Starting out - bicycle recommendations megathread (see summary in OP)

Tony04 · 15-05-2020 10:20pm #1

Bike Recommendations the Megathread????

nipping in on Tony04's post, and taking suggestions as they crop up. if you're asking for advice on buying a bike from a position where you're learning the lie of the land, expect these sort of questions, cos they'll be asked anyway!

- what is the intended use of the bike (commuting/leisure/just going for a spin with the kids, etc.)
- what is your budget
- are you using the bike to work scheme (this rules out secondhand bikes, and depending on your employer, potentially what bike shops you can use)
- aer you willing to consider going secondhand
- will you be using the bike in wet weather
- how tall you are
- are you looking for a woman's bike or man's bike

there's lots of different bikes with more specialised purposes than ever, so the market suffers from an excess of the paradox of choice.
and to be fair, if you're in here asking for advice, beware of a paradox of choice in the range the advice you will be offered! people here are usually more than happy to help.

Edit: just going to add in if your an absolute novice you got to factor in some accessories to your budget.

- A good pump, set of allen keys, puncture patch kit and chain lube is essential for maintenance.
- Some accessories such as mud guards for all weather riding will make your life easier.
- Consider something to store your bike on I.e stand or rack. You don't want to scratch your shiny new bike.
- Consider buying shoes and clothing as it will add hugely to your riding experience

What you don't need, unless you intend to cycle on off road/bumpy surfaces, is a suspension fork. this will add unnecessary weight and cost to the bike, and will not provide any real utility.

If your taking cycling up as sport, do join your local club.

As said above you will have load of questions, which I and am sure many others will be willing to answer. After all the more people cycling the better it is for the sport/mode of transport in this country!

magicbastarder · 15-05-2020 11:04pm

mod - as per the above - there's been a welcome uptick in people asking for advice on buying bikes for the first time, or the first time in years, so it might be useful to have a single thread in which to capture the requests so people can find the general advice in one place.

we will probably try to fold new requests into this thread where appropriate, so start thinking of general pointers/dos and don'ts, that you might think would be useful.

bbari · 16-05-2020 12:30am

What about having a general template / questionnaire to be filled when asking for recommendations e.g.

What is your budget?
Will you use B2W?
What will you use the bike for?
Any preferences?
Height/Inseam if asking for size?

etc

croker99 · 16-05-2020 7:51pm

I guess I am first then... New cyclist here.

What is your budget? ~1,000

Will you use B2W? Yes

What will you use the bike for? Recreation in the work evenings cycling around a ~5km route on a cycle path, bit of exercise, maybe visit a greenway every now and again, cycle in places like castletown house in Celbridge for a bit of fresh air etc. (path there is gravely)

Have a few in my shortlist at the moment, so any comments on these, or alternative suggestions, would be welcome:

https://www.cyclebike.ie/cube-sl-road-race-iridium-green-2020.html

https://www.cyclebike.ie/cube-sl-road-pro-iridium-blue-2020.html

https://rothar.ie/collections/frontpage/products/orbea-vector-10

https://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bikes/all-bikes/526696.html

https://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bikes/all-bikes/526654.html

https://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bikes/all-bikes/528312.html

Thanks. P.S. you can see I was aiming for a lightish bike, based on advice from a friend.

CantGetNoSleep · 16-05-2020 7:57pm

I'd avoid the front suspension if you are looking for lightweight anyway. Really no use on a bike you are using on the road and adds weight

Do you have a bike at the moment? If not, it might be worth looking for one of these or something similar second hand and saving your B2W for when you get into it a bit more

Stheno · 16-05-2020 8:23pm

What is your budget?850
Will you use B2W? Yes
What will you use the bike for? Leisure cycling in the evening about 5k around my area on roads
Any preferences? Road bike
Height/Inseam if asking for size? Height 5 foot 8, instead 34 inches

Online calculators say I need a 23 inch bike, dont understand how that relates to sml

croker99 · 16-05-2020 10:03pm

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

I'd avoid the front suspension if you are looking for lightweight anyway. Really no use on a bike you are using on the road and adds weight

Do you have a bike at the moment? If not, it might be worth looking for one of these or something similar second hand and saving your B2W for when you get into it a bit more

Which ones of those that I posted don't have the suspension?

No bike at the moment

Tony04 · 16-05-2020 10:29pm

croker99 wrote: »

Which ones of those that I posted don't have the suspension?

No bike at the moment

You might consider getting something second hand to see what type of riding you want to do. You dont want to spend your bike 2 work scheme on a hybrid bike only wishing you ended up getting a road bike a while later.

Tony04 · 16-05-2020 10:50pm

Stheno wrote: »

What is your budget?850
Will you use B2W? Yes
What will you use the bike for? Leisure cycling in the evening about 5k around my area on roads
Any preferences? Road bike
Height/Inseam if asking for size? Height 5 foot 8, instead 34 inches

Online calculators say I need a 23 inch bike, dont understand how that relates to sml

At that size your looking at 52-54cm small or medium frame. Something like this would be nice for you https://www.adverts.ie/road-bikes/orbea-avant-h40-2019-53cm/19805146.

magicbastarder · 16-05-2020 11:14pm

I've updated the first post to include the question re gender. Stheno is a woman AFAIK, that would be an extremely long inseam on a bloke that height.

Stheno · 16-05-2020 11:16pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

I've updated the first post to include the question re gender. Stheno is a woman AFAIK, that would be an extremely long inseam on a bloke that height.

Sorry yes I'm female, didnt realise it made such a difference but thinking of my OH who's the same height his inseam is 31

Jean's on the clothesline look funny!

croker99 · 17-05-2020 3:34am

Tony04 wrote: »

You might consider getting something second hand to see what type of riding you want to do. You dont want to spend your bike 2 work scheme on a hybrid bike only wishing you ended up getting a road bike a while later.

Not interested in 2nd hand, thanks though.

doxy79 · 17-05-2020 8:59am

What is your budget? 600

Will you use B2W? No

What will you use the bike for? 4 mile each way commute (hilly). Leisure cycling, typically around 10-12 miles through urban areas or greenways.

Any preferences? Probably a hybrid. So far I'm considering the following. Boardman hyb 8.6, Decathlon Triban flat handlebar, Decathlon Riverside 900, Trek FX, Voodoo Marasa, Pinnacle Lithium. Open to other suggestions.

Height? Height 5 foot 10, male

magicbastarder · 17-05-2020 9:11am

i would rule out the riverside - you won't need suspension unless you're taking the bike onto rough ground. it'll make the bike heavier and it's just one more thing to go wrong.

also, if it's to be used for commuting, you often won't have much choice about going out on wet days (which are rarer than people think, last winter notwithstanding), so if you're not au fait with bike maintenance, i would suggest that this should swing your choice more towards buying in a LBS (local bike shop) as the water and crud the underneath of your bike would pick up will increase the rate of wear on the drivetrain.

magicbastarder · 17-05-2020 9:21am

Stheno wrote: »

Height/Inseam if asking for size? Height 5 foot 8, instead 34 inches

Online calculators say I need a 23 inch bike, dont understand how that relates to sml

i'd suggest calling into a bike shop so to see what the options are; if you've reasonably long legs for your height, it might suggest a larger frame, but you might be too stretched out on the bike then unless your arms are similarly long.

Tony04 · 17-05-2020 10:15am

Stheno wrote: »

Sorry yes I'm female, didnt realise it made such a difference but thinking of my OH who's the same height his inseam is 31

Yeh I'd suggest trying before your buy unless you want to buy a woman's specific bike. Men and womens bikes are a bit of a marketing fad, but recommending a mans bike for a women over the internet is a bit harder is it's harder to tell if you will fit it. If you do end up buying a mans bike all you need to do is change out the saddle. Also at that price for a road bike I would try and get a bike with a 2x 10 speed tiagra drivetrain(gear system if you dont know what I'm talking about). Alot of bikes at that price would come with claris 2 x8 or sora 2x9 drivetrains but tiagra is going to offer you the best performance.

