getting a proper bike for commute.... but what??

miss_mystra

Hi everyone!


I moved to SE London a year ago and started cycling to work everyday pretty much - didn't see the sense in forking out all that money for travel cards and the tube was doing my nut!! But being clueless at the time, and not sure about whether i'd stick with it i bought a fairly cheap bike from Decathlon (B'twin5)

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/original-5-red-172073022/ (it's the silver version of this one but there was no picture!)

Now to be honest, the bloody thing is doing my head in!! It weighs 15kg, and despite cycling everyday (morning and evening 3 miles each way) i REALLY struggle with it. Every one and their dog seems to cycle past me with ease - even an old lady the other day lol and a fat man on a Boris bike!!!!

I got a decent wodge of bonus this month, and i'm giving my old mother dear back in stoke the b'twin as she loves it for some reason, and obviously just wants something to trundle round on.

my budget is around £400... just because i get the impression that's the price of a good bike.... but the lower the better! i don't see the point in spending more than £500 - i'll just pay the bus fares!! I can get the cycle to work thing here (but our own version where we just get lent the cash for a year)

We have a Decathlon round the corner and i've had a look at this one - http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/fitness-1 ... -69567244/ but couldn't see anything else i liked. Reviews are few and far between!! it's much lighter, and i like how its like a road bike without the drop bars - i really don't like drop bars!! (sat on one it felt so vunerable and uncomfy - have neck trouble so i would rather sit upright)

But beyond decathlon i haven't a clue been recommended Specialized and they seem nice but i'm yet to find one in the flesh!!

had a browse round evans and the like but it seems they don't have much of interest actually in the shop... everything's online but i like to see and try them out there and then.. i know they can get the stuff in but it takes a few days and i'd be ending up wasting loads of time... altho i will probably do that anyway XD

My commute is only three miles (one way) but all on busy roads with lots of pot holes and a big hill to climb at the end! Need something light and nippy but not fragile and high maintenance.


It's kept inside at home so would be nice to have something a little lighter to lug upstairs too

Any suggestions?

wizzlebanger

Boardman bikes from halfords get great reviews and for the money are excellent.

Plus this is £100 off at the moment as it's last years 2010 model. Looks fantastic for £400!!!!!

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165534

miss_mystra

wizzlebanger wrote:

Boardman bikes from halfords get great reviews and for the money are excellent.

Plus this is £100 off at the moment as it's last years 2010 model. Looks fantastic for £400!!!!!

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165534

cool! i quite like this and might have to check it out at the local hell-frauds...as much as i hate them there lol i've never had experience with them bike wise so maybe its better there for bikes than if you need something for your car..... thanks!!

davis

miss_mystra wrote:

cool! i quite like this and might have to check it out at the local hell-frauds...as much as i hate them there lol i've never had experience with them bike wise so maybe its better there for bikes than if you need something for your car..... thanks!!

Generally not, no.
They're fine for selling the bikes, but most people here advise taking it to a real bike shop afterwards and paying them to check it over. Obviously, sometimes you get a good Halfords, and the staff know what they're doing... It's pot luck though. That bike looks a good bet though.

miss_mystra

davis wrote:

miss_mystra wrote:

cool! i quite like this and might have to check it out at the local hell-frauds...as much as i hate them there lol i've never had experience with them bike wise so maybe its better there for bikes than if you need something for your car..... thanks!!

Generally not, no.
They're fine for selling the bikes, but most people here advise taking it to a real bike shop afterwards and paying them to check it over. Obviously, sometimes you get a good Halfords, and the staff know what they're doing... It's pot luck though. That bike looks a good bet though.

eeek! Yeah our local halfords is pretty awful... oh well!! will check out the bike tho, it looks cool

sfichele

The bike does look awesome and I wouldn't let the brand-snobs put you off. I was thinking of buying my partner one.

