What bike is best?

suziesaysso

hi

im planning to buy a bike through the cycle to work scheme - my commute will be about 7-8 miles from west london to the west end. im a complete beginner so i have a few qs for you knowledgable folk!!

1. hybrid or road bike?
2. what brands are reputable? is the carrera brand available at halfords any good/reliable?
3. panniers vs rucksack for all your stuff? which is more practical?
4. apart from helmet/lights etc, what other accessories do i need?
5. clippy pedals vs normal ones?

if you can answer one or all of these questions, i'd be very grateful for your comments!

linsen

Hi there...

1. I'd get a road bike personally
2. Not sure - Halfords dubious. Go to your LBS and choose from a better range sold by people who know A LOT about bikes.
3. I have hardly any stuff to carry and no way of fitting paniers to my road bike so I carry a light pack or nothing (leave stuff to change into at work). Others here will I'm sure champion the pannier approach - it's down to personal preference I think.
4. spare tube, tyre levers (in a saddle pack with spare muesli bar!), pump, hi-viz jacket for winter. I would get a bike computer too - it'll encourage you! Also for chilly days I have bought some overshoes - magic (Endura luminite)
5. I clipped in straightaway on my road bike and have had no trouble. Lots more power in your pedalling.

Happy cycling

laughingboy

1/ If you are using it only to commute on roads, then buy a road bike (or a tourer, if you need to carry a lot, or intend spending a lot of time in the saddle). There is nothing wrong with a hybrid or cross bike, but they are designed to be used on trails as well as roads, with all the compromise that suggests.
In fact, I'd suggest buying second hand at first, just to get underway. After a while riding you will work out what you actually need/want in a bike. Once you've worked this out, buy new, and buy at the top of your budget.
2/ Read all you can, and test ride as much as you can. There is a lot of bike snobbery, so it can be unreliable to trust strangers' preconceptions.
3/ Panniers every time, for me. Rucksacks are fine for walkers, but less good on a bike. Sweaty and sore backs aren't my idea of fun.
4/ Need? I'd say you need nothing. Everything else is just to make things a bit more comfortable/more efficient/drier/faster/brighter.
5/ See 4.

Enjoy it!

2tired2ride

1. I'd say try out both if possible so you can get a feel.
2. If shopping at Halfords, go for the boardmans if you can, they are worth it and a lot better!
3. I'd say rucksack, I use a messenger bag but I don't carry much each day.
4. Bike computer (like linsen said) cycling shorts?
5. Clippy pedals it feels natural after a while.

itboffin

suziesaysso wrote:

hi

im planning to buy a bike through the cycle to work scheme - my commute will be about 7-8 miles from west london to the west end. im a complete beginner so i have a few qs for you knowledgable folk!!

1. hybrid or road bike?
2. what brands are reputable? is the carrera brand available at halfords any good/reliable?
3. panniers vs rucksack for all your stuff? which is more practical?
4. apart from helmet/lights etc, what other accessories do i need?
5. clippy pedals vs normal ones?

if you can answer one or all of these questions, i'd be very grateful for your comments!

Hi Suziesaysso it's a mine field out there but at the end of the day I think it comes down to a couple of questions.

How serious (time/effort/money) do you take bike riding / commuting? How much can you spend? How practical is it for you to commute regularly?

I'll try and explain what I mean by those questions, if you just want a bike to get you from A to B and only ride the bike for that purpose then an entry level all purpose will most likely do, if you find or think that once you start riding that you'll continue riding 3 or more days and longer distance, perhaps even the odd social ride then a road bike would be a safer investment. All of this depends on questions you might not be able to answer at the moment.

I started off without a clue, having never cycled before I bought a Halfords MTB for recreational and fitness, then after one commuting ride I quickly realised i'd wasted my money and needed a more general purpose machine, enter my hybrid (today's theme) which worked out perfectly for my daily commute 30 miles round trip, cheap enough not to worry leaving at the station or the odd knock and comfortable enough for that distance and considerably faster than the Halfords bike. Since then i've become obsessed with cycling and have spent a small fortune.

If there's some way you can try out a couple of different bikes on your commuting route it might save you a bundle.

