Type of Bike

chrism_scotland

I'm considering getting a bike for the commute to work, only about 4 miles each way, I live in Edinburgh and I feel I would rather cycle than hang about on buses, and also I want to get fitter in anticipation of attempting to join the Royal Navy next year.

I previously had a Giant XTC SE before I moved into Edinburgh but sold it because I didn't have the time for it.
Now that I have graduated and working full time I have more time for a bike.

Really just wondering if people would reccomend a similar type of bike for the commute? or if I would be better with a bike without suspension at all.

My work is opening a Cycle to Work scheme so I want to take advantage of this,

Chris

redddraggon

Get a road bike if you're on the road.

chrism_scotland

Is there going to be a huge amount of difference between a hardtail and a road bike?

redddraggon

chrism_scotland wrote:

Is there going to be a huge amount of difference between a hardtail and a road bike?

An absolutely massive difference.

TheBoyBilly

As redddragon says, get a road bike. A hardtail will only ever be a compromise - an okay idea if at some point you venture off-road but you will need a lock-out on your fork for road work (and work it will seem like on a heavier bike with wider, smaller wheels probably fitted with knobblies. Most folk here will recommend drop bars but if you prefer flat bars then the Country Traveller from Edinburgh Cycles should fit the bill at a reasonable price. Down £100 to £299 for a "new" 2007 model with rack and guards fitted.

NorwegianBlue

Firstly if you're used to riding an MTB then a road bike will take some getting used to, and you don't want to be learning a whole new riding experience in heavy traffic.

Secondly road bikes are designed for work on fast open roads. And their geometry tends not to lend itself to being chucked about.

Thirdly mountain bikes are built tough for rough tough trail work, not something you come across much on your average gyratory unless you make a HUGE mistake.

So finally what I think you really need is an urban bike. Now there are a lot of urban bikes out there, from comfort bikes to lightweight rockets with twitchy geometry. The real question should be : Which urban bike do I need?

BUICK

I honestly think that on the road suspension on a bike is just added weight and will sap your energy as it will literally 'steal' some of the impact of the effort you put in - I guess if you want to get fit it would do that because it's effectively a bit of a handicap! But if you are using a bike that's comfortable and you enjoy using, rather than struggling with it, you are more likely to want to get out riding and to keep it up. I know this is the 'road bike' section (and I LOVE road bikes) but a hybrid is probably a good option for the type of journey that you are doing. A good hybrid will feel faster and more responsive than what you are used to but you will have the upright position that you are used to, and will allow you to see ahead easily and possibly even be seen more easily as more of your body is visible when you aren't tucked down on the drops (a point that may be controversial).

One thing that I would recommend above suggesting an actual bike, is that you go to a bike shop and see about having a test ride or two, and talk about wanting to make sure that the bike fits you properly. If you just got a bike on recommendation you may find yourself uncomfortable and disappointed regardless of it's quality!

BUICK

Just realised this isn't the 'road bike' section at all. Momentary lapse of attention!

chrism_scotland

I like the seating position on a MTB, more upright than my image of a road bike, is there a happy medium?

TheBoyBilly

A hybrid will do a 4-mile comute easily. You don't have to spend loads - Claud Butler, Dawes, Trek and Ridgeback do a fair range at a reasonable outlay, as do other makers. But if comfort is your main criteria you might want er, a "comfort" bike such as the Specialized Expedition Sport or Claud Butler Legend/Odyssey series. Something of that order will be fine for commuting. Check out the Falcon website to get an idea.

roger_merriman

it really does depend on what you want and what the comute is like. if it's smooth road running then a racer will be a hoot, if your route will use roughter stuff, a mtb will swallow such stuff with out issue. a hybid will be somewhere inbetween.

if you like a more upright postion a mtb or hybid sounds more your thing.. Over 4 miles the choice of bike is unlikely to make that much difference.

chrism_scotland

The roads around here are terrible and a lot of the route to work is rought cycle paths rather than on-road.
I was more worried about the tyres than anything, would I maybe be just a easy getting slicks or semi slicks for a MTB?

NorwegianBlue

Even if you will be using cycle tracks I would recommend a rigid urban bike, and tyre wise you won't be needing anything special. I've often ridden cycle tracks and towpaths on a slicked up road bike.

The Kona Smoke has everything you need for that sort of commuting and is cheap. You can of course spend one hell of a lot more, but I'm just giving an illustration of the sort of bike I'd choose for that sort of commute rather than the price.

meanwhile

You can do 4 miles on virtually any sort of bike. But I'd say the optimum would be suspensionless (less to go wrong, less likely to get stolen, less weight) and probably with a reasonably upright position and stable frame angles (road racing bikes are agile but less stable). As you're in Edinburugh, I'd start by looking at the Edinburugh Bicycle Cooperative's Revolution Range - eg the Courier classic.

See -

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com

Questions/suggestions -

- It's rainy in E'h, so you might want the version of the Courier with disc brakes - these work better in the wet.

- Does your likely route involve any long and steep hills? If so you might want lots of gears (possibly meaning a MTB with road tyres) otherwise a single front chain ring bike could be better.