I'd have no problem buying it from Halfords. You can take the bike anywhere for servicing, or just do it yourself

miss_mystra

sfichele wrote:

The bike does look awesome and I wouldn't let the brand-snobs put you off. I was thinking of buying my partner one.

I'd have no problem buying it from Halfords. You can take the bike anywhere for servicing, or just do it yourself

hehe i'm no brand snob... i have no clue what bike brands to be snobby with

i really need to learn how to fix my own bike too... it's so expensive and i bet its not even that difficult for most things

edhornby

that's a really good bike for £400 - buy it :-)

if you know someone who is experienced with bikes then take them with you when you collect it, get them to check out the halfords set up

the spec on that halfords will make it pretty good to learn how to do your own servicing on

miss_mystra

edhornby wrote:

that's a really good bike for £400 - buy it :-)

if you know someone who is experienced with bikes then take them with you when you collect it, get them to check out the halfords set up

the spec on that halfords will make it pretty good to learn how to do your own servicing on

cool... don't know anybody who's much good with bikes lol but it looks brill for the money

The Rookie

Its easy to learn how to work on bikes and frankly you save yourself a fortune by doing it yourself, not only the cost of the repair but teh cost (money and time) of taking it to be repaired.

I learnt how to work on bikes by building my first commuter up from a bare frame, once you've done taht you know pretty much how everything works, I had little previous bike experience though I do know how to work on a car.

Simon

miss_mystra

The Beginner wrote:

Its easy to learn how to work on bikes and frankly you save yourself a fortune by doing it yourself, not only the cost of the repair but teh cost (money and time) of taking it to be repaired.

I learnt how to work on bikes by building my first commuter up from a bare frame, once you've done taht you know pretty much how everything works, I had little previous bike experience though I do know how to work on a car.

Simon

yeah it's silly really, i spent a whole summer taking various bits and pieces off my car but my hair stands on end at the thought of fixing my own bike... what a fool!!!

miss_mystra

any more suggestions for me to have a nosey at?

So far its the

b'twin fitness 1 http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/fitness-1 ... -69567244/

and the boardman

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... 65534#dtab

would like to add a few more to the 'go and see' list

gbsahne001

miss_mystra wrote:

...but my hair stands on end at the thought of fixing my own bike... what a fool!!!

Have a look at this Blog, might not be a bad place to start in terms of aquiring a bike maintenance book

miss_mystra

gbsahne wrote:

miss_mystra wrote:

...but my hair stands on end at the thought of fixing my own bike... what a fool!!!

Have a look at this Blog, might not be a bad place to start in terms of aquiring a bike maintenance book

thanks!

EKE_38BPM

I heard that NASA had a saying:
"If you want it, we can build it, but do you need it and can you afford it?"

Do you really need such a nice bike (I really like the Boardman and recommended it to a friend) for 6 miles a day?
If you want it and you can afford it, go for it. I hope it inspires you to enjoy longer rides.

There are second hand bargains to be had on ebay if you know what you are looking for (which I guess you're not).
Have you considered a single speed or a fixed gear bike?
If you know the difference, skip to the next paragraph.
Since you are still reading this paragraph, I'll assume you don't know the difference, so I will explain.
On a geared bike you choose what gear you want to be in depending on the terrain you are riding and the speed you want to be going.
On a single speed bike, you only have one gear so you need to choose a gear when you build the bike that lets to climb the hills and is still fast enough for you on the flat.
Geared bikes and single speed bikes both have a freewheel which allows you to coast when you can't pedal any faster e.g. going down hill, but fixed gear bikes don't have a freewheel. When the bike is in motion, the pedals are going around. There are pros and cons to this. Google it.
I'm a new convert to fixed gear bikes, so currently think they are the answers to all of the world's problems, but six miles and only one hill make your commute almost perfect for a SS or FG bike.
All of the hills I know in SELondon should be OK on a fixie. Fixies are very low maintenance (even less than a SS) and the lack of extra gears and the stuff you need to change those gears weigh a large chunk. Get rid of those and save about 1kg (which I'm sure you will appreciate when lugging the bike upstairs).
Back to your main questions...