Have a look at this link from CTC they explain the different tyres of bikes.

http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=3790

STEFANOS4784

Just to make it easier :?
The guy i work with commutes 8 miles a day on a Carrere Subway and loves it, get a cheapish bike first then when you're hooked you'll know what to buy through instinct(IMHO) :arrow:

MichaelW

On any style of bike you will need the capability to add a rear luggage rack and fenders so insist on threaded eyelets. We have a constant stream of posters trying to fit mudguards onto race bikes or rear luggage onto full-sus MTBs. They end up using hack solutions instead of proper bolt-on accessories that are lighter, stronger and more effective. If you have eyelets you are not forced to use them but it is daft to get a commuter bike without them.
Panniers give you some serious load-carrying capability. Most commuters use only one but with 2 you can pack a weeks shopping and hardly notice the difference.
Clipless pedals should only be used by competant cyclists who can track-stand and handle the bike on autopilot. If you are new to cycling and to city riding, use plain platforms until you gain enough skill.
Halfords is OK, the Subway is a sound bike, but their skill at bike assembly can vary. Its better to buy from a proper bike shop if possible where they can advise you on correct fit/size and check the assembly properly.
Kit rquired for a 2x8mile ride in London.
helmet: light colour
Gloves: keep you warm in winter and prevent road rash (a skin disease caused by sliding hand-first across the tarmac !). Use fingerless mitts in summer.
A bright coloured windproof for dry days and a waterproof for rainy ones.
waterproof trousers for cold wet days.
Good lights,
U-lock.
some reflective gear,
an A-Z map,
puncture repair kit inc spare inner tube (practice using it)
Some kevlar-protected puncture-resistant tyres (Schwalbe Marathon Plus are the toughest of all but hard to remove)

As far as bike style goes, over 8 miles most styles can work. Look for a bike that can accept some tough medium-sized tyres (28-32mm in 700c or 1.5-1.9" in MTB size).
Competition race bikes are probably a poor choice. Tour-oriented road bikes (Audax or touring) are good all-rounders. Front suspension MTBs can cope with rougher roads but non-sus MTB city bikes (like the Subway) are lighter and have less maintenance.
My own ride is a MTB-like city bike using hub gears a for low maintenance and disc brakes for grim winter riding.

alfablue

I would agree wholeheartedly with all the above, except clipless pedals. I agree that you should avoid them if you are a complete newbie, but once you are used to the bike and the traffic they are worth trying. I have used them for 10 years and still can't do a trackstand!

bornagainbiker

Save alot of money and get a bike off ebay seeing as you live in london you'll have a large choice of 'pickup only' bargains.

For my part I HIGHLY recommend the Subway range by Halfords

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... way-1-8831

The subway 1 is cheap to buy and if you give up or upgrade it keeps its price as a sellon.

cheers.

linsen

alfablue wrote:

I would agree wholeheartedly with all the above, except clipless pedals. I agree that you should avoid them if you are a complete newbie, but once you are used to the bike and the traffic they are worth trying. I have used them for 10 years and still can't do a trackstand!

+1 - I can't trackstand either but I can now go VERY slowly without falling off

Pannier need depends on whether you hae much stuff to carry - I can carry a pair of knickers in my back pocket

artaxerxes

If you are new to cycling, start off on flat pedals as there is a lot of stop/start in London traffic. Whatever anyone here says about the merits of hybrids vs road bikes, best thing for you to do is try some out and go with what you are comfortable with.

Not sure about buying 2nd hand, you'd have to know what faults to look out for, and also make sure you aren't handling stolen goods. Maybe if your local bike shop has some and they are trustworthy, that could be the way forward.

Essential accessories for me in addition to what you mentioned were
D-lock - this is what I use
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Kryptonite_Evolution_Mini_14cm_D_lock/5360021015/

Mudguards, full length preferable like the ones in the link as it helps to keeps your bike clean- make sure your bike can take them.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/SKS_Chromoplastic_Mudguard_Set/5360010679/

Floor pump, much better in my opinion than hand pumps
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Blackburn_Air_Tower_1_Track_Pump/5360035860/

Waterproof jacket (Hi-viz if you want)

As for panniers vs rucksack, I prefer panniers but then I tend to carry home lots of grocery shopping.

chaley

suziesaysso wrote:

hi

im planning to buy a bike through the cycle to work scheme - my commute will be about 7-8 miles from west london to the west end. im a complete beginner so i have a few qs for you knowledgable folk!!

