Newbie here with a few questions.

AINSLEY WILLS

Hi everyone,
I just discovered this great froum and have spent all night reading the many informative posts ....... great stuff.

It's a while since I've been on a bike but I'm planning on buying one over the next two weeks.

I have decided a Hybrid will be most suited for me needs as I'll be cycling mainly on roads and the odd dirt track or ravel cycle path, I won't be doing any mountain bike rides.

So many bikes to choose from and everything I seem to read suggests spending at least œ250 for a decent beginners bike.
Online I've looked at the Carrera Subway and the Marin Kentfield and Beldevere, are these OK and worth looking at ? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

My biggest worry is bike security.
I live in a tiny flat which is mainly filled with guitars and amps .... hahaha ........ and I have no room whatsoever for a bike. I don't have a garden as such, just a strip of gravel about four feet wide which runs around the exterior. I do have metal railing which run around this area too.
I was thinking if I got a couple of decent locks I could secure the bike to the railing and maybe get some of those anchor points to cement into the ground ? Then with a bike cover over it may be ok ? I live in quite a quiet cul de sac so I don't think opportunists would be able to cut the locks or the railings ?

Again any advice or tips would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks ...

Ainsley

pbiggs

Bag-type bike covers are worse than useless in the long run as they keep moist air and condensation trapped with the bike.

Better just to leave it out in the open for good ventilation. Rain won't do it much harm if the bike is regularly cleaned and lubricated.

Of course keeping the bike indoors would be best of all. Cyclists with small flats have been known to hang bikes up from the ceiling.

<i>~Pete</i>

BigBren

I'm not qualified to comment on the relative merits of the bikes you've mentioned, so I won't. My advice though would be to get thee to ebay with that kind of budget, and pick up a WAY higher specced bike from the secondhand market - there are some genuine bargains out there.

Bren

The Bosscp

Carrera subways are ok, I used to have a carrera subway 2 and it was ok...
For hybrid use it'd probably be fine left as stock and is probably the perfect hybrid, the stock tyres are just the right balance of slickness for on road and width for towpath kind of stuff. (Didn't like the 'suspension' seatpost though)
Although I wasn't used to rigid forks so I put marzocchi mx pro ETAs on it, then basically 'turned it into' a MTB by upgrading it to maxxis larsen TT tyres, FSA stem and hayes hfx9 brakes. Got nicked though unfortunately :-(
Although it's a world apart from the 'proper' MTB I've got now [;)]

Regarding storage, could you find space for a couple of hangers on the wall? Guitar hangers would probably suffice if you've got any of them spare, you can hang it up by the wheels...

Don't know about marin or belvedere, although I know Giant XTCs are very good, they are very light and are popular so there's a lot of perfectly good second hand ones knocking about on ebay, put out a watch for them.


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The Bosscp

Alternatively rent a studio, and shift some of your amps and stuff into there, my brother used to rent one for fairly cheap - basically just a room in an old warehouse that you rent and it's yours 24/7.


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Unknown

Like was suggested, your flat will have walls and ceilings, get some brackets.

I started on a Dawes Discovey 201, I know that are not flavour of the month but at œ150ish new, they are great value. I towpathed mine to death and did regular 20/30 mile road runs and it was fine.

Unknown

FWIW, having had a brief look at the latest Subway range in H'fords at the weekend, I reckon that they are pretty good vfm.

That said, 2nd hand is by far the best option!

d.j.
"The Angels have my 'phone box."

Sorry, forgot: "welcome!"

Bigtallfatbloke

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I live in a tiny flat which is mainly filled with guitars and amps .... hahaha ........ and I have no room whatsoever for a bike<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">


..just send those guitars and amps over to me, I'll 'look after' them for you and then you'll have space to house your bike.
Glad I could help[:D]

john richardson

Whatever you choose think about upgrading to puncture resistant tyres (if you're buying new, the bike shop might not even charge you/charge you less than list price) well worth putting off that first encounter with the slow sssss for as long as possible.

AINSLEY WILLS

Thanks for all the prompt replies you lot.
I thought about second hand and eBay but there's not much in my area, plus I'd be wondering if I was buying a dog .... bit like used cars really.
As for storage I have no wall space and the wall would end up really manky if using the bike on a daily basis.
Gonna check out the Carreras again as I've heard good reports and my local bike shop in Hexham, see what they say. Then I need loads of locks etc ... hahaha.

I'll keep you posted [;)]