Advice On New Bike (€500-750 Budget)

rosewood1

Hey there

Sorry if im posting up something that was here before but it seems ive got a slightly different budget to previous posters.

Im relatively new to cycling. I completed a charity cycle a while back and thoroughly enjoyed it. I intended to buy a bike there last year but left it then but have a bit of cash now that I wouldn't mind spending on something solid rather than letting it gradually waste away on drink, food, coffees etc...

So is €500-750 enough to get a half decent bike? Im early twenties, 6foot2, little overweight(hence the bike purchase). Would be using it for roads but someone recommended getting a type of hybrid bike- racer & mountain bike? Also is Halfords a good place to go or are you better off going to a small local shop?

Any replies are realy appreciated!

Thanks

kona

youd get a fairly decent bike for that price this time of year. em halfords would be good for that budget, youd get a very high spec bike in there for that, aluminium, carbon, hydraulics, 27spd etc.
if i were you id see if they have a kona hoss(cyclogical do it for e750 but id be willing to bet halfords will have it cheaper e700 ish), bombproof frame, very good spec, should be in your range for last years model, also the gt xc.1 or carrera fury for a racer the carrera vanquish isnt bad, got decent spec and carbon forks.
specialised do very good bikes, but for your buget would be poorly specced.
now halfords, as we all know is a bit of a mixed bag, you may be lucky and be near a store who actually have proper mechanics...or near a store where the blind are leading the blind.:D

hybrids are a personal thing...personally i think you pay too much for a hybrid, where a simlar specced mountain bike would be less.
others think they are better than sliced bread!

RasTa

Don't bother with the hoss if you're using it on the road only, you don't need front suspension which adds to the price and the width of the tyre's are unnecessary for road usage. I'd recommend the Sirrus for commuting or a OCR2 for fitness/long distance.

kona

RasTa wrote: »

Don't bother with the hoss if you're using it on the road only, you don't need front suspension which adds to the price and the width of the tyre's are unnecessary for road usage. I'd recommend the Sirrus for commuting or a OCR2 for fitness/long distance.

but a hoss will be bombproof, ive a XC kona with schwable tyres, the thing rolls and cruises fine, although still wouldnt compete with a racer.

DurtyMurty

Hi Rosewood1
I don't mean to hijack your thread but I'm in the same boat nyself - overweight and all!

I'm very tempted by the spec on the Cube range in chainreactioncycles at the moment - http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=23770
and a bit dearer http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=23769

All lovely in theory - wider tyres, very light - but at the moment out of stock. It's a long way down there to look at one and I don't fancy buying without, at least, trying the size. Also, there seems to be very little review info on Cube although all that I have read is positive

Can anyone comment on the weight issue - Does a few kilos matter in a bike if the rider is 90kg

I have looked at the Carrera Vanquish as mentioned by kona, amd while it is a lovely bike, the narrow tyres would not suit me on the country roads

Keep us posted on how you get on

blorg

There is honestly no point in buying a mountain bike unless you are going to use it off road.

Irish roads may be bad in places but they are not mountain bike trails.

Don't let narrow tyres put you off too much, if you have a good saddle, padded shorts and gloves you will get used to it. Tyres can always be changed although check the clearances- generally only an issue on a road (e.g. racing) bike.

Avoid suspension.

kona

blorg wrote: »

There is honestly no point in buying a mountain bike unless you are going to use it off road.

Irish roads may be bad in places but they are not mountain bike trails.

Don't let narrow tyres put you off too much, if you have a good saddle, padded shorts and gloves you will get used to it. Tyres can always be changed although check the clearances- generally only an issue on a road (e.g. racing) bike.

Avoid suspension.

ah now in fairness you can get seriously light suspension forks, esp at that price range.
i run 60 psi in my road/xc bike ive a selle san marco saddle, i swear to god the roads are a piss take, you feel everything,and thats with 100mm of travel up front. ive nothing but respect for roadies.....they must have balls of steel:D:D

i have to say if you just cruise along and arnt too bothered with speed, a set of 1.95s and 40-45psi, is way more comfortable.....and decreases the odd of your balls getting mangled:Dlol
but if your only starting to cycle, expect for the first month , be fecked when you come off, wanting to destroy the bike, and a saddle that will tear the ass off ya...then ya toughen up and its cool:D

rosewood1

Thanks very much Kona and others!

Loads of advice there, not too up on some of the information but ill print it off and have a look around.