Contact your council about bike maintenance courses. As far as I know they are free if your council does them and they will give you the confidence to walk into a bike shop and know what you want and what the people in the shop are talking about, so you don't just buy a bike because it looks pretty and you could see yourself on it.
I would suggest doing the course before buying the bike. May as well practice on you current bike and then you can give it a service yourself before giving it to your mum.

If there is no joy with the council courses, check out http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help for very good step by step guides on how to fix each part of your bike and http://sheldonbrown.com/ for everything bike related.

Edit: Just had a quick mooch on ebay and saw this , which is the sort of bike I think I would go for if I were in your position but didn't want to try FG or SS. With the £350 saving over the Boardman, you should buy new pedals, lights and other bits and pieces and get your local bike shop to look it over.
5 gears should be all you need for your commute. The 20+ on the Boardman and other modern bikes is a bit of overkill. Like using a 4x4 which could cross a desert to drop your kids to school two miles from home.

Edit to my edit: The other bike is nowhere near you and is collection only. This is an even better by and close to home. Better condition too. You may want to change the handlebars, but other than that, just about perfect for your needs.

miss_mystra

EKE_38BPM wrote:

I heard that NASA had a saying:
"If you want it, we can build it, but do you need it and can you afford it?"

Do you really need such a nice bike (I really like the Boardman and recommended it to a friend) for 6 miles a day?
If you want it and you can afford it, go for it. I hope it inspires you to enjoy longer rides.

There are second hand bargains to be had on ebay if you know what you are looking for (which I guess you're not).
Have you considered a single speed or a fixed gear bike?
If you know the difference, skip to the next paragraph.
Since you are still reading this paragraph, I'll assume you don't know the difference, so I will explain.
On a geared bike you choose what gear you want to be in depending on the terrain you are riding and the speed you want to be going.
On a single speed bike, you only have one gear so you need to choose a gear when you build the bike that lets to climb the hills and is still fast enough for you on the flat.
Geared bikes and single speed bikes both have a freewheel which allows you to coast when you can't pedal any faster e.g. going down hill, but fixed gear bikes don't have a freewheel. When the bike is in motion, the pedals are going around. There are pros and cons to this. Google it.
I'm a new convert to fixed gear bikes, so currently think they are the answers to all of the world's problems, but six miles and only one hill make your commute almost perfect for a SS or FG bike.
All of the hills I know in SELondon should be OK on a fixie. Fixies are very low maintenance (even less than a SS) and the lack of extra gears and the stuff you need to change those gears weigh a large chunk. Get rid of those and save about 1kg (which I'm sure you will appreciate when lugging the bike upstairs).
Back to your main questions...

Contact your council about bike maintenance courses. As far as I know they are free if your council does them and they will give you the confidence to walk into a bike shop and know what you want and what the people in the shop are talking about, so you don't just buy a bike because it looks pretty and you could see yourself on it.
I would suggest doing the course before buying the bike. May as well practice on you current bike and then you can give it a service yourself before giving it to your mum.

If there is no joy with the council courses, check out http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help for very good step by step guides on how to fix each part of your bike and http://sheldonbrown.com/ for everything bike related.

Edit: Just had a quick mooch on ebay and saw this , which is the sort of bike I think I would go for if I were in your position but didn't want to try FG or SS. With the £350 saving over the Boardman, you should buy new pedals, lights and other bits and pieces and get your local bike shop to look it over.
5 gears should be all you need for your commute. The 20+ on the Boardman and other modern bikes is a bit of overkill. Like using a 4x4 which could cross a desert to drop your kids to school two miles from home.

