My advice to newbies.

[Michael Halliday]

I was only reading this thread out of pure interest as it's the question I was looking for the answer to twenty years ago and found that answer in my LBS. Well presented though.
So I have a couple of Ferraris (one more of a GT the other a classic thoroughbread), a clapped out Mondeo (or would that be a Sierra due to it's age) but it has actually been up, down and across a few real mountains, it's been airborne more times than I care to remember and in and out of a lot of gloopy stuff. and now I have a shiney new Golf GTI with RAV4 suspesnion (which can very happily be locked off for a faster more energy efficient ride, in fact it usually is locked off for that very reason)

 

[gavroche]

My advice would be about cycle paths. If you feel confident about riding on the road, dont use cyclepaths!The few times I have used them, I find them dirty and full of nasty things to get into your tyres ( at least in my part of the world). So I always use roads as they are cleaner, provided you ride a metre away from gutter.

 

[cyberknight]

My advice would be about cycle paths. If you feel confident about riding on the road, dont use cyclepaths!The few times I have used them, I find them dirty and full of nasty things to get into your tyres ( at least in my part of the world). So I always use roads as they are cleaner, provided you ride a metre away from gutter.

+1 on that with a proviso ..

Sometimes the cycle path is the safer option if like me part of your commute takes in a section of road/ roundabout that is too dangerous to use so the cycle path is a safer option even if the chance of a flat is greater.Look into puncture resistant tyres if you need to use such facilities.

 

[Michael Halliday]

My advice would be about cycle paths. If you feel confident about riding on the road, dont use cyclepaths!The few times I have used them, I find them dirty and full of nasty things to get into your tyres ( at least in my part of the world). So I always use roads as they are cleaner, provided you ride a metre away from gutter.

Have to agree to an extent. All road users SHOULD know their own and each others place, rights and responsibilities. Cycle paths are often shared with pedestrians who don't seem to know how these facilities are supposed to work or, even worse, used by cyclists who don't seem to understand how shared facilities are supposed to work. There are times when it's safer all round to abandon cycle paths all together, particuclarly when they run past schools and it's chucking out time, recipe for disaster in my view.
Our government fund Bikeability training for schoolchildren in years 5-7 but that's all the funding they provide. More cyclists should have the option of correct training to cycle on the roads so they can build up their confidence but would anyone ever think to pay for that training privately or know how to obtain such training.

 

[Scott Sargeant]

Hi, I'm looking at road bikes up to £1500. I'm relatively new to cycling though have done a fair bit on a hybrid. I'm being steered towards a Moda Tempo - is this a wise choice for that sort of money? What are good alternatives?

 

[Alansden]

This is indeed fab!! Gutted I have a volvo....but I did use the same analogy to the husband a while ago and he was gutted we're a pair of volvo drivers!!

Great advice though.

Nothing wrong with a volvo car

 

[Paul J]

Tell me about it...mate of mine went to Halfords to collect and ride home his son's bike (they are roughly the same height etc). The front wheel came off on his way home.

That doesn't surprise me about Halfords. My local branch wants a bike hut mechanic for £6.08 an hour, as they say "Pay peanuts expect a monkey!"

 

[Paul J]

I went to my local bike shop and like you said they were really helpful didnt try to flog the most expensive bike and did ask lots of questions. They were great.
Richardsons of Leigh on sea Essex. Really nice guys. No connection.
Got a great bike just love it.
not an essex lady.
Irish

There used to be an excellent bike shop next to Chalwell Primary School on the London Road... If I remember correctly it was called Browning & Daughter. I bought my first racer there in 1986 a Peugeot and covered nearly 6K riding from Hadleigh to Shoeburyness everyday lol

 

[col]

There were 5 or 6 bike shops here years ago. Unfortunatley they closed and we have two that I know of, a halfords, and a very good one in town. Its a brave person that opens one at this time I think.

 

[Speedywheelsjeans]

Great post Andy, I just have 1 concern...




....is surely much too strong, I think Halfords bikes are pretty good for the uninitiated, I have a racer (Carrera) and think it's perfectly good for my commutes, leisure rides, and prospective JoGLE next year.