Id be using the bike for commuting on the roads. Reason I was talking about the hybrid was because of the durability issue? Dont really want to be getting punctured tyres on the way to work. Although as someone said, irish roads are grand....

Am I right in saying that the main feature on a hybrid is that its a racer with mountain bike wheels?

And Durtymurty, no prob mate, although 90kg, youre not too bad off!

kona

rosewood1 wrote: »

Thanks very much Kona and others!

Loads of advice there, not too up on some of the information but ill print it off and have a look around.

Id be using the bike for commuting on the roads. Reason I was talking about the hybrid was because of the durability issue? Dont really want to be getting punctured tyres on the way to work. Although as someone said, irish roads are grand....

Am I right in saying that the main feature on a hybrid is that its a racer with mountain bike wheels?

And Durtymurty, no prob mate, although 90kg, youre not too bad off!

punctures are punctures, they will happen to a e3000 bike and to a e30 bike.
you can get special tape that lines the tyres, they help reduce the amount as do kevlar lining.
a hybrid is basically a bike with a mtb frame,mtb gears, with 700c rims.
this allows you to cruise along quite easy, however, the bigger a wheel is , the weaker a wheel is.
honestly if youre up around 90kg id go for a mountain bike with slick tyres.

blorg

Hybrids range from basically just off a mountain bike at one end to effectively a flat bar racer at the other.

The one commonality between them is the flat bars, and they generally tend to have 700c wheels although 26" (MTB) wheels are not unknown. They will also generally be triples with a wide range of gears although the more road leaning ones will not go as low as a mountain bike (again, you don't need to go that low unless you are off road.)

As Kona says, punctures can happen to any bike. It's completely all down to the tyres you put on, not the type of the bike. Specialized Armadillos are very good; I have over 10,000km with no punctures.

Technically all other things being equal Kona is right on the bigger wheels but the quality of the wheel will be a lot more important.

Personally I find suspension annoying and completely unnecessary on the road; on a track it improves traction as it keeps the wheels in contact with the ground. It's extra expense and weight you simply don't need. If you do get suspension make sure you can lock it.

Mountain bike with slicks makes a lot of sense if you already have a MTB already for off-road riding but if you are starting out and will just be commuting I would go for a hybrid unless you see a particularly good deal on a MTB.

What distance are you planning on commuting?

el tel

I note your height rosewood1, 6'2. This could be to advantage when buying a bike on the cheap. Often you will see excellent second hand bikes for sale on ebay or in the bike mags and because they are of large frame size they go for very little money. At the top end of your budget you are likely to pick up something far superior and better specced than you would get new.

Ryder

For what its worth; am a fit 90kg and ride a road bike everywhere. No issues with comfort. Had a hybrid....hated it. More 'comfortable' but I hated cycling it. Point is; a road bike will be nimble and fast, but will jarr you slightly on rough roads. A hybrid will be slower, more stable, and arguably more comfortable.
My advice is to try both and see which you like best.

I would argue not to get suspension for road cycling/commuting. waste of money and effort.

Lastly, your weight should'nt be an issue for wheels on almost all irish roads. Have been on loads of back country roads around Cork on a racing bike, and never have buckled/ damaged a wheel.

DurtyMurty

Another question

Apart from the weight, does a carbon fork make much differ - does it absorb the shocks noticebally better?

blorg

Not sure, but I imagine it would have an effect. I don't have any direct experience of an aluminum bike with/without carbon form.

However having compared all-aluminum with all-carbon, the carbon is certainly incomparably more comfortable, and I have a carbon seatpost on an alu bike which I convince myself makes a difference ;-)

You are unlikely to need a carbon fork on a hybrid mind, it is more relevant to a road bike with drop bars (as the position on a road bike puts more of your weight on the handlebars.)

kona

blorg wrote: »

Not sure, but I imagine it would have an effect. I don't have any direct experience of an aluminum bike with/without carbon form.

