Posted by inappropriate
on Tue 20 Dec 11, 8:52 PM to inappropriate's blog.
I've just received some unexpected money, and as I currently dislike cycling, but can't do a lot of other exercise, I'm considering buying a new bike to make me like it more!
I currently have a battered old girls mountain bike that I use to commute a couple of miles each way to work. It lives outside as I don't have anywhere suitable to keep it inside and I live in an area where bikes get stolen regularly :/
The new bike, should I buy one, will also probably live outside (or in my bath tub!).
I'm looking to spend no more than £500, and for that I expect riding it to be akin to sex.
Questions: do bike shops let you go out and have a test ride? Should I get a road bike, are they suitable ONLY for roads, or could they be ridden on trails too? What are the other options? Any recommendations for particular brands/models?
Alternatively, can someone come and shout filth at me with a megaphone and I'm sure I'll grow to love my current bike!
Many thanks in advance,
A.
| 20 Dec 11, 9:07 PM Kinky_Vidushaka UK(SW), 3 yrs   |
Just had a look and Decathlon sports don't have a shop near you.  Try a branch of Halfords they usually let you try a bike in their car parks, usually leave your car keys with them in the shop. There is a fine line between sanity and insanity. I have a foot firmly planted either side of that line | |
| 20 Dec 11, 9:07 PM bohnanza UK(FK), 12 yrs  |
Get a folding bike, second hand you should manage to spend less than £500. It will fit neatly in a flat, car and office. The Gadget Show regularly reviews folding bikes http://fwd.channel5.com/gadget-show/videos/jon-t... and http://fwd.channel5.com/gadget-show/videos/jon-t... I have the perfect accent for conflict resolution, shame about the personality. | |
| 20 Dec 11, 9:08 PM TheSilverFox UK(GU), 2 yrs    |
You can get a hybrid... But they are limited in terms of what they can do off-road. If you want to throw it over serious dirt then it really needs to be a mountain bike. Let's all play nicely people.. Just remember.. This is meant to be fun! | |
| 20 Dec 11, 9:18 PM american_girl UK(CB), 2 yrs |
Talk to @Beau_Tox about this - he's a cycling fiend and, if we had space, would have a collection of 20-30 bikes. I've forwarded him this post, and when he recovers from the lurgy I gave him, I'm sure he'll have something to say about what bikes to consider.
Well, either that or he'll record some filth for you to listen to as motivation. xx Primula is NOT cheese. Fuck, it's not even FOOD. | |
| 20 Dec 11, 9:27 PM Caracal UK(SS), 5 yrs     |
Get a indoor exercise bike and plonk it in front of the telly. No foul weather excuses, you can still watch the box and use your existing bike for work and beyond. Failing actually getting backside on bike, you can always use it as a clotheshorse (says the ex-owner of an exercise bike!) | |
| 20 Dec 11, 9:38 PM MisstressvsSolicedog UK(NN), 17 mths |
do as bonanza say's get a folding bike,, then you can pop it in the back of the car and drive to work, ! Please excuse crap spelling cause i,m rubbish | |
| 20 Dec 11, 9:52 PM sathya UK(S), 18 mths |
You'll be able to pick up a decent bike in the end of season sales. I got a Specialized a couple of years ago at this time of year with around 30% reduction good luck! The violets explode inside me when I meet your eyes Then I'm spinning and I'm diving Like a cloud of starlings - Elbow | |
| 20 Dec 11, 10:09 PM epona74 UK(SL), 7 yrs |
As a recent convert to cycling, I will say this: don't go to Halfrauds!  There are lots of fabulous cycling stores out there with different bikes you can try. Yes, any serious bike shop will let you take the bike out for a test ride, though you're often limited in just how much of a trial you can have due to location etc. it's well worth getting the best you can afford, because frankly the bike makes a HUGE difference to enjoyment! Hybrids are pretty good all-rounders. They're smooth and light enough to be sensible road bikes but sturdy enough that you can do some basic trail riding too. If you're going to do more trail than road then get a wider wheel and tyre, if you're going to be mainly on roads then this matters less. Sensible gearing and good brakes are vital. Do some research and try out the differences in V-brakes, disc brakes, hub brakes etc. The benefit of disc and hubs is that they don't squeal and they don't really change that much with the weather, any brake that sits on the rim will change when it's wet and can develop an allmighty squeal. Check that you're getting the right size and shape for you. This means not just the height, but the reach to the bars. Figure out what's more comfortable when it comes to handlebars-do you want drops or are you happier with the slightly more upright feel of straight bars-or even butterfly bars? The geometry you want will also define the type of bike you'll be more comfortable with-road bikes tend to be designed for lower slung riding while hybrids are more upright. Include a really decent lock (or two) in your budget. Make sure you lock it through both wheels AND frame to something solid that it can't be lifted over. That budget should get you a perfectly decent bike, but it's really worth doing some research and trying out as many as possible to find out what will be the perfect one for you! For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness. (Ralph Waldo Emerson) | |
| 20 Dec 11, 10:11 PM Shypeachybottom UK, 20 mths |
^^^ I definitely second @aMERRYcan_girl - he sorted me out with a great bike (a cheap second hand one which was exactly what I wanted) which is just right for me There's a somebody I'm longing to see, I hope that he turns out to be, someone to watch over me | |
| 20 Dec 11, 10:25 PM inappropriate UK(CF), 3 yrs |
Thanks for the hint - yes, my car is definitely worth more than the bikes I'll be looking at so it looks like a good plan! |
