First proper bike

[VictorL]

For some reason in the last few years I have always said I don't like cycling. Really not sure why as I used to cycle a lot as a kid and up to 19 when my bike got nicked.

I am now 35 and have in the last year and a half lost a lot of weight and become fitter. I have finally taken out the naf bike that my wife bought me off the market 18 months ago and started cycling to work and back. And I have thoroughly enjoyed it. The bike is far too small for me and is a mountain bike with front and rear suspension and so isn't ideal. I have also started going out on the weekends for a ride - last week 9 miles each way to a local vilage and today 12 miles each way to visit the LBS in the next town. I would like to do longer trips as I get better.

I am still deciding what bike to buy. I want to spend as little as possible but get best value. I also don't want to buy something and then regret not spending a little more.

I have read through a lot of advice and have been to three LBSs - and I just wanted some advice before I make my final decision.

I think i have decided on getting a TREK - I was looking initially at a 7.0, then talked myself up to a 7.2 and then took a 7.3 on a test ride and loved it.

My riding is jsut going to be on roads / cycle paths - not interested in cross country. The 7.3 is £430 - and this includes a reservice after 6 weeks and also spending an hour with me teaching me how to change an inner tube etc. I know that I could probably save myself a few quid on the internet, but want to buy from my LBS - and have the knowledge that I can pop in anytime for advice etc (albeit that they are 12 miles away!).

Anyway, am I wasting my time with a 7.3 - will a 7.0 or 7.2 be just as good? I know that I can get carried away with myself sometime.

Also, are there any other bikes that people can recommend? This LBS stock Giant and Trek, the other (which weren't quite as helpful) sold Raleigh and Specialized - though they would have to orer the Specialized in and didn't offer me a test ride.

Anyway, rambled on for long enough - your thoughts appreciated.

 

[accountantpete]

If you are sticking to roads then a lighter road bike with narrower tyres would make your job a lot easier.

The 7.3 is 8 spd instead of 7 spd and has better components but personally if you get more seriously into cycling then you will probably want to upgrade pretty soon anyway and i would go for the 7.0 as the cheaper option.

 

[VictorL]

If you are sticking to roads then a lighter road bike with narrower tyres would make your job a lot easier.

The 7.3 is 8 spd instead of 7 spd and has better components but personally if you get more seriously into cycling then you will probably want to upgrade pretty soon anyway and i would go for the 7.0 as the cheaper option.

What sort of thing would I upgrade to - really not sure that I will ever want a road racing bike as I doubt that I could be that aerodynamic for long periods.

Is there much better hybrids about?

 

[simon_brooke]

What sort of thing would I upgrade to - really not sure that I will ever want a road racing bike as I doubt that I could be that aerodynamic for long periods.

Is there much better hybrids about?

If you get to ride any sort of distance you will not want straight bars. This isn't about racing, it's about comfort. Race bikes have the bars they do for two reasons: partly they're that way so that in a crash neither you nor anyone else is going to get impaled on the end of a handlebar, but mainly they're that way so as to give you lots of hand positions so you can move your hands about and prevent them getting too fatigued. Which is why long distance touring bikes normally have exactly the same handlebars as race bikes.

When you think of it, in order to win a stage race, you have to ride the bike for five or six hours a day for day after day without getting fatigued. People think that race bikes are all about speed. They aren't. They're mostly about comfort. The rider who is most comfortable gets least fatigued, so has most energy left for the final sprint. Time trial bikes are all about speed, but they look completely different.

I think you're right to get a cheap bike at this stage because as others have said if you are really bitten by the bug you will soon want something better anyway. And until you have more experience of riding you won't know exactly what you want.

 

[VictorL]

So do people think I should go for the 7.0?

Bear in mind that I will be commuting every day - 5 miles each way plus a lunch break 10 mile trip.

I did test ride this and thought it was okay - but not a patch on the 7.3

 

[Gromit]

For some reason in the last few years I have always said I don't like cycling. Really not sure why as I used to cycle a lot as a kid and up to 19 when my bike got nicked.

