Newbie seeks advice from the experts

Nitrofan

Hi newbie here!
I am not really a beginner (54yrs old or young depending on how cheesy you can stand it!) as I used to ride a bike all the time about 40 years ago!

But over the last few years I have piled on the pounds and am heartily sick of the whole gym rip off, so about two years ago I decided to get back on my bike and loved it so much I now get up at 05.45am most morning to get an hour or so in before leaving for work

I currently ride a specialized hard rock sport disc, I have changed the huge fat knobblies to reflect the kind of riding I tend to do mostly road with a weekly trip along my local country park riverbank trail and the odd rough bit of road and that’s about as rough as offroad as I go.

The traffic from where I live in the Woodford area to Blackheath has got really bad of late, so I thought I would move on from my daily hour to hour and a half, before work sessions, to commuting the 30 mile round trip initially three times a week and see how my knees hold up.

The Specialized was a nice starter bike and has served me well; however I now realise I should have bought a hybrid in the first place but that’s the price I have paid for being seduced by all those lovely gears springy forks and changer thingys!

I have started looking around for my next bike and like the Whyte Stirling part of their 2011 R7 fast Urban range.

However I have no experience of Whyte as a manufacturer (although the one person I have spoken to says they are top notch) and the components they use so I would welcome some others views

Can anyone suggest alternatives that may be out there? I do know I don’t want another “heavy Bike” so the 20lb of the Stirling is a maximum weight. and I want hydraulic brakes they just out perform any others I have used and 28in Wheels.

I don’t know if I qualify as a beginner or a slowly improving in-betweeny I am never going to be a Merx or a Contador either!

Monty Dog

You won't go wrong with Whyte bikes - more established in the MTB world and innovator in that field. The key thing for your enjoyment is making sure you find a bike that fits you well and is comfortable - everything else is secondary. Reliability more comes down to maintenance than component choice - but spendy bits tend to last longer. Suggest you test ride a few bikes, visit a few shops and read online reviews to inform your choice. Finally, consider how long you want to keep the bike for and your longer-term plans - if you loose a stone or two and the bike-bug continues to bite, you might want to consider that something like a C-X bike that will have the durability for your ride today but with skinnier tyres, will satisfy your desire for distance and speed as you get fitter?

Nitrofan

Hi Monty,
Thank you for your sound advice BTW I love the avatar I am going to prototype similar for my Little Parson Russell this weekend! and the sentiment of your signature!

I am testing the Whyte on Saturday and will once I have done some more research be testing some others as well.

I did think about the medium term and this my thinking,

My old David Llloyd Gym membership was £80 per month = £960 So the Whyte which will get used pretty much daily will have paid for its self in a gnats over 12 months (I know its an odd way to look at it but it is real money)

Assuming all has gone to plan I will have achieved a reasonable weight loss so I can re-evaluate what my cycling abilities & needs will be from that point onwards. I would love to ride a road bike outside town one a week so I will certainly consider switching to something a bit more exotic then! but that said If a hybrid does what I think it will I am not sure I will want to change much.

Back in the day we all road either flat bar "Bikes" or what we then called "Racing Bikes" and it does seem to me all hybrids are, are the modern day equivalent of a "Bike"!

Incidentally I have NEVER forgiven my brother for selling off his bike before I got to buy it (I didn't think you would want it! Grrrrrrrr) Sun Aluminium frame, Campagnolo group-set and Weimann centre-pull brakes AND ally rims!!!!! Man in 1968 you could buy a bike with that kind of class in your local cycle shop on paper round money!

I was a huge fan of Campagnolo stuff back then they were the dogs and no doubt still are! Does anyone make a bike with their kit as standard if so that might be what I aim for in the future!

paulbox

Nitrofan wrote:

My old David Llloyd Gym membership was £80 per month = £960 So the Whyte which will get used pretty much daily will have paid for its self in a gnats over 12 months (I know its an odd way to look at it but it is real money)

I think it's the perfect way of looking at it, each time I ride to work I save c. £13 in petrol (my car has a 3.4l engine :oops: ), I can therefore either use that money to pay for new bike related goodies or commuting once per week pays for a new £1k bike on cycle scheme...

Good luck in finding the right bike for you!

northernneil

I have a JW2 whyte an innovative MTB design from about 8 years ago, is still top notch and took it for a hammering in the alps this year where it did admirably as always - you wont have any problems

Nitrofan

Hi Paul and Neil,
Thank you very much for your replies, I broke a mini milestone this morning so I am feeling very pumped at present (12 miles in a one hour before work session a good 40% of it hills so I now KNOW I can do the flatter 15 mile commute!).

I am going to test the Whyte on Saturday and I am going to sit on some other hybrids and I think try some road bikes during the next few weeks (I will now not buy until January)

There is a very nice Specialized with Campagnolo kit on ebay today, too big for my short legs I think but that got me thinking in other directions as well e.g take a really good older frame and build up with nice kit, I am not sure yet, but everyday is another bit of weight off and a bit fitter! so I am in no rush

northernneil

Nitrofan wrote:

Hi Paul and Neil,
Thank you very much for your replies, I broke a mini milestone this morning so I am feeling very pumped at present (12 miles in a one hour before work session a good 40% of it hills so I now KNOW I can do the flatter 15 mile commute!).

I am going to test the Whyte on Saturday and I am going to sit on some other hybrids and I think try some road bikes during the next few weeks (I will now not buy until January)

There is a very nice Specialized with Campagnolo kit on ebay today, too big for my short legs I think but that got me thinking in other directions as well e.g take a really good older frame and build up with nice kit, I am not sure yet, but everyday is another bit of weight off and a bit fitter! so I am in no rush

dont forget VAT goes up 2.5% in Jan to 20%

Nitrofan

Thanks Neil
I had indeed forgotten that!

MichaelW

Ive just had a look at the Whyte bike, good company, nice design with some useful features:
Full rack and mudguard fittings.
Rear disc brake on the chainstay so you can use any standard luggage rack.
Me Like

Nitrofan

@MichaelW
I am test riding the Stirling tomorrow, weight 8.6 Kgs ready to go! I am very excited will be the lightest bike I have ever ridden!!

Nitrofan

I tried four bikes on Saturday
Two road bikes but they merely reconfirmed the fact I am now where near the right shape or indeed in the right shape for something like that yet!

A Cannondale Bad Boy it was OK but somehow seemed too much like a mountain bike I cant really explain it.

Finally the Whyte Sterling when I first saw it it just seemed very small! however riding it was a revelation.
The only way I can describe it is it didn't feel like a MTB more like a very comfy road bike very light, very responsive and very quick! Plus its quite beautiful in the flesh!

I am picking it up on Saturday, now comes the tricky bit telling the missus!