Old(er) man taking to biking

denis06 · July 2013

I need some advise from you pro's!!

I am 62 years of age and need to lose weight.
I live in a village whereby to only routes out are on the A1 dual carriageway (very busy and dangerous for cyclists) or through woodland paths onto an 'A' road and then through Clumber Park. This involves using a rough potholed woodland track, a main road and then cycle paths.
I suffer with arthritis in my wrists so try to avoid placing a lot of weight on them.
I am torn between buying a mountain bike and a hybrid bike given the situation described above.
Ideally I would like to cycle to work but need advice please.
Can anyone out there help?

Alitogata · July 2013

It would be better to buy a hardtail mtb bike, with very good quality front suspension and a triple crankset with very low gear ratio. Perhaps 44/34/24.. this will help you to ride the bike without too much effort while the front suspension will be comfortable enough for your hands. Whatever bike you choose be sure that it will be in the right size for you.

The Rookie · July 2013

The lower Trek models have a very sit up and beg riding position which will take weight off your hands (to the detriment of offroad ability)......but an MTB sounds best, probably best to post in the MTB buying advice forum, you can tweak the riding position on most bikes to improve it for you.

Budget?

Long_Time_Lurker · July 2013

Welcome to the Forum!
For the best value and best specced MTBs, we MTBers will send you to Decathlon. Their RockRider range are always recommended to first time buyers.
But ultimately it all depends on how much you are willing to spend. The more you have, the greater the choice.

denis06 · July 2013

I want to spend about £500. Does this help?

jeepie · July 2013

Not idea of your budget but I've got a Spa Audax and love it. How about looking at their roughstuff? http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php ... b0s21p2693

chris_bass · July 2013

I think at your budget you are better off getting something without front suspension as usually at this price point it is sketchy at best and just adds a lot of weight to the bike.

If I was you i'd look into cycle cross bikes, maybe try and pick something up second hand, you'll get more for your money and if its not for you the resale value will be pretty similar to what you'll pay for it.

daddy0 · July 2013

I'd also suggest a cyclocross bike - flat bars might be a bit too harsh for your wrists. Having drop bars which offer lots of different riding positions would probably be beneficial. Riding with your hands "on the hoods" is a much more natural position, particularly for the wrists. Although, I guess you could always put a set of bull horns on some flat bars.

I rode a hybrid with front suspension when I first got back into riding. I ride a road bike now which feels a lot better.

This is within your budget, and £70 cheaper here than from Evans:
http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Roux-Conqueest-2300-2013-Cyclocross-Bike_60726.htm

If you can up your budget a bit you could consider something like this, probably a lot better than the Roux:
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pinnacle/arkose-one-2013-cyclocross-bike-ec039561

supersonic · July 2013

A mountain bike in my opinion is the best bet here, the much larger tyres, suspension and wider bars will offer control and comfort.

The Rockrider 8.1 is a superb buy:

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-81 ... 68918.html

Very good components including that RS Recon fork, hydraulic disc brakes, full Deore drivetrain, light wheels and decent frame.

Headhuunter · July 2013

Alitogata wrote:

It would be better to buy a hardtail mtb bike, with very good quality front suspension and a triple crankset with very low gear ratio. Perhaps 44/34/24.. this will help you to ride the bike without too much effort while the front suspension will be comfortable enough for your hands. Whatever bike you choose be sure that it will be in the right size for you.

Wow with gearing as low as that he'll be spinning away whilst people walking their dogs pass by...

MichaelW · July 2013

The MTB vs hybrid debate is not really significant, you are not doing extreme riding, just riding along, so both will work.
The idea of a non-suspension bike with fat tyres is good. Most low-end suspension is heavy and not very good. I ride my non-sus 26" bike with Big Apple tyres and they are very smooth, efficient and comfy but may slip on muddy paths. You may want a semi-slick style of tyre.
Normal "flat" bars are not very comfortable, you are much better off using trekking style butterfly bars or a swept-back design like On-One Mary.
Modern MTB style braking is probably the easiest to use. Disc brakes are particularly good in muddy conditions. Cyclo cross bike are all good and well but for your situation, with weak wrists, I would avoid them. The brakes are much harder to use effectively than a std MTB style setup.
Edinburgh Cycles does the Revolution own-brand bike in many sensible formats. They may be able to customise one to your needs with commuting accessories such as mudguards, rear rack and lights and alt handlebars. If you have a decent local bike shop, esp a touring specialist, they be more useful than a mail-order or internet house or one of the larger box-shifting retailers.

supersonic · July 2013

Most low-end suspension is heavy and not very good

Most ;-). But not all. Pick up a bike with a RockShox Recon Silver, that sports an adjustable coil, adjustable hydraulic rebound damping and hydraulic lockout, and you are laughing. Bars are rather personal, the swept back design can offer comfort, but less control. Or even vice versa.

Old(er) man taking to biking

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