Change come hard in the cycling community

[Profpointy]

Good things:

Brakes that actually work, particularly in the wet. Anything later than Weinmann centre pulls with modern composition pads on alloy rims works for me. Not used discs but am not per se "against"

27 speeds including some genuinely low gears. This has come from the mountain bike world but has transformed road riding for us non-athletes

Lights with decent battery life and which actually work. When I was younger bike lights simply didn't work at all half the time.

Robust pannier racks, and for that matter decent luggage like Ortlieb

Clipless pedals, specifically the two bolt style I can walk in. I was a late adopter as I resent needing special shoes merely to ride a bike, but concede they are a worthwhile improvement

Track pump - OK these have always existed but I don't think non-racers ever had them back in the day.

Don't think I'm all that fussed about anything else.

 

[presta]

Go to Decathlon or somewhere, pick a bike.

Find me a High Street shop with a choice of two touring bikes with threaded headsets, 3x9 transmission and calliper brakes.

 

[Dogtrousers]

All too often what passes for choice is 100 different brands of the same product: hundreds of mountain bikes in the shops, but just try finding a touring bike on the High Street, or a tandem.

Just try finding anything on the High Street (aside from charity shops, nail bars and vape shops). If you want something specific you have to look for it.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Completely disagree.

Go to Decathlon or somewhere, pick a bike. It'll have the commonest (cheapest) commodity parts - depending on your price bracket - say 105 mechanical or Tiagra. I don't see off the shelf bikes adding "large price and maintainability costs". Here's a random off the shelf bike from Decathlon. https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/road-bike-ncr-cf-tiagra-blue/_/R-p-332106 Very maintainable and I'd say reasonably affordable.

If you happen to have a bee in your bonnet about tubeless then good news is that typically off the shelf bikes sold "tubeless ready" with tubes, so if you want to cover yourself from head to toe in sealant while setting it up that's your choice, but you don't have to.

If you have a bee in your bonnet about wanting rim brakes and a steel frame then your choice will be a bit more limited these days but a quick google will give you something like https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/genesis-equilibrium-2023-bike Slightly less "trend" as it has rim brakes and a steel frame. Similar price bracket. Just as maintainable.

If you've decided that 1x is the thing for you, or super fat gravel tyres, or electronic gears or a Titanium frame or whatever then it's off to google to find something to suit. There's an enormously wide range of choice.

Now you have bought your off-the-shelf bike you are set for a good many years riding without needing another new bike. And if you want to customise it a bit weirdly to your own taste then you are free so to do - within reason. (eg if the bee in your bonnet is anti-threadless-headsets you may struggle)

I think it's time to agree to differ!

Take a look at the Specialised range, which is my local LBS.

 

[presta]

Brakes that actually work

The brakes on my my 1980 Raleigh "racer" work better than the ones on my 2000 Dawes Horizon tourer, and the only reason is that the Horizon's been infected by mindless marketing fashion. (That's not to say that everything's bad, the indexed gears on the Horizon are the best thing since sliced bread.)

 

[presta]

Just try finding anything on the High Street (aside from charity shops, nail bars and vape shops). If you want something specific you have to look for it.

Online then. I still don't think you'll find one.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Online then. I still don't think you'll find one.

Touring bikes online: Spa cycles to start off with. Are Ribble still going?

Tandems - yeah, not a clue.

 

[All uphill]

Online then. I still don't think you'll find one.

Also have a look at Temple bikes, and Pashley.

Pashley even do a new bike in Reynolds 531.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Just try finding anything on the High Street (aside from charity shops, nail bars and vape shops). If you want something specific you have to look for it.

I visited Evans and Decathalon (Leeds's only bike shops in city centre) yesterday, neither had a 700c disc brake rear wheel in stock.

 

[Oldhippy]

Whilst indirectly related there are many cycle cooperative groups up and down the land that refurbish bikes of all types for those who for whatever reason can't afford, aren't concerned with trends or even collectors. There are still bikes aplenty to suit tech geeks and Luddites.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I visited Evans and Decathalon (Leeds's only bike shops in city centre) yesterday, neither had a 700c disc brake rear wheel in stock.

You should have tried Help the Aged or Sue Ryder. They might have had something

 

[vickster]

I visited Evans and Decathalon (Leeds's only bike shops in city centre) yesterday, neither had a 700c disc brake rear wheel in stock.

Get in touch with Spa at Starbeck, close to station on Leeds-York line

 

[Alex321]

Find me a High Street shop with a choice of two touring bikes with threaded headsets, 3x9 transmission and calliper brakes.

He did say you might struggle to find one with threaded headsets.

And you aren't going to find the choice in a high street shop, you will need to go to the internet unless you live somewhere close to several specialist bike shops of a good size.

The point is that if you really want those things on a new bike, you can find most of them.

 

[wiggydiggy]

You should have tried Help the Aged or Sue Ryder. They might have had something

Funnily enough I was in both yesterday as well, looking for Christmas presents though not bike stuff.

Get in touch with Spa at Starbeck, close to station on Leeds-York line

I was just looking on their site actually lol Not for wheels though....

I'm going to (famous last words) try changing 2 wheels on a spare bike onto my main, but if that doesn't work I'm going to give http://www.thebikescollege.org/ (Leeds) a try. Spa are lovely but I won't have the time to get to them before I need the bike again.

 

[Dogtrousers]

He did say you might struggle to find one with threaded headsets.

Threaded headsets do seem to be going the way of the cotter pin.