1. hybrid or road bike?
2. what brands are reputable? is the carrera brand available at halfords any good/reliable?
3. panniers vs rucksack for all your stuff? which is more practical?
4. apart from helmet/lights etc, what other accessories do i need?
5. clippy pedals vs normal ones?

if you can answer one or all of these questions, i'd be very grateful for your comments!

1- Road bike.
2- Halfords can get you pretty much any bike you like, you get your voucher thing and ring their c2w office and bingo they can find one what you want, with the exception of the more obsure makes ( I got my langster there), just make sure that you don't give a voucher that is over or under the price of you kit as there is no change and you can't make up any short fall, so be sure to check the price and order everything at the same time ( ask me how I know! still it was only £10 but....)
3- Bags are less hassle/panniers keep you stuff drier and less creased
4-Pump, spare tube, tyre levers, hi/viz and a set of water proofs.
5- I'd stick with flats for a while until you get the feel for riding in town.
6- You didn't ask, but I'd get 3rd party insurance.
7- make sure that you let your home contents insure know that the bike is not yours and that there is an interested other party.
Hope this helps,
Chaley

lost_in_thought

suziesaysso wrote:

1. hybrid or road bike?
2. what brands are reputable? is the carrera brand available at halfords any good/reliable?
3. panniers vs rucksack for all your stuff? which is more practical?
4. apart from helmet/lights etc, what other accessories do i need?
5. clippy pedals vs normal ones?

1. Try to obtain something which doesn't break the bank at first, just in case you decide you hate it! I didn't want to start on a road bike, I thought they looked really uncomfortable, and am glad I started on a cruiser - the 'old commuter' in my sig - as it was better for traffic visibility and for my back! But once I got faster I had to switch to a road bike... and I was wrong about them being uncomfortable.

3. It depends a bit on what you want to carry. I would always go for panniers, and indeed do, as I carry a heavy lock. They take the strain off your back, make riding more comfortable, and stop you getting sweaty back!

4. As you're starting at this time of year (kudos for that BTW) I'd get some good gloves, and a waterproof jacket - I can highly recommend the Montane Featherlight Velo.

5. It depends how confident you are on a bike - if it's been a while it might be a good idea to start off on flats -clippy ones can be a bit tricky if you're learning to ride in traffic, re-learning bike handling and clipping and unclipping all at once - a bit much!

Jen J

I would recommend starting off with a cheap bike - maybe second hand.

Then you can take your time learning about bikes and what you want from them.

I bought my first bike as part of a tri package a few hours after deciding to do the sport, and knew absolutely nothing about bikes, I just assumed it would be fine.

And it is fine, and I do love it, but I want to get a better one, and as it's a 'good' bike, I can't justify buying one. If I'd gone for a cheap one, I could now splash out and get what I want.

I use a rucksack as I need to carry it to and from the gym at lunchtime, I haven't dared tried panniers as I'll probably love them and want to use them all the time, which I can't.

Start with flat pedals, but move to clipless as soon as you feel confident - they make such a positive difference. On my commuter I have these, M424 which are double sided plus you can use them as flats as well as clipless. Avoid toeclips.

greg66_tri_v2.0

suziesaysso wrote:

1. hybrid or road bike?
2. what brands are reputable? is the carrera brand available at halfords any good/reliable?
3. panniers vs rucksack for all your stuff? which is more practical?
4. apart from helmet/lights etc, what other accessories do i need?
5. clippy pedals vs normal ones?

if you can answer one or all of these questions, i'd be very grateful for your comments!

