Where to start?

SachaJ

Mid-thirties, belly getting bigger and knackered running around after the little one on a daily basis......

So I need to do some exercise. Used to play regular 6-a-side football but that was cancelled as we couldn't keep the numbers up (me included - tough to commit to anything with a very young family). Tried running - hated it, tried the gym - hated it. Thinking of cycling again as I used to cycle everywhere as a young lad. I'm only two miles or less from work so I should at least be cycling that instead of the motorbike.

So not sat on or even looked at a bicycle since I got my first motorcycle license in the summer of 1998.

I have to say I'm quite nervous about getting on a bike again mainly from a safety point of view. On the motorbike, it's big (around 300kg), conspicuous and I've got all the armour (knees, back, elbows, shoulders etc) so hopping onto something around 5% of the weight will take some getting used to.

So where to start really? I'll talk to work about the BTW scheme and see how that fairs out. My thinking is a bike along the lines of hybrids. I'd want it for the commute and looking forward, perhaps some cycles in the evening just for exercise if all goes well.

So since I've last use a bike (my trusty old Raleigh Bomber - remember them anyone?) they've come on leaps and bounds - even have disc brakes! So can anyone recommend some bikes and gear to start reading about?

Also - what's the best way to transport a laptop on a bike?

All comments and opinions appreciated.....

Lumen

For general road cycling (sport/fitness/commuting) I would buy a drop bar bike rather than a hybrid, if you can afford it, because they're better.

There's not much point in asking for advice on specific bikes until you've investigated the cycle to work scheme with your employer.

A laptop is best carried on your back.

Tonyandthewhale

First off, you'll need to specify a budget before we can reccommend anything as you can pay pretty much as much as you want for bikes.

Secondly, you mentioned disc brakes, they're great, have them on my mountain bike but you don't need them on the road, they're heavy.

A pannier (the bags that clip to a rack) is the best way to carry anything on a bike. However you might want some sort of padding to protect the laptop from vibrations. If you put the laptop in a back-pack it'll be safe from vibrations but make you uncomfortable and sweaty.

Finally, as far as I know, statistically speaking bicycles are safer than motor-bikes. If you spend a lot of time on your bike you will eventually probably have a fall of some description but serious injury and death are not significant risks. Plus all the health benefits of cycling mean you'll probably live several years longer than you would otherwise (studies I've read have varied from 2 to 3.7 extra years of life) so safety is a mute point really so long as you know how to handle yourself at junctions and position yourself assertively on the road.

blorg

If you are used to riding a motorbike you really don't have anything to worry about riding a pushbike, the latter are far safer.

SachaJ

Grand, cheers lads. Budget wise, I don't think I'd want to blow a grand on a bike, so I'd guesstimate a budget of around €400 - €700 which should get something decent for my needs.

I'm fairly sure work will be fine with it as I think other lads have gotten bikes.

Now that I think of it, a lot of my bicycle safety concerns come from what I generally see on the road. I've had countless incidents where I've barely missed a cyclist that either swerved out in front of me or has run a red light and not seen the bike coming and crossed in front of me. Those concerns are rider dependant so if I don't act like a cock I should be ok. (That said I've also had similar incidents with other motorbikes and especially cars running a red light. It just seems that cyclists are very vunerable looking).

Vizzy

SachaJ,
also if your employer operates the cycle to work scheme you will effectively double your budget straight away.

Lumen

SachaJ wrote: »

if I don't act like a cock I should be ok.

...and if you do act like a cock you'll probably be OK too. The general standard of cycling in Dublin is very low, yet KSIs are very rare.

adrianshanahan

Lumen wrote: »

For general road cycling (sport/fitness/commuting) I would buy a drop bar bike rather than a hybrid, if you can afford it, because they're better.

Well thats just true now is it.

They are differant but not 'better'

If I was to be doing a short comute and genral cycling without massive touring I would be more than happy to use a hybrid. I see so so many people on road bikes with drop bars and they never use them.

How many people cycling through traffic really use drop bars for any length of time. If people are being honest with them selves I would say very little.

Dude looking for a bike, cyclist can be total snobs re brand, price and even color of the socks you wear. Decide on a budget, call into a shop with good selection and sit up and try the bikes out. If a shop expects you to purchass a bike without letting you ride it first, I suggest go elsewhere.

