The usual help me buy a bike thread

bonnieprince

Hi

I am looking at purchasing a hybrid that i can use for college and work, both places have secure parking. I want the bike to be fast and have lugs and attachments for a pannier/babyseat and mudguards.I have been looking at:

CUBE LTD CLS Pro
Merida Crossway TFS 400-D
Felt QX90

Any suggestions or ideas would be gratefully appreciated.

bp.

Golfanatic

if you want lugs its not going to be easy there expensive and you wont find a hybrid lugged you might but it will be expensive. if you really want lugs youll have to build it upyouself but it might not have as much options for fittings. i would reccomend a boardman this http://www.boardmanbikes.com/hybrid/hybrid_team.html
or this http://www.boardmanbikes.com/hybrid/hybrid_pro.html and a budget would help us help you. those bike are good because they have disk brakes(better stopping performance and especially in irish weather cos of the rain), light and very good quality components. if your work gives you the option of the bikes to work scheme you can buy it throuh halfords. i would also reccomend you consider a road bike. if not i would buy one of those. oh ye if you dont know you can get upto 50 percent off with the scheme. must remember you get what you pay for so its worth spending a bit extra itll pay in the long run with the bike2work scheme you can spend upto 1000 euro including accesories
http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_502585_langId_-1_categoryId_212377

and if you get lugs it will be much heavier as it would be steel and if you were to buy a frame it wouldnot have mudguard attachements etc... if you did the frame would most likely add upto 400euro. for a good frame my lugged frame was 400 euro. so i wouldnt reccomend but it would be a bit more coftorable ride than aluiminium. you could also look at single speed, if its acommuter you would not have to worry about much maintenance, im just so happening to be sellin one http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055859623 it has mudguard eylets.

DualFrontDiscs

OP,

What do you mean by 'lugs'? The bikes you reference aren't 'lugged' frames, so perhaps there's some confusion on terms?

DFD.

DualFrontDiscs

DualFrontDiscs wrote: »

OP,

What do you mean by 'lugs'? The bikes you reference aren't 'lugged' frames, so perhaps there's some confusion on terms?

DFD.

I presume the op means frames that have eyelets for rack/mudguards. I would recommend a road bike with eyelets and clearance for 25c tyres a la the Trek 1000.

72hundred

@OP, just for sh1ts and giggles, could fill out this template (copy and paste with ur answers inserted):

It's an idea (and a rough one at that) to save time for ppl such as yourself who want to buy a new bike !

What type of bike do you want? (MTB / Hybrid / Road Racer)

Where will you be using it?

What's your budget?

Do you want to ride before buy or happy with online purchase?

Do you need attachment points for a rear rack?

Do you want aggressive geometry or more comfortable?

What gearing? Fast, easy or fixie?

Any preferences on brand?

Any preferences on components?

Any preferences on weight?

Will it be locked in public? If so where - do you have a good enough lock?

Are full length mudguards required?

Do you need to use it off road (answer: no you don't and you won't and potholes do not require front suspension)

Are you concerned with speed?

What distances will you be doing?

Do you have a bike/bike(s) already and how comfortable are you with them?

bonnieprince

thanks for the replies, i got my terminology wrong, it is eyelets i would be looking for.
I am on the bike to work scheme but have to use the raleightowork.ie crowd to source the bike.
and here is the response to that template.

What type of bike do you want? (MTB / Hybrid / Road Racer) Hybrid

Where will you be using it? Communte and Touring-ish type rides

What's your budget? up to 700 (work parttime so work only cover 30% of purchase price)

Do you want to ride before buy or happy with online purchase? ride before i buy

Do you need attachment points for a rear rack? most definitely

Do you want aggressive geometry or more comfortable? more comfort

What gearing? Fast, easy or fixie? i like my 24 gears

Any preferences on brand? not too fussy

Any preferences on components? disc brakes, lockout front suspension

Any preferences on weight? light-ish

Will it be locked in public? If so where - do you have a good enough lock?
already have an oxford lock for my mtb.
Are full length mudguards required? yes

Do you need to use it off road (answer: no you don't and you won't and potholes do not require front suspension) love front suspension

Are you concerned with speed? has to be not passed out by kids on full suspension pieces of steel.

What distances will you be doing? 12k commute each day

Do you have a bike/bike(s) already and how comfortable are you with them? i have a giant xtc se hardtail which is a medium although i am 6ft2, it handles great in ballyhoura.

That template is a great idea!

bonnieprince

bonnieprince wrote: »

Hi

I am looking at purchasing a hybrid that i can use for college and work, both places have secure parking. I want the bike to be fast and have lugs and attachments for a pannier/babyseat and mudguards.I have been looking at:

CUBE LTD CLS Pro
Merida Crossway TFS 400-D
Felt QX90

Any suggestions or ideas would be gratefully appreciated.

bp.

has anyone any input about the bikes above?

blorg

bonnieprince wrote: »

has anyone any input about the bikes above?

I only really paid attention to the Cube and the Felt, both of which look nice.

Why do you think you need front suspension? You already have a MTB so I presume this will be for road use.

Disc brakes on the Felt may make it trickier to fit a rear rack.

I don't think you will get proper full-length mudguards onto those suspension forks.

bonnieprince

blorg wrote: »

I only really paid attention to the Cube and the Felt, both of which look nice.

Why do you think you need front suspension? You already have a MTB so I presume this will be for road use.

Disc brakes on the Felt may make it trickier to fit a rear rack.

I don't think you will get proper full-length mudguards onto those suspension forks.

thanks for replying blorg, my commute is a bit cross country so would like some suspension.
thanks for mentioning about the pannier and disc brake. i will investigate the mudguards.

blorg

If you are going cross country (how much, really?) the tyres are more important anyway than suspension. It is very difficult to get a tyre that will have grip in mud while still having reasonable rolling resistance on road... and fundamentally different pressures tend to be needed for each.

If your commute GENUINELY involves an off road section I would suggest a cyclocross bike.

petethedrummer

bonnieprince wrote: »

thanks for replying blorg, my commute is a bit cross country so would like some suspension.

What exactly do you mean by cross country? dirt road? gravel road? Rocks? Forest? a field?