Edit to my edit: The other bike is nowhere near you and is collection only. This is an even better by and close to home. Better condition too. You may want to change the handlebars, but other than that, just about perfect for your needs.

wow - probably the best answer anyone has ever had to a question on a forum...! thanks!

i am thinking of trying out a single speed - with less weight my uphill bits probably wouldn't be that bad!

Will have a mooch round for courses, especially if the council do one that would be brilliant, and thanks for the links! it's pathetic that i don't know how to do things on my bike to fix it etc when i know my way round a spanner reasonably well

Thanks for the ebay links - they're nice but i don't fancy a 'project' i would like something that's in good enough nick to get going straightaway

I always wondered why everyday bikes have so many gears... my b'twin 5 has 21... i use about 4 different ones on a bad day. Like you said, it's over kill! i really am starting to think that maybe if i had a lighter bike i'd have no need for more than 1 speed. Although another consideration... it's only 6 miles now... but what if i moved further out... aarrghh...hopefully i;d be fit enough by then

EKE_38BPM

Oops, multiple post fail

EKE_38BPM

Oops, multiple post fail

EKE_38BPM

Oops, multiple post fail

EKE_38BPM

I hope my answer is of some help to you. What is the point of asking a question on a forum if the forumites don't give helpful answers?

I think the white bike is a good call for you. It looks like it is ready to go, not a project. There may be things that you want to do (handlebars, pedals, saddle, wheels), but I don't think that any of these things need to be done. The bike looks ready to roll.

Pros for the white bike:
Price: ~£50 atm saving you hundreds on what you are willing to pay if you buy new
Gears: As you realise, 4 is probably enough for you and this has 5, not 21
Extras: Mudguards, kick stand and a rear rack for carrying stuff
Green: If there is a tree hugger in you, you could feel good about recycling a bike rather than buying new
Fettling: You will learn to fettle on a simpler machine. Only a rear derailleur, only 5 gears
Personalising: You will need to get the bits to make it 'your' bike. e.g. handlebars & saddle. On a side note, Lost_In_Thought (almost Commutting Chat royalty) has a very similar bike (also a 1980s Raleigh mixte frame) and she said it is even more comfortable than her ~£3000, custom made, carbon fibre Viner Maxima.
Coolness factor: You can tell any admirers of your bike that isn't a step through frame, its called a mixte frame!

Cons
Its second hand: It probably won't be perfect. Buyer beware (this could be a pro though as you could learn to fettle on a old bike)
Weight: It probably won't be as light as a new bike. But if you convert to SS (very easy) or FG (easy), that will bring the weight right down. My aluminium framed, geared, road bike is ~1kg heavier than my 1980s Raleigh fixed gear conversion which weighs about 10kg. The weight differences will be comparable with the white bike.
Incidental costs: You will need to spend on little things that are not immediately apparent (do the brake cables need replacing, brake blocks, innertubes etc). This could lead to the slippery road of upgrades (better wheels would be my first upgrade).

Basically, if I were you, I would buy this bike. Max bid around the £80 mark I think. I would then change the handle bars to whatever you want, buy new wheels and probably tyres and maybe a saddle.
Not having any of those things would stop you riding it home when you buy it. The bike looks ready to ride.

Building is more fun than buying new.
I have just spent 10 minutes looking for a 650c (the size of the wheels) rear wheel with a flip flop hub (you can use it either single speed or fixed gear). I couldn't find one, so that lead me onto thinking about the pros and cons of getting a bike shop to build a wheel or learning and doing it myself.
I get a little carried away sometimes.

sfichele

The raleigh bike in the first ebay link has a broken chain and personally I wouldn't pay 50 squid for it. The second is a much better option since it has extra's like mudguards.

However, in your initial post you are fed up with a heavy cheap decathlon bike. The ebay bikes will be of similar weight ! So I don't think the bikes in the ebay link are an improvement on what you already have. There's nothing wrong with a decathlon bike, however, your model has basic tyres and very basic, heavy wheels. Equally, the ebay bikes have awful tyres.

