Bike Choice Help - Total Newbie!
Discussion
Hi,
I'm looking at buying a bike top ride to work and back and potentially a little bit at the weekend. I'm in a fortuante postition where my commute would be only just over a mile each way.
I've found this: http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/hybrid-bikes... which can be had with an extra 10% code I found online.
Or this: https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-lithium-one-2... which is a little more but supposedly a better bike?
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
I'm looking at buying a bike top ride to work and back and potentially a little bit at the weekend. I'm in a fortuante postition where my commute would be only just over a mile each way.
I've found this: http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/hybrid-bikes... which can be had with an extra 10% code I found online.
Or this: https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-lithium-one-2... which is a little more but supposedly a better bike?
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Bear in mind that even a mile of cycling still means you have to consider most of the same logistical issues as if you were cycling 20 miles e.g. clothing (changing, drying, mud prevention/removal), locks & bike storage at work, place to keep helmet/stuff etc.
Over a mile you may spend as much time faffing around at the start/end of the commute in poorer weather that walking would actually be quicker!
That said (and I'm really not trying to put you off
) I'd love the option of a mile commute as although you can go straight home, there's nothing stopping you doing a decent 5-10 mile loop each way and getting a reasonable workout out of it, with the option to do a 5 minute sprint home if weather/time demands.
As Kell says, anything will get you there in more or less the same fashion, but if you want something that rolls smoothly enough on the road but still has enough bite to cope with muddy inclines (you don't mention if there are any hills in the way, nor the type of soil i.e. peaty/sandy/clay which can make a real difference) then the tyres on the Carrera are what you should perhaps be considering.
I wouldn't go near that bike myself though as the suspension fork is both completely unnecessary and a heavy lump of deadweight to cart about/break.
Smooth road-style tyres as on that Pinnacle are fine on a canal towpath etc. but if you've any kind of hill to tackle and the soil is clay/chalky then you're in danger of ending up on your arse fairly frequently in wet weather.
If that's not a concern though slicks would be fine, and better for any on-road stuff you might end up doing.
Have a look at stuff like this too
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/marin-fai...
http://www.discountcyclesdirect.co.uk/catalog/prod...
Try and search for bikes that have 'branded' groupsets (the chainset, gear components etc.), not just 'Shimano' (which covers a multitude of sins) but something that specifies the sub-range; Sora or Claris for road-based groupsets, Acera or Altus for MTB-based groupsset. You'll probably be looking for clearance items to get something in your price range but it's worth it.
In itself the range of components doesn't mean much for day to day use, certainly initially, but these are the bottom of the 'proper' ranges of components which would only normally be specced on a decent bike from a decent manufacturer. By looking for these kind of things you at a stroke eliminate 99% of the heavy junk sold via Argos etc.
There is all manner of cheaper Shimano and non-Shimano kit out there and while most of it would be perfectly fine initially, when you have put a thousand miles through them the differences start to show, as they do when you try and source replacements or compatible upgrades.
Having a reasonable groupset doesn't guarantee that the frame is light and stiff or that money hasn't been saved elsewhere, but saving yourself from the very low-end kit that is the exclusive domain of supermarket bikes is worthwhile IMHO.
Do a search for 'groupset hierarchy' to find a table of the different ranges.
Over a mile you may spend as much time faffing around at the start/end of the commute in poorer weather that walking would actually be quicker!
That said (and I'm really not trying to put you off
) I'd love the option of a mile commute as although you can go straight home, there's nothing stopping you doing a decent 5-10 mile loop each way and getting a reasonable workout out of it, with the option to do a 5 minute sprint home if weather/time demands.As Kell says, anything will get you there in more or less the same fashion, but if you want something that rolls smoothly enough on the road but still has enough bite to cope with muddy inclines (you don't mention if there are any hills in the way, nor the type of soil i.e. peaty/sandy/clay which can make a real difference) then the tyres on the Carrera are what you should perhaps be considering.
I wouldn't go near that bike myself though as the suspension fork is both completely unnecessary and a heavy lump of deadweight to cart about/break.
