Hello people

Mich

Hello everyone, Been browsing this site for a few days and you all seem to know your stuff so figured i'd sign up and see if you could help me out a little!

Come january on the first day back to work me and a few of the lads will be biking to work in an effort to keep fit, i've purchased a temporary bike for £80 from a lad at work, it's a 'GIANT Boulder' i think it is, This will mainly be used to start helping my body get used to biking the distance to and from work each day.
I've found my next bike and i've just started saving for it so should hopefully have it in a month or two, It's a 'Carrera Banshee'
I'll be using it for biking to work on roads, And in the warmer weather it'll be a mixture of road/off road and riding down the canal, Alot of country riding will be done as me and my friends and girlfriend will be heading out with our cameras to take nice scenic photos as well as enjoying a nice bike ride as well as a picnic or pub stop

My main concerns at the moment are, Clothing, Bike locks, And lights!
because of the cold spell we're having at the moment in england i'll be wanting something waterproof and warm, as well as being lightweight and preferably highly visable as the ride to work will be starting at 5am and it's dark in the winter months!
Also some decent gloves would be a great help, Just wondering if any of you can point me in the right direction?
Thanks!

peter413

Carrera Banshee doesn't strike me as a bike that will suit your needs, I would be looking at the Fury or if you want full sus, one of the Boardmans

Mich

Just had a quick look at the Fury, Look's like a nice bike.
But could i ask why the Banshee wouldn't suit my needs?

robertpb

I'd be looking at a cross bike for what you are going to use it for.

Mich

Well eventually i'd like to get into some downhill trails, I used to do it when i was back in school and really enjoyed it.
That's the reason i thought the banshee would be a good bike to get cause when i feel the time is right to get back on the downhill trails i'd have the decent bike already available to me.
But this is why i've come here, Cause you guys are more clued up than me!

The Northern Monkey

the current banshee is actually quite a nice bike.

But its heavy, very heavy. It'll be good going down but a bit of a slog up hill!

Mich

I just love the look of them as well!
This is the one i'm looking at; http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... shee-10017

The Northern Monkey

thats the 2007 model.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... 65499#dtab

new one^

Has an air rear shock now.

Mich

Urgh! I never realised how much had to be taken into account with bikes!
At first i though, buy a bike do all the things i want to do straight away, Oh how i was wrong!

That new model does look pretty good though, But even though i wouldn't be taking full advantage of the bike straight away, Would it be a good buy?

bartimaeus

For lights see What Lights. The cheap solution for 'seeing' is to go for 18650 cell torches which you can buy from HK, or from UK sellers for a bit more if you cannot wait for delivery.

To be seen then I'd go for commuter lights front and rear (flashing) and some reflective gear, e.g. a bib and these for your ankles. I also liberally covered my helmet and pack with Respro i-Shot reflective stickers.


For warmth... layers, with a shell over the top, and a buff or similar for your neck and under your lid when it is very cold. You don't need cycle-specific clothes other than padded shorts, but bike jackets have a better cut for riding. If you are riding in the wet and cold you might want to look at overshoes as your feet can get very cold when they get wet. As to gloves I've been using my Specialized Sub-Zero outers with thin ski glove liners and that's been just perfect in the recent cold.[/img]

Mich

Just noticed the Specialized sub zero gloves on the home page.
I'll buy some of those when i get paid.
Cheers for the tips and links

Mich

Me and my friends have decided that we'll be going back to the lake district in the summer, Except this time we'll be going on bikes, So after alot of thought i think i'll end up with the Banshee 09 model...

Shaggy_Dog

Mich wrote:

My main concerns at the moment are, Clothing, Bike locks, And lights!
because of the cold spell we're having at the moment in england i'll be wanting something waterproof and warm, as well as being lightweight and preferably highly visable as the ride to work will be starting at 5am and it's dark in the winter months!
Also some decent gloves would be a great help, Just wondering if any of you can point me in the right direction?
Thanks!

Don't worry too much about the bike for now, unless it's the wrong size or mechanically unfit for the job. The Boulder is not an awful mountain bike and will be all you need for your first 6 months or so of riding.

For locks see this: http://www.lfgss.com/thread17938.html In my opinion there are two grades of lock, one that is visually tough and may deter opportunist thieves but won't stand up to any real abuse and one that will delay the thief for at least a couple of minutes.

For winter clothing I'd suggest in investing in some good quality cycling shorts with a padded seat and at least long johns under trackie bottoms. Ideally invest in some thermal tights and some waterproof shorts. I'd avoid buying tights with a built in deat as you only use them for half the year, layering tights oiver shorts means you can use the shorts all year and use the tights for runng/rugby/whatever as well.

On top, it's essential that you wear some kind of wicking baselayer. Don't wear a T-shirt (or anything made from cotton), you'll get very wet and cold. Next up you'll need a mid-layer and finally some kind of shell. I almost always go for a windproof softshell over a waterproof hardshell.

Here are a few good products from Endura who I think offer the best combination of quality and value.

Shortshttp://www.endura.co.uk/Product.aspx?dept_id=127&prod_id=169
Tightshttp://www.endura.co.uk/Product.aspx?dept_id=131&prod_id=264
Waterproof Trousershttp://www.endura.co.uk/Product.aspx?dept_id=133&prod_id=105
Baselayerhttp://www.endura.co.uk/Product.aspx?dept_id=125&prod_id=205
Midlayerhttp://www.endura.co.uk/Product.aspx?dept_id=124&prod_id=368
Softshellhttp://www.endura.co.uk/Product.aspx?dept_id=123&prod_id=218

Other bits
Gloveshttp://www.endura.co.uk/Product.aspx?dept_id=106&prod_id=243
Beaniehttp://www.endura.co.uk/Product.aspx?dept_id=109&prod_id=370

If you are using normal trainers then I wouldn't bother with overshoes, just dome warm ski socks will be fine[/url]

digdaniels

Wow, what an awesome list, thanks "Shagy"! I totally agree with Peter on the bikes there, doesn't sound like it would be the right buy for you. Fury would work better, in my opinion. I keep hearing about the crazy winter going on in Europe, must be difficult to move around in the everyday life, let alone do outside sports! I think it's really fantastic that you're still at it, just gotto prepare better, I guess.

Happy Holidays everyone!