So you either buy new slick tyres for your decathlon, or risk buying an ebay bike (that might need work doing to it) and still have to change the tyres. If you had no bike then the ebay bikes would be worth a punt.

I dont think £400 for the boardman is overkill for a 6 mile commute, since the bus fare for one year would easily be more than that. However, if you did get the boardman where would you be locking it up at work? Will it be safe?

If you are struggling with the hill on your commute you'd be much better off with gears than going down the SS or fixie route.

miss_mystra

EKE_38BPM wrote:

I hope my answer is of some help to you. What is the point of asking a question on a forum if the forumites don't give helpful answers?

I think the white bike is a good call for you. It looks like it is ready to go, not a project. There may be things that you want to do (handlebars, pedals, saddle, wheels), but I don't think that any of these things need to be done. The bike looks ready to roll.

Pros for the white bike:
Price: ~£50 atm saving you hundreds on what you are willing to pay if you buy new
Gears: As you realise, 4 is probably enough for you and this has 5, not 21
Extras: Mudguards, kick stand and a rear rack for carrying stuff
Green: If there is a tree hugger in you, you could feel good about recycling a bike rather than buying new
Fettling: You will learn to fettle on a simpler machine. Only a rear derailleur, only 5 gears
Personalising: You will need to get the bits to make it 'your' bike. e.g. handlebars & saddle. On a side note, Lost_In_Thought (almost Commutting Chat royalty) has a very similar bike (also a 1980s Raleigh mixte frame) and she said it is even more comfortable than her ~£3000, custom made, carbon fibre Viner Maxima.
Coolness factor: You can tell any admirers of your bike that isn't a step through frame, its called a mixte frame!

Cons
Its second hand: It probably won't be perfect. Buyer beware (this could be a pro though as you could learn to fettle on a old bike)
Weight: It probably won't be as light as a new bike. But if you convert to SS (very easy) or FG (easy), that will bring the weight right down. My aluminium framed, geared, road bike is ~1kg heavier than my 1980s Raleigh fixed gear conversion which weighs about 10kg. The weight differences will be comparable with the white bike.
Incidental costs: You will need to spend on little things that are not immediately apparent (do the brake cables need replacing, brake blocks, innertubes etc). This could lead to the slippery road of upgrades (better wheels would be my first upgrade).

Basically, if I were you, I would buy this bike. Max bid around the £80 mark I think. I would then change the handle bars to whatever you want, buy new wheels and probably tyres and maybe a saddle.
Not having any of those things would stop you riding it home when you buy it. The bike looks ready to ride.

Building is more fun than buying new.
I have just spent 10 minutes looking for a 650c (the size of the wheels) rear wheel with a flip flop hub (you can use it either single speed or fixed gear). I couldn't find one, so that lead me onto thinking about the pros and cons of getting a bike shop to build a wheel or learning and doing it myself.
I get a little carried away sometimes.

i know what you're saying about building being more fun than new... but it would be ages for me to fix up and get how i want it, as valuable as the learning process would be alongside... i think my legs will fall off if i have to ride my b'twin anymore! I think the main thing is that i don't know what to look for in a second hand bike, and if its wrong i'm stuck with it. I haven't got room for a million project bikes in my hall way haha which is how i'd end up buying all the wrong ones! I really do see where you're coming from, and if i had a garage full of tools and the spare time to really get stuck into it, it'd be a great option for me... but in all honesty i just need a decent bike that's already made and right for me... now i've said that it'll probably take the same amount of time and effort as your idea... you can't ever win can you lol

i think for now i need a reliable and ready work horse... one that doesn't weigh a tonne or need work doing for a while... altho come summer i might have a go at what you've suggested and find something cheap on ebay that just needs some love and attention

