Getting into cycling

Cluelessbiker

Hi there to all the ardent cyclists on here, now I must confess to not being an ardent cyclist, I am in fact a very reluctant one for I find I have many issues with the cycling community. Actually I only know one or two who are into cycling. First question is what is the very best bike to get, hard tail or full suspension? My curreent 'push-iron' is an ancien Marin Stinson, which I am told is a hybrid, and thats how i bought it, for the purpose of going anywhere. Yet as the winter months are now upon us, I do not feel I have the confidence to actually ride it in all weather conditions, plus when I did ride it last time off road (actually a gravel car park, and some footpaths, it felt a little skittish. So I'm suspecting that I might be better off with a mountain bike, could someone please help me decide with some good advice, as to which is best and the reasons why as my thoughts are somewhat jumbled right now.

I like to think I live in the real world as in fact most others do, (ie: no ones got any money) but two things stick out to me as a little off putting, first of all is the exspense of it all, certainly regarding kit and accessories, not to mention the bikes themselves, when I look at the magazine reviews of bikes, you are talking thousands of pounds, anything lower than £500 is not worthy of mention, and I can barely afford that. Secondly is what I can only deem the snobbery surrounding cycles, ie save the earth, get eco friendly, be part of the 'tree hugging society' so to speak etc etc. I'm not really into all of that all I want is to just go out on a bike and enjoy myself. Your thoughts are welcome.

pdw

Quite a lot to cover here...

First question is what you're going to be using the bike for.

All bikes are a compromise - a road bike is the quickest and most efficient on the road, but will be useless on anything other than tarmac. A mountain bike is ideal for full-on off roading, but will be relatively slow and heavy on tarmac. As you might guess from the name, hybrids are somewhere in between.

A hybrid will be fine on tow paths and the like, but if you really want to go anywhere, you'll want a mountain bike. If you want to go down this route, I'd definitely go for a hard tail the first instance. At the £500 mark, anything will full suspension isn't going to be up to much. If the mountain biking bug really bites then look at trading up to FS, but bear in mind that decent full suspension costs a lot.

I think a lot of keen cyclists regard hybrids as a poor compromise. Mountain bikers will seek out technically challenging stuff that a hybrid won't be up to, and keen road cyclists will seek more speed than a hybrid can offer... and people who are keen on both end up with two bikes But if you just want something that you can get around on, and which is useable on surfaces other than tarmac then it may be a reasonable option.

For what it's worth, no bikes are good on deep gravel. A mountain bike will be a bit better, but it's just not a good surface for two wheelers.

Regarding prices... a lot of what's written in magazines is rubbish designed to make you think that it's reasonable to spend truly ridiculous amounts on bikes. That said, there are good reasons not to buy the cheapest bikes out there. Bikes need to be light and strong, and that translates into cost. Very cheap bikes will be very heavy and/or have poor quality components, and even if they don't break, they won't be much fun to ride. I'd reckon on a minimum of £300 for a hybrid and £500 on a hardtail mountain bike.

If you don't know exactly what you want, you'd do well to visit a good bike shop who'll be able to explain the difference and who should be able to let you try a few out.

If you think that cyclists are all a bunch of tree hugging hippies, you really need to speak to a few more cyclists. Most people cycle because they enjoy cycling, not because they want to save the planet. I'm not sure I've ever met this cycling community of which you speak, although I have met lots of people who are keen on cycling.

Go and visit any mountain biking trail center and you'll find a car park full of people who've driven a long way in order to get muddy in a forest. Not very eco, but a lot of fun

Slapster_UK

Congrats on the bravery in relation to your opinion of cyclists.
As PDW says, as in all walks of life, there are many different types of character, and not all (in fact, probably only a few) are tree-huggers, etc.
Myself? I decided to commute on a regular basis purely to save cash by selling one of the family cars - and I really enjoy it.
For what its worth, I decided I didn't want a hybrid, as they seemed to me to be a jack of all trades, but master of none (ducks quickly, as there are bound to be others with differing views!!).
However, I was in a position to buy two bikes:
1. a used Cube Streamer road bike - what a difference to the bikes I used to ride 20 years ago!!
2. a used Specialized Camber Full susser.

The Cube impressed me very much in build, looks and value, so when I fell out of love after a few weeks (!!) with the Full Susser (after kidding myself into believing I was 20 years younger and still capable of riding jumps and drop offs!) I looked for a Cube hard tail and sold the Spesh.

To be honest, i paid £2k for a new carbon cube MTB, which i would not advocate for what you are intending - I live in the middle of the countryside with forests, woods, and bridleways abounding, so it will get the use.

In essence, I now have a fast road bike for the good/summer days, and an excellent MTB for general use and winter days commutes.