I have no links with Halfords, nor any other party involved with their suplliers etc, I just feel that this should be watered down, or completely removed....

Halfords sell decent bikes (ish... stay away from apollo and the likes) but in general the staff have not a clue. I had a 5 minute argument with a guy about rim tape in there.. heres the jist of it.

Me: 'excuse me do you have any 700c rim tape'
Him: 700c rim tape?
Me: 'yes, for my road bike wheel'
Him: *fondles around for a while finds rim tape* ... 'yes here'... *hands me package*
Me: 'This is MTB 28 inch rim tape'
Him: ' its fine just cut some off, MTB wheels are bigger than road bike wheels so it will fit'
Me: 'excuse me? seriously.. theres no way MTB rim tape will fit a road bike wheel'

at which point I got a lecture about the circumference of a circle and that the rim tape will fit the circumference because the diameter of a road bike wheel is smaller (Im an engineer, this is basic knowledge for me so i know i was right!.. you dont even need to be an engineer to figure that one out)... after a heated debate on the subject I offered him to measure the circumference of each rim.. he refused and I left after calling him a moron!

he even pointed out a MTB wheel and said

Him: 'you cant tell me that is smaller than the road bike wheel'
me: 'Wider yes.. but not a bigeer circumference!!'

I'll never be going there again. Especially if I have to deal with another saturday working boy racer who just wants to sell crap car aftermarkets parts.

There are some good halfords out there with people who have a clue, but you at least know with your LBS that is selling quality bike kit that they have some degree of knowledge about what they are speaking about.

 

[Steampig]

Now then.
Unfit 30 something looking to get back fit and lose some timber.
From a footballing background and reasonably fit however... ive been plagued with ankle ligament problems (torn/damaged the left outside ones 6 times!) over the last 5 years and any playing and now even training has become non existent over the last 12-18 months.
4 weeks ago i underwent ankle reconstruction surgery which fingers crossed will sort out the long standing problem.
As a young teen i used to ride a fair bit on a big heavy MTB, me and my friends used to love watching the tour de france and go out on long rides/make time trial courses. (i was always miguel indurain!! )
6 years ago i bought a cheap MTB to cycle to work on, after a couple of months the £100 bike was starting to fall apart so i bought a dawes giro 500. i loved it and could ride the 16 mile round trip nearly as quick as i could drive it!.
After one of my many spells in a cast and a cold winter i stopped riding and sold it on to a friend. (really wish i hadn't!!)
Im looking to get a road bike and help speed up the rehab, i also really am looking forward to getting back on the bike as id never been as fit as i was whilst riding. (think im still secretly wanting to be big mig!!! )
Im based in a valley and there are loads of rolling hills around us to get my teeth stuck into. i also camp in edale derbyshire regularly and would love a crack at them hills round there eventually!!
Im looking for a decent entry level bike that i can get a few miles and hours on but that's not going to cost the earth.
I have a decent LBS near and have had a brief chat with them and they recommend this http://www.airevalleycycles.com/products.php?plid=m1b0s6p6993
Ive not managed to find a review on this so wondered if anyone has has one/knows anyone who has one? any hints, tips or advice would be great.
Cheers

 

[IscaSteve]

Great thread, emanating a conversation I had with a chum t'other day comparing relevant bikes to cars. Seems I have a vintage Ferrari, a not quite vintage Bugatti ....and a ubiquitous Volvo.
This is my Bugatti!!

 

[col]

Very nice!

 

[Parastoo]

Wow! Im riding a Land (R)Lover! though
Thanks Andy

 

[tug benson]

I get my first road bike this tuesday, took up cycling to shift a wee bit of weight, ended up enjoying it to much, so after a few months on my mountain bike i`ve decided to get a road bike, i don`t do massive journeys, i roughly do 25 mile 3 times a week, will be looking to step that up once i get my road bike, am lucky that the alloa area has some good cycle routes and edinburgh and glasgow is within distance for me.....i just have a wee question, how easy is it to get use to the gear changes?