EKE_38BPM

Weight: My 1980s Raleigh fixie is ~10% lighter than my aluminium framed road bike. I also have a BTwin Vitamin SS which is ~15kg.
The cheaper Vitamin frames are much heavier than the old Raleigh steel frames. The mixte will be noticably lighter than the OPs BTwin.
Tyres: I did suggest replacing the tyres. £40 tops.
Wheels: I did suggest replacing the wheels. You could spend silly money on wheels, I'd go no more than £120 if it was for me. Pushing the boat out a bit but not going crazy.
Service: I could do it myself, but a council course would get the job done and teach the OP how to fettle.
Including replacing the handle bars, that would be a total cost of ~£250, £150 less than the Boardman. Or lunch (@£5/day) every workday for over a month.

sfichele, if a broken chain would put you off buying the bike in the first link, then the second hand market is obviously not for you.
I don't know if you have ridden a SS/FG bike, but if you have you will realise that getting the gearing right is a huge part of it. I would like to ride a faster gear, but where I live is hilly so I've chosen a gear which is right for where I do most of my riding. If the OP has a hill that causes concern, a appropriate gear should be chosen for that hill but still fast enough to prevent her getting scalped by Boris Bikes.
I'm not saying the mixte must be converted to fixed, just that a bike with less than 20 gears can still be a good bike. Something the OP has realised for herself.

miss_mystra

sfichele wrote:

The raleigh bike in the first ebay link has a broken chain and personally I wouldn't pay 50 squid for it. The second is a much better option since it has extra's like mudguards.

However, in your initial post you are fed up with a heavy cheap decathlon bike. The ebay bikes will be of similar weight ! So I don't think the bikes in the ebay link are an improvement on what you already have. There's nothing wrong with a decathlon bike, however, your model has basic tyres and very basic, heavy wheels. Equally, the ebay bikes have awful tyres.

So you either buy new slick tyres for your decathlon, or risk buying an ebay bike (that might need work doing to it) and still have to change the tyres. If you had no bike then the ebay bikes would be worth a punt.

I dont think £400 for the boardman is overkill for a 6 mile commute, since the bus fare for one year would easily be more than that. However, if you did get the boardman where would you be locking it up at work? Will it be safe?

If you are struggling with the hill on your commute you'd be much better off with gears than going down the SS or fixie route.

yeah i was rethinking the SS/fixie option this morning... it was bloody windy this morning blowing the opposite direction me as usual going up hill...aarrghh!!

in all fairness, i slag my btwin off... it's a good bike but probably better suited for other uses, like occasional nice summer rides or bringing the shopping in on. Perfect for my mum!! It's just not ideal for commuting every day. But it's done the job and i've saved a fortune this past year by using it, and it's never broke!

As for keeping the bike at work, we have a secure garage area on the ground floor of our building, you can't get in without going past security guards, and (touch wood) no-one has ever had a bike or anything else stolen from in there. I leave mine there over weekends if i have drinks on a friday eve and i don't even lock it up and it's still there on Monday, so we are really lucky! i just wish i had a similar set up at home instead of having to bring it into my flat!

the bike will be insured as well, same as i already do... the way i see it if it gets nicked, it gets nicked. It'll have a decent lock on it etc but i don't spend all my time worrying about these things, i always just think if it's going happen its going to happen... it's a pain in the arse but there you go!

i'll keep shopping around and hopefully will go check out that boardman in halfords one night this week

EKE_38BPM

miss_mystra wrote:

i know what you're saying about building being more fun than new... but it would be ages for me to fix up and get how i want it, as valuable as the learning process would be alongside... i think my legs will fall off if i have to ride my b'twin anymore! I think the main thing is that i don't know what to look for in a second hand bike, and if its wrong i'm stuck with it. I haven't got room for a million project bikes in my hall way haha which is how i'd end up buying all the wrong ones! I really do see where you're coming from, and if i had a garage full of tools and the spare time to really get stuck into it, it'd be a great option for me... but in all honesty i just need a decent bike that's already made and right for me... now i've said that it'll probably take the same amount of time and effort as your idea... you can't ever win can you lol

i think for now i need a reliable and ready work horse... one that doesn't weigh a tonne or need work doing for a while... altho come summer i might have a go at what you've suggested and find something cheap on ebay that just needs some love and attention

