Getting on a bit

Davdandy

Hi everyone.

My name is Dave and i will be 49 in two weeks. havent been an avid cyclist but more an accasional one.I enjoy cycling with my two young girls aged 7 and 10 in the local parks.

But as i am getting older i need a hobby and cycling seems to fit the bill.When i was younger i was always on my racer,bobbing up and down the local town and a little beyond.

Now that i am approaching my later years i wish to get fitter for one,and also to enjoy a new hobby.

The bike i have now is a Halfords Apollo Outrage which has served me well considering my limited use of it.I realise it is only an entry level bike but like i said it has done me good.

Now i would like to buy a road bike,but my budget is limited due to the current economic climate,so i was thinking of around the £500 mark,ish.

But i have lots of questions.Firstly,what do i look for and what is the difference,apart from price between a £100 bike and a £1000 or £3000 bike.I dont understand why weight is an issue,what i mean is if i had a bike that is 9kg and a bike that is 20 kg and i weigh 15 stone,does it matter?

I still have to carry the 15 stone no matter what the bike weighs.

I know this may sound like a stupid question but please forgive my ignorance on this matter.

Another question is,i suffer from an occasional bad back and knee problems,not all the time though.Would cycling help me in strengthening my muscles in these areas,would it help or hinder.As an almost 49er i wish to get fitter and healthier as well as enjoying a new experience.

Any other answers will be gratefully appreciated and welcomed.

Thank you for your time.

Dave.

hamish123

Hi the main difference in bike costs are the frame as the better materials used do incurr more costs also the same for components ,this does not allways mean more expensive bikes are that muck better .
As for bike weight even if you are carrying extra body weight a lighter bike does make a difference hard to explain unless you have ridden both .
If you get the bike set up correctly you should not suffer back and knee problems and would recommend a bike fit.
One of the cycle mags ran a test of 4 bikes from £300 to a £1000 and rated the lower priced bike and think it was from decathlon

ricklilley

The main differences between a £100 bike and say a £1000 bike is quality of components used, weight, and the Brand name. To be honest i wouldn't go near a brand new bike that cost £100, as its likely to be made of the poorest quality components, and will probably cause you more aggro than its worth.

As for a bike under £500, the Triban 3 (£300) from Decathlon seems to be getting some good reveiws at the moment. The Carrerra branded bikes from Halfords are also pretty reasonable specced.

As you say the heaviest item your gonna carry up a hill is yourself, so although there are benefits to a lightweight bike, its all relative. Losing weight is the cheapest upgrade you can get.

As for your back/knees, if the bike is set up and fits you properly you shouldn't have any problems. Might be worth going to a good Local bike shop and asking for some advice, try a couple of bikes etc.

ALaPlage

Something in the £300 to £500 bracket will be fine to get you started and an improvement on your old bike. The Triban from Decathlon gets good reviews with a good balance of equipment and bike weight. A little over budget such as the Cube Peloton would be another great value bike to consider or go second hand as there are plenty of sub £1k bikes out there that go for around half the new price; lots of cycle to work bike scheme bikes where those that took advantage and spent upto £1k on a bike before realising cycling wasn't for them. Specialized Allez or Secteur and Cannondale Synapse are a couple to look into.

You can spend a fortune on a bike and the more you spend the lighter generally the bike becomes. As you spend more however there comes a point where there are minimal gains per pound notes invested. More money means a better frame balance of lightness, stiffness (getting the power down onto the road) and flex (giving some comfort) but not necessary for the amateur cyclist unless you can afford to invest in your hobby or you are entering some competitive element such as Club TT's and the equipment becomes important to you for some small gain.

Wheels make the biggest difference and even more expensive bikes don't have the best wheelsets fitted as standard and this becomes the first upgrade piece for many cyclists. Groupsets higher in the range can offer some smoother shifting yet even the base groupsets set up well will index neatly. The main difference of the top end groupsets is they are lighter, take less lever push to change gear and in the braking tend to offer more feel and bite. The other area of difference is the starter groupsets offer 9 or 8 gears on the back wheel versus 10 or 11 sprockets on those higher up the range. 2012 Tiagra from Shimano is the entry into 10 speed where pre 2012 you would be up to Shimano 105. Equally the shift mechanism differs as Tiagra upward in the Shimano range has a twin lever system to change gear up and down which is a little easier in operation than the thumb switch on Sora and 2300.

