Complete Cycling Newbie - Advice Please!

[nagsheadwarrior]

Been back on my Subway again for the last couple of days commuting g due to the ste weather,with the shocking road round here it made a pleasant cane to chuck it over potholes and up n down curbs etc

[BS30]

Thanks for all the advice folks, lots to think about! Much appreciated

[anonymous-user]

Daveyraveygravey said:

They aren't good enough for proper off road riding or light enough to give you much benefit on road.

I think that depends on the hybrid bike in question, as the group of bikes called hybrids is quite broad. Some of them as you say are almost road bikes but not quite, but I think something similar to a Specialized Crosstrail fits the bill in this particular situation. I know this is out of budget, but it came to mind.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/cr...

Anything too much further towards the MTB side would be a compromise around the city. Bristol is a great city to cycle around and a great city to explore, therefore I would want the versatility of a hybrid. You could get around the Ashton Court MTB trails on some hybrids for instance, and then ride it home on the road without fighting against knobbly tyres.

If anything I think a lot of people plump for a mountain bike but don't use it on the kind of terrain it was designed for. They end up riding it on a road/cycle pathand the only off road surface it sees is the kind a hybrid like a Crosstrail can handle.

Edited by RenOHH on Tuesday 28th July 23:57

[Equilibrium25]

RenOHH said:

I think that depends on the hybrid bike in question, as the group of bikes called hybrids is quite broad. Some of them as you say are almost road bikes but not quite, but I think something similar to a Specialized Crosstrail fits the bill in this particular situation. I know this is out of budget, but it came to mind.

It is an excellent point about the broad range, and also how much difference spec can make.

My hybrid came with Giant's own 32mm tyres. After a few months I decided to switch to narrower 28mm tyres and I bought some Continental Gatorskins. The change was like being on a new bike, all the harshness was smoothed out, the effort to cruise was considerably less and sustained effort meant much higher speeds.

[louiebaby]

I've skipped a few posts, but one of your questions was comparing a MTB on the road to a road bike in the forest.

I have a lower mid-range MTB, which has a baby seat mount and mudguards on. It becomes my winter commuter when the weather is rubbish. It takes approx 10-15% longer on te road commute than my road bike for a similar effort level.

If I took the road bike to a Forestry Commission place nearby, It wouldn't cope very well with the gravel paths.

It is sensible to only get one bike to start with. An MTB is a better choice than a roadbike by the sounds of things. Get a decent pump and firm up the tyres for the road rides and you'll be good.

[Kell]

louiebaby said:

I've skipped a few posts, but one of your questions was comparing a MTB on the road to a road bike in the forest.

I have a lower mid-range MTB, which has a baby seat mount and mudguards on. It becomes my winter commuter when the weather is rubbish. It takes approx 10-15% longer on te road commute than my road bike for a similar effort level.

If I took the road bike to a Forestry Commission place nearby, It wouldn't cope very well with the gravel paths.

It is sensible to only get one bike to start with. An MTB is a better choice than a roadbike by the sounds of things. Get a decent pump and firm up the tyres for the road rides and you'll be good.

Or just get a set of 'hybrid' type tyres for the MTB. i.e. narrower, less aggressive tread pattern with a central rolling ridge for on road crusing.

[AC43]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

That's just not good enough. I'm going to have two extra Vo2 max tests to make up for it. And shave my legs. Again. Oh yes.