Comuting bike advice

dezzie_ecc
dezzie_ecc Posts: 3
edited October 2008 in Commuting chat
Morning all

Long time reader, first time poster and all that...

Anyway. I currently commute 7.2 miles from home to Garforth train station near Leeds (been doing it for about 6 weeks now). I then lock the bike in one of those little individual sheds and get an onwards train to York. I'm doing this on a mountain bike with pannier fitted. I seem to do ok pace wise as its about 33-35 mins each way but I do get jealous of the people I see on road bikes and so I am thinking of taking the plunge and getting a road bike to make my life a bit easier.

My first thought was a 2nd hand bike as I guess you get more for your money. However I am also thinking of getting something on a 'bike to work' scheme. Second hand I think i'd want to pay tops £200 but for bike to work i'd be willing to go to maybe £500. My route is all A/B road so a road bike would be ok I think.

I don't want to spend too much because I either have to leave it all day at the station or if all the 'sheds' are full I have to take the bike on the train with me so it gets battered around a bit.

Anyway...after all that. Anyone have any recommendations as to a suitable bike to look out for? I'm pretty new to it all and there is that much choice i'm not even sure where to start!

Thanks in advance.

Comments

  • fatherted
    fatherted Posts: 199
    Bite the bullet and commute the whole distance.
    Ribble do a roadbike ( 7005 frame with Tiagra ) for £429.00.
    Leave clothes ( shoes / trousers ) at work , take shirts and underwear
    on the monday , take home on the friday. no bags needed tues - thurs.
  • fatherted
    fatherted Posts: 199
    i just re-read your post. You take the train to York though
    i'd still buy the Ribble unless you can get the equivalent cheaper.
    btw , how far is the commute to York ?
  • dezzie_ecc
    dezzie_ecc Posts: 3
    Its 27 miles if I do the full one. To be honest i'd like to build up to doing that once a week and then when renewing my train pass I can have a free day a week which gets close to a free week each month. I also hope to build gradually so I got to further train stations and thus bring the price of the train down!

    Thanks for the advice on the bike, I will have a proper look at that when I get home from work. I will need to carry things with me though as I take my lunch with me and also need a towel each day as nowhere really at work to dry one.

    All this talk about saving money on trains and lunch, you can tell i'm a tight Yorkshireman!
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    dezzie_ecc wrote:

    All this talk about saving money on trains and lunch, you can tell i'm a tight Yorkshireman!

    If you think cycling will save you money then you are sorely mistaken! Just ask people on this forum!

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