My advice to newbies.

[Get In The Van]

Hello. I've had a quick look around the forum and cannot find an answer to this question...I apologise if there is one and i've not found it.
How do you actually size the bike up that you require...I'm 5'6" and have an inside leg of 31". I know there is a relation to the distance "bum to pedal and bum to floor"....but how and what do you do to get the correct one for you.
Sorry if this seems a very basic and stupid question.

Alright mate, i would make a seperate post on the beginners board for this question, might get missed here.

 

[David Garside]

Ok will do...thanks....

 

[Rex]

Regarding setting up/assembling a bike. I have no reason to support Halfords as I havn't bought a bike yet, but I guess it's like the motor trade . It's not the make of car you buy. It's the dealer and more to the point the guy who actually 'lay's hands' on your car, or bike in this case that's important.

 

[Guygreenwood]

Hello hello hello. Gti. Ford Capri. Mini bus. Or just a old rally with 5 gears it's just a pleasure cycling 15 mile's a day weather you go 35 mph or 10 mph just enjoye. And yes great comment's. And safe cycling to you all.

 

[Sean Devlin]

This is more of an observation .....many people joining our road club bought a hybrid which they promptly dump and buy a road bike. It can be an expensive mistake. So if you only want one bike think carefully about what you want to do. They arn't much use in a road club and I can't believe they would last long on a trail. I have both ....I made that mistake. I use the hybrid for comuting just to keep the road bike clean!

 

[Rex]

I spent all my working life connected with the motor trade so I always draw comparisons from that . I would say it's impossible to buy a bike that suits every purpose . I didn't want a tourer as I won't be doing that kind of cycling . With my road bike I can carry a few bit's and pieces, one being my DSLR camera . I wear a good quality bum bag that holds the camera and a few other bits and pieces . Going back to the cars comparison it's best not to buy a three ton Discovery if your'e only taking the kids to school and doing a bit of shopping . Don't buy a Micra if you need to move tons of straw around, and so on . Much the same with bikes I guess .

 

[Reece]

Great informative thread.

 

[tony111]

Gonna go to my LBS to buy a hybrid, but have been looking at Evans website to read up on different manufacturers and specifications just to educate myself a bit.The thing is I have heard of shimano so assume they're decent gears, but are the bikes that have a different gear ok, or even better? Which bikes have a granny gear(I'm 55, will probably need one).I know the bike shop can put me straight on these points but I'm gonna have a dozen questions to ask em and might forget the important ones.

 

[MaccyD]

Great thread. Im new here, and to cycling, have recently decided to take up cycling - my bike is a dual suspension mountain bike, cost about 120 pounds when I was 16. Im now 24, so its a bit out of size and a bit worse for wear. Recently found I had a problem going up hills on tarmac/ footpaths despite it being a mountain bike and the brakes were stuck on! So a complete newbie - however- I am considering (have been blackmailed) into doing both a triathalon next year and the london to brighton, is it worth trying to complete these on this bike do you reckon, or going for a racer? And is it worth getting used to the old bike or get a new one for a couple of hundred and train to that?

BTW this is the only place I've seen the different types of bikes explained in leymans terms! Great idea for the comparison between bikes and cars!

 

[NickJ95GB]

Great thread. Im new here, and to cycling, have recently decided to take up cycling - my bike is a dual suspension mountain bike, cost about 120 pounds when I was 16. Im now 24, so its a bit out of size and a bit worse for wear. Recently found I had a problem going up hills on tarmac/ footpaths despite it being a mountain bike and the brakes were stuck on! So a complete newbie - however- I am considering (have been blackmailed) into doing both a triathalon next year and the london to brighton, is it worth trying to complete these on this bike do you reckon, or going for a racer? And is it worth getting used to the old bike or get a new one for a couple of hundred and train to that?

BTW this is the only place I've seen the different types of bikes explained in leymans terms! Great idea for the comparison between bikes and cars!

i started on a hybrid but switched to a roadie and my average speed increased by 8mph (very heavy hybrid)
i really recommend the B'Twin Triban 3 - very cheap, comfortable and very very fast, overtake everyone at 19mph average speeds.

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-3-id_8167038.html

 

[surfatwork]

good advice, thanks

 

[mpl]

Hi newbie, which bike?
I'm looking at bikes for commuting but also the occasional country ride. Had a chat in my local bike shop. I know the owners through mutual friends so I think I can trust his advice but always worth a second opinion. He pointed me in the direction of Merida Crossway 10-V and 20MD in respect of my budget. Has anyone got experience of these bikes and which of the two models would be the better buy? (Apologies if these have been mentioned somewhere else but have yet to trawl through threads)
Thanks in advance
Martin

 

[PpPete]

Hi newbie, which bike?
I'm looking at bikes for commuting but also the occasional country ride. Had a chat in my local bike shop. I know the owners through mutual friends so I think I can trust his advice but always worth a second opinion. He pointed me in the direction of Merida Crossway 10-V and 20MD in respect of my budget. Has anyone got experience of these bikes and which of the two models would be the better buy? (Apologies if these have been mentioned somewhere else but have yet to trawl through threads)
Thanks in advance
Martin

Both appear to be at the Mountain bike end of the "Hybrid" spectrum.
Suspension is not needed until you get into lumpy bumpy off-road stuff, worse it's just extra weight to carry around when on the road. Ordinary gravel tracks are fine without suspension.
I've not read the whole thread either, but plenty of folks have bought heavyish hybrids and then regretted, either stopping cycling altogether or later spending more money on road bikes.

 

[mpl]

Both appear to be at the Mountain bike end of the "Hybrid" spectrum.
Suspension is not needed until you get into lumpy bumpy off-road stuff, worse it's just extra weight to carry around when on the road. Ordinary gravel tracks are fine without suspension.
I've not read the whole thread either, but plenty of folks have bought heavyish hybrids and then regretted, either stopping cycling altogether or later spending more money on road bikes.

Thanks for replying. The suspension on the bikes in question is lockable so can be "turned off" when on roads. I'm not sure quite how much off road I will do but want something that will be able to cope with something more than gravel tracks if need be. I cannot really go higher than the price of these bikes and I'm also keen to use my local independent shop so I know I am limiting my choices.
Merida also seem to be a bit of an unknown quantity but going by "you get what you pay for" philosophy they seem to be a step up from Halford/Cycle King type bikes.
I didn't realise buying a bike would be so complicated- last one I bought was over 25 years ago- they were simpler times!

 

[PpPete]

As you say bikes were simpler then.... but guess what, my old steel bike from that era, without suspension of course, copes perfectly well with stony tracks, mud, grass, tree roots, whatever I dare to throw it at. I just change the tyres to knobbly cyclo-cross ones for a bit more grip, and get off the saddle and use my knees as suspension. We did it back then, why not do it now?
So you might have to walk some brief sections if it gets really gnarly... but the inconvenience of that compared with the pain of lugging around a suspension fork (whether locked-out or not) on the daily commute (assuming that is on road?)
Nothing against Merida, or your local independent shop... but get them to show you something where the £££ of your limited budget has been put into something other than suspension which, at best, you will rarely use, and even more rarely need. In the Merida range that seems to be the "Speeder" range?

OK so I'm a reactionary old fart who owns a few different bikes, but none of them with suspension, so feel free to ignore me.