However having compared all-aluminum with all-carbon, the carbon is certainly incomparably more comfortable, and I have a carbon seatpost on an alu bike which I convince myself makes a difference ;-)

You are unlikely to need a carbon fork on a hybrid mind, it is more relevant to a road bike with drop bars (as the position on a road bike puts more of your weight on the handlebars.)

id imagine aluminium would give a better ride??? carbon is a hell of a lot stronger than steel but it is very rigid i think???? vibrations move through metals easier

niceonetom

kona wrote: »

id imagine aluminium would give a better ride??? carbon is a hell of a lot stronger than steel but it is very rigid i think???? vibrations move through metals easier

carbon-fibre can be made as stiff or flexy as you want, apparently it all depends on the weave and direction of layers n stuff. i swapped the aluminium fork on my fixed-gear for a carbon one and found it was immediately much more comfortable, way less vibration coming up from the front end. best upgrade i've made.

blorg

kona wrote: »

id imagine aluminium would give a better ride??? carbon is a hell of a lot stronger than steel but it is very rigid i think???? vibrations move through metals easier

No, in general terms it is absolutely the other way around, aluminium is very harsh compared to carbon, and certainly my experience with both would bear this out, carbon gives a far better ride.

Steel would probably come in between with more vibration damping properties than aluminium but also less rigid (and this more flexy) than either alu or carbon. Carbon is meant to merge optimal damping with rigidity and it certainly works at that in my experience.

Of course it does depend on the specifics of how the materials are put together as niceonetom says.

rosewood1

Hey guys,

Thanks for the advice again... im looking at doing about 10km in and 10km back from town. Not going to start until the new year but looking forward to it. Plenty of advice to look at above. Id say im going to try out both a road bike/racer and a hybrid and see what feels better as someone was saying.

On another note, im just having a flick through some of the other cycling threads and it appears that there is a lot of aggro on the roads between cyclists and drivers. Should be interestring indeed!

One last question, what sort of handlebars are best to use/or is there even a choice? I used the racing ones on the charity cycle and I can see the benefit of them in the way you are positioned but is there a danger here for cycling on the roads in that your'e not taking in/viewing as much being slightly bent forward?

Ryder

One last question, what sort of handlebars are best to use/or is there even a choice? I used the racing ones on the charity cycle and I can see the benefit of them in the way you are positioned but is there a danger here for cycling on the roads in that your'e not taking in/viewing as much being slightly bent forward? Today 15:18

Again...the answer will depend on how you ask. I definately prefer the drops because of aerodynamics and choice of positions, but if you're not used to it it may not suit you. I dont think there is any link betwee drops and poor vision. Up to you where you look and in delicate situations you can position yourself more upright.

blorg

I too prefer drops but rode with flat bars for over 10 years before making the switch. You have a wider range of positions with the drops, including relatively upright, but the default position will be bent a bit further down. If you wear glasses a tucking down very low can be a bit difficult as you may end up looking over the top of them (I find anyway.) Otherwise fine.

Raam

When I switched to drops I thought they were the weirdest thing in the world. Uncomfortable, too far forward, too hard to lookup. I couldn't understand why there was no brake levers on the flat part. Now I think they are the best thing ever and don't have any of those issues!

unionman

DurtyMurty wrote: »

Can anyone comment on the weight issue - Does a few kilos matter in a bike if the rider is 90kg

I can tell you that I am in or around 92kg (and a mere 1.6m tall:o), and I ride a Specialized Langster (Aluminium with carbon forks) which weighs in at about 6.8kg.

On paper it probably defies the laws of physics (and aesthetics:D) but I can tell you that in practice, absolutely fine.:cool:

blorg

No way does a Langster weigh in at 6.8 kg. Maybe if you removed the wheels, bars, and seatpost ;-) I've seen 9-10 kg mentioned.

6.8 kg is the UCI minimum- is that where you are getting the figure?

Red Devil

Hi,

Have been given the task of purchasing a bike for Christmas for friend on behalf of his wife.

Similar sort of price range and will mainly do commuting with some trail riding.

I have a Giant Yukon with road tyres (carrier, the lot) and have done a little bit of trail riding (nothing serious mind) and have found it to be a good value entry level bike.

Anything you guys could recommend along the same line?

Thinking of a Specialized Hardrock Pro Disc

http://www.mcconveycycles.com/products.php?plid=m1b2s2p3241

Opinions?

neilled

To the OP - have to say after many years of riding cheaper bikes with drop bars I'm edging towards a flat bar racer. Was actually going to get a racer and whack a flat bar on it but have decided to go for one of the ones that come that way as putting the bar, switching out components such as breaks and gear levers just pushes up the price. Main issue is I'm riding around the city and am always in the upright (i feel like a meercat at times!) position when in traffic and lose the advantages I'd get from drops.

Had a steel framed mtb in my youth, boy did it weigh a ton. I'd say go with a flat bar racer or a racer myself, you'll feel more of the road through the narrow tires but the trade off is that you go much faster.