Smooth road-style tyres as on that Pinnacle are fine on a canal towpath etc. but if you've any kind of hill to tackle and the soil is clay/chalky then you're in danger of ending up on your arse fairly frequently in wet weather.
If that's not a concern though slicks would be fine, and better for any on-road stuff you might end up doing.
Have a look at stuff like this too
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/marin-fai...
http://www.discountcyclesdirect.co.uk/catalog/prod...
Try and search for bikes that have 'branded' groupsets (the chainset, gear components etc.), not just 'Shimano' (which covers a multitude of sins) but something that specifies the sub-range; Sora or Claris for road-based groupsets, Acera or Altus for MTB-based groupsset. You'll probably be looking for clearance items to get something in your price range but it's worth it.
In itself the range of components doesn't mean much for day to day use, certainly initially, but these are the bottom of the 'proper' ranges of components which would only normally be specced on a decent bike from a decent manufacturer. By looking for these kind of things you at a stroke eliminate 99% of the heavy junk sold via Argos etc.
There is all manner of cheaper Shimano and non-Shimano kit out there and while most of it would be perfectly fine initially, when you have put a thousand miles through them the differences start to show, as they do when you try and source replacements or compatible upgrades.
Having a reasonable groupset doesn't guarantee that the frame is light and stiff or that money hasn't been saved elsewhere, but saving yourself from the very low-end kit that is the exclusive domain of supermarket bikes is worthwhile IMHO.
Do a search for 'groupset hierarchy' to find a table of the different ranges.
loudlashadjuster said:
Bear in mind that even a mile of cycling still means you have to consider most of the same logistical issues as if you were cycling 20 miles e.g. clothing (changing, drying, mud prevention/removal), locks & bike storage at work, place to keep helmet/stuff etc.
Over a mile you may spend as much time faffing around at the start/end of the commute in poorer weather that walking would actually be quicker!
That said (and I'm really not trying to put you off) I'd love the option of a mile commute as although you can go straight home, there's nothing stopping you doing a decent 5-10 mile loop each way and getting a reasonable workout out of it, with the option to do a 5 minute sprint home if weather/time demands.
As Kell says, anything will get you there in more or less the same fashion, but if you want something that rolls smoothly enough on the road but still has enough bite to cope with muddy inclines (you don't mention if there are any hills in the way, nor the type of soil i.e. peaty/sandy/clay which can make a real difference) then the tyres on the Carrera are what you should perhaps be considering.
I wouldn't go near that bike myself though as the suspension fork is both completely unnecessary and a heavy lump of deadweight to cart about/break.
Smooth road-style tyres as on that Pinnacle are fine on a canal towpath etc. but if you've any kind of hill to tackle and the soil is clay/chalky then you're in danger of ending up on your arse fairly frequently in wet weather.
If that's not a concern though slicks would be fine, and better for any on-road stuff you might end up doing.
Have a look at stuff like this too
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/marin-fai...
http://www.discountcyclesdirect.co.uk/catalog/prod...
Try and search for bikes that have 'branded' groupsets (the chainset, gear components etc.), not just 'Shimano' (which covers a multitude of sins) but something that specifies the sub-range; Sora or Claris for road-based groupsets, Acera or Altus for MTB-based groupsset. You'll probably be looking for clearance items to get something in your price range but it's worth it.
In itself the range of components doesn't mean much for day to day use, certainly initially, but these are the bottom of the 'proper' ranges of components which would only normally be specced on a decent bike from a decent manufacturer. By looking for these kind of things you at a stroke eliminate 99% of the heavy junk sold via Argos etc.
There is all manner of cheaper Shimano and non-Shimano kit out there and while most of it would be perfectly fine initially, when you have put a thousand miles through them the differences start to show, as they do when you try and source replacements or compatible upgrades.
Having a reasonable groupset doesn't guarantee that the frame is light and stiff or that money hasn't been saved elsewhere, but saving yourself from the very low-end kit that is the exclusive domain of supermarket bikes is worthwhile IMHO.
Do a search for 'groupset hierarchy' to find a table of the different ranges.
