What kind of Bike for me?

Ky Abu

Hey all..

I am thinking of getting going at Cycling, and buying a bike to lose some weight. Im 5ft 9, should be about 13 Stone, but im over 16. (Tut tut tut to me) Im living in Co. Kerry

I have a Trek 800 Mountain Bike but it is not suitable for getting fit with on the roads.

I am not very fit I think, but am determined, and can give myself a good hard challenge and usually come through with it.


Now for my questions..

• Buy a Proper Road bike, or a Hybrid?

I have seen a few of both but would be half worried id fall off a fully fledged Road Racing Bike.. and the rounded handlebars dont appeal to me. (Those who are serious bikers, laugh now) I fell off my mountain bike 8 years ago and am a bit fearful of breaking my wrist again.

• Where is a good place to buy a Bike in Kerry? (Or in general?)

I see that Halfords seem to have good bikes, but im am wondering are the bikes actually physically good?? I see they have Shimano Gears which I have been told are the best, but are the Shimano's they use genuinely good???

• Are there any Bikes out there for sale at the moment which would suit me and my budget?? If anyone knows :)

I would allow a budget of about 450 Max for a bike, because after that, it's just a massive investment,


Wel, Hopefully someone can help.. Sorry for the length of the Post

Ky Abu

bump him up..

alfalad

There is as mentioned elsewhere 20 odd "which bike" threads at the moment so hence you won't get many replies. If you use the search function you will find plenty of old threads and answers.
But breifly I'll give you a few pointers. For a max of 450 you might be better keeping an eye out for a second hand bike, as new you may struggle to get something that makes you like cycling.
Can you use the cycle to work scheme? If so do it and raise the budget!
Ok you are prob better off with road bike than a hybrid and it gives you more option with hand position and as you will be cycling in the country you won't need to be upright and as you are trying to lose weight the road bike would be a better bet.
Shimano the largest groupset manufacture but make good and bad groupsets, you need to be looking for certain models i.e. Shimano Sora etc. but there are a lot more things to consider than gears, wheels being a big one and overall weight of the bike.
As it's your first bike i would go to a bike shop with a good reputation to get fitted and kitted. Halfords do have some good bikes for a good proce at the moment, Carrera and Boardman bikes for example.

As I say use the serach function and you will get loads of info.

Ky Abu

Cool thanks.. Im new here so im learning as I go along..

petethedrummer

If you raised your budget to around €600 euro. you could get a Giant Defy 4 or a specialized allez.

You may also get a second hand one on Donedeal.ie or adverts.ie, alot of these bikes were bought last year and they come up for sale often enough.

Also keep an eye out for Trek 1.2, or Giant SCR3 or SCR4 when looking secondhand. At 5'9 you're a Medium in Giant sizing and most likely a 54cm in Specialized and Trek.

Some people on here have bought Carrera road bikes (available in halfords) and are happy with them but I don't know anyone who has one myself so I can't comment. No doubt they're a perfectly fine bike.

Russman

petethedrummer wrote: »

If you raised your budget to around €600 euro. you could get a Giant Defy 4 or a specialized allez.

You may also get a second hand one on Donedeal.ie or adverts.ie, alot of these bikes were bought last year and they come up for sale often enough.

Also keep an eye out for Trek 1.2, or Giant SCR3 or SCR4 when looking secondhand. At 5'9 you're a Medium in Giant sizing and most likely a 54cm in Specialized and Trek.

Some people on here have bought Carrera road bikes (available in halfords) and are happy with them but I don't know anyone who has one myself so I can't comment. No doubt they're a perfectly fine bike.

+1 to all of the above. If you plan on doing any sort of distance you'll find the drop bars a great help for the variety of hand positions. I was a little afraid when I went from a flat bar but its fine.

Ky Abu

petethedrummer wrote: »

If you raised your budget to around €600 euro. you could get a Giant Defy 4 or a specialized allez.

You may also get a second hand one on Donedeal.ie or adverts.ie, alot of these bikes were bought last year and they come up for sale often enough.

Also keep an eye out for Trek 1.2, or Giant SCR3 or SCR4 when looking secondhand. At 5'9 you're a Medium in Giant sizing and most likely a 54cm in Specialized and Trek.

Some people on here have bought Carrera road bikes (available in halfords) and are happy with them but I don't know anyone who has one myself so I can't comment. No doubt they're a perfectly fine bike.

