Bike for short commute

[Rollin]

I've not cycled anywhere for about 20 years but would like to start cycling to work for the health benefits it may bestow in my mid 40's.
I'm not interested in anything fancy or expensive. Commute is about 3.5 miles.
I have no idea of what brands are considered decent/reliable any more but saw this.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/fuji/absolute-...

Don't really want to spend anymore than that, but is there anything else I should be looking at?

[S10GTA]

3.5 miles? Get anything you fancy. A tip bike would be fine tbh.

[Defconluke]

Does your workplace participate in any of the schemes that promote cycling to work?
Good way to get something nicer and spread the payments out over the year.

[Vipers]

Almost jogging/walking distance.

What ever you decide, I speak from experience, it helps. Took up cycling when I was 50, never looked back, good luck.

[anonymous-user]

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/hoprider-300-city-hybri...
Some of the Decathlon commuter bikes look good value. This example has mudguards & rack, which would add around 50 to the price of the Evans bike & are pretty essential for short commute..

[Rollin]

Jimboka said:

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/hoprider-300-city-hybri...
Some of the Decathlon commuter bikes look good value. This example has mudguards & rack, which would add around 50 to the price of the Evans bike & are pretty essential for short commute..

Thanks for that

[SteveSteveson]

Don't go to halfords or the local discount place and you will be fine. Buy what you like the look of and what is nice for you to ride. Add mud guards, panniers and rack, helmet and lights (well, possibly later in the year) and your sorted.

Decathlon have a good reputation for cheap good quality bikes. Ridgebacks also seem to be popular good quailty lower price hybrids. They are very popular in Oxford and one of my team just replaced her five year old ridgeback with the same one to do the same sort of distance as you. The only reason she replaced it was because her daughter wanted a bike for school and she wanted a new toy so gave her daughter the old bike knowing it will be abused by a 12 year old.

I'd recomend some cheap waterproofs and some trainers to ride in so your not stoped by the rain.

[Vipers]

[quote=SteveSteveson]Don't go to halfords or the local discount place and you will be fine. Buy what you like the look of and what is nice for you to ride. Add mud guards, panniers and rack, helmet and lights (well, possibly later in the year) and your sorted.[/qote]

And a bell. At least it may, just may, help a dopey pedestrian who doesn't look.

Having said that depends where you ride I suppose, where I ride it's out in the sticks, hardly any traffic, I often approach folk walking their dog on the road, (no pavements), tap on the bell usually makes them turn around and stops surprising them.

[Gruffy]

That Decathlon bike looks ideal. A chain guard is a big plus. Proper mudguards, few gears (less to maintain/break) and cheap enough not to be too nickable (not that anything is safe).

[Devil2575]

SteveSteveson said:

Don't go to halfords...

I got both my bikes from Halfords and have had no issues.

I think that if you're on a budget you can get a reasonable bike from there.

My first was £270 and it did 2500 miles over 18 months before I got something better. It's still works fine and all it's needed are brake pads.

This is the latest version:

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/hybrid-bikes...

[bakerstreet]

SteveSteveson said:

Don't go to halfords.

FFS! Why?? I appreciate that 'halfrauds' bashing is popular on these forums, but Halfords sell some decent bikes and will certainly have something to suit the OP.

Mrs Bakerstreet has a Carrera Subway and its been fine for what she has used it for and that came from Halfords.

You'll also find nothing but praise for Halfords Professional tools.

Decathlon is worth a visit too. The OP should be able to get everything else they need at the same time

[Devil2575]

bakerstreet said:

SteveSteveson said:

Don't go to halfords.

FFS! Why?? I appreciate that 'halfrauds' bashing is popular on these forums, but Halfords sell some decent bikes and will certainly have something to suit the OP.

Mrs Bakerstreet has a Carrera Subway and its been fine for what she has used it for and that came from Halfords.

You'll also find nothing but praise for Halfords Professional tools.

Decathlon is worth a visit too. The OP should be able to get everything else they need at the same time

I've found distaste for Halfords from my local bike shops which I find odd given that they aren't really competing in the same price range. In one shop one of the staff members talking endlessly about how crap Halfords stuff was. The cheapest adult road bike they stocked was £600 and that was reduced/last years stock. Most of the bikes were £1-3k. IIRC aside from a couple of Boardman bikes most of the Halfords stuff is less than £500.

There seems to be a view from some that unless you're spending at least £X you might as well not bother.

I don't agree

[snowdude2910]

I can recommend carrera subways if they still do the nexus hub it's worth the extra as it keeps everything inside so requires no servicing, my dad has had one for years which I borrow sometimes for pottering around with the kids and it's spot on. Personally halfords sell nothing I want bike wise but as stated that's not their market the OP and 90% of the general public who think spending 4 figures on a pushbike is madness are and it's well suited to them if a little pricey on the accessory front.

[Mr Will]

bakerstreet said:

SteveSteveson said:

Don't go to halfords.

FFS! Why?? I appreciate that 'halfrauds' bashing is popular on these forums, but Halfords sell some decent bikes and will certainly have something to suit the OP.

Mrs Bakerstreet has a Carrera Subway and its been fine for what she has used it for and that came from Halfords.

You'll also find nothing but praise for Halfords Professional tools.

Decathlon is worth a visit too. The OP should be able to get everything else they need at the same time

You have to be careful with Halfords. They have three different brands, ranging from good (Boardman) to cheap and practical (Carrera) to dire bike shaped object (Apollo). The quality of service also varies a lot. Some stores are bike mad and will do a decent job of bolting it all together, others will hand you the bike in a frankly dangerous condition.

I'd buy a bike from Halfords, but I wouldn't send a novice there.

[freakynessless]

The Road Hybrd option is absolutely the way forward. I use my wife road hybrid for my daily commute and I love it. It's a Giant Dash - but very much a girls colour scheme! Give it another year and I'll replace it with another road hybrid as they are very comfortable and civilised for an urban commute, but still quick enough to make good progress.
Re the Halfords debate - it's a very dificult one and is very much down to each individual store. My local Halfords did a great job servicing my wifes Giant Dash last year, but were hopeless when I presented them my Boardman Team Carbon a couple of weeks ago. It went back twice as the gears weren't right but they just couldn't sort them. It also took them four days to fit some new handlebar tape!
A quick £12.50 gear service down my LBS and the gears are sorted. It feels like I'm riding a new bike!
But as other have stated, it can be very expensive to buy a bike from a LBS in the first place.