Cycling is great fun, so enjoy it.


Adrian

Tonyandthewhale

adrianshanahan wrote: »

How many people cycling through traffic really use drop bars for any length of time. If people are being honest with them selves I would say very little.

Adrian

You don't have to be down in the drops in a super aero position to be 'using' the drop bars. Personnally I find the position on top of the hubs or with my hands side-ways on the top of the bends of the bar far more comfortable than on a flat-bar set-up because my hands sit in what I feel is a more natural position (and I know I'm not alone in feeling this way from talking to cycling buddies).

Drops are better because they give you options not just because of snobby notions of looking like a proper cyclist. Admittedly some people still prefer flats over drops having used both but they are in the clear minority.

SachaJ

Cheers for all the input guys. This will probably be a daft question to some....

What are the major differences between road and hybrid? Bars, yeah fair enough and I'm sure there's different distances between bars, saddle, pedals to put you in a more agressive riding position on a road bike. Is there much else? Are either more suited to "Irish roads"?

Part of my commute takes me down cobbled streets which not only would be rougher on a set of wheels, when wet they can be lethal (might have to think about a detour).

SachaJ

SachaJ wrote: »

Cheers for all the input guys. This will probably be a daft question to some....

What are the major differences between road and hybrid? Bars, yeah fair enough and I'm sure there's different distances between bars, saddle, pedals to put you in a more agressive riding position on a road bike. Is there much else? Are either more suited to "Irish roads"?

Part of my commute takes me down cobbled streets which not only would be rougher on a set of wheels, when wet they can be lethal (might have to think about a detour).

Right ignore all that. I know the differences now.

Still not sure which type to go for. Road makes more sense as obviously I'll be on tarmac 99.9% of the time, but I know myself I can be a little heavy handed at times with stuff.

Lumen

SachaJ wrote: »

I know myself I can be a little heavy handed at times with stuff.

Somewhat depends on how heavy you are, but as long as you buy decent strong wheels and maintain correct tyre pressures, the bike will take far more abuse than you can.

cdaly_

SachaJ wrote: »

Road makes more sense as obviously I'll be on tarmac 99.9% of the time.

If you're going to get into serious cycling, choose the road bike over the hybrid. If not, the hybrid will be fine. However, there are regularly threads on here asking about converting flat-bars to drops so there are obviously people (myself included) who started out on hybrids but found they were doing a lot more cycling than originally intended.

SachaJ

cdaly_ wrote: »

If you're going to get into serious cycling, choose the road bike over the hybrid. If not, the hybrid will be fine. However, there are regularly threads on here asking about converting flat-bars to drops so there are obviously people (myself included) who started out on hybrids but found they were doing a lot more cycling than originally intended.

At this stage I'm not going to bite off more than I can chew. I think I'll get a decent hybrid and if I get the urge in a couple of years for a road bike, I'll trade up or something similar.

From reading other stuff on this forum, it seems the Cube SL Cross Comp might be best for my needs (if I can get it in a size to suit me - I'm 5' 8"). It's relatively cheap after the tax discount so if I get pissed off with the cycling, then I've not invested too much.

So I need to think about accessories next as best to buy everything together. Can anyone recommend some good lights, a helmet and lock? Anything else I'm missing? Shorts?

funkyjebus

adrianshanahan wrote: »

Well thats just true now is it.

They are differant but not 'better'

If I was to be doing a short comute and genral cycling without massive touring I would be more than happy to use a hybrid. I see so so many people on road bikes with drop bars and they never use them.

How many people cycling through traffic really use drop bars for any length of time. If people are being honest with them selves I would say very little.

Dude looking for a bike, cyclist can be total snobs re brand, price and even color of the socks you wear. Decide on a budget, call into a shop with good selection and sit up and try the bikes out. If a shop expects you to purchass a bike without letting you ride it first, I suggest go elsewhere.

Cycling is great fun, so enjoy it.


Adrian

All bikes have different purposes. But the purpose here is road commuting and for that, yes a road bike would be better, far better.

I personally use my drops quite often, especially with the wind we've had over the last few weeks. However when someone says a drops are better / more comfortable, they not only refer to the added drop position, but the other hand positions now available which help greatly with comfort, especially over longer distances.

lalorm

SachaJ wrote: »

Mid-thirties, belly getting bigger and knackered running around after the little one on a daily basis......

