M500. It's light, strong, very responsive and althought it cost £800 new, I paid less than a fraction of that.

Alternatively, I'd fit race blades to the bike you have, a saddle back for light luggage and use the roads.

If you don't want to keep the road bike, you might find someone willing to do a straight swap. It would be good though, to take someone you know with you who is both very knowledgable about bikes but also very understanding of what you want. This should hopefully mean you don't swap your bike for a dud.

Same applies to buying secondhand bikes.

How tall are you?
What size is your road bike?

 

[nigelb]

Hi

Thanks for all the ideas, much appreciated.

I'm 5'8", my current road bike frame is 21" from centre of the pedal crank to the top of the frame where the seat post goes in. I don't feel uncomfortably high off the ground when riding, and have been able to play around with saddle height no probs to get comfortable, saddle could go higher but its fine where it is for me.

Tyres are Schwalbe Marathon Plus 700x25, sold as puncture "proof", have reflective strips on the side and some tread, but the ride is still very very hard (I know, I'm soft, but in my defence I'm old and fat and haven't spent the last 20 years on a bike). I also hate taking a bike like this up and down even small bumps where the dropped curb still has a 1" lip.

Looking on fleabay I see lots of "mountain bikes" for sale, are there any specific makes I should zero in on, or which to avoid?

For instance Bison http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BISON-MENS-MO...iewItemQQptZUK_Bikes_GL?hash=item170306024175

I would never be taking this bike seriously off road, so I guess a larger frame (and therefore a higher more upright ride) would be best - does sound more comfortable.

What I'm trying to do is build exercise into my daily routine by cycling, if the journey takes me 50 mins rather than 40 mins, the world won't stop.

Nige

 

[nigelb]

Or evenMENS HARLEM USA SUPER FREERIDE RUSH MOUNTAIN BIKE CYCLE 20" frame 26" wheels.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MENS-HARLEM-USA-SUPER-FREERIDE-RUSH-MOUNTAIN-BIKE-CYCLE_W0QQitemZ130290133869QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Bikes_GL?hash=item130290133869&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1688|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318

 

[threefingerjoe]

As others have said, hybrids and mountain bikes work just fine for your sort of commute (tarmac). Try to avoid suspension forks, suspension seatposts, and knobby tyres. There is a good selection of slick tyres available either in 26" or 700C (622). Hybrids, mountain bikes, and tourers generally, will all accept nice, wide, comfortable tyres, with low rolling resistance, should that be the route you intend. I don't know much about mountain bikes, but tourers and hybrids usually have plenty of braze-ons, which should make it easy for you to mount REAL mudguards and a rear rack...highly desireable, if you intend to commute in all weather. Don't forget to allow some funds for GOOD lights...fore and aft. 2 taillamps are desireable. Many people run one taillamp on solid beam, the other flashing. Wear hi-viz...especially a vest with reflective striping, and don't be afraid to stick good reflective tape on parts of the bike to make yourself more visible.
This visibility thing is important to me. As I get older, I realize how poorly many motorists see in the dark. Most people don't really WANT to hit you, and the more visible you are, the more time they have to change lanes or take some kind of evasive action. Once, someone criticised me for overdoing it on the reflective tape...said that it will damage the paint when removed. Well, I bought the bike to USE, not to take to bike shows. When I get done with this bike, it will be used up...I'm not worried about resale value. I want to USE it, and I want to LIVE. To the person who criticised my reflective tape, I asked, "Well, what parts of the bike do you think SHOULD be invisible?" He didn't have an answer.

GOOD LUCK on your commuting venture! I wish more people would commute by bike!

 

[nigelb]

Hi

Well, got a Dawes Tamarak - 24 gear front suspension mountain bike - off Gumtree for £60. Rides ok, front gear change jammed (which I knew when I got it) but boy is it more comfy :-)

The front forks suspension seems a little soft, guess it may need tightening, but it has mudguards and a rear rack, and I was able to clip panniers on (bought many many years ago and never used), and commute in without a rucksack for the first time :-)

The way home is more uphill, will have a better judge this evening whether I'll cope with peddling it up the hill (its a heavy bike, and I guess the suspension won't help either) but first impressions are it may be slightlyslower, but its a lot more comfortable ;-)

Thanks for all the help and ideas.

Nige

 

[Wigsie]

Nice one Nige... have fun!

 

[nigelb]

Well, having done a few trips both ways now, I'm settling into the bike fine (mostly). Yes, it is slightly slower, however I also save time by being able to use paths etc in a way I couldn't before, poorly done dropped kerbs are no longer a hazard, and the various cracks and cuts don't grab the wheels :-)

That sets the scene, very positive, but a few niggles :-

1) I am still getting neckache. I'm fine if I ride along looking down, however looking up to see where I'm going is ok for a few secs, but then starts to ache. I suspect the problem is the handlebars are too low, would that make sense? Its an a-head set, so I guess its a matter of getting spacers fitted?

2) Numb hands.
I have some string backed cheap fingerless cycling gloves with a bit of padding on the palm (and nice warm gloves for cold weather) but my hands go numb when riding. I guess the riding position isn't helping, but any suggestions on decent padding to protect the hands? Is it worth getting thicker/softer grips for the handlebars?

3) Tyres!
What should I go for? this isn't for mountain work, odd bit of rougher path but its all basically flat (apart from poorly dropped kerbs!). Less rolling resistance is obviously good, but I want tyres I can rely on first and foremost.

As always, I'm very open to ideas, and being new to it all, I would welcome any observations/thoughts.

Nige