Newbie wanting to ride to work, advice on bikes please!!!

jimmy19801

Hi all, i'm looking to start cycling to work which is going to be a 32 mile round trip, haven't done any cycling for a while but pretty fit as i go to the gym religiously, just need some advice on what bike to go for?, would be riding on pretty decent roads all of the way. I've currently been looking at the boardman hybrid bikes but although they got an award from one of the many magazines (can't remember which one) i have read mixed reviews about them. I would be looking to spend in the region of £500-800 so any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated? thanks james

attica

Hi Jimmy

Welcome to the forums
A few questions for you:-

Do you want speed or comfort?
How big are the hills on your route?
How do you prefer to carry your stuff? Rucksack or panniers?
Will you want mudguards?
Is low maintenance a consideration? (if so would you consider single speed or hub gears?)

This should help us give you a bit more advice.

Meantime, I can heartily say that you won't regret taking the plunge, I manage a 15 mile each way trip three or four times a week now, but you will need to start small, 32 miles is a long way especially with a days work in the middle.

Try riding on for instance a Monday and then perhaps add a Thursday ride, eventually you'll feel up to riding two days in a row - it's quite surprising how leaden your legs can feel on day two. Build up slowly and listen to your body.

Then again, if you ride slower than your maximum speed you'll probably feel better about it, personally I ride to work like my hair is on fire every day which probably doesn't help matters.

linsen

I do a 12 mile hilly commute on a road bike - a LeMond Zurich which rides like a dream. I also have a Specialised HT MTB but wouldn't consider taking that to work - though it is very comfy it is very inefficient. The road bike weighs under 9kg. I take a small pack on my back with food and would need to get a new seat post if I was going to take even small panniers, so in some ways it's not a versatile choice. You'd need to think about how long you want to spend getting there. Don't be fooled into thinking that mountain bikes get you up hills better - they don't on road! Also mudguards might be an issue - franky I arrive at work in a state anyway and shower and change when I get there, so mudguards wouldn't really feature for me!

CiB

I'd agree with the previous replies. If you're not doing the ride every day, can you take in enough clothes for the cycling days when you drive / commute by public transport, to allow you to ride in carrying nothing extra? Is there a handy nearby shop to buy your lunch? That's how I do it. Having enough clean togs in the office from the days when I drive in, and a nearby sandwich outlet for lunch means that I can ride in with no ballast. Which means a lightweight road bike - a Scott S20 with carbon fibre bits and an adequate range of gears for the hills [remember - the incline of your hills can go down as well as up...] - is perfect for my commute. Your needs might well be different. IMHO though the lighter the better; anything else is always a compromise. Sometimes a compromise suits, but dragging a pair of fat tyres attached to a heavy frame under a chunky saddle up a long hill does take away the fun aspect of it. Lightness is everything, And consider buying a computer to see how much your journey times improve. Every little helps...

scotshamlet

As stated above there are a lot of things to be considered. I use a Carrera Subway 2 with panniers for my 12 and a bit ml each way commute which I do in about 50 mins. But as I’m nearer 60 than 50 and don’t profess to be a speed king… I vote for the comfort…
but whatever you do.....start off steady and let your body get used to it.

jimmy19801

Thanks for the replys, To answer a few of the questions,
I would be looking for speed over comfort, and the hills are not too bad apart from one very big one, i don't mind carrying my stuff in a backpack. I'm pretty sure i would need mud guards (i work in a shopping centre and there are showers but not sure if they are open to us tenants i'd have to enquire). with regards to cycling the full distance i was thinking of doing approx half by slinging the bike in the car and driving to my sisters and then cycling from there untill i've built up enough to tackle it in one go. thnaks for all your advice please keep it coming as the more information i have the better choice i'll make when parting with my hard earned cash

dangreen

Hey!

I've just recently taken the plunge myself with my 14.5 mile each way commute. Going to your sisters first to cut the distance down is a very good idea. I get the train part of the way in leaving about 8 miles into work on the bike and then ride the whole 14.5 miles home. I'm having a days rest inbetween until I get a bit fitter! I ride a Genesis Day 2 which I find comfortable and quick. I've also found clipless pedals a big help as well!

I agree with previous posts leave as much stuff at work save you have to carry it back and forth with you. Also get a little tool kit together with supplies so you can deal with punctures quickly. In mine i've got

3 strong tyre levers
Inner tube
CO2 Inflator
Allen keys
Couple of these incase the chain goes http://www.cyclesurgery.co.uk/2578/SRAM-Power--Link-.html
And some gloves to keep my hands clean

Beeblebrox

jimmy19801 wrote:

Thanks for the replys, To answer a few of the questions,
I would be looking for speed over comfort, and the hills are not too bad apart from one very big one, i don't mind carrying my stuff in a backpack. I'm pretty sure i would need mud guards (i work in a shopping centre and there are showers but not sure if they are open to us tenants i'd have to enquire). with regards to cycling the full distance i was thinking of doing approx half by slinging the bike in the car and driving to my sisters and then cycling from there untill i've built up enough to tackle it in one go. thnaks for all your advice please keep it coming as the more information i have the better choice i'll make when parting with my hard earned cash

I think for the distance you're looking at doing, panniers would be a worthwhile investment (unless you go the earlier mentioned route and carry no extra ballast) as they just take the strain off the back on puts it on the frame.