So I need to do some exercise. Used to play regular 6-a-side football but that was cancelled as we couldn't keep the numbers up (me included - tough to commit to anything with a very young family). Tried running - hated it, tried the gym - hated it. Thinking of cycling again as I used to cycle everywhere as a young lad. I'm only two miles or less from work so I should at least be cycling that instead of the motorbike.

So not sat on or even looked at a bicycle since I got my first motorcycle license in the summer of 1998.

I have to say I'm quite nervous about getting on a bike again mainly from a safety point of view. On the motorbike, it's big (around 300kg), conspicuous and I've got all the armour (knees, back, elbows, shoulders etc) so hopping onto something around 5% of the weight will take some getting used to.

So where to start really? I'll talk to work about the BTW scheme and see how that fairs out. My thinking is a bike along the lines of hybrids. I'd want it for the commute and looking forward, perhaps some cycles in the evening just for exercise if all goes well.

So since I've last use a bike (my trusty old Raleigh Bomber - remember them anyone?) they've come on leaps and bounds - even have disc brakes! So can anyone recommend some bikes and gear to start reading about?

Also - what's the best way to transport a laptop on a bike?

All comments and opinions appreciated.....

I started back cycling when I was 36, over 15st and well over 20% body fat in an effort to try and get into shape so I could play with my daugher who was starting to crawl circles around me! I used to race when I was younger and so it made sense to me to get back on the bike. Now, 4 years on, I'm racing again, feeling like I'm 20 and back to around the same weight as when I was a teenager and around 11% body fat.
My advice would be to first, set a goal. Something to do in around a year from now. E.g. Try the Wicklow 100 or 200 if you can manage it. It might seem crazy now, but it will give you something to focus on. I decided to go to the French Alps and climb Alpe d'Huez. Also tell people about it so then the motivation will be there to succeed.
Also join a gym. You will need to do some weight training since cycling is not a weight bearing activity and you need to strengthen your bones as well as your muscles. Join a clas in the gym. I do alot of weights and circuit training in a group during the winter and it's great.
Don't do too much too soon or you will hurt yourself. I learnt the hard way and ended up with tendonitus in both legs from over cycling when my body wasn't used to it. Build it up slowly.
Get a proper bike fitting. Don't rely on the fitting they do in the shop when you buy the bike, they just aim for the general fit. I used this place and the difference it made was amazing... http://www.bikefittingireland.com/index.html
Get a magazine like Cycling Weekly. Great info on exercises, injuries, training bikes, gear etc. I find it best in the Autumn and winter when it's usually more about training and diet.
Learn about nutrition. You don't need to go on any stupid diet, but you still need to watch what you eat. Use you common sense, cut down on junk and start to learn about what food can do. Soon you will get the hang of it and look at the calorie count of food. Don't need to go overboard on this, but just get a better idea of what things are worth in calories and you will start to control it better. That said there isn't anything wrong with a curry and a beer at a weekend if you look after yourself during the week and exercise.
Protein. Eat more protein when you are exercising and also look into a recovery drink. This is a must since your immune system will get a hammering and you will get colds constantly if you don't invest in a recovery drink. I learnt this the hard way and was getting tonsilitus again and again as a result. I now use Optimum Nutrition 2:1:1 recovery drink and swear by it now. You can get it online here... http://www.fitnesssupplementsvitamins.ie
Stick with it. It will work but it takes alot longer than you think to get back into good shape depending on where you are starting. This all may sound like a lot but that's what I've dome more or less and it worked for me. I'm about to go back to the Alps again this year in way better shape than I did the first time and I'll be 40 by then. You can do it.

Digital Dave

I’ve cycled to school and work for almost 20 years and have been fairly accident free. So, yeah it’s safe if you use cope on as you say.
I recently replaced the old mountain bike with a hybrid that has disc brakes. In the wet of autumn and winter it can be ‘challenging’ to stop when you need to. So the disc brakes have more stopping power.
Plus the hybrid has a fatter tyre, so more grip and wheels won’t buckle easily if you hit potholes. Racers have a narrower tyre so have less grip in the wet, unless you are very used to cycling them.
So for me it would be a hybrid for commuting to work.