Overall bike weight makes a difference in climbing inclines and accelerating as that is where you may notice a difference between two bikes but the biggest difference is your own weight that you carry.

At 49 you are not too old to get I to cycling as a hobby to get fit and enjoy the world around you so I say get on and do it particularly as you enjoy it in the moderate way you are doing it now. You don't need to spend a fortune and I would factor in some other bits in your budget to help you enjoy cycling more. Padded bib shorts and cycling jersey to keep you at the right temperature and some padded gloves to help your hands from getting numb as well as helmet, pump, puncture repair kit and tyre levers and perhaps a saddle bag to keep those things with you on the road.

Have a look at the Decathlon range, research on here and on the internet to perhaps see if you can find something g second hand, visit local bike shops and Evans are good for test rides. Also a bike fit will help ensure you have the right size bike and minimise any chance of discomfort. Good luck and have fun.

Davdandy

Thanks everyone,lots of useful advise from you all.Cheers.

A friend at work also agrees with you regarding Decathlon,i must admit i didnt know they stocked cycles.We have one recently opened near me in Warrington so i will pay them a visit.
Would the staff be trained to deal with people like me or are they like Halfords,where recieving the cash is more important than the service,i have heard bad things about them you see,though the bikes themselves look great,but i aint no expert as you can tell.

Like is sais,i am approaching 49 so my racing days are well and truly behind me,it is more for both leisure and a means to keep fit.The fitness side i am sorry to say is something i havent really persued much.I weigh about 14 stone so i am not overweight or anything,or at least i dont think so. :roll:

And i hear that you said the wheels could be the first upgrade.Now i am not a numpty but why would the wheels be so important.What i mean, is they are round and have spokes.I dont mean to sound silly but i am just learning.

Davdandy

Just had a quick look at the Decathlon range and saw the Triban 3,but i also like the look of the Triban 5.

Now i havent fully compared the two yet as i have just finished work but what are the main differences between the two and is the pricier one worth the extra investment.

clarkey cat

the Triban 5 has carbon rearstays (the rear end of the frame) and better gears. If you were considering making a jump to the £500 territory then I think there are better options out there - like this:

http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/produ ... _Bike_2011

snoopsmydogg

Davdandy wrote:

Hi everyone.

But i have lots of questions.Firstly,what do i look for and what is the difference,apart from price between a £100 bike and a £1000 or £3000 bike.I dont understand why weight is an issue,what i mean is if i had a bike that is 9kg and a bike that is 20 kg and i weigh 15 stone,does it matter?

I still have to carry the 15 stone no matter what the bike weighs.

Davdandy wrote:

Thanks everyone, The fitness side i am sorry to say is something i havent really persued much.I weigh about 14 stone so i am not overweight or anything,or at least i dont think so.

bloody hell, you've only been on a cycling forum a day and lost a stone. Just think how much you're going to lose when you get out on your shiny new bike

ALaPlage

Davdandy wrote:

And i hear that you said the wheels could be the first upgrade.Now i am not a numpty but why would the wheels be so important.What i mean, is they are round and have spokes.I dont mean to sound silly but i am just learning.

Wheels and tyres and to a lesser extent even the inner tube make a difference to how a bike rolls. It's all to do with rolling weight and resistance. Lighter wheels like frames are more expensive and in almost all cases a stock bike from a manufacturer saves cost on the bike price by speccing a heavier wheelset. At the price bracket you are around from your earlier post there is probably only Cube who spec a slightly more upmarket wheelset as standard on their bikes.