You want speed? Then you want a Road Bike! Yeah!

jimmy19801

i've seen quite a few people this last month on road bikes on their way to work i presume, strange but i had never really noticed any bike riders untill i started thinking about doing it myself, trying to check out what bike everyone is riding. Anyway the only reason that i was looking at the hybrid bikes was whilst i want to get to work quickly, i would like to be able to walk once there, so figured a hybrid was a good compromise between a road and a mountain bike, speed/comfort. Any different views to sway me? Or any bike suggestions i.e. make/model in price range £500-800ish

John Stevenson

Being able to walk once you get there is just a matter of shoes & pedal choice.

Get 'leisure' style shoes, or racing mountain bike shoes if you want something stiffer, and SPD pedals and you're sorted.

Recent reviews of leisure shoes:

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... io-3-32336

plus the 'Related articles' linked from there.

I second the recommendation for a road bike.

Kieran_Burns

Some excellent advice (as per!) here, but please don't forget to factor in the extras you'll need

Lights (front and rear)
clothing (shower / rain / cold / warm)
HELMET! ( )
bike lock


I've recently started the commute FROM work (14.5 miles) and catch the train in. I do every day at the moment and find by Friday i really feel it.. but I am getting quicker and it is getting easier.

I've found the following:
get mudguards - no really and make them full size
rucksacks make for VERY wet backs, I've just bought panniers
while it'll feel cold / fresh when you set off, you'll soon get very warm when cycling

Oh, and as to choice of bike - I converted my Road bike to a commuter - effectively it's as near a hybrid as anything now!

doog442

I would say if you are pretty fit 16 mile trip wouldnt be a problem, you have all day to recover before the homeward leg. Your ar*se will be the first victim but should settle down after a week or so.Your thighs / legs will take a month or two, especially if you like hammering it.

As for bikes Ive got a specialised tricross that can take mudguards and a rack and do a bit of off road. I havent put the guards on yet due to wrong size :roll: so end up cleaning the bike every day which is a pain

I ride with a rucksack and yes you do get sweaty but the rucksack is convenient

My mate has just brought a Scott sub10 for his commute and he loves it

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Scott-Sub-10-Cl ... _12534.htm

My other friend has just got a cannondale bad boy for his commute

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.CANNONDALE-Bad- ... _13892.htm

Ive ended up spending about £250 on extras

Track pump,small pump in case of emergencies,lights,mud guards,waterproof jkt,shoes, SPD's, spair innertubes,repair kit, road tyres,lube, various other bits of clothing, speedo as well

giltkid

The boardman hybrids and road bikes are superb but sold by muppets (please take note CB) - if you buy one entrust it to a proper bike shop for set up and servicing.

TheMightyHet

I'm just working up to commuting to work (12 mile round trip) after recently getting a bike. I'd recommend doing some riding 5 or 6 miles at first on a night after work. It really helped me to get into the swing of things! As for a bike I have a Claud Butler Urban Comfort sports hybrid thing! It's light and comfortable and capable of been fitted with guards and panniers. You do get a very sweaty back with a rucksack so if you go that route have something to change into when you get to work! Did my first full commute today and feel pretty damn good for it! Now going to work up to doing it every other day!

jimmy19801

Again guys thanks for all the advice and comments, i enquired today about showers at work at we have a shower block for tenants, i CAN leave clothing e.t.c. at work and carry small amounts in a rucksack but i think i'm gonna go with panniers, would like to have mudguards fitted so i don't look like i have got a big skid mark down my back and i don't have to clean the bike every day, so the only question really now is do i go road bike or hybrid? Again suggestions on make model, or any links u guys have to reviews of bikes would be great, and thanks for the replies!

AndyManc

Go for a sports hybrid , if ,after a few years you've caught the bug then consider becoming a roadie.

I went to the gym for about a month before I became a full time commuter , as for which bike .... well there are many , there wont be a great deal of difference and it's all down to personal preference.

To be honest, I start from ... what bike do I think looks the best

N0bodyOfTheGoat

The Specialized Tricross Sport might tempt you, especially if you find an '08 model in a sale in your right size, such as...
http://www.hargrovescycles.co.uk/produc ... rtno=31163 (£549 instead of £600; only 52cm size left)
As said earlier in the thread, it has guard and rack mounts.

Hargroves also have the "single speed" version of this bike in the sale too in 52cm and 54cm for £349 (down from £449)...
http://www.hargrovescycles.co.uk/produc ... rtno=30997

londonlivvy

I like my specialised sirrus elite for commuting - good with panniers and mudguards, pretty fast and not super-desirable to thieves (I've left it parked outside pubs in all sorts of places, with locks on of course and it's there when I get back). It's also got armadillo tyres so you don't get many punctures, even if you end up riding over glass at some point on your route.

I'd suggest when you start that maybe you ride to work and get the train home, then the next day train in and ride home - that way you can build up gradually to riding both ways - that's what I did to start with and now I'm at 11miles each way 4 days a week with no problems.

Good luck.