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new to cycling bit of advice

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  • 19-05-2018 1:28pm
    #1
    Stheno
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 51,687 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    hi all

    myself and the oh are thinkinig og getting bikes for leisure we live in swords so stuff like a trip to malahide or the naul.

    its a good 20 years since either ofus cycled so today we went to our local bike shop for advice.

    the man there recommended a hybrid bike and i tried out a merida crossway which was lovely.

    do any of you here own a merida or have an opinion of them?


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    #2
    coco0981
    Registered Users Posts: 1,293 ✭✭✭coco0981


    Stheno wrote: »
    hi all

    myself and the oh are thinkinig og getting bikes for leisure we live in swords so stuff like a trip to malahide or the naul.

    its a good 20 years since either ofus cycled so today we went to our local bike shop for advice.

    the man there recommended a hybrid bike and i tried out a merida crossway which was lovely.

    do any of you here own a merida or have an opinion of them?

    You're more likely to get a response to this by putting it in the main cycling forum I'd imagine, I've no experience of Merida bikes myself


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    #3
    CramCycle
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,446 Mod ✭✭✭✭CramCycle


    Thread moved. Merida are a solid reliable brand. If you think you won't go any further or harder than some leisure spins with your partner, then they should be fine.

    If you think you may up your distance over time, I would look at something closer to a Gravel or sportif bike.


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    #4
    gk5000
    Registered Users Posts: 847 ✭✭✭gk5000


    Don't have Merida but never liked suspension, and don't think you would need it unless you intend being on gravel or rough paths - and suspension adds weight and messes with handling.



    That said a regular hybrid would probably suit you - and should be comfortable enough and is a good all round bike - so maybe try one of them first.


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    #5
    steamsey
    Registered Users Posts: 686 ✭✭✭steamsey


    Stheno wrote: »
    hi all

    myself and the oh are thinkinig og getting bikes for leisure we live in swords so stuff like a trip to malahide or the naul.

    its a good 20 years since either ofus cycled so today we went to our local bike shop for advice.

    the man there recommended a hybrid bike and i tried out a merida crossway which was lovely.

    do any of you here own a merida or have an opinion of them?

    Nothing wrong with Merida's or any other major bike brand really. I would definitely not get front suspension. You don't need it for cycling on even the bumpy Irish roads and the problem is that you need to service suspension (€100 per service) to get the benefit from them. Just look around at some of the bikes in Dublin and you'll see plenty of bikes with front suspension, rusted, practically locked out from lack of servicing and providing no benefit but adding to the weight of the bike. Whatever suspension forks come on a bike at the Crossway's price point will not be great - at all.

    At around the €900 mark you should be able to find a bike with carbon forks which will help take some of the sting out of bumps, but also tyres and tyre pressure are hugely important. I stuck a 28mm on front of my commuter recently and helps a bit with small bumps, but would help a lot more if didn't run it at 105psi, which is great for speed.

    So you might think about a rigid frame (no suspension at all), carbon forks, disc / hydraulic brakes are handy for the bad weather but V Brakes fine most of the time. The Crossway does not seem to know what it is - it's a mix of a city bike and very very light use trail bike. I'd just get a city bike / road bike / hybrid - whatever you want to call them and not get one with any off road aspirations.


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