New - Bike Suggestion?

[casualcyclist]

Hi all. I'm new here, and going to be new to cycling as a hobby in the near future. I know most people on here, even in the 'beginners' section, are going to be less casual about cycling than I am, but wonder if you'd all help a complete newbie out?

I plan to start cycling in Spring 2012. I haven't sat on a bike since I was a young teenager, and at that time I had asthma and struggled with any distance, and couldn't cycle uphill at all.

Now, I'm an overweight 24-year-old female trying to get into cycling on a casual basis. I want a folding bike - I'm not keen on the idea of riding on the road for quite some time. Being a driver and seeing how bad other road users (drivers and cyclists) can be, I feel I'd need a lot of confidence to join them. So, my bike has to be a folding one. I plan to take it for late evening/night cycling around my quiet estate, and to load it into the back of the car to take it to local parks where it will be on mildly bumpy terrain. In future, if I decide I like it, I'll start cycling around my home town and perhaps using it to commute occasionally.

Thing is, my budget is low. £350 as an absolute maximum for the bike (before kit). I'm not looking to get serious - I want something cheap, enjoyable, and good for my health. I've found two bikes I'd like opinions on - would appreciate any help:

The first is my 'cheap' option. It would be ideal if this would suit me, because I love the way it looks, but I don't know that it could handle the parks, and I don't imagine it's great for a beginner not knowing that she'll ever make it up a gentle hill. Also, I can find no reviews for quality online:

http://www.play.com/Sports-Outdoors...110464855|mt:Exact|nw:search|crid:13700930393

The second is my top-of-my-budget option. Great reviews, and it looks like a great style. I think I know this would be perfect for me, but it's my budget almost entirely used up, and I'd really prefer something cheaper:

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/dahon/espresso-2011-folding-bike-ec022578

Can people give me thoughts on both bikes please, or others that might suit my needs? All help appreciated - I want to make sure I enjoy this without wasting money, because I'm saving for my wedding and hoping this will improve my weight in time for it, not destroy my bank balance when I need all the spare cash I can get!

 

[rowan 46]

I wouldn't go for the top one from play.com nothing against the company but they are not a cycle shop and as you say there's no info on this bike. here is one made by viking they are not as renowned as dahon are for folders and to be honest i don't know if it's any good to ride. But they do make half decent cheap bikes and they may be worth a punt if you don't want to spend a fortune
http://www.bikesandprams.co.uk/product.php?xProd=2172&xSec=234
Dahon have a fairly good rep for their folding bikes

 

[rowan 46]

sorry I just realised I put the wrong viking link up http://www.bikesandprams.co.uk/product.php?xProd=1974&xSec=234

 

[vickster]

Decathlon do folders at reasonable prices
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/folding-bikes-bikes-sports.html

 

[casualcyclist]

Thanks for the suggestion!

I'll add it to my favourites. I know this is going to take a lot of thought - don't know what I'd be like if I actually wanted a bike I'd be riding every day for many miles. Just want to be sure I don't make a mistake -things would be a lot easier if I had the choice of any bike, but when it comes to folding ones I feel limited.

 

[DCLane]

Welcome - you'll see a lot of threads started on here by people who were in your place a year ago (me included!).

The Decathlon bikes should be fine or the Evans one. What you are likely to do is either

a) hate it and give up, which is OK since it won't suit everyone. If you're starting, don't spend the whole budget because if you don't like it, there's no cash for a different activity.

Or b) