first post: what bike cycling around the city for a 6'4" bloke..

eoinf

Hi

Cycling on the Dublin bikes has re-ignited the city cycler in me.

I am looking to pick up a bike for short hops around the city and suburbs.

I am rather tall and sometimes awkward and wondering what type of bike or size frame you would recommend?

I am never going to go on big long treks. the furthest would be a couple of Km's at a time.

All suggestions welcome, Likewise if anyone has anything second hand feel free to suggest.

My budget is probably €2-300.

Lumen

Carrera Subway 1 Mens Hybrid Bike 09 22"
http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_551221_langId_-1_categoryId_212377

edit: hmm, the size 22 seems to be unavailable at the moment. Maybe call them and ask.

Ricky91t

I'm 6'5"-6" and I recently got a 21" bike, You might need a longer seatpost if you've got "lanky" legs like me, Although the frame was technically the correct size for me, my legs were longer than the expected 6'5"-6" person so I needed to get a longer seatpost.

Just putting it out there in case!

Lemag

I think that you've misread the OP, Lumen :pac:

eoinf wrote: »

My budget is probably €2,300.

Lumen

Lemag wrote: »

I think that you've misread the OP, Lumen :pac:

Ah right. In that case I'd buy seven Carrera Subways, one for each day of the week.

eoinf

€300 or there about is perfect.

Lumen

eoinf wrote: »

€300 or there about is perfect.

That's right at the crappy end of the scale, so you need to pick wisely.

A singlespeed would probably suit you. Less maintenance and in theory cheaper. There used to be a singlespeed Subway but I can't see it now.

eoinf

Lumen wrote: »

That's right at the crappy end of the scale, so you need to pick wisely.

A singlespeed would probably suit you. Less maintenance and in theory cheaper. There used to be a singlespeed Subway but I can't see it now.

What would a few more quid get me?

Lemag

eoinf wrote: »

What would a few more quid get me?

A few quid more gets you the Carrera Subway which Lumen linked. If not that then I'd consider looking for a secondhand option. However, at this time of the year, the secondhand bargains seem to be more scarce.

CramCycle

If you want a road bike instead, maybe a second hand one from the likes of : http://dublinbikeman.blogs.ie/

There are one or two 57cm bikes in there for under 200 and apparently fully serviced.

Lemag

CramCycle wrote: »

If you want a road bike instead, maybe a second hand one from the likes of : http://dublinbikeman.blogs.ie/

There are one or two 57cm bikes in there for under 200 and apparently fully serviced.

Probably too small for a cyclist of 6'4'', no? I guess that it shouldn't really matter if he's just going to be pottering around town.

CramCycle

Lemag wrote: »

Probably too small for a cyclist of 6'4'', no? I guess that it shouldn't really matter if he's just going to be pottering around town.

Not tremendously slow unless he was thinking of long spins but for short spins around town it should be fine just my opinion though and happy to be corrected.

Undercover Elephant

Try rothar for good quality second hand. Sorry, pre-loved.

CramCycle

Undercover Elephant wrote: »

Try rothar for good quality second hand. Sorry, pre-loved.

and when you get over the idea of only doing short spins they will teach you how to look after your bike properly as you should and give you tea.

Well worth checking out.

Civilian_Target

I'm 6'4" with 36" legs - I used to have a 21" hybrid with a long seatpost, but eventually I realised the frame was too small.

Now I have a 23" tourer, and it's a lot more comfortable. The seat post is fine at its highest setting, but horizontally, it's still a little too short. A 24" would have been better.

Get measured at a bike shop - it doesn't oblige you to buy anything, and you'll know what fits.

eoinf

cheers for all the tips.

I spent a few days hitting all the big shops ,Wheel Works, Cycle SuperStore , Halfords , City Cycles & a few smaller places. They all seemed very knowledgeable and helpful and again prices were almost identical in all shops. There are some differences when you add on the various essentials but there is nothing between them on the base price of the bikes.

Found it somewhat difficult as most shops seemed to push one particular bike or brand Despite my best efforts to look at multiple bikes. Also the majority of shops once they heard i was eligible for the B2W scheme jumped straight in at the €6-800 price bracket.

Anyway after weighing it up i have decided that some of bikes priced below €500 seemed a bit heavy and sluggish and the build quality naturally wasn't as good , I have decided to up my budget to push the boat out and look in the higher price bracket. €600-800 (fool and his money and all that)

Just wondering what anyone's thoughts on the following bikes are.

Trek 7.3FX €650

Very comfortable bike nice riding position, seems well spec'ed for the price

Felt QX85 €799

Not as comfortable , bigger distance between the saddle and the handle's , Liked the disc brakes and felt a bit lighter and faster, more expensive.

Finally Cube SL Cross Comp €659

Very nice bike, best fit but the slimmer tyres made it a little bumpier.

As I'm not overly familiar could anyone take a look at the components and provide their thoughts??

Similarly are there any other bikes in this price bracket to look at?

Thanks in advance.

Eoin

Bluefoam

Personally, I'd narrow it own to the Trek & the Cube. The Felt looks great and is well specked, but if you have really caught the bug you will have other worries to contend with - depending on how the bug catches you, you may need to upgrade that bike to a racer, or supplement it with a mountain bike in a year or so.

The two bikes you have listed at €650 are very capable commuters/leisure bikes. Whichever you choose, have fun with it...

BTW, I always end up over spending. If I went out to buy a €500 bike I'd probably come home with a much more expensive model. I'd find a way to justify the spend...

smacl

eoinf wrote: »

Very nice bike, best fit but the slimmer tyres made it a little bumpier.

