Help Please. Slow bike :( Considering new bike

Kenny_D

Hey guys

I'll start by admitting I know very little about bikes. I started a new job recently that is within cycling distance from my house so I nipped out pick up a cheap bike from Halfords. I picked up one of the cheapest adult sized bikes there mainly because I had just started the job and my budget wasn't that high. Getting paid next friday so I'm considering getting a proper bike.

The reason I'm considering a better bike is I find that the bike is incredibly slow and seems to require a lot of pedalling effort. The bike doesn't freewheel much once I stop pedalling hard. Not sure if it makes sense but I often get passed by other cyclists who appear to be pedalling a lot less aggressively and they seem to be going a lot faster with less effort. My legs are often like jelly when I get home from work

This is the exact bike I got:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_518227_langId_-1_categoryId_165499

Now I know it's not great so what I'm wondering is basically why is the bike so slow and secondly, what should I be looking for in my next bike? I guess I could spend maybe 400-500 and I don't mind buying second-hand. Anything to make the daily commute a little easier on my legs

Any recommendations, websites etc?

Cheers

kenmc

2 things you could do:
check if the wheels are rubbing off something - either the frame or the brake pads.
replace the knobbly tyres with slicks, will make it much faster and easier to pedal

Stark

I'll second the slicks recommendation. As for next bike, plenty of nice ones around the 400-500 range: Lapierre RCR-100, one of the Giant FCR, Trek FX series , Specialised Sirrus etc.

Vélo

Wait until January and use the Cycle to Work scheme introduced by the government.

Lumen

It's possible that your bike is crap, although cheap bikes tend to just wear out quicker - I wouldn't expect it (tyres aside) to be slower when nearly new.

As a quick check for hub issues just invert the bike and spin the wheels. They should keep spinning a while.

If you are going to replace the bike, have a good read around to work out what style (hybrid, cyclocross, road) suits your needs. And make sure it's the right size.

If the bike is cheap and you're going to replace it anyway I wouldn't suggest changing the tyres as it's money wasted - better to offload the bike as it is. Otherwise get some like this.

Kenny_D

Aquinas73 wrote: »

Wait until January and use the Cycle to Work scheme introduced by the government.

I've wondered about that. Just reading about it and saw this:

"The bicycle can be funded by either the employer or through salary sacrifice of the employee but it must be purchased by the employer. Where funded by salary sacrifice there will be savings on tax, PRSI and levies."

Is the bike fully paid by the company? Or do you have to buy the bike yourself by receiving less wages to make up the cost of the bike. Are all companies obliged to this new scheme if an employee requests it?

Lumen

GStormcrow wrote: »

Is the bike fully paid by the company? Or do you have to buy the bike yourself by receiving less wages to make up the cost of the bike

Either - company can choose it's own policy.

GStormcrow wrote: »

Are all companies obliged to this new scheme if an employer requests it?

Assume you mean "employee requests it". No.

Kenny_D

Yup cheers. Ok so say I have to fund it myself. I receive a discount on the price of the bike? Can't find much information on the exact savings if this is the case

Lumen

GStormcrow wrote: »

Yup cheers. Ok so say I have to fund it myself. I receive a discount on the price of the bike? Can't find much information on the exact savings if this is the case

No, employer must buy it as a tax-exempt benefit in kind. The saving is from you not having to pay tax on that benefit. The cost is to the employer, which they may or may not reclaim from you via salary contributions.

seamus

GStormcrow wrote: »

Yup cheers. Ok so say I have to fund it myself. I receive a discount on the price of the bike? Can't find much information on the exact savings if this is the case

Nope. You pay full price for the bike. The way it works is that your employer is supposed to pay for it and take it out of your wages, but from your gross, so you're effectively buying the buy with a 20% discount. But afaik, if you present a receipt to your employer, they can "refund" you in the form of tax relief in your next paycheque.

As for the speed issue, what others recommend is true. The expensiveness of a bike doesn't necessarily equate to its speed.

The four main things you can do are
1. Fit slick tyres.
2. Pump them up to a good decent pressure so the tyres are solid.
3. Ensure that your saddle is properly adjusted and at the correct height.
4. Ensure that the wheels don't rub off the frame or brake pads when moving freely.