As the ad says, "Im lovin it, lovin it. lovin it"

wyadvd

why not try reading the blue bbb book and sheldon brown's website, then knock up yer own hack. go to Chain reaction and get their 18 piece x tools kit, and you'll have pretty much all the tools you need to build a bike from scratch with scrap bits for next to nothing. Its very satisfying.

heres my effort;

https://picasaweb.google.com/wyadvd/Jul ... directlink

MichaelW

The Stinson is a 26" (MTB) wheeled 'comfort" bike. It is designed for Just Riding Along but Marin are a good brand and dont make bad bikes. The components are functional but low end and the frame is nicely made from lightweight, butted aluminium. It is a perfectly good bike for urban commutes up to about 5 miles and good enough for slightly longer commutes. You should be able to use it for canal tow paths and easy trails but you may want to change tyres to suit your terrain.
If you want to improve the handling, adjust the angle of the stem to move the bars lower and further forward. This will lower your centre of gravity and make a big different to balance.

There are much better bikes out there for everyday commuting but, as you say, they cost money and you already have a bike. I know people who commute everyday on the worst kind of discount store, full suspension MTB-a-like. You are much better equipped than this.

I suggest you give us some more info on how long your commute will be, how much luggage you want to carry, how tall you are and what kind of non-commuting cycling you want to enjoy with your bike.

Cluelessbiker

Thank you one and all, apologies for generalisations of cyclists, I truly believe the media is largely to blame for that impression, I want a bike purely for fun and fitness, as for commuting, that is yet to happen, I was all set to go out today on a planned ride out over so many miles, gradually getting more miles under my belt, then it rained, lol. I really do have to get my act together after my earlier dabble into cycling earlier on in the year I am now very keen on getting into it, strange how it comes about at this time of year though.

Ok Silly question time, are 29'ers the same size as 700c wheels as the wheels on my bike are 700c, although someone has suggested as 26 inch wheels on, rather than get another bike to go alongside the Marin.
When MichealW has stated that the Marin, which indeed is a comfort bike, has 26inch rims, this has now confused me, was the Marin meant to have 26’s or was they produced with 700c wheels

So many questions and all at the wrong time of year, please have pity on me.

lockstock666

It sounds like you just need to get out on the bike that you have got more for now, decide if you are a keen cyclist and whether you need a new ride. Who knows maybe you will start to hug trees too? :P

As for what bike you may need, I went to a shop to try some bikes out. I was instantly addicted to the speed of skinny tires and large chain rings after riding mountain bikes on mostly roads all my life! But I went for a hybrid racer as I didn't fancy drop bars - personal preference.

If you have any mates with bikes then ask to try their ride out for an afternoon.

After trying the bikes out and deciding what type, my advice would be to get the lightest one that you can afford. Light bikes are gooood whether they be light MTB, light Hyb's or Light Roadies.

symo

Keep an eye on ebay but also on Planet X as they are always getting rid of display bikes for way less than they are worth.

alidaf

Don't let the rain put you off, especially if you plan on commuting. I'd go to a local bike shop (LBS) to get some advice on bikes, especially for a first bike. Avoid mail order until you really know what you want.

esspeebee

Cluelessbiker wrote:

Ok Silly question time, are 29'ers the same size as 700c wheels as the wheels on my bike are 700c, although someone has suggested as 26 inch wheels on, rather than get another bike to go alongside the Marin.
When MichealW has stated that the Marin, which indeed is a comfort bike, has 26inch rims, this has now confused me, was the Marin meant to have 26’s or was they produced with 700c wheels

A 29er rim is the same diameter as a 700c one. 29er, though, generally refers to a mountain bike with much fatter tyres, so the rim will be built to take that and the overall wheel diameter will be larger as a result (700mm is about 27.5", so that gives an idea of the difference in tyre width). 26" rims are, unsurprisingly, significantly smaller.

Cluelessbiker

Thank you all once again, little by little I am coming around to the idea that a Mountain bike for this time of year would be ideal, just for the sake of fatter tyres on the tarmac, my Marin, although I like it,does not instill confidence in me, but as someone else said, I DO need to get out more onthe bike. Dare I say this without being shot down,I was a bit bord yesterday so I wandered down to Halfords, i fact I went to veiw the Carrera Fury, and yes I was impressed by the lightness of it, plus the general spec, I think this bike is something I will be aiming for, as fitness wise riding a bike seems the best option for me.

Kieran_Burns

Where did this idea that there are only 3 types of bikes come from?

Road / Hybrid / MTB

There are many variants available and if you want a go most anywhere bike but with some speed involved, then a CX (Cyclocross) bike is ideal. Or if you want a bike for touring on the roads with some comfort then an Audax would be great.

My CX bike (Tricross sport) is presently running 28c road tyres but I have a set of 35c CX tyres for the snowy days - takes very little time to swap them over and if really want to I can use the CX tyres on bridleways and tracks, but I've never needed to.