From my limited experience, hybrids tend to come with wider tyres by default (32-37) which will be more comfortable and often more puncture resistant than narrower tyres at the expense of speed and weight. You should be able to choose your preferred tyre when you buy, if not for free then for just a few quid extra. I put 32mm marathon supremes on my hybrid recently and find them a very good all rounder, as are most of the marathons. Most of the road bikes will be 23mm or 25mm tyres which are lighter and faster, but bumpier and more prone to punctures, but these wouldn't be suitable for a hybrid.

CramCycle

eoinf wrote: »

Anyway after weighing it up i have decided that some of bikes priced below €500 seemed a bit heavy and sluggish and the build quality naturally wasn't as good , I have decided to up my budget to push the boat out and look in the higher price bracket. €600-800 (fool and his money and all that)

I'd really recommend a decent second hand bike for your first, this way you don't waste to much money if you do catch the bug, its less likely to get pinched (theory not fact). Your basic want was a run around, none of the bikes you have shown are going to be overly nippy but they will serve you well. If it is a case of you are definitely getting one of these, get the one that is most comfortable to you ie don't get the FELT because you clearly aren't comfy on it.

eoinf

I think you are right. cheers.

Are disk brakes on the Felt worth the extra? if not i am happy to exclude it and use the money else where.

With that in mind can someone look at the Cube & Trek and let me know what they think. (Brakes Gears Wheels etc)

As it happens they were both the more comfortable riding position.

Thanks again

CramCycle

I'd go for the Cube over the Trek, if its in your LBS you could check if you could get wider tyres or even sell them on to fund wider replacements. Also try and negotiate mudguards and a decent lock from your LBS.

Don't mention the bike to work scheme until its all been agreed, I always get the feeling that people are getting taken for a ride when they bring it up first in a bike shop.

Colonialboy

If you are getting it on B2W scheme then spend the 600, otherwise I think you should get a secondhand and see if the bug hits. dont forget you have to buy locks, helmets, mudguards, lights , clothing, panniers, pannier bags , TT Skin suit etc,. Put a post in the wanted section .

Im 6.3 and have 2 Treks, I like them cos the top tube is that bit longer and makes me stretch out into a comfortable position, but they can all be adjusted wether at seat post on by fitting a longer stem on the handlebar.

Could you post all the specs of the two bikes and people can give an opinion, that way only one person has todo the leg work , rather than everyone .

for city commuting dont bother with anything with shocks, make sure you get slicks or semi-slick tyres, you dont need the chunky grippy things for tarmac.

eoinf

7.3FX Trek VS Cube SL Cross Comp



TREK 7.3FX

Frameset
Sizes 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25"
Frame FX Alpha Black Aluminum
Fork FX Alloy w/tapered wall thickness, straight blades, Clix dropouts
Wheels
Wheels Alloy front hub, Shimano RM30 rear hub; Bontrager Nebula 32-hole alloy rims
Tires Bontrager Race All Weather Hard-Case, 700x32c
Drivetrain
Shifters Shimano EF60, 8-speed trigger
Front Derailleur Shimano M191
Rear Derailleur Shimano Deore
Crank Shimano M361, 48/38/28 w/chainguard
Cassette SRAM PG-830 11-32, 8 speed
Pedals Nylon body w/alloy cage
Components
Saddle Bontrager H1
Seat Post Bontrager Nebula
Handlebars Bontrager Satellite Plus IsoZone OS, 25mm rise
Stem Bontrager SSR, 10 degree
Headset Slimstak, semi-cartridge bearings, sealed
Brakeset Avid SD-3 brakes w/Shimano EF60 levers

CUBE SL Cross
Frame: HPA Crossroad Triple Butted
Fork: Aluminium Rigid Fork
Headset: FSA NO. 10 semi-integrated
Stem: Easton EA30, 25.4mm
Bars: Easton EA30 Riser
Grips: CUBE Double Doumeter
Rear Mech: Shimano Deore LX RD-T661 Top Normal
Front Mech: Shimano Deore FD-M591 Down Swing, 34.9mm
Shifters: Shimano Deore SL-M590 Rapidfire-Plus, 9-Speed
Brakes: Shimano BR-M422 V-Brake Front & Rear
Chainset: Shimano FC-M431 48x36x26T., 170mm, Shimano BB-UN26, Chainguard
Cassette: Shimano CS-HG50 11-32T., 9-Speed
Chain: KMC X9 Double Durability
Tyres: Schwalbe CX Pro
Rims: Schürmann Yak 622 V-Brake
Front Hub: Shimano Tiagra HB-4500
Rear Hub: Shimano Tiagra FH-4500
Spokes: DT Industry 2.0 silver
Pedals: Fasten Alloy
Saddle: Scape Active 63
Seatpost: RFR Complight 31.6mm
Weight: 10,9 kg

Colonialboy

I think the Cube is a better spec bike.
Id advise you to stay local with your shop that way you can pop in often and even if your on a spin if theres a rattle you can swing by and get it looked at.
But either way you cant go wrong really, they are both very good bikes, enjoy.
Best of luck if you get the new or 2nd hand bike,
PS I bought my first tourer bike a knock about bike from a youth hostel probably 25 years ago at the end of the tourist season they were getting rid of stock and knockdown prices.

eoinf

ive settled on the cube. Just need to pick between the two shops that stock it. I never considered the shop location as being a biggie , but since there is feck all between them on the package price i'll prob go with the one in town.

Thanks for all the tips , i'll post up my thoughts after the first two weeks.