Commuting to work (purchase advice please)

leeroybrown

I'm starting a new job in Galway city next week. My new workplace (Parkmore) and the availability of existing accomodation (Fort Lorenzo - 100m from Kingston cross) mean that I'll probably be cycling almost six miles twice a day. This means that I need to buy a new bicycle (in Galway) in the next week. It'll also be nice to have a decent bike for fitness/transport again (my last one was nicked a couple of years ago).

Normally I'd prefer to buy a good mountain bike that could handle being totally thrashed but given that I'll be doing so much milage (with well over half of it on decent roads or lanes) I think a light weight hybrid would make a lot more sense.

I havn't bought a bike in years so I'm really out of touch as regards what I should be buying and what manufacturers are making good equipment at the right price. I havn't decided how much I want/need to spend yet so essentially I need a much better idea of what fits my requirements before I go near someone whose job is to part me from my cash. I don't mind shelling out a decent chunk of cash if it buys me a substantially better package.

Questions:

• Is there anyone here who can recommend the best cycle shops in Galway? Are there sufficient savings online to offset the convenience and expertise of a good shop?
  
• Am I right in saying that a light weight hybrid would suit my commuting needs best?
  
• What type of brakes operate best? For example: are the front disc's I've been seeing lately substantially better and do they excessively strain the forks?
  
• Is it worth my while getting lightened wheels and high qualty tyres? Will they give a noticable increase in speed or efficiency?
  
• What type of tyres are best suited to a winter commute? Should I be getting an all weather tyre or does the diamater/width of a bike wheel eliminate aquaplaning giving a semi-slick (or slick) have sufficient grip in the wet? (I'd prefer to err on the side of arriving at work here)

Apologies for bombarding you with so many questions but I'd prefer to be as well informed as possible before buying. Any other observations or advice is more than welcome.

uberwolf

leeroybrown wrote:

Questions:

• Is there anyone here who can recommend the best cycle shops in Galway? Are there sufficient savings online to offset the convenience and expertise of a good shop?

no experience here I'm afraid

leeroybrown wrote:

[*]Am I right in saying that a light weight hybrid would suit my commuting needs best?

i think so, you're not talking 'massive' distance, so the negative aspects of a road bike prob aren't worth it.

leeroybrown wrote:

[*]What type of brakes operate best? For example: are the front disc's I've been seeing lately substantially better and do they excessively strain the forks?

Disk brakes are for MTBs, if they were on a cheap bike there's a good bet the forks etc hadn't been tweaked to deal with the added stress. For a hybrid you'll prob get V-brakes, just make sure they're not plastic and they should be grand

leeroybrown wrote:

[*]Is it worth my while getting lightened wheels and high qualty tyres? Will they give a noticable increase in speed or efficiency?

rotating mass is the most efficent place to lose weight. def worth investing in tyres, save your self on punctures if nothing else!!

leeroybrown wrote:

[*]What type of tyres are best suited to a winter commute? Should I be getting an all weather tyre or does the diamater/width of a bike wheel eliminate aquaplaning giving a semi-slick (or slick) have sufficient grip in the wet? (I'd prefer to err on the side of arriving at work here)

slicks haev more rubber in contact with teh ground and are therefore grippier. the narrower the tyre the more likely you are to go through the water and find terra firma to avoid aquaplaning. Don't let me give you false hope though, exercise caution on corners in the wet. Black ice will ditch you before you even see it.

leeroybrown wrote:

Apologies for bombarding you with so many questions but I'd prefer to be as well informed as possible before buying.

np

leeroybrown

I presume there are a limited number of 'good manufacturers' people should stick to when buying a good bicycle? Are there any names I should stick to for something like a light weight hybrid?

uberwolf wrote:

you're not talking 'massive' distance, so the negative aspects of a road bike prob aren't worth it.

I'm definitely going to avoid a road bike. It's unlikely that I'll be doing mid to high range distances with the kind of frequency that would make a road bike a candidate.

uberwolf wrote:

Don't let me give you false hope though, exercise caution on corners in the wet. Black ice will ditch you before you even see it.

I used to do a lot of short distance (2 mile journeys two to six times a day) commuting, albeit on a consumer mountain bike, so I'm used to avoiding falling off. The last time I had an awkward fall in the wet I landed awkwardly on one knee and had trouble walking down stairs for weeks.

Also, due to the proximity to the Atlantic and the sea winds in winter, I found that Galway iced up infrequently in winter. That said I do have memories of sliding down a down a hill perpendicular to the direction of the road one winter after some stupid school kid jumped out in front of me for the fun of it. Thankfully the bike stayed on two wheels. In hind sight I should have rammed him.