1. If you get a hybrid, and then you find you like cycling, chances are you'll want to sell it PDQ. Bite the bullet, commit, and get a road bike from the outset.
2. Bikes are made of lots of bits. The biggest are (a) the frame and fork, (b) the gears/brakes/drivetrain; (c) the wheels. Carrera - dunno. I would guess that the frames are flexy (so your effort goes to distorting the frame, rather than driving the wheels), the drivetrain stuff is low end and clunky, and the wheels are heavy with added friction in the hubs.
If you want an "off the shelf" road bike, which is by far and away the best option to start with, look at Specialized and Giant. Possibly Trek. All three make womens' specific bikes, the value of which I'm sceptical, but they may be of interest.
3. Courier bag. You'll immediately be thinking that's a bad idea, but it's not. Timbuk2 bags have a cross strap to stop them swinging out of position, and they have a huge volume. It's easy to find stuff in them (much easier than a backpack - think letter envelope vs jamjar) and they don't make your back hot. But the cardinal rule is that you should organise your stuff so that you minimise the amount that you have to carry on the bike. If you have panniers, they'll be full. If you have a pouch, you'll think more carefully about what you need to carry.
4. Accessories. Under saddle bag containing inner tubes (2), tyre levers, co2 cannisters (2), co2 adaptor (you can get one smaller than you little finger), and a set of allen keys. And a £20 note or a CC. And knowing how to change a tyre.
A lock, if you're planning to leave your bike outside. Better is to keep it inside. A door is the best lock.
Sunnies. If you're on a road bike, get glasses for road bikers - eg Rudy Project or Briko or Oakley. Otherwise you'll find you're looking over the tops of your glasses, which sort of defeats the object.
Enough kit to have something drying and something to wear. Warm gloves. A rain cape.
5. Chances are your bike will come with flat pedals. You're going to be in traffic. If you're not used to it, stick to these. Once you're used to them, then start looking at clipless. The upgrade is relatively easy - you buy new pedals/cleats/shoes and remove something (flats) of low value from your bike.

HTH

bornagainbiker

Greg66

It sounds like your making huge assumptions regarding the 'lack' of quality of the carrera range. Please...... unless you have owned one and more to the point one of the subways and it WAS as poor as you are making them out to be. Then I politely ask that you refrain from slagging off that which you do not know.

As you say yourself "carrera - dunno"

alfablue

I would second that - the Carrera Subway is about the best value hybrid out there, and the frames are also used by Edinburgh Cycle Co-op on some of their models. I have ridden one, absolutely nothing wrong with them, and ar probably as good as bikes £50-£100 more. The components are no disgrace to a bike at this price point.

TRADESIZE

suziesaysso wrote:

hi

im planning to buy a bike through the cycle to work scheme - my commute will be about 7-8 miles from west london to the west end. im a complete beginner so i have a few qs for you knowledgable folk!!

1. hybrid or road bike?
2. what brands are reputable? is the carrera brand available at halfords any good/reliable?
3. panniers vs rucksack for all your stuff? which is more practical?
4. apart from helmet/lights etc, what other accessories do i need?
5. clippy pedals vs normal ones?

if you can answer one or all of these questions, i'd be very grateful for your comments!

I would say a cheapsh hybrid would be a good start, but beware road size wheels make it much easir than mountain bike size wheel. I think a good starter off bike is the Giant escape with the larger wheels. Also note slick tyres also make a huge difference over mountain bike tyres. here is a giat escape:
http://www.bikepedlar.co.uk/acatalog/Gi ... _2008.html

i should stay away form halfrauds i cannot emphasis how crap they are, you may as well get a bike from argos! however some B2W schemes are limited to halfrauds only if so dont get them to build it take it to a proper bike shop to do so, it'll cost you circa £30 bu you'll know its been done properly. I know an ex halfrauds bike mechanic he sas he never recived any training the same with his collegues. My mate in work's brake collapsed on his boardman that halfrauds assembled, he couldn't use it to stop and he almost got killed! halfaruds forgot to do up a nut!

start off with a rucksack , and if you get into cycling you can always get panniers later.
personally i use a messneger bag

you'll need lights (£10 from tesco's) are OK nice LED ones.

get a decnet helmet.

for a jacket get the altura night vison but beware of the zips (you'll need to use 2 hands to do them up)

normal pedals to start off with

greg66_tri_v2.0

bornagainbiker wrote:

Greg66

It sounds like your making huge assumptions regarding the 'lack' of quality of the carrera range. Please...... unless you have owned one and more to the point one of the subways and it WAS as poor as you are making them out to be. Then I politely ask that you refrain from slagging off that which you do not know.

As you say yourself "carrera - dunno"

Yep, I am.

My point is this. It's a cheap bike. £200 for a Subway 1? At that price point, you're not going to avoid compromises.

