Bike advice

Catsmokinpot

Just started cycling again after my car got stolen over the Christmas, I'm using my house-mate's bike that he's lent me. I feel a tonne healthier now so **** it, I won't be getting another car for the foreseeable future and I'm gonna switch to a Bike, but what to get? the last bike I got was a Ralleigh Max when I was 15 so I have no idea about the bikes of today (don't think i had much of an idea back then either because the thing weighed a tonne and the wheels were ****)

I'm looking for something light, durable, nothing too fancy I'm only looking to spend around 300 not including lights locks etc. I've been hearing about "hybrid" bikes, are they the way to go? any specific makes i should look out for, whats the difference between hybrids and mountain bikes?

any help much appreciated

DrZeuss

Here's a start for ya

Kintarō Hattori

About 5 or 6 years ago OP I bought a €99 Blast Ranger from SuperValue. I used it for a bit and then it didn't get much use for the next several years. After having moved to a new apartment which was a 40 min walk from town I decided to dust it off and cycle to work. I quickly realized it was a piece of crap. As the wiki says buying a cheap bicycle is a false economy. It won't be nice to cycle and you'll probably have to drop it into a shop for repairs more than you'd like.

Fed up with it being completely unreliable (chain coming off the gears when taking off from traffic lights) I enquired if my work place participated in the Cycle to Work scheme. They did and I haven't looked back. The bike wasn't cheap (the scheme works up to a value of €1000) but it is a joy to cycle and most important it's reliable.

So my advice would be, don't buy something cheap unless you know it's a good bike and you're getting a bargin. Also ask if your company participates in the Cycle to Work scheme. If it does you can get a bike and/or accessories up to €1000 in value and it's paid off weekly/monthly from your wages.

Catsmokinpot

Thanks guys for the advice, due to budgetary constraints (basically I'm broke) it was going to take too long to get one, My friends dad (an avid cyclist) turned up on the doorstep with an old Kyoso bike he got second hand says its really good, I've tried it and I must say it's pretty solid, the gears are smooth and it rides well, I need now is a lock and a saddle, does anyone know what are the best ones to go with? I don't want to get one and it turns out to be a pain in the backside excuse the pun.

I also heard you can get semi slick road tyres for mountain bikes do they make much of a difference? is it worth getting investing?

Karl.kell

Try www.chainreactioncycles.com there the biggest online bike shop in the world and the best part is free shipping anywhere in the world + its free 24hr postage if I must add

twinsen

Catsmokinpot wrote: »

Thanks guys for the advice, due to budgetary constraints (basically I'm broke) it was going to take too long to get one, My friends dad (an avid cyclist) turned up on the doorstep with an old Kyoso bike he got second hand says its really good, I've tried it and I must say it's pretty solid, the gears are smooth and it rides well, I need now is a lock and a saddle, does anyone know what are the best ones to go with? I don't want to get one and it turns out to be a pain in the backside excuse the pun.

I also heard you can get semi slick road tyres for mountain bikes do they make much of a difference? is it worth getting investing?

If you dont want to loose you bike then kryptonite locks would be the best choice for you.

DrZeuss

+1 on the Kryptonite locks, just recently got one of these locks myself

These for the wheels

and this for locking up the bike, highly recommended but if you are tempted to go for this lock be advised it is quite small.

It fits around my frame and rear wheel (road bike) and barely onto a thin bar, could be tight on a mountain bike.

As for saddle, really its down to what feels good, something super comfortable for one person could be a right pain in the back side for someone else