Oh.. I really like that Giant Defy 4. I would be worried getting a bike in Halfords if the quality of the components used would be up to scratch. I am also worried that maybe buying a Road Bike would be more difficult to cycle over a Hybrid. I have used a Mountain Bike and used the Upright handlebars as highlighted in the picture below. Most hills I have done using thses...

I have seen a few bikes of interest... Maybe people could tell me what they think..?? The links are below..

http://cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=0&idproduct=31155 Here is the Giant Defy 4 as spoken about

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_240373_langId_-1_categoryId_165534

http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=113&idproduct=23596

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_556651_langId_-1_categoryId_165710

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/gentsbicycles/1391216

http://www.ebicycles.com/bicycle-tools/frame-sizer/road-bike/size-sheet?u=us&ftid=1&h=1752.6&i=774.7&rtid=1&b=Submit

Just above is what I used to find out my size of Frame needed


I wouldnt mind raising my budget a little, because the way I see it is, if I buy a good bike, im more likely to enjoy using it..

Ky Abu

thanks Russman and Petethedrummer.. I just need a few pointers... so thanks again

petethedrummer

The Giant Bowery is a fixed gear and/or single speed bike. A fixie if you will. Good for riding in towns, on the flat and for track racing. I wouldn't buy one as my first choice bike for fitness. Also that boardman you linked is a fixie. You'd want one with gears.

The carrera cross fire has front suspension. Front suspension is only needed for Mountain bikes. It will slow you down.

Road bikes are not that difficult to ride. For example the Giant Defy has very similar frame geometry to the giant rapid. And you wouldn't be nervous about riding the Rapid would you? So why not graduate to the road bike. You have more hand positions on the road bike also.

Alot of people (including me) have had flat bar racers/hybrids only to eventually dump them in favour of a road bike. I've haven't heard of many people going the other way. But the rapid (or equivalent from another brand) would be a grand bike too if you decided to go for it.

Ky Abu

petethedrummer wrote: »

The Giant Bowery is a fixed gear and/or single speed bike. A fixie if you will. Good for riding in towns, on the flat and for track racing. I wouldn't buy one as my first choice bike for fitness. Also that boardman you linked is a fixie. You'd want one with gears.

The carrera cross fire has front suspension. Front suspension is only needed for Mountain bikes. It will slow you down.

Road bikes are not that difficult to ride. For example the Giant Defy has very similar frame geometry to the giant rapid. And you wouldn't be nervous about riding the Rapid would you? So why not graduate to the road bike. You have more hand positions on the road bike also.

Alot of people (including me) have had flat bar racers/hybrids only to eventually dump them in favour of a road bike. I've haven't heard of many people going the other way. But the rapid (or equivalent from another brand) would be a grand bike too if you decided to go for it.

Ah crap! I need gears all right.. Not a Fixie! haha... Ya.. your right about the Giant Rapid.. I was cycling a Raleigh Bike, very similar in colour to that Giant, I think it was called a Raleigh Fitness, S10 (or something like that) It was 490 euro..


Ok, Im learning... Any suggestions of bikes for me? I would like to cycle and see a bike in person if you will before getting it, just in case... Online, is something I hadnt thought of doing.

Ky Abu

bump please.

Lumen

Ky Abu wrote: »

Any suggestions of bikes for me? I would like to cycle and see a bike in person if you will before getting it, just in case...

Have you considered looking in a bike shop?

Ky Abu

Yes, I have looked in Bike Shops...

Lumen

Ky Abu wrote: »

Yes, I have looked in Bike Shops...

and?

Ky Abu

I have seen a Raleigh Fitness Bike (A Hybrid) I think the code was S10 on it. It was White and Red in colour. That seemed quite nice to cycle. But I am being swayed towards a Road Bike from whats been said above so far. The Links I have given above are bikes that have interested me.


Is there a Thread/Post already with guidelines about what I should be looking out for?

As in particular Versions of Bikes, Types of Gears, etc etc I have checked and there are about 500 headings about getting a new bike... for a beginner


Or somewhere with Bike Reviews??

Lumen

Ky Abu wrote: »

Is there a Thread/Post already with guidelines about what I should be looking out for? As in particular Versions of Bikes, Types of Gears, etc etc

Here. A lot of the specifics suggestions are out of date now.

Ky Abu wrote: »

Or somewhere with Bike Reviews??