Don't just limit yourself to road / hybrid / mtb list - go look around at what is available and try riding a few to see what you like.

maveco

+1 for the Cyclocross bike

Kona Jake is apparently a super bike for the money

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/kon ... gn=froogle

Or the Specialized TriCross

bails87

That said, the Fury is (or was last time I looked) the best bike at it's price range. Equalled only by the Rockriders from Decathlon. Do you need an MTB though.

The Rookie

I have an MTB for proper off road, for commuting I built myself a flat barred hybrid to suite ME on MY commute (see avatar, very low bars, 26" wheels with disc brakes and panniers), it wouldn't suit everyone but works well for me.

Simon

Cluelessbiker

I have an MTB for proper off road, for commuting I built myself a flat barred hybrid to suite ME on MY commute (see avatar, very low bars, 26" wheels with disc brakes and panniers), it wouldn't suit everyone but works well for me.

Simon

Hi Simon, whilst I like the idea of building your own spec bike, (especially as I am finding, there is no one good bike out there which I am satisfied with) my idea would be to convert an MTB into some kind of hybrid cycle, sounds odd I know, but I have just had wider bars fitted to my stinson as the originals were quite narrow, in one way it has increased my confidence a little, but I now find that due to wet greasy roads, a hybrid, or indeed any sort of true road bike to me feels too high up. I feel an MTB would be better planted on the road, sadly I am not Mechanically minded enough to be able to do so, this and my fast becoming apparent lack of confidence is playing hell with my nerves

I am really ashamed that I am fast becoming a fair-weather cyclist, and I'm sure there is a suitable place cyclists like me should be banished to

The Rookie

Some Hybrids sit closer to MTB's while others (like mine) have more in common with a road bike, if you are looking for a commute Hybrid that is close to an MTB, try out a Carrera Subway, effectively an MTB with rigid forks, but a shape and riding position much closer to what you think an MTB will offer (noting that there are different types of MTB with different characteristics anyway!)

Simon

CraigTheBiker

The Beginner wrote:

if you are looking for a commute Hybrid that is close to an MTB, try out a Carrera Subway

+1 on the Carrera Subway for commuting.

Until a couple of years ago my cycling was pretty much restricted to roads. But my other half wanted to do some country trails, and my road bike just wasn't up to the job.

To cut a long story short, I bought a Carrera Subway on a whim. It cost me around £250 if memory serves me right. Not the coolest bike in the world, and I wasn't expecting much, but it has been absolutely great. I now use it almost every day for my commute. Had it over 2 years and no mechanical problems whatsoever.

godders1

pdw wrote:

....a road bike is the quickest and most efficient on the road, but will be useless on anything other than tarmac....

I don't agree with this. Of course the surface has to be reasonable but "useless on anything other than tarmac" simply isn't true. Particularly if you get a road bike that can take 25mm or even 28mm tyres and has a decent spoke count on the wheels.

CraigTheBiker

Yes, a road bike can be used on surfaces other than tarmac. But, that doesn't mean they are particularly well suited to riding on other surfaces.

It all comes down to what you will be using your bike for most of the time. If you are riding 90% of the time on cobbled paths (like that shown above), then I'd say a road bike should probably not be the top of your list.

godders1

CraigTheBiker wrote:

Yes, a road bike can be used on surfaces other than tarmac. But, that doesn't mean they are particularly well suited to riding on other surfaces.

It all comes down to what you will be using your bike for most of the time. If you are riding 90% of the time on cobbled paths (like that shown above), then I'd say a road bike should probably not be the top of your list.

Totally agree, I'm just saying it's a misconception that road bikes are dainty machines that will crumble into dust at the mere sight of a less than perfect surface.

Cluelessbiker

Well to everyone here I have done something about my situation, I have bought myself an old nail of an MTB.and will be smoking around on that to build my confidence up, may even have a few night runs in order to get the feel of things again, then in to the new year I think I will be purchasing a new MTB, I'm looking at Marin as people tell me they are good, and still have my eye on the GT Fury although other detract from that choice by pointing out that they are Halfords own brand, either way 2012 will be my cycling year 8)

tomb353

Main bit of advice I would offer is understand he importance of tyres, both the type you have on the bike and the pressure they are pumped up to. Invest around £15 in a basic track pump with pressure gauge. If riding on the road pump tyres up to maximum, if off road drop them down. If handling in the wet doesn't feel right get good wet weather grippy tyres (this does not mean big MTB tyres, just road tyres designed to grip the road).

pdw

Godders1 wrote:

Totally agree, I'm just saying it's a misconception that road bikes are dainty machines that will crumble into dust at the mere sight of a less than perfect surface.

I didn't say it would crumble, just that it would be useless. I was out on my road bike yesterday and owing to a slight navigation error ended up doing a mile on a pretty tame if slightly muddy byway, and useless was about the right word. If I could get CX tyres on it, it would be a different story, but I can't, because it's a road bike.