Newbie looking for advice

DCowling

Hi all
I initially asked this ( below) on the Road bikes forum, and whilst they have been very helpful, obvioiusly they are leaning toward road bikes, as am I now. however someone kindly suggested I try the commuting forum as I was less likely to get a biased opinion

I have only recently got back into cycling since my son came off his stabilisers, he is happy to potter about and I have been completely bitten by the cycling bug.#
I cycled a bit when I was younger and had a road bike ( Raleigh Quaser). now at the age of 40 I have finally managed to quit the ciggies ( 5mnths woohoo) and drifted into biking, and it's here where I am needing some advice.
I have currently on loan a Marin Alpine Trail full suspension , now this is great and I am upto around 20 miles at a time, but I hope to start biking to work some of the week and am looking to get onto the bike to work scheme. The Marin is a very good bike and never fails but on some sections it feels like all Iam doing is pushing into the springs and wasting energy. I have looked around an am quite taken with the " Boardman" Hybrid which would suite both my cycling and knocking about with my son, there seems to be plenty of good reports about this bike, with the only real bad one being the supplied tyres are a bit feeble and prone to puncture.
Anyhow, sorry to waffle, but does anyone have advice for this

Many Thanks in Advance

Dave .

p.s. I have also looke briefly at the Felt QX 75 how does this comopare to the Boardman

el_presidente

boardman will be fine, just buy it and have fun, change the tyres in due course if you don't get on with them

benno68

Get a road bike, give yourself a month or so of commuting and you'll find yourself taking the long way home, trying to beat yesterday's time, finding some hills to challenge etc....

A decent bike shop will give you advice on the frame type, probably a "Sportive" geometry which is generally more comfortable than an out and out racing bike.

You've got the Marin for cycling with your son - it's time for a road bike! I reckon you'll regret buying a flat bar bike after a short while.

UndercoverElephant

Buying an expensive road bike now will save a small fortune in the next year or so, what with all the upgrades you'll miss out on.

Skipping the hybrid phase of cycling is something I'm very glad I did. I went straight from "Old BSO Mountain Bike" to road bike in a single step. I'm pretty sure that if I'd been in a position to buy a new bike earlier than I was, I'd have got a hybrid and then regretted it a couple of months later.

Doooooo iiiiiittttt!!!! Like my wife's friend says, "It's the mid-life crisis of choice these days".

The Rookie

I'll bring in an argument for the flat bar....

Its whatever suites YOU and YOUR usage that counts, I don't want a skinny tyred road bike, the roads on my commute are too darned rough, even 1.3" tyres on 26" MTB wheels are marginal, any skinnier and it would be to uncomfortable, of course that's not necesarily a flats versus drops argaumemnt, but the fact I'm running those tyres then kind of shapes the rest of my bike!

Simon

AndyManc

The Beginner wrote:

I'll bring in an argument for the flat bar....

Its whatever suites YOU and YOUR usage that counts, I don't want a skinny tyred road bike, the roads on my commute are too darned rough, even 1.3" tyres on 26" MTB wheels are marginal, any skinnier and it would be to uncomfortable, of course that's not necesarily a flats versus drops argaumemnt, but the fact I'm running those tyres then kind of shapes the rest of my bike!

Simon

+1 for flat bar .

I love them, from road to mtb flat bar bikes, IMO , offer the comfort and control your average biker wants with little detriment to speed.

I'm seeing more and more road/race specced flat bar bikes than ever before.

.

desweller

If you want to ride bridleways and the odd woodland trail then you'll have more options with a flat bar hybrid.

What's your budget?

supersonic

Definitely go for what suits you. This may or may not be a road bike.

I don't agree that the 'hybrid' is always a stepping stone to a 'road bike', as hybrids cover so much ground. A CX bike is a hybrid. Many call flat bar road bikes a hybrid. And some love these.

DCowling

Thank you all

My budget is £700 tops ( including helmet etc),
I quite like the idea of bombing around on a super whizzy anorexic bike, I came onto here looking fopr inspiration and have certainly received it and I am now probably more confused then ever.
I have been to Halfrauds as you call it ( thnik the assistant must have only come of his stabalisers just before my son did) and Cult Racing ( very helpful)
The trouble is being a bloke I am instantly impressed just because it's new and shiny ( took me 5 min just to get past the scooters) then went on to look at FELT and CUBE bikes.
I think the only way around this is to go to my friends and cadge his old non supension Marin for a spin then try and get his road bike out.
Again thankyou all and I will let you know what I end up with

p.s.
FCN12 I think ?