HELP picking a bike!!

kellyj77

I can avail of the BTW scheme and to be honest don't have a clue about bikes. Today i went around to different bike shops and have been told conflicting advice so am now confused.

I cycle into work in Dublin city centre which is approx 10km each was and go on the odd cycle at night, no ore than 20km usually along cycle paths and the road.

What would be the best type of bike to get (at present i use an old cheap mountain bike)? In one place i was told a hybrid bike with the skinny wheels, in another a hybrid with the slightly larger wheels and suspension and in another i was told a racer. For the above types of cycles which type of bike would be best for me to get? I don't mind spending up to 600?

Thanks for any advice

Roger Hassenforder

if you no intention of doing anything more, i'd suggest a hybrid.
that said, you'll probably regret buying it after some time, and wish you had gotten a road bike

ian_rush

kellyj77 wrote: »

I can avail of the BTW scheme and to be honest don't have a clue about bikes. Today i went around to different bike shops and have been told conflicting advice so am now confused.

I cycle into work in Dublin city centre which is approx 10km each was and go on the odd cycle at night, no ore than 20km usually along cycle paths and the road.

What would be the best type of bike to get (at present i use an old cheap mountain bike)? In one place i was told a hybrid bike with the skinny wheels, in another a hybrid with the slightly larger wheels and suspension and in another i was told a racer. For the above types of cycles which type of bike would be best for me to get? I don't mind spending up to 600?

Thanks for any advice

This forum is full of posts from people waiting for their hybrid to die so they can justify buying a road bike. Just go up to Belfast and get a Triban 3 from Decathlon
This forum is however also full of people regretting not buying higher end road bikes, could you stretch to a Dogma with Di2 :-)

kellyj77

Thanks.

I have read numerous similar forums for the last couple of hours. can i conclude by saying;

A racer is simply a better overall bike in that it is lighter, faster and more comfy over long distances

however a hybrid is more suited to busy city centre cycling due to the positioning of the handles, better brakes, sturdier frame for cycling in our cycle lanes full of pot holes and jumping up on curbs etc?

Roger Hassenforder

kellyj77 wrote: »

Thanks.

I have read numerous similar forums for the last couple of hours. can i conclude by saying;

A racer is simply a better overall bike in that it is lighter, faster and more comfy over long distances

however a hybrid is more suited to busy city centre cycling due to the positioning of the handles, better brakes, sturdier frame for cycling in our cycle lanes full of pot holes and jumping up on curbs etc?

Apples and oranges. I wouldnt say one is "better" than the other, but if you've any intention of doing more than your commute, buy a road bike (aka racer). the probability of regretting buying a road bike is a lot lower than the probability of regretting buying a hybrid. Consider a road bike that takes panniers and mudguards? (although they look awful :P)

kellyj77

I picked and got a quote on the below bike to bring into my job. Anyone familiar with this bike recommend it before I do get it?

http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_810675_langId_-1_categoryId_212536

Seaneh

kellyj77 wrote: »

jumping up on curbs etc?

Seaneh

kellyj77 wrote: »

Thanks.

I have read numerous similar forums for the last couple of hours. can i conclude by saying;

A racer is simply a better overall bike in that it is lighter, faster and more comfy over long distances

however a hybrid is more suited to busy city centre cycling due to the positioning of the handles, better brakes, sturdier frame for cycling in our cycle lanes full of pot holes and jumping up on curbs etc?

Just get a road bike. A hybrid isn't "more sturdy" they just have fatter tyres.

Get a road bike that will take 28mm tyres, like a Kona Honky Tonk, Specialized Tri Cross or Giant TCX, all of which are about €999 for the base model. The Kona and the Specialized will take mudguards and a pannier rack, not sure about the Giant/

Seaneh

kellyj77 wrote: »

I picked and got a quote on the below bike to bring into my job. Anyone familiar with this bike recommend it before I do get it?

http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_810675_langId_-1_categoryId_212536

If you are going to use the bike to work I really recommend using the full allowence, or as much of it as you can.

There is better bike to be had for the money than that Carrera, its not a terrible bike but it is rather heavy and not great value.

ian_rush

Seaneh wrote: »

If you are going to use the bike to work I really recommend using the full allowence, or as much of it as you can.

There is better bike to be had for the money than that Carrera, its not a terrible bike but it is rather heavy and not great value.

+1

Tonyandthewhale

kellyj77 wrote: »

sturdier frame for cycling in our cycle lanes full of pot holes and jumping up on curbs etc?

The frame isn't the issue. A roadbike frame won't break just from riding into work and isn't any weaker than a hybrid frame really.
Thicker tyres will make some difference to comfort and hybrids usually have room for bigger tyres but few people really feel the need for tyres larger than the 28mm ones that will fit on most road bikes.

reallyunique

Actually loads of people feel the need for tyres bigger than 28mm, they just don't tend to frequent blogs like this. It's likely that more people would use them on sportier frames if the frames were designed to let them.

If using the BTW scheme then spend the limit or more, you only get one bite of the cherry. Please don't forget decent locks, they are available on the scheme, don't depreciate, last forever and are worth breaking your budget for. You'll not regret buying a good lock.

Comfort means different things to different people. I like a softer, cushier ride. I do most of my daily riding around the city and, as has been remarked in other threads, the roads aren't in good condition. Fat tyres take the sting out of pot holes, racks make carrying stuff easier, mudguards keep you dryer. All these little things can make riding on a miserable day less... well miserable.

If you're riding fast, with your legs taking most of you're weight and are happy to get out of the saddle for the worst bumps then skinny tyres are fine, they don't help much, but they're fine. If you sit down more when riding or like a more upright style of bike then fatter tyres help.

Think about the bumps in the road, how deep they are and how sharp. The only thing that can soak up the bang from hitting those ruts are the tyres. Skinny tyres will transmit most of that energy into you. If you're an athlete or a racer then you'll likely sacrifice most things for speed. An athletic body doesn't get as "beaten up" by this pounding as much as a less hardened person would so racers tend to choose a firmer ride. You don't need to cycle fast or race and if you're not racing then racing bikes don't do much for you.

Whatever your taste in comfort, level of fitness or ability, try lots of different bikes. Don't be told that only a racer will do because that's what the shop has or it's what the sales guy likes. If they don't want to let you take bikes for a good long test ride then go somewhere else. When testing, hit a few pot holes, drop off some pavement, see how the bikes perform the way you'll actually ride them. Most of all, get a bike you'll enjoy riding and have fun

Seaswimmer

without entering the whole road bike v hybrid debate I would recommend something similiar to the bike below. Its a Trek 7.3Fx that my daughter got to do similiar distances to you. She has also done some light touring on it. Its about 799 so a bit over your budget but as another poster advised go for the most you can afford on the cycle to work scheme.

it is fitted with 32c tyres (slightly wider than racing tyres)and she got the mudguards and pannier rack extra. She also got security skewers for the wheels (they were quick release).

she does about 10 or 12K each way every day in Dublin and has no issues so far..

endacl

Whatever bike you choose OP, don't bother with suspension. You don't need it.