Perfect, thanks for the in depth reply thats a great help. I'll see what I can find and hopefully its a winner! That Cannondale looked ideal, but its only available in a small frame size for that price which is annoying.Over a mile you may spend as much time faffing around at the start/end of the commute in poorer weather that walking would actually be quicker!
That said (and I'm really not trying to put you off
) I'd love the option of a mile commute as although you can go straight home, there's nothing stopping you doing a decent 5-10 mile loop each way and getting a reasonable workout out of it, with the option to do a 5 minute sprint home if weather/time demands.As Kell says, anything will get you there in more or less the same fashion, but if you want something that rolls smoothly enough on the road but still has enough bite to cope with muddy inclines (you don't mention if there are any hills in the way, nor the type of soil i.e. peaty/sandy/clay which can make a real difference) then the tyres on the Carrera are what you should perhaps be considering.
I wouldn't go near that bike myself though as the suspension fork is both completely unnecessary and a heavy lump of deadweight to cart about/break.
Smooth road-style tyres as on that Pinnacle are fine on a canal towpath etc. but if you've any kind of hill to tackle and the soil is clay/chalky then you're in danger of ending up on your arse fairly frequently in wet weather.
If that's not a concern though slicks would be fine, and better for any on-road stuff you might end up doing.
Have a look at stuff like this too
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/marin-fai...
http://www.discountcyclesdirect.co.uk/catalog/prod...
Try and search for bikes that have 'branded' groupsets (the chainset, gear components etc.), not just 'Shimano' (which covers a multitude of sins) but something that specifies the sub-range; Sora or Claris for road-based groupsets, Acera or Altus for MTB-based groupsset. You'll probably be looking for clearance items to get something in your price range but it's worth it.
In itself the range of components doesn't mean much for day to day use, certainly initially, but these are the bottom of the 'proper' ranges of components which would only normally be specced on a decent bike from a decent manufacturer. By looking for these kind of things you at a stroke eliminate 99% of the heavy junk sold via Argos etc.
There is all manner of cheaper Shimano and non-Shimano kit out there and while most of it would be perfectly fine initially, when you have put a thousand miles through them the differences start to show, as they do when you try and source replacements or compatible upgrades.
Having a reasonable groupset doesn't guarantee that the frame is light and stiff or that money hasn't been saved elsewhere, but saving yourself from the very low-end kit that is the exclusive domain of supermarket bikes is worthwhile IMHO.
Do a search for 'groupset hierarchy' to find a table of the different ranges.
To update on this, I popped into the local Evans for a little look. Guy I was chatting too was nice and seemed to know his stuff.
Recommended this bike after a chat and said its better specced from the offset, and would be an ideal base to work off.
https://www.evanscycles.com/norco-xfr-3-2016-hybri...
Totally blows the budget, but it's always dangerous when you put things in front of me, also pointed me out some proper lights, guards, lock and helmet.
The helmet is the one below, any one have any comments on the bike or helmet? The helmet was one of only a couple that fitted my big head, in a motorbike helmet I had to gent an XXL for it to fit properly!
https://www.evanscycles.com/norco-xfr-3-2016-hybri...
Recommended this bike after a chat and said its better specced from the offset, and would be an ideal base to work off.
https://www.evanscycles.com/norco-xfr-3-2016-hybri...
Totally blows the budget, but it's always dangerous when you put things in front of me, also pointed me out some proper lights, guards, lock and helmet.
The helmet is the one below, any one have any comments on the bike or helmet? The helmet was one of only a couple that fitted my big head, in a motorbike helmet I had to gent an XXL for it to fit properly!
https://www.evanscycles.com/norco-xfr-3-2016-hybri...
I've got an original Tactic and a medium/large head. It's very comfortable, and has a good range of adjustment. The rear of the helmet covers the back of your head very well, and there are plenty of air holes which draw cool air in and warm air out extremely well.
The only negative, which is shared with the Tactic 2 is the detachable peak/visor which I would have preferred to be more firmly attached. The slightest knock takes it off. I know that is actually the point of it but it can be annoying.
The only negative, which is shared with the Tactic 2 is the detachable peak/visor which I would have preferred to be more firmly attached. The slightest knock takes it off. I know that is actually the point of it but it can be annoying.
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