Claud Butler Windermere?

sarahlouise

Hi,

I am about to increase my commute from 5 miles each way to 10, along roads, 2 hills involved.

I currently do the 5 miles on my 15 year old mountain bike which is fine, but for 10 miles I am justified to upgrade!

I've been told a hybrid is the way forward, but how is a Claud Butler Windermere? Is it an alright bike? I know very little but hav been offered one in very good condition for a good price.

Otherwise I was thinking about a specialized Sirrus, or else a bike shop reccomended Trek 7.0...but these are pushing my budget (around £3-400 absolute max for a new bike).

I'm quite clueless, so any advice would be great!

Thanks

Sarah

fatsmoker

The Claude Butler might be a bit heavy for 20 miles every day. A road bike that fits a rack would be lighter - you'll certainly feel a difference with a lighter bike and riding into a wind would be easier on a road bike as your position would be more aero. Plus you'll look more awesome!!
Specialized Dolce? Pricey, but you might find one second hand (and think of the transport costs you'll save. Claud Butler Cozenza? Don't know about the rack though.

sarahlouise

Thanks - that is really useful. I'm a bit scared of road bikes as, apart from a couple of triathlons, I've never really used them. And the potholes on my way to work are huge!

I am currently riding a (approximately) 2 tonne bike 10 miles each day to work and back so the ideal would be that at the end of the day's 17miles, my legs don't feel too much worse than they do at the moment! And I have got surprisingly used to the cycle so far. When I tested the cycle to my new house from work (9 miles), it took just over 40 mins. I'm not too worried about speed, just the issue of not being able to walk once I evenutally get to work!

Is the Claud Butler overall a good-ish bike for the £100 I've been offered it for?

Thanks again!

Sarah

supersonic

The Claud Butler is horrific, is designed for little old ladies riding 200 yards to the shop and back ;-).

Sounds like you need something lighter and sportier, and my recommendation would be the Btwin Fit5:

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/fit-5-road-b ... 39798.html

Great spec, very low weight for the money.

fatsmoker

Do those Giants have the rack mounting holes? Can't see any on the photos. The B-Twin does have them. I'm assuming the OP wants a rack to carry clothes and bits in.
Might have a look at that for my missus - stop her moaning about the excessive weight.

kamiokande

Have you got 'slick' tyres on your mountain bike? Or still got off-road ones? If the latter it's worth considering some narrower, smoother tyres. They really do make a noticeable difference on tarmac.

sarahlouise

Thanks so much for all this advice!

I do have offroad tyres on my mountain bike - we sometimes go for gentle countryside cycles, so they are useful at times, but however big the potholes are, for my journey to work they really probably aren't necessary (and thanks, Oxoman, useful advice to go around the potholes! Unfortunately where I am they often take up the whole width of the bike lane and it's safer to cycle through them than swerve into the speeding traffic. Unfortunately the same goes for peoples' left over kebabs, dead cats/dogs..the lot).

I am quite interested in the Giant Escape - and in the Decathlon one. Near the top end of my budget though, particularly once I start adding mudguards, rack etc.

A bike shop recommended to me a 2nd hand 'Scott's hybrid women's bike that they have in - offering completely kitted out with lights, rack, mudguards etc. for £325 which is quite tempting, except it apparently has suspension which I was told I should really stay away from as it's not necessary for just cycling up the road to work.

Thansk for everyone's help though!

Sarah

kamiokande

I've got a pair of Schwalbe Marathon tyres on my mountain bike/winter commuter, they're about £40 per pair, I think. They're not strictly road tyres, they'll work on most surfaces (I quite often go on canal towpaths etc) and they'd be absolutely fine for light off-roading, potholes, kebabs and even dead animals, they're just alot better on tarmac than off-road tyres. I view most 'hybrid' bikes as basically being slicked mountain bikes anyway, so it just seems a lot of expense when you're basically getting the same thing.

Having said that if the weight of your bike is the issue there's also the Decathlon Fit 3 - bit cheaper than the fit 5 and really good value for £250. Or maybe even £220 instore -
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/fit-3-road-b ... 39797.html