SachaJ

Right so my current thinking is this.....

Get a good hybrid as it is more of a multi-purpose bike than a full on road bike. Down the line I have more flexability when going for cycles with my little one, commuting, exercise etc. If over the next few months or years, I really get into it then I think I'd purchase a second bike (road) for general exercise, probably second hand (as it would be used less).

So I seem to have a couple of choices when it comes to hybrids, mainly those with a full set of gears (Cube Cross Pro/Team) or the ones with the internal 8 gears (Cube Hyde SL/Team).

For general commuting and the possibility of getting out once or twice a week for a spin (max 30km's I'd expect), which is my better option? Of the two and from first glances, the Hyde range seems to be a little more road biased (less "knobbly" tyres, longer wheelbase) than the Cross, but obviously has 19 less gears which would be handy for any hills.

Thanks.

seamus

The Hyde looks pretty sweet tbh. The gear combination will be more than enough for your general-purpose cycling. You'll only have difficulty with gears if you start looking at getting out into serious hills, i.e. Dublin/Wicklow mountains. There are no hills in the city or West Dublin/Midlands that would pose a serious problem with only 8 gears.

Benefits of internal gearing versus external are primarily maintenance. Internal gears effectively require no maintenance, whereas derailleur gears are constantly exposed to the elements and require regular checking/cleaning/maintaining to keep them working properly. External gears though obviously give you a better range to select and are more appropriate for longer and hillier trips.

Tbh, although you're saying, "If I get into it in a couple of years", you will know quite quickly (once the Autumnal mornings and rain hit) if this cycling lark is for you. So you might find yourself very quickly lamenting the fact that your €1,000 spanking bike isn't enough for what you want to do and now you need/want to spend more money on a "proper" bike.

On the other hand, if you don't really get into it, then you have a utility bike which does what you need and nothing more.

That's generally why I'd be inclined to tell you to get a normal road bike. If you get the cycling bug, then you have what you need, and you can always buy a cheap utility bike for cycling into work. If you don't enjoy it, then you still have a working bike, or you can sell it on and buy a cheap(er) utility bike.

In terms of switching from motorbike to bicycle, as an ex-motorbiker I can tell you that initially it's very odd because the balance shifts massively towards the weight of the rider, the tyres are skinny, the brakes don't stop you quite as readily, the position is less upright and your legs are moving, which distorts your balance. It feels ridiculously unsafe, for about an hour.
You will have less "OMFG I'm going to die" moments because the bicycle is naturally moving slower, giving you more time to react and less fear about what people are doing.
Your skills will naturally stand to you, particularly the reflex of doing a lifesaver before changing road position as this is something few everyday cyclists do.
The only major difference is that traffic can now overtake you and you will spend more time overtaking on the left then you have previously. You will also be a little more invisible again (if that's possible) because of the thinner frontal profile and lack of huge headlight. All of my accidents have been sideswipes from cars pulling left/changing lane without looking, which is something that occurs less commonly for motorbikes.

SachaJ

Great reply, thanks a million.

Went out to CSS at the weekend and took one of the Cube Cross bikes for a ride. Jesus I felt like the Great Grape Ape on top of his little yellow van....!

Unfortunately they didn't have any of the Hyde bikes to test and more or less felt that there would be difficulty in obtaining one. One concern I had with the Hyde range would have been changing the rear tube. Would the inbuilt hub and disc brake make it a bit tougher to get the wheel off?

I did like the SL Cross Team that I rode. A bit out of my price range @ €1099 but the next one down, SL Cross Pro was around €879 I think. They also said I'd get around 10% of accessories trown in so that would at least get a helmet.

Hopefully the motorbiking will stand to be and at this stage the lifesavers are more instinct than anything else.

smacl

€849 seems a bit on the high side for a hybrid, given you could get a Cube Aerial from CSS for €799 or a Cube Peleton for €999 (both drop bar road bikes). Might be worth taking one or both of these for a short spin for the comparison.

FWIW, I got a hybrid quite similar to the SL Cross Pro last year, have cycled thousands of kilometres on it since, and still love it. I reckon there's a lot to be said for going with the bike you feel most comfortable on, nothing to stop you trading up at some point in the future. I certainly will be. And you don't get any less fit by cycling a heavier bike.