A driver needs your help.......

[MrB.]

Up until the ripe old age of 17, you'd never get me off my bike. I had a couple of nice Raleigh racing bikes (as that is what we called them in the '80s!), and the road was my destiny. Then I passed my driving test, and a new freedom called out to me and the bikes were sold.

Then, back in 2005, when I lived in west Sussex, I decided to get a bike again with the romantic notion of ambling along cycle paths on the South Downs and such, and so headed to Halfords and purchased a hybrid bike called a Carrera Subway. Needless to say it languished in the garage for a bit as personal circumstances changed and the notion died.

Which brings me up to date. The bug has bitten again, and I want to get back into cycling. Nothing too ridiculous mind, just a way of keeping fit now I'm in my forties, and I have moved out of London into leafy Surrey, so it is a hobby, not a commuting tool. I still have the Carrera bike, and that will be fine until I get back up to speed with things, but I obviously want to get something a bit nicer. So, here is where I need help. What should I buy? The cycling world seems to have changed since I last donned the lycra. Both my BIL's have bikes, one a very expensive, carbon-framed Specialized (I couldn't justify that) and the other has, what appears to be, a very nice Chris Boardman Cyclo-Cross.

I want to enjoy riding again with a nod to keeping fit, although no intentions of road-racing. So what is recommended? Do I go down the Cyclo-Cross route? Should I just get a fixed-wheel bike? I prefer drop bars as that is what I used to ride, however, I am a little confused as to what bike is best these days. Back in my youth, you either rode a racing bike, a BMX, or a Grifter! Budget would be circa £500, so no carbon-framed tarmac burners for me, but I would appreciate the knowledge of the cognoscenti on here.

I await the flaming!

[TheLemming]

No flaming, most of the cyclists I know have rediscovered it again and restarted somewhere as an adult. There's a few lifelong riders but they are in the minority.

A CX bike will do pretty much anything. It's not going to be as fast as an out and out road machine, but theres not a lot in it and it makes up for that with a go-anywhere ability.

My CX is my favourite bike, if I could only chose one to keep - it would be a CX.

Put some road tyres on it and it will keep up with road bikes, on offroad tyres it's normally good for just about anything - any comfy as hell with the wide volume rubber.

The gearing s normally extremely forgiving and disc brakes stop well in all weathers and conditions, the geometry is normally more upright as well.

Best of all - if you decide you want to go for a full on road bike (or MTB) then there's still a place for the CX.

[numtumfutunch]

Its winter, buy something with mudguards

I wish Id bought a Ribble Audax bike years ago for 550 notes


Full mudgaurds and a sensible price tag making a "best" carbon bike easier to justify next May

[anonymous-user]

I'd second the Ribble, its a great frame and very popular with commuters, loads of space for mudguards etc and the horizontal top tube will be a familiar design to you, it will be a good all year round bike. That said, if the years have caught up with you, a sloping top tube and longer head tube may be comfier as it pitches you in a more upright position, the Pinnacle Dolomite 2 from Evans is worth a look if youre not as flexible as your youth I like Pinnacle bikes, they get overlooked too often
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pinnacle/dolom...

[Daveyraveygravey]

I'm not convinced by CX bikes myself. Too jack of all trades for me bit if you are doing mainly tow paths and rougher roads they could work for you. A mate entered an event in the South Downs last March that was supposedly designed for CX bikes and the flint destroyed his tyres in a few miles.
I'd look at an ally Boardman, Btwin have something around £500 and Merlin Cycles are doing a budget road bike now that got great reviews.

[MrB.]

pablo said:

I'd second the Ribble, its a great frame and very popular with commuters, loads of space for mudguards etc and the horizontal top tube will be a familiar design to you, it will be a good all year round bike. That said, if the years have caught up with you, a sloping top tube and longer head tube may be comfier as it pitches you in a more upright position, the Pinnacle Dolomite 2 from Evans is worth a look if youre not as flexible as your youth I like Pinnacle bikes, they get overlooked too often
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pinnacle/dolom...

Thanks guys, really appreciate the input. I have to admit, I really like the look of the Ribble. Great looking bike. I dropped into my local Snow & Rock a couple of weeks ago and they had a deal on a Specialized Allez, but I am quite keen to keep the budget tight. The Ribble looks like a bike that is a really good all-rounder.