I am now 35 and have in the last year and a half lost a lot of weight and become fitter. I have finally taken out the naf bike that my wife bought me off the market 18 months ago and started cycling to work and back. And I have thoroughly enjoyed it. The bike is far too small for me and is a mountain bike with front and rear suspension and so isn't ideal. I have also started going out on the weekends for a ride - last week 9 miles each way to a local vilage and today 12 miles each way to visit the LBS in the next town. I would like to do longer trips as I get better.

I am still deciding what bike to buy. I want to spend as little as possible but get best value. I also don't want to buy something and then regret not spending a little more.

I have read through a lot of advice and have been to three LBSs - and I just wanted some advice before I make my final decision.

I think i have decided on getting a TREK - I was looking initially at a 7.0, then talked myself up to a 7.2 and then took a 7.3 on a test ride and loved it.

My riding is jsut going to be on roads / cycle paths - not interested in cross country. The 7.3 is £430 - and this includes a reservice after 6 weeks and also spending an hour with me teaching me how to change an inner tube etc. I know that I could probably save myself a few quid on the internet, but want to buy from my LBS - and have the knowledge that I can pop in anytime for advice etc (albeit that they are 12 miles away!).

Anyway, am I wasting my time with a 7.3 - will a 7.0 or 7.2 be just as good? I know that I can get carried away with myself sometime.

Also, are there any other bikes that people can recommend? This LBS stock Giant and Trek, the other (which weren't quite as helpful) sold Raleigh and Specialized - though they would have to orer the Specialized in and didn't offer me a test ride.

Anyway, rambled on for long enough - your thoughts appreciated.

Hiya I just got my trek 7.3 and its lovely, I got a nice rack and mudguards put on as well.

 

[accountantpete]

What sort of thing would I upgrade to - really not sure that I will ever want a road racing bike as I doubt that I could be that aerodynamic for long periods.

Is there much better hybrids about?

As Simon states - road bikes can be more comfortable and you don't have to be "aerodynamic" at all - I hardly ever use the drops.

All I am saying is that if you get more into cycling you will want to upgrade fairly soon. You may find that the initial level of cycling is just what you want - in this case I would go for the 7.3.

 

[VictorL]

Thanks for advice all.

I have been thinking about this all day - and am fairly sure that come Monday morning I will call up the shop and order it.

I will rarely go for a ride that is more than 2 hours - as my wife can't ride and wouldn't be interested in that sort of distance even if she could.

Quick question though - can I pout drop handles on this bike if I wanted to?

I am only going out by myself and am not into time trials etc - more about pleasure for me, but thought that there may be times when I do want to go a bit further (eg on a nice Sunny Saturday afternoon if my wife is working)

 

[accountantpete]

Quick question though - can I pout drop handles on this bike if I wanted to?

I am only going out by myself and am not into time trials etc - more about pleasure for me, but thought that there may be times when I do want to go a bit further (eg on a nice Sunny Saturday afternoon if my wife is working)

You can but it's very expensive as you will need a new shifter system etc - probably £200+ at a rough guess.

This is my personal opinion - for what it's worth - but fast bikes also make riding slow a lot easier and it is a lot easier and cheaper to make a road bike comfy than to make a hybrid fast.

 

[HJ]

I think i have decided on getting a TREK - I was looking initially at a 7.0, then talked myself up to a 7.2 and then took a 7.3 on a test ride and loved it.

I think this was the most important bit of your story, as a starting bike if you are happing riding it then go with it. My wife have an older version which she has been happily riding for about 5 years now. The only thing she as complained about so far was that the gearing was too low to keep up on the down hill on a ride this w/e.

 

[HJ]

You can but it's very expensive as you will need a new shifter system etc - probably £200+ at a rough guess.

This is my personal opinion - for what it's worth - but fast bikes also make riding slow a lot easier and it is a lot easier and cheaper to make a road bike comfy than to make a hybrid fast.

Not true, that is just bike snobbery...

Also drop bars are not the only way to give alternative hand positions, bar ends are a far cheaper option, although the bike snobs hate them...

 

[VictorL]

Thanks HJ - one of the things I really liked about the 7.3 as opposed to the 7.2 was the gearing.

Am 90% certain that come tomorrow I will be the proud owner of a Trek 7.3 (just hope he still has it and hasn't sold it!)