Tyres that are even 10psi below where they should be can have a dramatic effect on the amount of effort you need to put in.

After that, there are only very miniscule things. Cheapers drivetrains create more friction, and cheaper gears take longer to shift, but these things really only matter when you're trying to shave 10 seconds here and there off your time.

The main reason you'd buy a more expensive bike is because it's a nicer ride and it lasts much longer.

Kenny_D

The tyres are pretty chunky. I guess this is part of the problem. Also the front tyre doesn't seem to stay very hard. I've pumped it up and after a day or two it will be soft again (not flat though so not sure whats going on there. Maybe a very small puncture?). The saddle seems to have dropped a little and I had it tightened as much as I could get it. It's mostly around my knees that seem to get very tired

seamus

GStormcrow wrote: »

The tyres are pretty chunky. I guess this is part of the problem. Also the front tyre doesn't seem to stay very hard. I've pumped it up and after a day or two it will be soft again (not flat though so not sure whats going on there. Maybe a very small puncture?)

Definitely a slow puncture.

The saddle seems to have dropped a little and I had it tightened as much as I could get it. It's mostly around my knees that seem to get very tired

Yeah, that's probably not great. If you've not done any cycling in a while, you should really be feeling it in your thighs and less so in your calves and your ass. The saddle should be at a height so that when the pedal is at it's lowest, your leg is almost fully extended (but not locked).

Kenny_D

Thanks seamus. I'll go and raise it now. I think I'll enquire about the bike scheme next week. I think I'll only bother with it if the company agree to sell the bike on after the loan period or if they fully fund the cost of the purchase. Seems a bit crap to have to pay them for 18 months for the use of the bike and then they can decide to keep it

Lumen

GStormcrow wrote: »

Thanks seamus. I'll go and raise it now. I think I'll enquire about the bike scheme next week. I think I'll only bother with it if the company agree to sell the bike on after the loan period or if they fully fund the cost of the purchase. Seems a bit a crap to have to pay them for 18 months for the use of the bike and then they can decide to keep it

No, it's your bike. They can't keep it.

Kenny_D

Have a look at the top right hand section on how the scheme works. It says the employer doesn't have to sell you the bike at the end of the 18 month salary reduction period. Or am I missing something?

Lumen

GStormcrow wrote: »

Or am I missing something?

Yes. You don't live in the UK.

Kenny_D

Do you know where I can find more information then on the irish scheme? I assumed it would have been set up the same as in NI

Lumen

It's been discussed on boards a few times before, but...

http://www.budget.gov.ie/2009/budgetsummary09.html
http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewContent.asp?idpage=131

Lumen

I've checked the published Finance Bill, and there is no more detail than this:

Cycle to work scheme
From 1 January 2009, the provision of bicycles and associated safety equipment by employers to employees who agree to use the bicycles to cycle to work will be treated as a tax exempt benefit-in-kind. The exemption may only apply once in any five year period in respect of any employee. There will be a limit on the value of such purchases of €1,000 for each employee. The scheme may also be implemented via salary sacrifice arrangements, whereby an employee agrees to forego part of his/her salary to cover the costs associated with the purchase of the bicycle and associated safety equipment. Where such salary sacrifice arrangements are implemented, they must be completed over a maximum period of twelve months.

Kenny_D

Yeah I saw that. That's why I was wondering if there was more info published somewhere about it. No worries, I'll wait until more information is released about it before rushing ahead to buy a new bike. Will check with the company on monday

Sean02

Noting wrong with bike in my opinion check the set up (assuming you bought the right size frame), saddle height, wheels spin freely, tyres rock hard, then do a engine v expectations test. if your new to cycling you may be expecting too much.

km991148

yeah I would prob get some slicks on it, and invest in a track punp (15-25euro with a guage) and get the tyres up to the right pressure as it makes a massive difference if cycling with under inflated tyres. If after a few months you are still into the cycling then go for a better bike - I moved to a low end hybrid last year and does me fine, but the 700x25 wheels/tyres roll great compared to my old knobby mb.

means you can take adv of the tax break + save the new bike from one more winter!