I read your post and what you are saying makes sense for you.
Get the Boardman, enjoy it, see you on London to Brighton!

miss_mystra

EKE_38BPM wrote:

miss_mystra wrote:

i know what you're saying about building being more fun than new... but it would be ages for me to fix up and get how i want it, as valuable as the learning process would be alongside... i think my legs will fall off if i have to ride my b'twin anymore! I think the main thing is that i don't know what to look for in a second hand bike, and if its wrong i'm stuck with it. I haven't got room for a million project bikes in my hall way haha which is how i'd end up buying all the wrong ones! I really do see where you're coming from, and if i had a garage full of tools and the spare time to really get stuck into it, it'd be a great option for me... but in all honesty i just need a decent bike that's already made and right for me... now i've said that it'll probably take the same amount of time and effort as your idea... you can't ever win can you lol

i think for now i need a reliable and ready work horse... one that doesn't weigh a tonne or need work doing for a while... altho come summer i might have a go at what you've suggested and find something cheap on ebay that just needs some love and attention

I read your post and what you are saying makes sense for you.
Get the Boardman, enjoy it, see you on London to Brighton!

haha yes, i'll be the one at the side of the road collapsed in a heap!!!

sfichele

I agree, think the OP would do pretty well with the boardman.

sfichele, if a broken chain would put you off buying the bike in the first link, then the second hand market is obviously not for you.

Actually, I'm a competent bike fettler and can easily strip down a bike and rebuild it etc. Was really thinking about the OP who might not be suited to taking on a "project" without prior fettling experience.

wizzlebanger

I originally suggested the boardman because I had been scouting around Halfords website because I knew they had a sale on. The boardmans are seriously good value for money as they are and with an extra £100 knocked off it's not to be sniffed at.

From what you have been saying I don't think the SS/fixed route is the one to go down. Although it may have an added cool factor you are seriously limiting yourself for the way you ride. If your struggling on some days with weight and gearing I think something lighter and more suited to quick road / urban riding with gears is more better. Plus, you will be easily able to go for longer rides on the boardman if you wish at the weekends.

Also, it's fully eyeletted up for mudguards etc so that's a good plus point. Seriously, mudguards on an every day commuter are a must. (in my opinion)

I don't think the 2nd hand option and then fix is overly viable as you are a little unsure with bike DIY. Although a great way to learn you can end up spending just as much on parts to get it up to speed for daily use as buying new.

Just for ref I don't have a boardman. I ride a trek 7.5 fx and it's been brilliant. Not had a single problem and only maintenance required has been a clean and lube every other week through the winter.

I don't know if you can order the boardman online and get it delivered to your nearest halfords for looking at. Having said that I really think you won't find much better for £400.

sfichele

Also, it's fully eyeletted up for mudguards etc so that's a good plus point. Seriously, mudguards on an every day commuter are a must. (in my opinion)

+1

only maintenance required has been a clean and lube every other week through the winter

+1

That's true for any bike. Keep the chain cleaned and lubed, and spray every moving part with GT85 often (apart from wheel bearings and BBs) and you'll have minimal bike woes

EKE_38BPM

sfichele wrote:

Also, it's fully eyeletted up for mudguards etc so that's a good plus point. Seriously, mudguards on an every day commuter are a must. (in my opinion)

+1

only maintenance required has been a clean and lube every other week through the winter

+1

+1 to both. Enjoy the Boardman.
I'm now thinking about buying the 2nd hand one as a project. Have I now started buying bikes that I have no need for??!!

sfichele

required_number_of_bikes = n + 1