Advice Required re: Commuter Bike

MuelVidBone

Hi!

I'm very new to cycling and am looking to buy a bike to commute to work - not very far, approximately 4.5k each way. I'm also planning on the odd cycle along paths, riversides etc.

My budget is £500 max and I've been looking at the Specialised Sirrus Sport.

Has anyone got any feedback on that bike or any advice/suggestions for other bikes in a similar price range that may be worth a look?

Also, is it worth getting a bike with front fork suspension or not?

Any thoughts or advice gratefully received! Thanks!

snig

sounds to me you will be ok with a ridged fork,less weight,easier on the roads,you will get more bike for yur money as no use spending on a fork you don't need,unless the tow paths are quite rough you will be fine.

Have a think if you want mud guards or not,really good in rain and on wet roads,without mud guards a wet road will leave you withl a dirty wet stripe up your back,do you want to carry anything on your bike or your back,a change of clothes,a call to the shops on the way home,do you want flat bars for the off road use,or drops for the road,most bikes will cover 4.5K without much trouble but you want one that does all the little extras that can make the commute that bit more fun.

Ibb1982

I know you said your max budget is 500 BUT if you can stretch to £550 I would highly recommend the Whyte Portobello 2011 model which is on sale down from £700. Really nice bike and gets good reviews.

For around town, I would echo Snig's comments, rigid fork should be more than enough, you should be able to get a better quality frame, and the bike will be lighter.

Best thing to do is try the bikes out and see which one feels the best for you.

Gizmo_

Specialized sell thousands of the Sirrus series every year, and all those buyers can't be wrong.

General advice is to steer clear of suspension forks unless you're spending £1k+ on a proper mountain bike. However, it depends what ground you're going to be riding over. I have cheapo Suntour front suspension on my hybrid and yes, it means I'm carting around a couple of kilos everywhere that I probably don't need to most of the time, but on bobbly rocky bridleways and so on, it makes the world of difference to how much my hands hurt after a ride, compared to if I lock it out (still carrying the weight and not getting the benefit). Perhaps I just have sensitive hands

To be honest, absolutely any bike would do for 3 miles or so. As a new cyclist your comfort is probably a significant factor in whether you stick with it - so I just thought the opposite view to the usual was worth mentioning.

Tegglington

I have have my sirrus sport since september and do 6 miles each way, everyday.

can honestly say its still feels brand new. fitted some sks chromoplastic mudguards to it and I couldn't be happier.

certainly worth the money, but then i am a little biased