Viking bikes for 20k rides?

rogerhayllar

I'm looking at cycling into the train station (16k) regularly or just going for 20k rides if I'm bored.
Would a Viking bike be any good for light use like this? I'm not going to be going for hundreds of kilometres on it every day, only light use so I can't justify the price of a nice £600 road bike. Would something around £200 from viking or another brand like that be better than a cheap rigid mtb?

junglist_matty

Is the route flat? If so, maybe think about a single speed, easier to maintain, sturdy, lighter and cheap to buy

t4tomo

rogerhayllar wrote:

I'm looking at cycling into the train station (16k) regularly or just going for 20k rides if I'm bored.
Would a Viking bike be any good for light use like this? I'm not going to be going for hundreds of kilometres on it every day, only light use so I can't justify the price of a nice £600 road bike. Would something around £200 from viking or another brand like that be better than a cheap rigid mtb?

Yes, a bit heavier than something more expensive but perfectly adequate.

j_mcd

Could you consider buying second hand? My Specialized Allez cost about 600 quid a few years back but if it was sold now would be lucky to get 150 quid. There are always people flogging older (but good) bikes as they want to trade up and you could get yourself something lighter and better.

Mr Will

I expect you'll be forever fixing it. Go for a single speed, second hand or up your budget to £300 and get a Triban/Carrera

MichaelW

A rapid, all-weather commuter road bike is different to a race bike. Also called "winter training" bikes,
they usually come with more tyre clearance by using caliper brakes with a longer drop and also they have threaded eyelets to fit full-length mudguards. Lower gears such as a compact double chainset are usually preferred to race gearing of a std chainset. Rack eyelets at the seatstays add more versatility. The Viking may have those features but its worth checking.
Some budget roadbikes such as Pinnacle Dolomite 2 come with these practical touches.
Everyday commuting also needs good puncture protection and budget bike have budget tyres.

The Rookie

When I'm away on business I rent a fairly shonky Merida mountain bike and that's managed 54 miles (last trip) including a lot of climbing.....it will cope.