fitness / commuter buying advice

Ridg

Hi,

i'm looking at getting a new bike, to commute 10 miles each way, on road but with the ability to handle a semi-aggressive ride eg on and off the curb (road to cycle path) and something that isn't going to buckle at the first sight of a pot hole. at the same time i'd like something that i can use for fitness in the evenings.

My LBS is saying a high spec hybrid, so i've been looking around and really can't decide.

i'll be getting it on a cycle to work scheme, so looking to spend anything from £800 to £1800 as the amount out of my monthly at that point is still under £100 which is fine.

in my internet search so far i've seen the;

spesh sirrus pro,
marin highway one or
lucus valley (like the tripple ring setup)
ridgeback flight 05 and the
boardman Performance Hybrid Pro

so was wondering what people thought about the above bikes or if they had other suggestions, from what i can tell the boardman is the best spec (apart from frame) but TBH I'd rather not buy from halfords as their accessory choice is limited

monkeysm8

Pauls Cycles have an '08 Giant FCR1 in Medium (if that's you size) for £450 now that is a blimming bargain!!! I was going to buy it myself but I decided I am perverted and want singlespeed
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.p ... b0s20p1640

londonlivvy

I have the specialised sirrus elite which is great - it's happy cycling over rutted paths through a park and down the towpath as well as on the roads. I commute 11 miles each way and it's no problem. I've also done several long-ish weekend rides on it (40-70 miles), sometimes with panniers and I'm a happy customer.

But that said, it's quite heavy and no-where near as fun to ride as my race bike - so as you've got spare in your budget (I think the Sirrus elite was £500) there may well be a better option that others can suggest?

always_tyred

You can get a hell of a lot of bike for a grand these days. Aim high.

Road bikes will not fold at mere sight of potholes. If you are worried, find one with sufficient clearance for 25c tyres (most of them).

A cyclocross bike - join the dark side.

Either way, I'm not a fan of hybrids. They are kind of like rose wine - neither one thing nor the other and a bit disappointing. Although some people love them.

greg66_tri_v2.0

You know what?

Coming on here on a Friday afternoon and asking about commuting bikes - not such a good idea.

They're all the same. Get one. You'll love it. Promise.

Now, where do you stand on champagne socialism? And any good with song lyrics?

Bassjunkieuk

Greg66 wrote:

You know what?

Coming on here on a Friday afternoon and asking about commuting bikes - not such a good idea.

They're all the same. Get one. You'll love it. Promise.

Now, where do you stand on champagne socialism? And any good with song lyrics?

You forgot the now traditional Friday afternoon discussion of "if/when are you arriving at the Morpeth"............

As AT has said, for the kind of money you are looking at spending a good road bike might be the way forward (literally, at quite a rate of knots!) They aren't as flimsy as people make out, I've hit some nasty potholes and go up and down the occasional kerb on my one that cost nowhere near what your contemplating spending, although I have upgraded the wheels to a set of Mavic Aksiums! The original ones where fairly good, staying remarkably true over some bad roads......

As for the fitness riding if you are thinking of doing this a road bike will make life so much easier for the longer rides and offers a few more riding positions so you can move around a bit to relieve aches and pains!

Eau Rouge

Those bikes aren't any better at kerb-hopping than any other road bike would be, since they all have very road-bike-esque wheels, and it's wheels that would be the problem with kerb-hopping, not the frame.

From what you have said I see no reason to limit yourself to hybrids here. Disk brakes when your on tarmac are overkill and little more than extra weight, and longer fitness rides are more comfortable on drop handlevars as you can move your hands about.

Have a look at Cyclo-cross bikes (which might even have strongish wheels) or proper road bikes as well as those hybrids. The first two will be faster and a lot more fun to ride too, and riding a bike is supposed to be fun and fast.

redddraggon

Road bikes are fine for rough roads.

always_tyred

How come you didn't post the photo of GeorgeH with a broken collar bone after his steerer tube broke?

Ridg

Eau Rouge wrote:

Those bikes aren't any better at kerb-hopping than any other road bike would be, since they all have very road-bike-esque wheels, and it's wheels that would be the problem with kerb-hopping, not the frame.

I actually went back to the LBS and spoke to a different bloke, he said pretty much the same (that they don't cope that much better than road bikes), the original person i spoke to said to not get a cyclo cross you don't get much for your money, but i think coming from XC / trail riding to a commute a X is going to be the way forward, which brings me back to my first idea which was a tricross with slicks

And any good with song lyrics?

depends on the genre lol

Eau Rouge

Always Tyred wrote:

How come you didn't post the photo of GeorgeH with a broken collar bone after his steerer tube broke?

Cause the OP isn't Big George and so won't have the "George Hincapie at Paris-Roubaix" curse.

Ridg wrote:

tricross with slicks

That sound more promising.

Ridg

Ridg wrote:

tricross with slicks

That sound more promising.[/quote]

well TBH i'd rather have something that is a few lb heavier but be able to stand upto the job.

I think the problem is, I currently ride XC / trail centres so i'm used to being able to give my bike so real abuse and not have to worry about the rims getting bent or pinch flats from riding up a curb square on.

I'm hoping to cycle upto the evans in watterloo over the weekend, so will see if they have a tri-cross in there.

Bassjunkieuk

Ridg wrote:

Ridg wrote:

tricross with slicks

That sound more promising.

well TBH i'd rather have something that is a few lb heavier but be able to stand upto the job.

I think the problem is, I currently ride XC / trail centres so i'm used to being able to give my bike so real abuse and not have to worry about the rims getting bent or pinch flats from riding up a curb square on.

I'm hoping to cycle upto the evans in watterloo over the weekend, so will see if they have a tri-cross in there.

I believe the on in Waterloo Cut specializes in Road/Hybrid (at least that what their site says)
The one closer to the bridge is aimed at MTBs

Ridg

I actually spoke to them on the phone in the week, and they said they would be the best suited. even said they had somewhere safe to put my bike if i bought it with me too.

Eau Rouge

Ridg wrote:

I think the problem is, I currently ride XC / trail centres so i'm used to being able to give my bike so real abuse and not have to worry about the rims getting bent or pinch flats from riding up a curb square on.

But why would you be doing that? Your on a bike, you have no more place the other side of a kerb than an artic lorry does.

il_principe

CX or Road. Please don't get a hybrid!

I've been known to hop the odd kerb on my roadies, never done any harm. They're much tougher than some will have you believe.

Ridg

Eau Rouge wrote:

Ridg wrote:

I think the problem is, I currently ride XC / trail centres so i'm used to being able to give my bike so real abuse and not have to worry about the rims getting bent or pinch flats from riding up a curb square on.

But why would you be doing that? Your on a bike, you have no more place the other side of a kerb than an artic lorry does.

where i live the majority of the cycle paths are shared paths, which have a curb, but if i want to turn right in places it's quicker to cut onto the road and turn right, opposed from going to the toucan crossing.