MTB wheels are built for strength to take the hammering over rocks and tree roots etc and the big thick chunky tyres to aid grip on the surfaces they were designed to be ridden on. Road wheels are built for speed and are
lighter with in the main slick tyres to cut down any resistance against the road. Within wheelsets different materials and spoke numbers are utilised to get a compromise between lightness and strength.

In a range such as Fulcrum wheels for example you may find a £1k bike fitted with Fulcrum 7's as standard which is there base wheelset in the range. You could go up the Fulcrum range for a lighter wheelset by fitting Fulcrum 5's or 3's and at the top end and those who choose Fulcrum wheels to race or just to have the best wheelset they can afford you will find Fulcrum 1's or Zeroes.

I hope that answers your question however not something to worry about until you are really hooked into your cycling and feel its something you'd want to do to upgrade any bike you had finally settled on.

Davdandy

Thanks again guys.

The wheels question was just something i wanted to understand.I have no plans to race,not at any higher level anyways.I am too long in the tooth now for that.

Oh and snoopsmydogg ,the reason i have lost a stone is because of watching the awesome cycling in th`lympics.I have just seen trott and Hoy win more gold and maybe i have lost another 6lbs.

Davdandy

I have had another look around at cycles and i like the look of the Felt range.Now i know some of the prices are well out of my range but what are your thoughts on the Felt cycles F95 and the Z95.Both are for sale at Winstanleys for around the £500 mark.
But as i know next to nothing about modern cycles i need your imput.

Another quick question is:if i was to buy a bike from,lets say Winstanleys,i assume it would arrive flat packed.if so what would you suggest to get the bikes up and ready correctly.My experience of derailiers from many years ago have not been a good one,hopefully things have moved on since then.

Benny2687

Hello, i bought my Felt f95 a few months back and after a few adjustments (shorter stem, new bar tape) it has been pretty good, have done a fair few miles on it and a couple centeries. Its only my second road bike though and first dropped handlebar bike so i dont have much experience.
I know the z series have a more relaxed geometry which might be good if its your first bike in a while.

If you have an Evans near by they will price match winstanleys and set everything up for you - they will also offer a free service. If you pay £50 deposit before hand you can order it in and go for an hour test drive which helped my decision.

Hope that helps

johnnicebutdim

Hi Dave,

As you are into it for fitness etc, you might like to download the Strava App if you have a Smart Phone as you can use it to check on how you are progressing - see www.strava.com for more info.

Davdandy

Thanks again chaps.

Yes,i do have an Evans close by,well about 10 miles away so i will defo be giving them a try.I went there a few years ago and the prices scared the living daylights out of me,i would feel like a pauper if i only wanted a £500 bike.But i will go certainly and if they match Winstanleys then all the better.

One thing i thought i would mention is,when you ask for a test drive do they ask for a deposit or some security measures first.I mean,what stops some scrote nicking the bike and not coming back.

Benny2687

I rang up a week before hand and payed the 50 pound deposit for them to get the bike in and set up. Then when i went in i left my debit card which they took a penny off of so if i nicked the bike they would have my details and debit card. Then you pay the rest of the money minus the 50 pounds and a penny.
You can order a few bikes in but each will cost 50 pound. Obviously if you dont want the bike they refund straight away.

They will price match winstanleys and actually wiggle have it for £487 and they will price match them too.

Davdandy

Thanks benny,thats great news.

I take it you have no regrets about the Felt?

As a novice i need all the advice i can get you see.I know looks are the last thing you should look at when buying anything but i do like the Felts and if they perform as well then thats perfect,alas if they are not worth the money then i shall look elsewhere but they do seem to have a good rep.

Benny2687

I dont have any regrets, but on the other hand i havent ridden any other similar bikes for any great length of time so its not to say there isnt something better out there. Have just checked the evans site and they only have a 56cm in green left. Sill got wiggle or winstanleys if thats not your size.
F85 might also be worth a look if its in your budget.

Davdandy

Not sure what size to get yet mate.At the moment i am laid up with a bad back but once i am over it i shall pay them a visit and see what suits me best.I will also visit decathlon too which is close to where i live.