Hi all, looking for first bike...

dcurzon
dcurzon Posts: 290
edited June 2010 in Road beginners
Havent ridden a bike for about 20 years, but figured i could start out with a ride to my local underground station (5 miles e/w) daily to get into the swing of things. Been looking at Giant Defy or Specialized Allez as a suitable bike. Any other suggestions?

Has anyone purchased via the cycle to work scheme? I did some maths, and it showed i would be paying £30 a month for 12 months, which seemed pretty reasonable to me, but then i read that the bike belongs to the company and is essentially hired out to you, and not owned by you unless the company 'sells' it to you after the 12 months hire. Possible pitfall there of paying out £360 and not owning anything! I'm not rich enough to be able to risk it, so waiting on some comeback from my employers for more info. It might work better to buy used, or pay a deposit and monthly installments.
B'Twin Sport 1
FCN 7 =4, +2(non cycling clothes) +1(beard)

Comments

  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    Probably best to look in the "commute" section, there are hundreds of threads like this there....
    Do not write below this line. Office use only.
  • dcurzon
    dcurzon Posts: 290
    yah, thought that, but figured i'd only be starting out with the short trips to get used to it, then after a few weeks, start clocking up some mileage and build on my distance/speed, until i can consider 22 miles e/w to work :)

    thanks
    B'Twin Sport 1
    FCN 7 =4, +2(non cycling clothes) +1(beard)
  • allotropic
    allotropic Posts: 33
    I only picked up my Giant Defy 2 last week, it's my first road bike so i'm no expert.

    The best advice I can give is to decide how much you want to spend, go to all or some of your LBS's (local bike shops) see what they have in your price range. Try the bikes you can afford and see which feels best. If more than one feel right go for the one you like the look of most.

    Hope that helps, Al
  • unixnerd
    unixnerd Posts: 2,864
    Ask yourself if you'll be using it in the rain, if so a bike with mudguards is a must.

    Luggage rack to stick panniers on is handy too.

    If you're leaving it locked up most of the day at a station you don't want something flash that's going to get nicked. Get a dirt cheap used bike from ebay or gumtree and then maybe something nice for the weekend :-)
    http://www.strathspey.co.uk - Quality Binoculars at a Sensible Price.
    Specialized Roubaix SL3 Expert 2012, Cannondale CAAD5,
    Marin Mount Vision (1997), Edinburgh Country tourer, 3 cats!