Should I..?

Cyclum

Firstly, apologies. I know this subject has been done a few times before...

I wouldn't describe myself as a cyclist (which is probably my biggest problem) but cycling is my main form of transport. I had a mountain bike for years and after many years and even more miles (approx 130 a week) I decided to invest in a new one.

My 'new' bike is a hybrid. Chosen because it seemed best to for by current lifestyle. I use it mostly for short journeys. I have a trailer for my 2 kids and 2 large panniers for the shopping. Nice and practical. It's a decent bike but I didn't want to spend more than £400 on a bike that was gong to be a bit of a cart-horse and spend much of its time outside shops or tied up to a lamppost because the trailer won't fit through the bike gate into the park.

More recently I have been stripping my hybrid of the trailer/panniers and cycling to/from work (20 miles). I'm tempted to treat myself to a nice road bike for longer solo journeys, but I'm not sure if I really need it. After all I'm only doing 20 miles - I'm hardly cycling across the UK. That and my husband bought my last bike as a present and I know that buying another would offend him slightly. :-)

What are your thoughts?

Thanks.

jefflad

n+1

Cyclum

jefflad wrote:

n+1

Sorry, doest that stand for something?
Thanks.

dork_knight

Rule 12:
http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/#12

I guess you could look at your situation as such;

The Hybrid is your workhorse, it's probably heavy, it can take a bit of a beating, it's your primary transport and recreation bike for when taking the kids out... similar to that of a workman's (or should I say work persons) van.

Having a lighter and better performing bike is always nice for those days when you can get out by yourself and enjoy the road & journey... that is if you can justify the cost for such a bike.

Does your work have a cycle2work scheme as that could offer a saving for a dedicated commuter/weekend bike?

careful

Number of bikes you should have = the number you already have +1. I guess its a balance between the inconvenience of stripping bits off your workhorse, plus the benefits of riding a more suitable 'sporty' bike against the cost of another bike. So its down to money in the end. You can soften the blow to your husbands feelings by honestly saying that the bike he bought you has re-awakened your interest in cycling and will still get lots of use.

Cyclum

There is a cycle to work scheme - that's partly why I'm looking into it

northpole

Depends what age your kids are and whether there are people nearby who may be able to look after them. One option would be to sell the concept of his and hers road bikes and get the pair of you out on bikes? I have friends with young kids and realise that this may be a complete non starter, but it may be a seemingly naive way of raising the subject...

Peter

desweller

It depends on how you view a bike. If it's always purely a utility item then you'll need to qualify the purchase on your book-keeping. At 20 miles/day you can easily justify quite a significant purchase just in terms of fuel saved.

But if you're not a huge fan of your 'gift' bike and you think you might want to cycle as a hobby as well as transport, do longer rides etc. then why not dip into the rainy day pot?

Cyclum

The kids are 2 and 4 so they won't be going on any significant bike rides soon.

I work 2 days a week and the 20 miles is my commute to work so I would be using their cycle to work scheme (hence not having to worry about childcare). It's not a bad journey and a chance for me to take a bit of time out. From Sept the kids will be at school and pre-school so I'll have a few hours hers and there to myself when I could start going for rides purely for pleasure.

All that being said, I've been out on my bike (alone) twice already today. :-)

desweller

It sounds to me like you know what you want already, you just need some validation from here.

So yeah, totally, go for it - you already know you'll make use of the bike.

Cyclum

I think you're right.

Now to choose a bike... Any ideas? Somewhere around the £800 mark seems to get a fairly good spec without getting into silly money.

Do you know much about "women's" frames on a road bike. Is there such a thing? Do the "women specific dimensions" really make a difference to anything other than the price?

Thanks.

dombhoy

Specialized dolce sport is worth a look

desweller

I don't really know for sure. Instinctively I'd say you might need a slightly wider saddle, but apart from that there's enough range in arms and legs for both genders that I can't see there being a definitive difference in frame design.

If we knew your height, inside leg and reach someone might have some pointers, but your best bet is to try some out.

Cyclum

Good point. I'm around 5' 7", 32" (ish) inside leg.

Thanks. All help gratefully received.

jameses

I think female specific frames are slightly shorter in the top tube and longer in the head tube to account for the differing leg length to torso ratio. I wouldn't get too hung up on it, though. Just try a few bikes out and find one that fits! A decent alu frame with Tiagra groupset from one of the major manufacturers (Specialized, Trek, Giant, Cannondale) would fit your budget and you should be able to find a dealership locally to try one out.

desweller

Your legs are the same length as mine but you're 3" shorter, so if I were you I'd start by looking for a frame with a top tube no longer than, say, 53cm.

Cyclum

Thanks. That's really helpful. The online goddess were suggesting a longer frame (55"-57"). I'm inclined to go for the sorted one though.