Tony04 · 17-05-2020 10:22am

doxy79 wrote: »

What is your budget? 600

Will you use B2W? No

What will you use the bike for? 4 mile each way commute (hilly). Leisure cycling, typically around 10-12 miles through urban areas or greenways.

Any preferences? Probably a hybrid. So far I'm considering the following. Boardman hyb 8.6, Decathlon Triban flat handlebar, Decathlon Riverside 900, Trek FX, Voodoo Marasa, Pinnacle Lithium. Open to other suggestions.

Height? Height 5 foot 10, male

At that price for a hybrid theres a lot of very similar options. One thing though is dont bother with a bike with 3 speeds at the front is it's just extra unessiental maintenance, other than that really go for the bike that you think looks the nicest or if you going to be leaving it outside you work the least nicest

, as theres so much of the same thing on offer. No need for a suspension fork which is just going to add weight and alot of annoying maintenance. You might consider looking at a gravel bike if drops interest you. If you're not using b2w something used might be better value.

Tony04 · 17-05-2020 10:23am

croker99 wrote: »

I guess I am first then... New cyclist here.

What is your budget? ~1,000

Will you use B2W? Yes

What will you use the bike for? Recreation in the work evenings cycling around a ~5km route on a cycle path, bit of exercise, maybe visit a greenway every now and again, cycle in places like castletown house in Celbridge for a bit of fresh air etc. (path there is gravely)

Have a few in my shortlist at the moment, so any comments on these, or alternative suggestions, would be welcome:

https://www.cyclebike.ie/cube-sl-road-race-iridium-green-2020.html

https://www.cyclebike.ie/cube-sl-road-pro-iridium-blue-2020.html

https://rothar.ie/collections/frontpage/products/orbea-vector-10

https://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bikes/all-bikes/526696.html

https://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bikes/all-bikes/526654.html

https://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bikes/all-bikes/528312.html

Thanks. P.S. you can see I was aiming for a lightish bike, based on advice from a friend.

Do you really want flat bars? A gravel bike might be nicer for you?

magicbastarder · 17-05-2020 10:24am

i added the comment about the requirement for a suspension fork in the first post.

ampmm · 17-05-2020 12:48pm

Thanks for any all/advice.. New to cycling and information overload online..

- what is the intended use of the bike (commuting/leisure/just going for a spin with the kids, etc.) - commuting in urban area ~7km each way(comfort is priority)
- what is your budget ~250
- are you using the bike to work scheme - yes
- aer you willing to consider going secondhand - would consider but ideally use b2b
- will you be using the bike in wet weather - unfortunately yes
- how tall you are - 161cm with short legs - female

magicbastarder · 17-05-2020 8:58pm

is €250 your overall budget, or just for the bike? i.e. have you factored in buying accessories too (lights, lock, etc.)?
and do you mind me asking what tax bracket you're on? if you're on the lower tax bracket you'll barely save above 60 quid and will have to buy a new bike on BTW; i suspect with a budget of €250 you *may* get a better bike if you ignore the BTW scheme and buy secondhand instead.

ccarr · 18-05-2020 10:57am

What is your budget?
Will you use B2W? Yes
What will you use the bike for? Going commute 3 days a week starting off, 18km each way, the commute will be clarehall to blanchardstown. Also a spin at the weekends for fun. Based in clarehall so probably cycle to howth etc
Any preferences? I think road bike but maybe hybrid
Height/Inseam if asking for size? 5"7 height

ccarr · 18-05-2020 10:57am

Oh would also consider 2nd hand

Tony04 · 18-05-2020 11:53am

If your commuting along main roads a hybrid would be better, it's more easier to handle throght traffic and stop at lights. Where as a road bike would be lighter and be better for climbing up howth etc.

MojoMaker · 18-05-2020 4:35pm

Another dimension is: are you looking to get into cycling as a sport or as a mode of transport? If the latter then a full-on road bike is probably the last choice you'd make, but would absolutely be the only choice to make if the former.