I don't doubt that for the price it's good. But I wasn't talking about it being flexy compared to bikes at that price point or having heavy wheels compared to bikes at that price point. I was talking in absolute terms. The OP hasn't said what budget she has, but she deserves to know about the shortcomings of bikes whatever their price.

Now, if you're going to tell me that the wheels on a £200 bike have fantastic hubs than spin forever and are stiff as you like in absolute terms, feel free. But you won't convince me. I don't need to ride it to know that that just won't wash. If it did, people would be buying them like sweeties and cannabilising them. Which they're not. Sorry, but that's the way it goes.

DonDaddyD

suziesaysso wrote:

hi

im planning to buy a bike through the cycle to work scheme - my commute will be about 7-8 miles from west london to the west end. im a complete beginner so i have a few qs for you knowledgable folk!!

1. hybrid or road bike?
2. what brands are reputable? is the carrera brand available at halfords any good/reliable?
3. panniers vs rucksack for all your stuff? which is more practical?
4. apart from helmet/lights etc, what other accessories do i need?
5. clippy pedals vs normal ones?

if you can answer one or all of these questions, i'd be very grateful for your comments!

1. Hybrid or Road Bike.

2 years ago I bought a Giant Escape M2. Disc brakes, decent shifters, comfortable, agile, mountain bike frame with slick 80psi tyres.

I found I loved cycling. I also found that the 26inch standard Mountain bike tyres for my 8-mile commute left me tired as they didn't offer me a good return on speed-over-long-distances.

A year later I bought a £350 Giant SCR 3 Road bike. I love cycling more, now than ever.

2. Giant, Trek and Specialized all offer great entry level/beginners Hybrid, Road and Mountain Bikes. Keep in mind that if you like cycling your first bike will quickly become your first bike as you move onwards and up to more expensive offerings, so if you have the money and passion, treat yourself to something that can keep up with you enthusiasm.

Personally wouldn't buy a bike from Halfords, unless it was saving me more than the money it would cost to have it serviced (immediately after buying it from Halfords) at my LBS. You have consider who is building you the bike and whether the person is willing to let you ride away with a poorly fitting bike. I buy from DeVer (Norbury London) and Cyclopolis and Psubliminal (Balham London) I like all, DeVer is run by an ex-racer, Maurice. Both are great, good customer service and are absolutely devoted to bikes, cycling and the like.

Support your local bike store, they'll help you out when you need them most. Like tightening and greasing your bottom bracket there and then for free... Evans/Halfords you'd have to book an appointment, they'll take your bike and you'd have to take the bus home...

3. Rucksack, but listening to Greg66 I may move onto a courier bag. My work clothes, no matter how well packed are always creased in my rucksack.

4.

Spare inner tube
tyre levers
Pump
(box spanner if you don't have quick release for your tyres)
Allen Key - multi-tool

Cycle Jersey (I have more than 5 as I cycle everyday to work)
Cycle shorts (padded crotch works wonders I have 5)
Cycle (padded) gloves

5.
Clippy pedals, increase your pedal power, making the journey easier/faster - depending on how you ride. Practice in your garden on grass the whole clipping in and out. You will fall over, but then so does everyone. Don't let this deter you, the reward is utterly worth the effort.

bornagainbiker

So, let me get this straight

ALL Halfords are crap.

ALL lbss are brilliant.

Funny thing is I've come across both good and bad Halfords and surprise, surprise lbss.

To the OP good luck in your future bike purchase and hopefully getting plenty of enjoyment from it.

greg66_tri_v2.0

bornagainbiker wrote:

So, let me get this straight

ALL Halfords are crap.

ALL lbss are brilliant.

Funny thing is I've come across both good and bad Halfords and surprise, surprise lbss.

To the OP good luck in your future bike purchase and hopefully getting plenty of enjoyment from it.

I don't think anyone has said *all* LBSs are brilliant.

There are far more reports of poor Halfords experiences than good ones. I've been slack-jawed at things I've seen in there, and levels of ignorance exhibited by staff.

Good for you if you've come across good Halfords, but good for what? Specific jobs, or across the board work?

TRADESIZE

if you want some more halfrauds shocking true stories i can relay loads form my ex halfrauds bike mechanic friend

RockyHopperShow

I would recommend the Subway 8. Cheap as chips commuting with the added bonus of hub gears so very basic maintenance costs. A no-brainer really.