What bike to buy?
Kyla-Louise
Posts: 2
I have decided to get rid of the car and buy a bike to get to Uni and back. Good idea in theory, but I have no idea as where to start when it comes to buying a bike.
I know what bikes I like the look of (big chunky mountain bikes!), but I don't think they are the best idea as I am going to just be using the cycle track.
I love the look of the Barracude jacabat, but I have read some reviews... It sounds awful.
I love the GT Tempest 1.0, but I don't think it will be any good for what I am going to be using it for.
And I want the Giant Talon 2. It is beautiful! But I don't want to spend £550 on my first bike!
Does any one have any ideas? (If you know of a £250 +/- £50 mountain bike, in white (I know typical woman going for colour!), that will suit my needs then that'd be great!).
I know what bikes I like the look of (big chunky mountain bikes!), but I don't think they are the best idea as I am going to just be using the cycle track.
I love the look of the Barracude jacabat, but I have read some reviews... It sounds awful.
I love the GT Tempest 1.0, but I don't think it will be any good for what I am going to be using it for.
And I want the Giant Talon 2. It is beautiful! But I don't want to spend £550 on my first bike!
Does any one have any ideas? (If you know of a £250 +/- £50 mountain bike, in white (I know typical woman going for colour!), that will suit my needs then that'd be great!).
0
Comments
-
Geat ready for lots of recommended roads and cyclocross bikes. The latter would probably suit you best. Depends on the nature of the "track", is it all tarmac or gravel/off road like?0
-
one thing worth thinking about is mudguards if your going to ride on paths in wet weather mud guards will keep one clean.
at the £250 mark I'd look at hybrids, than MTB which at that price are unlikely to be up for much.
road and cross bikes are realisticly out of your budget, cross very much so,
what sort of distances are you going to be travelling?0 -
I'd go down to your nearest Decathlon and try out their Rockrider mountain bikes, while there you might as well give their hybrids and road bikes a spin to see if you like them.
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/sport-mtb-3962638/0 -
Hi and welcome!
Although this link doesn't go into specific bikes, it may well answer some of the questions about what type of bike/equipment to get:
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12645896
If you're after a Mountain Bike, it may well be worth looking second hand as well (Ebay, Gumtree), as there are some bargains to be had.Giant Escape R1
FCN 8
"Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."
- Terry Pratchett.0 -
OK - mountain bikes aren't the best bet for roads - too slow. But look at hybrids.
A cheap, reasonable hybrid, around your budget, that looks mountain bike-ish - the 2009 models are on discount (heavily in some shops) and are white:
http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/19925/Kona_Dew_Bike_20090 -
Oh and before you buy, test ride the bike first.0
-
Hi,
Get a hybrid 8)
0 -
-
Questions.....
What is is about the "big" and "chunky" bits on a MTB you like the look of? I ask as there is a general misconception than bikes are flimsy and will break if you roll over a stone too fast.
This "cycle path", it isn't actually just a footpath that's been designated "shared use" is it? Once you get a bit of confidence you'll find yourself avoiding those like the plague. Between the pun****e causing debris and the mindless pedestrians, you'll quickly find your much better off on the road.
And since you're now cycling on the road, get a road bike!
(Forum rules dictate that everyone who asks what bike to buy must be told to buy a road bike or a cyclo-cross bike by the two competing factions in these parts)0 -
Eau Rouge wrote:And since you're now cycling on the road, get a road bike!
(Forum rules dictate that everyone who asks what bike to buy must be told to buy a road bike or a cyclo-cross bike by the two competing factions in these parts)
Strange, just after joining this forum I developed a strong desire to go out and buy a road bike. Must be all those subliminal message!!
When buying a bike there are two things to remember:
1. Cheaper bikes tend to be heavier. Heavy bikes are not your friend and you'll regret it. Weight should be a MASSIVE consideration in selecting a bike.
2. Fat tyres are horrible in a head wind.0 -
Kurako wrote:Eau Rouge wrote:And since you're now cycling on the road, get a road bike!
(Forum rules dictate that everyone who asks what bike to buy must be told to buy a road bike or a cyclo-cross bike by the two competing factions in these parts)
Strange, just after joining this forum I developed a strong desire to go out and buy a road bike. Must be all those subliminal message!!
When buying a bike there are two things to remember:
1. Buy a Cyclecross.
2. Buy a Cyclecross "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"0 -
You don't need a mountain bike if you are not going off road.
If you don't like the idea of drop bars, then a flat bar road type bike would be the best. 'Hybrids' cover a large range of machines really, from basically MTBs with narrower tyres to a roadbike with a flat bar. Also take a look at the rider position, as these can go form quite relaxed, to low and long. So trying a few out would be benefical.
A decent commuting bike, witha fairly relaxed position and not too bad a weight is the Carrera Subway:
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... 08956#dtab
or
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLq ... 155c0029100