Here.

Thing is, they'res no point us suggesting loads of random bikes if you want to buy from a local shop.

You also need to decide your budget and the type of bike you want.

DirkVoodoo

Planet-X SL Pro Carbon

Boardman Team Carbon

Boardman Road Team - Long term test

Cube Aerial Comp

A review can only tell you so much though. I agree with Lumen, make up a list of bikes in your price range with good reviews, then start phoning around and take some test spins. Internet advice can only go so far, you are the one who will be riding the bike. Come back when you have a clearer picture, i.e. narrowed it down to a few bikes.

I really think that after an hour on drops you won't want to go back, I find them terribly uncomfortable over longer distances. Ask for bikes with more relaxed geometry, namely a taller head tube.

Ky Abu

Ok.. Good points... Il do a bit more research in the local shops and come back with a few names of bikes, and pictures...

Thanks to everyone for the help so far anyway

langdang

In Kerry (or anywhere outside Dublin) you'll be most likely limited to Giant, Trek, Specialized or Boardman.
Bear in mind that a lot of bike shops won't service a bike unless you bought it there ( and many have a special hatred reserved for Halfords).

In terms of really basic advice, if you get one of these brands you won't go too far wrong as long as it's the right size (especially if you can avail of the cycle-to-work and go for a 700-900 euro bike). If your budget is restricted then there may be Raleigh or Claud Butler models that would fit the bill.

Flat bars with bar ends, or drop bars? Personal preference, the boys on here are serious cyclists and would go for drop bars for out and out speed and cycling efficiency. I haven't ridden a flat bar road bike or hybrid, but I found that when I had a road bike that I really had to get the weight onto the front wheel for fast cornering - getting down on the drops really helped there, and obviously on flat stretches into the wind the drops are better.
That said I'm thinking of getting a Rapid or one of the boardman hybrids myself from the cycle to work ( an actually using it for cycling to work). That would be my "second bike" - my "real bike" is a mountain bike.

As stated already, do not get a bike with suspension - it will be heavy, crap, and unnecessary.

Ky Abu

bump up please... any more tips would be great..

Ky Abu

Hey all.

Iv cycled a few Road bikes.. god a big difference over a Mountain Bike, but... not impossible!

Iv pictures of a few iv cycled here... Anyone on here have any of the following bike that I could get some feedback on.. These are the best prices iv got in a few Kerry Shops

Iv Cycled:
Giant Defy 4 599 euro
Trek 1.2 750 euro
Merida Road Racer (carbon Fork) 650 euro
Dawes (not sure of type) 549 euro

Are these prices fairly right?

Also, suggestions towards a list of stuff I need to get with the bike. Am i missing things?

Helmet
Cycle Computer
Bottle Holder + Bottle
Shorts and (What type?)
what else???

I know there are probably countless posts already on these topics, but it is very difficult to find the info in certain instances.

(Possibly more in the way of Cycling Categories could be introdouced to the site?)

spurscormac

Recently purchased myself and had the thread on here looking for advice, so know what you're going through trying to get your head around things.

For me, the pick of that bunch is the Trek cos its got a carbon fork.
The Merida may be of similar standard - had a quick look online, but not sure what groupset it comes with, suspect Sora like the rest of them at that level.

It may be a match for the trek, but I have no experience of them.

If there's a Giant dealer there, have they got a Defy 3 ?
Thats a similar level to the Trek 1.2 if you're trying to compare like with like.

Ky Abu

Hey

Ya the Merida has a Shimano Sora allright.. The Giant Defy 4 verses the 3, big difference ?? A difference in price anyway.

Im thinking 100euro should get me a lot of the extra bits I need to get going, Helmet etc etc Would i be about right?

spurscormac

Ky Abu wrote: »

Hey

Ya the Merida has a Shimano Sora allright.. The Giant Defy 4 verses the 3, big difference ?? A difference in price anyway.

Im thinking 100euro should get me a lot of the extra bits I need to get going, Helmet etc etc Would i be about right?

I believe the carbon fork is the main difference, though I'm sure the experienced folks on here would tell you there's slight improvements on rims, hubs, etc etc.
Compare the full spec side by side from browsing sites - any differences between the two will equal a step up (small) from the 4 to the 3.

As for the gear, I don't know, I had a MTB already so have a helmet, some jerseys, jacket and padded shorts, so I've no idea how much they'd rack up to.

