London to Paris

Dan1287

So I’ve signed up to do the London to Paris for a charity but don’t yet have a bike! Bit of an issue...

I don’t really know a great deal about bikes, so trying to choose a nice one for the ride and was hoping some more knowledgeable people on here may be able to help??

I’ve seen one in Evans called the Cube Attain SL, which seems quite good? This one is retailing @ £999 which is probably near the top end of what I’d like to pay - less would be nicer but I don’t expect to chop and change bikes much over the next 10 years so a good one is preferable.

Any recommendations for the best bike for this type of ride and around the £1k mark would be much appreciated!

Dan

Thigh_burn

The (good) advice you're going to get on here is to try out a few bikes. Even if you haven't ridden in a long time, you're likely to find some bikes just click with you. Then once you've bought the bike, you're going to need to spend a long time riding it. Given the distance you're riding, you might want to consider a bike fit. These can feel expensive, but when done well are worth it and your body will thank you.

The Attain is a good bike, but at the c£1k mark there are tons of bikes that will be suitable. You'll want what is called 'an endurance' geometry. Basically, this means a bit more relaxed than an all out race geo. In terms of gears, go for Shimano 105 at least - as per that Cube.

Other advice you may well get is to buy 2nd hand as you'll get great deals. That's true, but you won't get the back up and first free service of going to a shop. Also, you may qualify for the Cycle to Work Scheme. Check it out, it's a great way to save money on your purchase.

Don't forget you're going to need a helmet, clipless pedals and shoes, some clothing, particularly padded bib shorts and definitely chamois cream.

Dan1287

Thigh_burn wrote:

The (good) advice you're going to get on here is to try out a few bikes. Even if you haven't ridden in a long time, you're likely to find some bikes just click with you. Then once you've bought the bike, you're going to need to spend a long time riding it. Given the distance you're riding, you might want to consider a bike fit. These can feel expensive, but when done well are worth it and your body will thank you.

The Attain is a good bike, but at the c£1k mark there are tons of bikes that will be suitable. You'll want what is called 'an endurance' geometry. Basically, this means a bit more relaxed than an all out race geo. In terms of gears, go for Shimano 105 at least - as per that Cube.

Other advice you may well get is to buy 2nd hand as you'll get great deals. That's true, but you won't get the back up and first free service of going to a shop. Also, you may qualify for the Cycle to Work Scheme. Check it out, it's a great way to save money on your purchase.

Don't forget you're going to need a helmet, clipless pedals and shoes, some clothing, particularly padded bib shorts and definitely chamois cream.

Great, apprecite the advice and very helpful!

Thigh_burn

Pleasure. One additional comment on the bike fit: often the cost of the fit can (in part) be offset against the bike. I've bracketed off-set because it usually comes down to the cost of the bike. Not to be indelicate, but you might find that a bike at the £1k mark doesn't get you much of a discount on the bike fit, but don't let that put you off. You can get really good bikes for £1k.

Dan1287

Thigh_burn wrote:

Pleasure. One additional comment on the bike fit: often the cost of the fit can (in part) be offset against the bike. I've bracketed off-set because it usually comes down to the cost of the bike. Not to be indelicate, but you might find that a bike at the £1k mark doesn't get you much of a discount on the bike fit, but don't let that put you off. You can get really good bikes for £1k.

Thanks- when I said £1k budget that was more of an indication on what I could spend if needed rather than what I’d rather spend. However, as suggested something covered by insurance is great. I suppose the question is - is buying a cube attain (or an equivalent) worth it or are there other bikes I should pursue?

sloppyschleckonds

How about buying something for about £200 and giving the rest to the charity?

dstev55

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

How about buying something for about £200 and giving the rest to the charity?

What a ridiculous comment. That theory could apply to anything we buy in life.

The chap is already doing something for charity and I'm guessing he'd probably like to do it in a certain degree of comfort and pleasure which would definitely be limited on a £200 bike.

Dan1287

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

How about buying something for about £200 and giving the rest to the charity?

Thanks for taking such an interest. I’d love to buy a bike for £200, however haven’t seen any decent new ones in that price bracket (that I’m familir with). You usually get what you pay for so would be quite sceptical at buying one at this sort of price.

You’re onviously keen on maximising the potential funding for the charity, therefore once we start our raising I’ll be sure to send you the JustGiving link so you can do your bit.
Cheers

dstev55

Dan1287 wrote:

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

How about buying something for about £200 and giving the rest to the charity?

Thanks for taking such an interest. I’d love to buy a bike for £200, however haven’t seen any decent new ones in that price bracket (that I’m familir with). You usually get what you pay for so would be quite sceptical at buying one at this sort of price.

You’re onviously keen on maximising the potential funding for the charity, therefore once we start our raising I’ll be sure to send you the JustGiving link so you can do your bit.
Cheers

Brilliant post!

not-another-hillǃ

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

How about buying something for about £200 and giving the rest to the charity?

