New Commuter Needed

spamalot
spamalot Posts: 11
edited September 2012 in Commuting chat
Hi All,

I love a forum or two so I thought I'd post this here. I currently have an Orange Gringo (around 2007 model) much like this one- http://www.wheeliecyprus.com/images/orange.jpg but with rigid forks. I've also replaced the tyres with semi-slick schwalbes and it's a great fast bike for my 8 mile round trip each day.

But I fancy something new...

I've been looking at Hybrid's, basically just an upgrade of what I have. A bike with the gears in the back hub would be nice as the clicks on my current bike bug me. I've been keeping an eye out for 2nd hand Cannondale Bad Boy Ultra 8s. Are they good or bad, they seem to tick most boxes.

I'd like to pick up something second hand to get the most out of my £500 budget.

Any suggestions?

Comments

  • dhope
    dhope Posts: 6,699
    R
    O
    A
    D

    B
    I
    K
    E

    I'll leave the specifics to someone else.
    Rose Xeon CW Disc
    CAAD12 Disc
    Condor Tempo
  • Greg T
    Greg T Posts: 3,266
    R O A D B I K E

    Ditch the fat burd and trade up
    Fixed gear for wet weather / hairy roadie for posing in the sun.

    What would Thora Hurd do?
  • spamalot
    spamalot Posts: 11
    But... I want to be able to go up and down curbs and don't really like curly handlebars.

    Sorry for being an amature.
  • navt
    navt Posts: 374
    spamalot wrote:
    But... I want to be able to go up and down curbs and don't really like curly handlebars.

    Ahh, so he wants a B M X?
  • Widgey
    Widgey Posts: 157
    Learn to bunny hop and get a flat bar - sorted.
  • cyclingprop
    cyclingprop Posts: 2,426
    spamalot wrote:
    But... I want to be able to go up and down curbs and don't really like curly handlebars.
    .

    Roadies go up and down dropped curbs. No bike should be going up a raised curb unless you're in a bike park?
    What do you mean you think 64cm is a big frame?
  • jds_1981
    jds_1981 Posts: 1,858
    edited August 2012
    navt wrote:
    spamalot wrote:
    But... I want to be able to go up and down curbs and don't really like curly handlebars.

    Ahh, so he wants a B M X?

    I hear 29ers roll over bumps quite well.

    edit : - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... NXhU#t=13s
    FCN 9 || FCN 5
  • Kieran_Burns
    Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
    I think you should curb your enthusiasm for kerbs....
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
  • spamalot
    spamalot Posts: 11
    Go on then, suggest me a used road bike for £500 then :)
  • clarkey cat
    clarkey cat Posts: 3,641
    viewtopic.php?f=40090&t=12874083

    touch over budget but he sounds keen to sell. depends how tall you are.
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    For £500 try the Boardman Hybrid Comp.
  • Greg T
    Greg T Posts: 3,266
    supersonic wrote:
    For £500 try the Boardman Hybrid Comp.


    AAAARRRGGGHHHHH

    Hybrids suck - yes they do.

    This however . . . .

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Raleigh-Racin ... 500wt_1168

    50 Quid!!!

    What a beauty
    Fixed gear for wet weather / hairy roadie for posing in the sun.

    What would Thora Hurd do?
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,878
    If you want a hybrid you crack on. Nevermind what the cool kids say.

    However if you want a road bike wait a couple of weeks til the sales start and some will fall into your £500 range.

    I'd keep an eye out for a Cannondale Caad8
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    Or a CX for year round commuterproofness.

    And a cape.
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • daviesee
    daviesee Posts: 6,386
    spamalot wrote:
    But... I want to be able to go up and down curbs and don't really like curly handlebars.

    Sorry for being an amature.
    Why do you want to go up and down kerbs?
    Bikepaths usually have dropped kerbs?
    Are you under 15 years old? If not, you should be on the road, not the pavement.
    None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.
  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    daviesee wrote:
    spamalot wrote:
    But... I want to be able to go up and down curbs and don't really like curly handlebars.

    Sorry for being an amature.
    Why do you want to go up and down kerbs?
    Bikepaths usually have dropped kerbs?
    Are you under 15 years old? If not, you should be on the road, not the pavement.

    Beat me to it.....!

    Anyway, if I can bunny hop a drop bar fixie over pot holes, then a road bike is definitely bunny hoppable....
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    daviesee wrote:
    Are you under 15 years old? If not, you should be on the road, not the pavement.
    What on earth would being under 15 have to do with it, unless you're below the age of criminal responsibility it is still a criminal offence!