One thing you'll definitely need is a pump, spare tubes & tyre levers - don't forget to include those, and for ease of carrying them, a saddle bag. I would go with a track pump for at home (I bought on for €37 from CRC online) to keep your tyres at the right pressure & prevent punctures, but you'll also need a mini-pump or CO2 inflater to rescue you in case of a puncture.

You can buy a bunch of that online, will work out cheaper overall, but best to get an all in price from the shop along with the bike - they should knock something off it for you.

Get a list of the stuff - then price online to compare.

My negotiation tactic would be, what price for the bike, then ask their best price.
Then add that you'll need a helmet (I would buy instore no matter what, needs to fit well), and get a price for bike plus helmet.
After that, add in the extras you might get, and get an overall price from them.

There's also aldi/lidl gear sales, I find their gloves/jerseys fine for the little I do, but the shorts are next to useless padding wise.

It can be a bottomless pit of spending so just be careful what you decide on, some online purchases are fine and will save money, others are a bit more difficult to size correctly starting out.

petethedrummer

As well as the Carbon fork, the Defy 3 has Sora gears. Defy 4 has 2300 gears.

Get a track pump. You can't survive without one: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=4949

Also get some sort of frame or mini pump to attach to the bike.

Ky Abu

spurscormac wrote: »

One thing you'll definitely need is a pump, spare tubes & tyre levers - don't forget to include those, and for ease of carrying them, a saddle bag. I would go with a track pump for at home (I bought on for €37 from CRC online) to keep your tyres at the right pressure & prevent punctures, but you'll also need a mini-pump or CO2 inflater to rescue you in case of a puncture.

Am I a complete novice and foolish to say that a car compresser wouldnt pump the tyres for home use??

A carbon fork is more lightweight, otherwise thats the only advantage between it and whats on the Defy 4?

And the Sora Gears verses the 2300 Gears, is there much difference?


I found with my mountain bike that the gears kept slipping when you put the bike under pressure climbing up hill, So I would like to get very solid gears this time

langdang

A road bike usually has different valve type to car valves.
A track pump is a better job anyway if you want 100psi (road bike pressure) or 60-70psi (guess at what you might use in hybrid type tyres) - the type of compressor you'd have for a car would be fine for car type pressures (30 -35psi) and would do for a mountain bike, but a track pump is a worthwhile investment.

Some of the boys on here would sneer at the Sora, nevermind anything lower - but I found the Sora stuff fine. "solid gears" that don't slip have a lot to do with learning to adjust them properly yourself, and good gear changing technique (select the right gear in advance, ease off the pedal pressure momentarily as you shift)

Ky Abu

langdang wrote: »

A road bike usually has different valve type to car valves.
A track pump is a better job anyway if you want 100psi (road bike pressure) or 60-70psi (guess at what you might use in hybrid type tyres) - the type of compressor you'd have for a car would be fine for car type pressures (30 -35psi) and would do for a mountain bike, but a track pump is a worthwhile investment.

Oh ok.. Good point.. Road Bike pressure is much higher.. Is there a good Road Tyre which would last better on the poor to middeling South Kerry roads??

langdang wrote: »

Some of the boys on here would sneer at the Sora, nevermind anything lower - but I found the Sora stuff fine. "solid gears" that don't slip have a lot to do with learning to adjust them properly yourself, and good gear changing technique (select the right gear in advance, ease off the pedal pressure momentarily as you shift)

Ok.. Sora would be a Giant 3 so. Its going outside my budget though...

langdang

Ky Abu wrote: »

Ok.. Sora would be a Giant 3 so. Its going outside my budget though...

Ah, I was just saying that the Sora was fine from my own experience, not that it was the minimum you'd need. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't! I was just vouching for Sora from my point of view (fitness/charity cycles)

I just used fairly standard panaracer road tyres and normal tubes, thye got me around roads where fellas half my weight were constantly puncturing on lightweight tyres and flyweight tubes.

Ky Abu

It seems to me that buyin a Road Bike means you need to be checking it out regularly to keep it in good nick, is there a good online resource for this??

langdang

No more than most bikes*, I bought a book years back when I was kid, think it was actually by Haynes (the crowd that do car manuals) but I'm sure there's decent websites now, just don't know of any off hand


*and much less than a mountain bike taking punishment out on mucky and gritty trails