Best general bike advice for average beginner?

[bonj2]

it doesn't alter the fact that the general aim is to steer everybody towards a hybrid or a tourer, which is wrong. It doesn't seem to particularly matter to you lot whether someone gets the right bike, itwould seem the only criteria that the bike a beginner gets has to have are that it has to be be a fairly heavy bike, costing £200-£300, with mudguards, and with no front suspension. The only bikes that seem to fit that description are hybrids and tourers. I've even seen threads where advice on mudguards is posted even before anything to do with the bike itself, when the person hasn't even asked about mudguards.
The uptake of cycling at the moment is growing exponentially, and there appears to be a conspiracy by existing cyclists of whatever kind to prevent new cyclists from considering really fast road bikes and really capable mountain bikes, presumably because these are the bikes that will enable people to become really good at cycling, I can only assume it's because there's a lot of people that think the only point of cycling forums is to hold back the clamouring hourdes of people that might become as good at or god forbid better, at cycling than they are. And I'm determined to shatter that conspiracy, and there doesn't seem to be much intellectual stimulation going on elsewhere on the forum, so I think it's time I started playing a more active role in the beginners forum, on a constructive and helpful way, but hepful as in pertaining to help people become serious cyclists rather than just being content with buying a bike at all.

 

[Danny]

Bonj - I think the issue is that some beginners don't really know what kind of cycling they want to do when they first start, or even if they are ever going to want to cycle more than a few miles at a time.

So the risk with your approach is that they end up getting a really expensive bike that doesn't suit their need. I am sure even you would agreed that there is no point buying a £1500 road bike for a mile trip to the shops.

Obviously if someone comes along and says that what they want to do is to start riding in sportives regularly, people would steer them towards getting the best road bike they afford within their budget, but that doesn't apply to lots of the beginners who come on here. I still think for many of them a hybrid is a good first choice.

While I agree that a lot of cheap bikes are going to be so heavy and rubbish that they could put people off cycling, this probably doesn't apply to all cheap bikes. There are plenty of fans of Halfords Carreras on this forum for example.

 

[bonj2]

Bonj - I think the issue is that some beginners don't really know what kind of cycling they want to do...

Why do you think that's the case?

 

[bonj2]

I am sure even you would agreed that there is no point buying a £1500 road bike for a mile trip to the shops.

Yes I would agree with that, but I dispute that there is anyone that is sure they are only ever going to want to do a mile trip to the shops, yet feels strongly enough about cycling to want to come on a cycling forum.

There are lots of people that only ever go on a mile trip to the shops, but these are not the sort to be serious/inspired/passionate/interested enough about it to go on a cycling forum and ask questions about it, they're probably the sort that don't even think about the cycling aspect of it, they just use their bike to get from a to b.

 

[Chris James]

new cyclists from considering really fast road bikes and really capable mountain bikes, presumably because these are the bikes that will enable people to become really good at cycling

How did people become good at cycling before mountain bikes were invented? How did Eddy Merckx become good at cycling riding some old clinker steel frame with wheels with loads of spokes?

Cycling lots, and a degree of natural aptitude, makes people become good at cycling. Not what kit they buy.

Likewise your comments about fun above. I had loads of fun as a kid doing off roading on a 5 speed Raleigh Winner and descending World's End into Llangollen on the same bike at about 40mph with no hope of stopping on steel wheel rims in the wet were a car to come the opposite way up the lane.

You make fun yourself, you don't buy it.

 

[snorri]

There are lots of people that only ever go on a mile trip to the shops, but these are not the sort to be serious/inspired/passionate/interested enough about it to go on a cycling forum and ask questions about it, they're probably the sort that don't even think about the cycling aspect of it, they just use their bike to get from a to b.

You make some rather odd assumptions there bonj.
Don't we all just use our bikes to get from a to b? Some want to cover the distance as fast as possible, some want to carry enough luggage to last a month, others just want to get there, and some want to get there with a streak of mud up their backs.
I think it is just as important that the person who wants to do the one mile trip to the shops gets as good advice as the would be Olympian. It's wonderful that such a wide range of experience and knowledge is available to the newbie here on CycleTalk.

 

[bonj2]

You make some rather odd assumptions there bonj.
Don't we all just use our bikes to get from a to b?

er... no
sometimes it's a loop

 

[tyred]

er... no
sometimes it's a loop

Surely if you leave your house and cycle somewhere then at some point you will have to go home again, then it's always a loop.

 

[Danny]

Yes I would agree with that, but I dispute that there is anyone that is sure they are only ever going to want to do a mile trip to the shops, yet feels strongly enough about cycling to want to come on a cycling forum.

There are lots of people that only ever go on a mile trip to the shops, but these are not the sort to be serious/inspired/passionate/interested enough about it to go on a cycling forum and ask questions about it, they're probably the sort that don't even think about the cycling aspect of it, they just use their bike to get from a to b.

For someone who has never cycled before a two mile trip to the shops may feel ambitious, while a 50 mile day ride would be simply unimaginable.

However plenty of people get the cycling bug once they've found how much they enjoy riding small distances and then gradually build up from there.

 

[yello]

I know what bonj is saying. I was one such person once upon a time. I just used to ride a bike because it was quicker than walking to work, I didn't like public transport (actually, come think of it, it was quicker than public transport too!) and it was cheaper than the public transport. I didn't think of myself as a cyclist, I just had a bicycle. I've ridden bicycles since, blimey dunno.... as long as, so it was an obvious solution at the time.

It was my younger brother than opened my mind to the possibilities (touring particularly) and I only really became a cyclist because of him.

 

[jimboalee]

To Chris James

Here's a picture of The Man, The Cannibal on his old clinker steel with loads of spokes

And here's one of the same in my back yard.

This is what makes cyclists out of men.

Please note the Chainset and freewheel teeth on Eddy's bike....
There's nowt like a bit of hard work..

 

[jimboalee]

Yup, a 45 - 21 'Granny gear'.
But I'm not as good as Eddy, so mine's a 38 - 23.