Please help a novice

man2wolf

Hi
Just joined the forum today and would appreciate help choosing a bike. I want to start commuting (3 miles each way on goodish, flattish roads) and also do a bit of leisure cycling at weekends (nothing strenuous - country parks/towpaths). The more I read about bikes the more confused I become and my shortlist is getting longer by the day. It seems I need a hybrid bike with 700c wheels and 32-42 mm tyres. But what about gears? Whats the difference between hub and derailleur? Why do hub gears only have 3-8 speeds when derailleurs have 18-24? Why would I need so many? Anyway, I've been considering the Giant Expression range and Dawes (Mirage/Mojave/Colorado) as I need full mudguards and possibly a chain guard. Budget is only around £250 though. If anyone can offer any pointers before I head off to the shops I would be very grateful :?

A - W

May I suggest searching the forum, your in the same situation as many.

man2wolf

Thanks - I was just being lazy

andrewc3142

With that budget, you could get something fairly basic new or, with some patience and perusal of the small ads, web sites, etc, you could get something decent second hand.

As to what bike, you need to find out for yourself really to be happy with it. However, for the kind of thing you describe I'd go for drops, derailleur, 28c tyres with a mild tread. Now, if you could find a second hand Dawes Super Galaxy at that price .....

craker

Hub gears are enclosed in the rear axle and are (more) maintenance free.

Derailleurs offer lots of gears but there is some duplication. (ie combinations of small ring at the front / small ring at the back are the same as middle chain ring and a bigger cog at the back).

Lots of gears is good to find a speed that matches how fast you want to pedal; 27 speed derailleurs offers a bigger range and smaller increments than an 8 speed hub.

I'm not sure how old you are or how likely to get into cycling and wish you had a better / faster bike. 2nd hand Dawes sounds like it covers most bases.

simon_e

Most hybrid/flatbar/city/commuter bikes should have good mudguard clearance. If you can make sense of the specs you can narrow it down a bit. There are suitable bikes from nearly all brands (Giant, Trek, Kona, Specialized, Raleigh.....) as it's a popular market segment. Paying more gets better components, which won't necessarily be obvious when riding. Usually the frames are the same within a range and probably much of a muchness in weight/performance terms.

The best way to choose is visit some bike shops and look at and sit on models that are the right size for you. If you can convince them you're a serious shopper you should get a try on at least a couple. They may look similar but will all feel slightly different.

I like the idea of hub gears, and if your rides are flattish you may find 8 is plenty. As others have said, derailleurs offer a somewhat bewildering choice, which can be exploited if you learn how the ratios are set. of course you could always stick it on the middle ring of the front mech and just use the rear set for faster/slower. That's what my derailleur-phobic wife does (and probably a lot of others).

I think I have an issue of C+ from last year with a few of these bikes reviewed, I'll have a dig later and post back if it contains anything useful.

Craig Beresford

man2wolf wrote:

Hi
I need full mudguards and possibly a chain guard. Budget is only around £250 though. If anyone can offer any pointers before I head off to the shops I would be very grateful :?

Hi, just had a read of your thread and I happen to have a Hybrid for sale that might
intererest you? It is a Scott SUB 30 (Speed Utility Bike) brand new complete with
a set of full fitted mudguards. I won it at work and I already have a MTB so this one
is for sale. If you are interested, you could mail me for some full details and loads of
decent pics. I'd take less than your budget for it. The pic obviously does not show the
mudguards.

Here's a pic:


http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12560575