[anonymous-user]

Daveyraveygravey said:

I'm not convinced by CX bikes myself. Too jack of all trades for me bit if you are doing mainly tow paths and rougher roads they could work for you. A mate entered an event in the South Downs last March that was supposedly designed for CX bikes and the flint destroyed his tyres in a few miles.
I'd look at an ally Boardman, Btwin have something around £500 and Merlin Cycles are doing a budget road bike now that got great reviews.

I would say the value is in something like a used Specialized Allez. Good geometry and they can take an upgrade if and when you step it up. Second the comments about CX bikes, I tried to 'get them' but they are always a compromise. Slow for a road bike if you have the tyres to cope with anything resembling off road and painful off road if you have road tyres. Also you will get battered without suspension and have less control with the road bars. The final issue I had was toe overlap which for me was a PITA. I'd rather have two bikes that fit the purpose than one which is 'ok' at everything. Also I would never run anything other than tubeless off road now, it is brilliant.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Specilaized-Allez-16-201...

£250

Job jobbed.

[TheLemming]

yonex said:

I would say the value is in something like a used Specialized Allez. Good geometry and they can take an upgrade if and when you step it up. Second the comments about CX bikes, I tried to 'get them' but they are always a compromise. Slow for a road bike if you have the tyres to cope with anything resembling off road and painful off road if you have road tyres. Also you will get battered without suspension and have less control with the road bars. The final issue I had was toe overlap which for me was a PITA. I'd rather have two bikes that fit the purpose than one which is 'ok' at everything. Also I would never run anything other than tubeless off road now, it is brilliant.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Specilaized-Allez-16-201...

£250

Job jobbed.

It's always a surprise when people can feel so differently about exactly the same machine. Strangely I love the compromise, each to their own

Agree on the spesh though, cheap, decent spec etc etc. A friend of mine does mega mega mileage on one and likes it enough he's got a spare bike that's identical for when his first has issues.

[Mr Will]

Daveyraveygravey said:

I'm not convinced by CX bikes myself. Too jack of all trades for me bit if you are doing mainly tow paths and rougher roads they could work for you. A mate entered an event in the South Downs last March that was supposedly designed for CX bikes and the flint destroyed his tyres in a few miles.
I'd look at an ally Boardman, Btwin have something around £500 and Merlin Cycles are doing a budget road bike now that got great reviews.

I'd agree with you in this case. CX bikes make great commuter or second bikes, but I think their strengths don't really fit with what the OP is looking for.

In his shoes, I'd pick up a decent entry level road bike (Specialized/Trek/Cannondale/Bordman/Etc), second hand if possible (rope in the BIL for advice).

[idiotgap]

I had a raleigh volant back in the 80's and an orbit america after that - sadly both got nicked.

After a break of about 20 years, I bought a £200 2nd hand Specialized Allez early in the Summer 2014 to see if the bug bit and it's been great. I bought another one for my brother in law too, they're not that hard to find. If you get on with it, easy to justify calling it a turbo-slag or winter bike sometime in the future and starting the hankering process again for the following year/season.

I just completed my first 100 mile ride.

If you don't get on with it, then flog it on (likely for what you paid for it!). No new bike on any budget will do that and you still get to start finding your feet and gaining a better understanding about what you might want to really buy be that a focussed road machine, CX etc.

Edited by idiotgap on Tuesday 9th December 18:01

[Daveyraveygravey]

Thinking about it, I bought my son an Allez off Ebay, because there is nothing wrong with them, and if you want to sell them on later it is easy enough to do.

[anonymous-user]

Don't over think it. Just dust off the Carrera Subway & enjoy the fresh air.
If Lycra & funny shoes are your thing, upgrade at a later date!

[richardxjr]

^ That. Set a target, say 1000 miles over the winter. Reward yourself with an upgrade road bike in the spring. I had a Subway and it worked for me.

Edited by richardxjr on Tuesday 9th December 20:34

[MrB.]

First of all, thank you to everyone for your informative responses. Lots to think about! I will be using the Carrera through the winter with the idea of upgrading in Spring, but now I have a good idea of what bikes to look at when I do. I would have probably just ended up buying an over-priced piece of rubbish if I hadn't come in here first, so thanks for all your help! Wish me luck!