- Buy excellent lights, especially a red strobe, if you're going to be commuting in the dark. This can go on the scheme for a refund too. So can rainproofs. I'd look at something made from Event fabric - Goretex doesn't breath nearly well enough while cycling. Montane make some good gear. Make sure you wear bright colours while cycling - buy your raingear in yellow or orange.

- Get mudguards and possibly a rack.

- Buy an excellent lock, with an insurance policy. Consider spraying your frame a yucky color to make it less likely to get stolen - do a deliberately bad job at this. Pick something that will help the bike get seen too - gold, neon green, yellow - pink would be great if you can stand it.

If you don't want disc brakes, then the 07 Courier is on sale for less than £200 now - this is an award winning bike that got compared favourably with much more expensive big name hybrids. But in your shoes, especially given that big HMG refund, I'd be tempted to spend £270 to get the Classic Courier Disc. An upright position and putting your money into all-weather brakes and lights will make the biggest difference to your safety, and good rain proofs (and possibly a merino T shirt and underwear, which you should also be able to claim for - see my merino thread in Commuting) will make the biggest difference to comfort.

NorwegianBlue

An excelent choice, but Shirley the Courier will probably only be an option if the C2W scheme is with Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op?

meanwhile

NorwegianBlue wrote:

An excelent choice, but Shirley the Courier will probably only be an option if the C2W scheme is with Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op?

If you're asking whether EBC do C2W, the answer is yes. (They also have one of the least intelligent bike salesmen in existence - 26'' wheels are slower than 700C because they have a smaller radius, it seems, so for whatever your rate of pedaling they won't move as fast. I tried to tell him about gears but he got confused.)

Otoh if for some reason the guy's workplace is tied to come particular store, then his range of bikes is going to be reduced, and if it isn't EBC then their own brand bike won't be an option, yes.

chrism_scotland

I am all but certain that it is ECBC that run our cycle to work scheme, I know its not Halfords and EBC seem to be the bike of choice in the bike park at work, probably because of last years C2W scheme, so I am almost certain that it is indeed Edinburgh Cycle who run it.

I like the look of the Courier and esp with Disc brakes, don't think I could go back to non disc braking on a bike.
I hadn't really thought about the more practical aspects such as mudguards, lights, I could also get mudguards, lights for a MTB yes?

black flash

chrism_scotland wrote:

I'm considering getting a bike for the commute to work, only about 4 miles each way, I live in Edinburgh and I feel I would rather cycle than hang about on buses, and also I want to get fitter in anticipation of attempting to join the Royal Navy next year.

I previously had a Giant XTC SE before I moved into Edinburgh but sold it because I didn't have the time for it.
Now that I have graduated and working full time I have more time for a bike.

Really just wondering if people would reccomend a similar type of bike for the commute? or if I would be better with a bike without suspension at all.

My work is opening a Cycle to Work scheme so I want to take advantage of this,

Chris

I got a Giant Escape M1 (from EBC) two weeks ago, and I'm very happy with it.
It's a hybrid,with 26 inch semi-slick tyres, and essentially a mountain bike frame.

Plenty quick on the road, and comfortable for 30 mile round trip up the Union Canal to Broxburn yesterday.

If you had a Giant before and prefer the more 'upright' riding style, give it a look.

I also considered one of EBCs own, as well as Marin Muirwood, Cannondale Bad Boy and Specialized Globe.

beegee

For 4 miles each way, get a road bike with flat handlebars for comfort and good vision with proper mudguards so that you can use it when the roads are wet without having to change into special clothing. Thus saving on commuting time and encouraging you to use it when you wouldn't otherwise. Don't know about suspension I'm afraid, never had it.

meanwhile

beegee wrote:

For 4 miles each way, get a road bike with flat handlebars for comfort and good vision with proper mudguards so that you can use it when the roads are wet without having to change into special clothing.

If it matters, a mountain bike with good slicks will probably be every bit as fast as a flat handled road bike with equivalent tyres. Just buy a bike that fits you and is a good price, with, as beegee says, all the proper attachment points for mudguards. I'd ride the 700c and 26'' wheel Courier discs and buy the one that felt right to me. Or buy the 26'' if you want to use the bike hard offroad at weekends.

If you do buy an MTB, make sure that you swap the tyres for road tyres. Knobbly offroad tyres are (literally) a drag and the grip is poor on hard surfaces.

Don't forget to buy damn good lights! Especially a red strobe for the back. Read reviews and ask for recommendations. Consider wearing armband strobes too. If you're commuting at night, lights arguably matter more than the bike.

Oh, and google search "effective cycling".

cee

[devilsadvocate]

But then again, the Pentlands are just a short cycle from the centre of Edinburgh, so you could get a knobbly tired bike (not a hybrid...edbikes cuillen looks not bad for the cash!)....use it for your commute to work, and thrash the trails at nights and weekends!

[/devilsadvocate]

always_tyred

cee wrote:

[devilsadvocate]

But then again, the Pentlands are just a short cycle from the centre of Edinburgh, so you could get a knobbly tired bike (not a hybrid...edbikes cuillen looks not bad for the cash!)....use it for your commute to work, and thrash the trails at nights and weekends!

[/devilsadvocate]

Quite a lot of the Pentland trails would be within range of that courier though.