Would I be able to come completely change my tyres or should I just buy a new bike?

[N00]

Hi this might be very long so I'll apologise before hand.
Right so I bought a bike from decathlon last week and I know they're not as great as actual bike store bikes but to be honest I haven't really been on a bike since I was 12, and I really can't afford something expensive so I just went with decathlon (Halfords was a no no). I have to admit I haven't actually rode it yet because I have been busy with some personal things but I did take it out for about 5mins a couple days after to see if I could still ride a bike...turns out I can probably need a bit of practice though,it seemed fine it had been raining before I had taken it out so when I'd brake I'd get a bit of a squeak which I'm pretty sure had something to with the wetness. I mainly bought the bike for commuting from place to place/exercise which I haven't done yet, going to buy some locks before I do that, the bike was quite cheap £149 so I know the tyres aren't really great accept from roads and maybe a stroll through the park, so I was wondering if once I'd gotten the hang of it if I could just change the tyres completely so I could ride it on more surfaces/longer since it's recommended for riding up to 2hours.
Now please bear in mind that I haven't rode a bike since I was 12, so any advice/tips will be much appreciated.

Oh here's the link to the bike if anyone is interested in specs
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/riverside-120-hybrid-bike-id_8379017.html

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Hi this might be very long so I'll apologise before hand.
Right so I bought a bike from decathlon last week and I know they're not as great as actual bike store bikes but to be honest I haven't really been on a bike since I was 12, and I really can't afford something expensive so I just went with decathlon (Halfords was a no no). I have to admit I haven't actually rode it yet because I have been busy with some personal things but I did take it out for about 5mins a couple days after to see if I could still ride a bike...turns out I can probably need a bit of practice though,it seemed fine it had been raining before I had taken it out so when I'd brake I'd get a bit of a squeak which I'm pretty sure had something to with the wetness. I mainly bought the bike for commuting from place to place/exercise which I haven't done yet, going to buy some locks before I do that, the bike was quite cheap £149 so I know the tyres aren't really great accept from roads and maybe a stroll through the park, so I was wondering if once I'd gotten the hang of it if I could just change the tyres completely so I could ride it on more surfaces/longer since it's recommended for riding up to 2hours.
Now please bear in mind that I haven't rode a bike since I was 12, so any advice/tips will be much appreciated.

Oh here's the link to the bike if anyone is interested in specs
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/riverside-120-hybrid-bike-id_8379017.html

Pop into a bike shop and buy a couple of knobblier tyres [original tyre size:
700 x 1.50 (38-622)] and a couple of tyre levers. Youtube will have videos on changing tyres - it's a quick job and you'll probably take longer to pump the tyres up again than it will take you to change the tyres. Or, if the the shop's not too busy, they might do it for you then and there for a fiver or so.

Squeaky brakes may bed in. Ask again if the noise persists.

 

[StrontiumCat]

Nothing wrong with Decathlon, and congratulations on getting back into cycling. I've only recently taken it up myself and I'm loving it.
In answer to your question, yes - it's a piece of cake. YouTube's got some great videos to walk you through it. Good luck.

 

[Broadside]

As a starter bike I think you have chosen pretty well. I don't see what is wrong with the tyres it comes with, they will work on any surface until it gets seriously muddy.

Now that you've bought the bike you should just get out and ride it, after a few hundred miles of use you will know if anything needs changing. At this time of year with dry ground those tyres will not be the limiting factor :-)

 

[vickster]

Did you pump the tyres up again before riding the bike? What's actually wrong with the tyres, not clear from your post? No point spending money immediately on new tyres if the current ones are fine for your current needs, which they surely are for a few miles of daily riding? Or are you planning to ride it mainly in serious off-road conditions, in which case it may not be the right bike. What cycling plans do you have when you get into it? How far I shall your commute, what sort of surfaces/conditions. You may find that after a few months you want a different type of bike or another /better / more expensive one but the Decathlon should certainly be plenty to get you around. Ignore the '2 hour' bit from Decathlon, the bike won't fall apart if riding longer do learn some maintenance skills though as bikes do need some tlc especially if used daily and in all weathers

 

[Drago]

For the money some of Decathlons bikes are very decent. You could spend half as much again and quite possibly not find something that performs any better.

Go buy some new tyres.

 

[Spiderweb]

I would just ride the bike and see how you get on. Don't waste your money on something you may not need.

 

[stalagmike]

Anyone else think the OP is a wind up? Or marketing from Decathlon?

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Where does one start?

 

[gbb]

aww c'mon be charitable .
I'd just ride the bike and get a better feel for it before spending uneccessaily. I ride my hybrid with lightly treaded tyres in lots of conditions...yeah some might need a little extra care but it's fine in 90% of them.
Pump the tyres up hard, get the saddle set to a height you're comfortable with and just enjoy it while the sun is out.

saddle height and tyre pressure will give you a better ride than anything else. A poor quality ride will destroy your desire to keep doing it. Just ride and smile.

 

[cyberknight]

Ridden across a football field, albeit a dry one on 23 mm road tyres, you will be surprised what your bike can do .

 

[Firestorm]

What limits this bike to rides of up to 2 hours ?
Would it be the saddle ????
Or is that just some sort of marketing blurb to encourage people to spend more money on the more serious (expensive) bikes.

 

[cyberknight]

What limits this bike to rides of up to 2 hours ?
Would it be the saddle ????
Or is that just some sort of marketing blurb to encourage people to spend more money on the more serious (expensive) bikes.

the website saysit , i would agree with you , any bike that is set up ok is capable of being ridden all day, guy did lejog on a free bike

 

[StrontiumCat]

What limits this bike to rides of up to 2 hours ?
Would it be the saddle ????
Or is that just some sort of marketing blurb to encourage people to spend more money on the more serious (expensive) bikes.

Time-activated pop-up saddle dildo. Dunno why they added that feature, to be honest.

 

[Spiderweb]

What limits this bike to rides of up to 2 hours ?
Would it be the saddle ????
Or is that just some sort of marketing blurb to encourage people to spend more money on the more serious (expensive) bikes.

The bike may fall apart if you exceed the 2 hours specified!
What a load of marketing tosh, ride it all day if you like.