Hi, another Newbie needing a new ride!!!

mentalpatient123

Well first of all sorry if you have read a similar topic several times before but...

I need a new bike... my 20 year old Raleigh is having gear problems and the chain keeps coming off.. it's also heavy and has rusty wheels..

So i am looking at new bikes... I think i have about £350-500 depending on how long I wait...

I am 6'3" and I am unsure of whether I need a 59 or 61 Cm frame.. but I have looked at a few bikes and they all have Sora gears which a few people on here seem to loathe!!

so what bikes would you reccommend??

I ride maybe 20-30 miles at the weekend if possible and maybe further if the crank stopped coming loose on my current bike!!!

I also commute 2 miles to work on saturdays, so clipless might not be an option unless i take my work shoes in a backpack..

what can you advise??

(i am trying out bikes on friday so i can find out which ones ride best then)

Kafka\'s Doll

A bike recommendation would depend entirely on your personal preferences (flat bars? fixed gear? steel frame?), but I think I can recommend some pedals: I recently got the Shimano M647s and you can use them with cleats or without, because they have a platform as well as a cleat system. That'll save you carrying your own shoes, at least.

Van_Heerden

With the basic information you have given, there are numerous bikes which would appear to fit the bill.

From you height, you will almost certainly need the 61cm frame if not bigger depending on how your height is distributed.

Most bikes up to the £500 price point are fitted with Sora gears but these are fine and a solid system for the mileage you have mentioned. Elsewhere in the form there was a thread re Sora and whether or not people think it is rubbish or not. It is a split decision some are big fans for the value it represents some think it breaks/wears out to quickly.

Any reply will tell you that above anything else, the bike has to be the right fit for you. It could have the best parts in the world on it but if it doesn't fit you it won't be nice to ride. Good reviews always seem to go to the Specialized Allez. The Trek 1.2 comes in at the same price bracket depending on whether you want double or triple.

My own chosen manufacturer is Giant. Not many people on the forums seem to like them but IMO they make great frames and spec them well for the money. For £465 you can get an SCR 3.0. The SCR is designed to be a comfortable yet sporty ride. The 3.0 comes with Sora shifters, a Sora front derailleur and Tiagra rear derailleur and a triple chainset. For the mileage and type of riding you do, this will work very well and then some. The frame is good enough on these bikes to upgrade the parts as they wear out and could last you a long time.

Go to your LBS, see what they stock and try out as many as you can.

Good luck.

mentalpatient123

thanks for the help.. sorry for the late reply...

As for fitting clipless i think i will wait until I can afford to and just buy a bit more of an expensive bike...

As for Bikes I am going to try some out soon as i have got Half-Term to look at them..

I want to try the Giant SCR 3.0 that Van_heerden suggested as I like Giant bikes too!!!

I will also try the Allez and the Trek 1.2 and also any others as well.


As for distance I will ride, I went for a 2 way trip over 12-mile to surprise my dad at work and show him he can cycle to work to get fit!!!

12 miles in 50 minutes and It was fine, could have saved 5 minutes each way but didn't want to risk a big roundabout with a 50Mph speed limit during lorry rush hour!!!

I am going to try timing myself doing a few circuits nearby and see if I can do 12 miles in a shorter time which will get me fit to get into cycling with a new bike!!!

fizz

mentalpatient123 wrote:

tAs for fitting clipless i think i will wait until I can afford to and just buy a bit more of an expensive bike...

I'd agree on price range and bikes suggested by the post above, but If I were you I'd go clipless now it really does make a difference and you dont need an expensive bike to have clipless pedals.

The other range is wiggles focus range of bikes, so you might want to look at those to.

If you have a local bike shop take a wander round there and see what takes your eye.

mentalpatient123

Well I had a look at the bikes on wiggle, but the cheapest focus is £549 which is a tad over my budget... unless they have sale models but I couldn't find any.

I went out on my old bike and went on my normal evening ride and managed to cut 2 minutes over 10 miles!!!

I now do it in 29 and a bit Minutes with the wind against me on all the hills!!!

I am now looking at getting a slightly cheaper bike but with the same frame as the top end versions but cheaper parts, because I can upgrade parts as they wear and also If they make riding painful..

then again It would be nice not to have to fiddle about in 6 months time...

Although I can hit the roads in my parents car on Saturday I am waiting to learn so I can buy a new bike... It seems logical to me as I can cover 10 miles only a few minutes slower than by car (on certain roads).
however my friends all maintain that I should have got a moped last year and saved effort!!! :P

I am going to try out some bikes over the next week so I will update you with which ones are best and find out whether the spec is ok!!!