Page 1 of New bicycle advice please

A few days ago I was going to post a thread here asking if anyone could advise what would be causing my peddaling to slip when I am powering forward on the 3rd (largest) cog on the pedals. I have since had a look, and it appears I have actually worn away the teeth on that cog (as I use it the most). A bike shop has since confirmed this, along with me wearing away the hub, chain, and generally the whole bike. It`s apparently something to be proud of, as it`s caused by the sheer mileage I`ve put on the bike in 2 years.

Anyway, this brings me on to thoughts of buying a new bike, and onto considering a slightly more expensive (and presumably better quality) replacement. The bike I currently have is a silver lightweight aluminium framed Raleigh mountain bike, which cost about £200. 21 gears, with front suspension (which has since ceased up due to me not lubing it properly), and a saddle with suspension (like a piston mechanism).

I know my way around a bike (enough to maintain it), but am not too clued up on the things I should really be looking out for to suit my needs. I basically want something lightweight, smooth and durable, and am willing to go upto around the £400 mark. The first thing I`ll be looking out for is an aluminium frame, and presumably because I`m doing road cycling to and from work most of the time, it needs to be some kind of road-bike with slicker tyres (instead of my current mountain bike, which I have replaced with tyres that are somewhere between slicks and big tread off-road tyres)? Can anyone advise me further, and point me to some examples of bikes they would recommend within this price range. All help will be appreciated, as I want this one to last me, and not wear out as quickly. Oh. and it has to look the bees! :-)

Also, I assume it is unadvisable to buy a bike from the net, as you really need to try it out in person don`t you?

Cheers,

Jme

I agree, bike shop is the way to go, so you can give it a test ride, and you`ll get your 3 month checkup, and handy if anything goes wrong, that`s a quick fix for a pro :)

I bought a Giant MTB 1999, and apart from reaplacing 2 sets of tyres, 1 gear cable, and the same set of gear cogs you`ve changed I`ve had no probs :)

It was reduced from £450 to £250, aluminium frame, and I`m glad I went into that price range, sounds obvious but you do get what you pay for. Mine has no suspension so really is light :)

Scarily £400 is still "beginners" level, but I think for "normal" use that`s fine, especially if you use it on roads not down the side of a mountain.

to get an idea of "hybrid" bikes check out www.wiggle.co.uk that`s where I buy all my bits and bobs from for my bike, and they have good guides there to get an idea what you may want.

I got a Scott Sub20 last year. http://www.dvd.reviewer.co.uk/forums/thread.asp?Forum=113&Thread=701318
I love it. It was last years model so they knocked £150 off it and a free service. I love it. It is so much faster than my old mountain bike.

Dr 42%er


Care in the football community is proved not to work.


It`s not easy being different. It`s not easy being cool....but somehow I manage....

Thanks both. I actually think I asked you the same thing related to your bike in that thread 42%er! It`s good that you gave me a name - it`ll be useful for me to have recommendations and brands/models of bikes to take into my local bike shop to say "this is the kind of thing I`m after", and then see what they can offer me.

If anyone else has any recommendations, please shout.

Thanks, Jme

Having not cycled for about 18+ years until last few weeks, and having cycled TODAY to work (7 miles each way - but uphill on way back!) for first time (your post was very timely) - can I point you towards;

http://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/

if you are PAYE and you can get your employee to sign up - saved me about 40%, ended up with this bike;

http://www.southwatercycles.com/products.php?plid=m1b0s18p1864

(but did not buy from them - just linked to give you details).

Would have probably only gone up to £200+ if buying outright, but with the saving and monthly interest free payments ended up with that £850 beauty - and I am loving it.
Would suggest it fits all the requirements you list (and that is why I`m so impressed with it!)

The wife also had to have a new bike as well (of course), so spent £200 on a Mountain Bike Hybrid - because she insisted on having chunkier wheels, so would be less punctures (?!?). She is now unhappy, having done the Tissington Trail on them last week, that I was racing off ahead with very little effort - my bike does seem VERY efficient, pedal-to-speed wise!

(Please be reassured that I am sadly over-weight, exercise far to little - but currently lovin` me cycling! :x )

Hi WillowPAW. Thanks for the info. Very useful :)

I`ve actually heard about this cyclescheme before, but after very briefly reading through it, was put off by the seeming complexity. Could you summarise how it works, and how you saved 40%? So your bike ended up costing around £500? If that is the case, and it`s easy to take advantage of, it could be something to really look into.

My main reason for not being too keen on buying an expensive bike is that it will be very attractive to thiefs. A good quality bike sticks out like a sore thumb! I`ve had bikes stolen in the past, and it`s a real kick in the balls (as is anything that`s stolen!). Shows you the world we live in when I am penalising myself of a great bike because of not wanting it to go AWOL.

Jme

That`s why mine is well locked up!!!

Briefly, you save the tax & national insurance contributions, coming out to about 40% - there is a `calculator` on the site - and cost is taken out of 12 pay-packets direct. You are allowed up to £1000 including the bike and bike safety equipment - I had helmet (VAT free anyway!), lights, pump, nifty tool bag and some clothing to `top it up` to the £1000 mark (made sense if getting it all tax free!).
I`m going to be paying (from this month) just short of £50 a month.

The only issue I had (apart from spending about £600 in total!) is that you are leasing the bike from your employer, so they own it, but after 12 months give you the option to buy the bike - at 5% the value (fair-useage value I think it was called) - so if they claim the 5% payment (and no doubt they will) I will have to cough up about £50 in a year`s time.

My supervisor had a £1300 carbon-fibre racer (he is big into cycling), so had the £1000 under this scheme and paid the extra £300.

Scheme may not be for everyone - but the timing for me was perfect, we were about to get new bikes anyway for the better weather (and Tissington Trail - been promising myself to do that for over 10 years now - so well chuffed last weekend when managed it!). This way I have had a top bike (it really does weigh next-to-nothing!) and get to pay for it on the ol` never-never - but not only interest-free, but tax-free!!!!

There is no `log` or proof required that you actually use it for work, or how often for work, from what I have seen - but from what you have said it is mainly for work for you anyway. (I imagine I will use mine mainly for `pleasure` - we try and get out and do about 10 miles in local lanes each weekend - but I am intending to use bike once a week for work - really enjoyed ride in and back today - may do it again before this week is out?!?)

This item was edited on Monday, 9th June 2008, 20:31

Sounds like it is worth looking further in to, if it worked for you!

The next thing is to find the bike in question. I assume that a good bike shop should measure me up for the correct frame etc, and find a bike suitable to my criteria (and price-range). With that kind of shceme, I guess I`m looking at a bike upto around £650 (to hit my £400 price range). Now I have to find a good bike shop!

Thanks again for all the advice.

Cheers, Jme

Yeah - getting good `bike` advice is essential - I had to have an XL frame, and of course the likes of Halfords (where I would have spent my £200 on a half-price `bargain`!) don`t stock anything other than standard size ranges.

And of course, speaking to a Halford`s `Saturday Kids` (any day of the week) is on par with speaking to the `knowledgeable" skip-lickers in Dixons or Currys!

Should be a list of independant cycle shops on the Cycle2Work website that are signed up to the scheme - try and find a few near you to visit & quiz.

Bear in mind that even if your company scheme is with Halfords, I understand that they are capable of supplying other bikes under the scheme which are not part of their normal range ;)