Within those two endpoints is a fuzzy middle ground consisting partly of hobbyists that don't really commute, and commuters that like a bit of at greenlaning at the weekend - and for those we have interesting mashups like the gravel bike.

I suspect at this point you're starting to understand why many cyclists, particularly those on the sporting side of the divide, have (often many) more than one bike.

ccarr · 18-05-2020 10:18pm

Probably learning more to hobby side. With likely hood of no GAA season, trying to think new ways saying fit. I'm 30 years of age in okish fitness, so thinking commuting some days just to get some excerise in. I have car so won't solely be commuting by bike.
Budget wise if going new probably spend maximum that can on bike work scheme, but if possible would like get some gear as well

younggalway · 18-05-2020 10:37pm

Good evening folks, hoping to take up cycling along with the rest of the country it seems. I am looking for any recommendations people might have based on the following:

What is the intended use of the bike - Bike will be mostly used for exercise/weekend trips to Howth/Malahide etc from D9. However if we get back to work over the coming months I would like the option of using the bike instead of driving. This is a trip of about 7/8km through the city.
What is your budget - Would prefer to keep under 700 including all accessories, less if possible.
Are you using the bike to work scheme - Yes
Are you willing to consider going secondhand - No
Will you be using the bike in wet weather - Possibly for commuting during Winter months
How tall you are - 6'3
Are you looking for a woman's bike or man's bike - Mans

I called into 360 cycles in Clontarf this evening however they said they have limited enough stock in my size in city bikes.
Is a city bike the same as a hybrid?
Also any other places worth looking around North Dublin?

Thanks

Stheno · 18-05-2020 10:47pm

younggalway wrote: »

Good evening folks, hoping to take up cycling along with the rest of the country it seems. I am looking for any recommendations people might have based on the following:

What is the intended use of the bike - Bike will be mostly used for exercise/weekend trips to Howth/Malahide etc from D9. However if we get back to work over the coming months I would like the option of using the bike instead of driving. This is a trip of about 7/8km through the city.
What is your budget - Would prefer to keep under 700 including all accessories, less if possible.
Are you using the bike to work scheme - Yes
Are you willing to consider going secondhand - No
Will you be using the bike in wet weather - Possibly for commuting during Winter months
How tall you are - 6'3
Are you looking for a woman's bike or man's bike - Mans

I called into 360 cycles in Clontarf this evening however they said they have limited enough stock in my size in city bikes.
Is a city bike the same as a hybrid?
Also any other places worth looking around North Dublin?

Thanks

Ritchies bike store in swords seem to be pretty good if it's not too far?

They got a nice write up in the Irish Times today

Tony04 · 18-05-2020 10:48pm

Jimmy's bikes in portmarnock. Little sport in fairview. Also try halfords. Theres no difference between city and hybrid bikes, but dont bother with suspension forks. Are you sure about using your bike to work, you wont get it for another 5 years and if you get more into cycling you might want a road bike etc.

Tony04 · 18-05-2020 10:55pm

ccarr wrote: »

Probably learning more to hobby side. With likely hood of no GAA season, trying to think new ways saying fit. I'm 30 years of age in okish fitness, so thinking commuting some days just to get some excerise in. I have car so won't solely be commuting by bike.
Budget wise if going new probably spend maximum that can on bike work scheme, but if possible would like get some gear as well

You can use any bike that's working mechanically to keep fit, actually heavier bikes will make you work harder which fitness wise is good. A road bike will perform the best so you can go faster and further for the same effort. But a hybrid, city bike will be more hardier for running errands going to work etc.

Pa ElGrande · 18-05-2020 11:40pm

Don't forget security if you have laid down a tidy sum for a bike.

Details here on type of lock to use, importantly how to use it properly and don't forget to lock while stored in the shed or at the back of the house. Here is an example of a bike with a cheap lock not used properly being stolen. Even if you don't have bike insurance you can work out how to best secure your bike by reading the security requirements in the policy document. If you have an expensive e-bike these seem to be especially desirable for thieves consider a GPS tracker, may also be worth considering for the most expensive bikes.

Starting out - bicycle recommendations megathread (see summary in OP)

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