    Carrera Gryphon......
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • spamalot
    spamalot Posts: 11
    daviesee wrote:
    spamalot wrote:
    But... I want to be able to go up and down curbs and don't really like curly handlebars.

    Sorry for being an amature.
    Why do you want to go up and down kerbs?
    Bikepaths usually have dropped kerbs?
    Are you under 15 years old? If not, you should be on the road, not the pavement.

    I live in the middle of town and go down ally-ways, through traffic... basically I weave. That's why I thought a hybrid would be good as it gives me most of the speed of a road bike with a little more of the ruggedness of a mountain bike.

    Was I wrong?
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Depends on the hybrid, as they vary so much. The Boardman I suggested is very light and handles great - a good option, especially if you don' like drops.
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    spamalot wrote:
    I live in the middle of town and go down ally-ways, through traffic... basically I weave. That's why I thought a hybrid would be good as it gives me most of the speed of a road bike with a little more of the ruggedness of a mountain bike.

    Was I wrong?

    Down alleyways, as in, on the pavement? Or down sideroads (which surely wouldn't have a kerb?)?
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • pangolin
    pangolin Posts: 6,283
    spamalot wrote:
    daviesee wrote:
    spamalot wrote:
    But... I want to be able to go up and down curbs and don't really like curly handlebars.

    Sorry for being an amature.
    Why do you want to go up and down kerbs?
    Bikepaths usually have dropped kerbs?
    Are you under 15 years old? If not, you should be on the road, not the pavement.

    I live in the middle of town and go down ally-ways, through traffic... basically I weave. That's why I thought a hybrid would be good as it gives me most of the speed of a road bike with a little more of the ruggedness of a mountain bike.

    Was I wrong?

    His point was that unless those alleyways are cycle paths, you shouldn't be on them.

    Road bikes or CX bikes are very tough, you won't have any issues with ruggedness. You can't just crash into a kerb and go up it like you could with a front suspension bike, but with any bike handling skills at all you will be fine. I bunny hop potholes, random bits of junk etc fairly regularly on a road bike and the wheels only fall off now and then.

    On the road, you will find your new road bike much faster. Usually when people get a hybrid they soon regret it and wish they had got a road bike. Saying that, if you are already using a hybrid and are happy with it, carry on!
    - Genesis Croix de Fer
    - Dolan Tuono
  • spamalot
    spamalot Posts: 11
    supersonic wrote:
    Depends on the hybrid, as they vary so much. The Boardman I suggested is very light and handles great - a good option, especially if you don' like drops.

    Hi,

    I do like the look of the bike you suggested but I don't really see it as much of an upgrade really, if anything bar the disc breaks it looks like a downgrade.
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Why not just keep what you have then and make a few changes? I turned my Zaskar LE into a commuter:

    zred-1.jpg

    Cost about £250, weighs 20lbs, is light and fast around town and I don't really notice any loss of speed on longer road rides.
  • navt
    navt Posts: 374
    spamalot wrote:
    I do like the look of the bike you suggested but I don't really see it as much of an upgrade really, if anything bar the disc breaks it looks like a downgrade.

    Now, now. Bit like comparing apples with oranges, isn't it.
  • spamalot wrote:
    Go on then, suggest me a used road bike for £500 then :)
    I've got an old Peugeot I can sell you for that.
  • I gave up riding my Corratec to work because it's just too bloody heavy, fair enough it was absolutely bulletproof but I found I wasn't enjoying it, so I started using my Vee-1 because it's pretty much the closest thing to a BMX I could find. I ride a mixture of backstreets, main roads and towpaths and I'm glad of the bit of extra ruggedness as I'm not a light lad.

    I have a CX bike too, and I spent last sunday roaming around Rathlin Island on it, at least 75% of the vehicles on it are 4x4's so that gives you of an idea what the "roads" are like, potholes, gravel tracks, stoney tracks, cattle grids etc and the bike took everything in it's stride. I bought another set of wheels for it too and I have 700x28 slicks on them, but the main problem is that I'm still used to 1980's wheel technology and modern "skinny" wheels are so much more durable these days.

    Edinburgh Bike Co-op have my bike reduced to £359 at the minute.
    Disc Trucker
    Kona Ute
    Rockrider 8.1
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    Planet X London Road