Typical idiotic SloppySchleckonds comment....bloke never has anything constructive to say :roll:

jondavis30

are you doing it this or next year?

I'm planning on entering next year; my training plans are somewhat hindered by the combination of day night shifts, lasting 12.5 hours, but I'm determined to fit the training in somehow and somewhere.

What have you been doing to train for it thus far? I'm not entering this year because I want to train for at least 12 months prior to entry to build my strength and stamina up.

It's going to be hard work but worth it! I just need to raise the £1550.00 required to enter, or ride directly for a charity. I'd like to do it for the trust I work for, but it all depends on what the rules of entry will be and who you can ride for at the time.

what have you done to prepare (currently looking for tips), have you planned your nutrition and dietary intake during the ride?

dstev55

jondavis30 wrote:

are you doing it this or next year?

I'm planning on entering next year; my training plans are somewhat hindered by the combination of day night shifts, lasting 12.5 hours, but I'm determined to fit the training in somehow and somewhere.

What have you been doing to train for it thus far? I'm not entering this year because I want to train for at least 12 months prior to entry to build my strength and stamina up.

It's going to be hard work but worth it! I just need to raise the £1550.00 required to enter, or ride directly for a charity. I'd like to do it for the trust I work for, but it all depends on what the rules of entry will be and who you can ride for at the time.

what have you done to prepare (currently looking for tips), have you planned your nutrition and dietary intake during the ride?

Don't use work as an excuse not to achieve something. I've definitely been guilty of this in the past and it is very easy to do when you're working long hours and silly shifts. 50%+ of your goals can be achieved by sticking to the right diet which in most cases can be done at work with preparation. In my opinion 3 cycling sessions per week is the magic number, so try and aim for this(even if one or two of these are only 90 minute blasts supplemented with a longer ride) and you'll be laughing.

Dan1287

jondavis30 wrote:

are you doing it this or next year?

I'm planning on entering next year; my training plans are somewhat hindered by the combination of day night shifts, lasting 12.5 hours, but I'm determined to fit the training in somehow and somewhere.

What have you been doing to train for it thus far? I'm not entering this year because I want to train for at least 12 months prior to entry to build my strength and stamina up.

It's going to be hard work but worth it! I just need to raise the £1550.00 required to enter, or ride directly for a charity. I'd like to do it for the trust I work for, but it all depends on what the rules of entry will be and who you can ride for at the time.

what have you done to prepare (currently looking for tips), have you planned your nutrition and dietary intake during the ride?

Hi, I’m doing it in Sept this year. I suppose it depends on how fit you are already and if you have any type of time goals to complete the ride in - this will impact how long you’ll need.

For me, I’ve got an average level of fitness already and whilst I want to do it in a relatively good time for an amature, I’m with a group and just completing it in a reasonable time is all we’re training for.

Therefore, I’ve started training now around 3 times per week- 1 general endurance weight session and 2x 1 hour rides on machine with resistance. Once I get my bike in a couple weeks I’ll use that 3 times per week and do 1 day endurance weights pretty much up until the ride.

If you’re doing it next year then you’ve got a lot of time. I’d work to a point where you can comfortably ride 3-4 hours by the new year by just trying to fit 1 weekday and 1 weekend ride in as minimum and then crank it up from Jan.

Google training programmes for some general tips- there are loads.

Good luck!

southdownswolf

You don't need to spend £1000 on a bike, especially if you haven't ridden for years. The most important thing is to get the right fit for you. You could take 3 people of the same height, but all the need a different size bike. Some people have short legs, some long, some average. Same with arms etc. This all makes a difference. You will notice a difference sitting on different bikes, but not as much as different size bikes.
I've done a lot of the big Col's in the Alps, ventoux, John O'Groats to Lands End, all on a £700 Specialized Allez. A higher spec bike wouldn't really have made much difference. A wrong fitting bike certainly would.
Get down your local bike shop and try a few out. Don't be afraid to try less expensive bikes, if it's a good shop, they will be happy to sell you a bike that is right for you. Not just for their profits.

Dan1287

southdownswolf wrote:

You don't need to spend £1000 on a bike, especially if you haven't ridden for years. The most important thing is to get the right fit for you. You could take 3 people of the same height, but all the need a different size bike. Some people have short legs, some long, some average. Same with arms etc. This all makes a difference. You will notice a difference sitting on different bikes, but not as much as different size bikes.
I've done a lot of the big Col's in the Alps, ventoux, John O'Groats to Lands End, all on a £700 Specialized Allez. A higher spec bike wouldn't really have made much difference. A wrong fitting bike certainly would.
Get down your local bike shop and try a few out. Don't be afraid to try less expensive bikes, if it's a good shop, they will be happy to sell you a bike that is right for you. Not just for their profits.

Great, thanks - that’s good to know! I’ll certainly investigate.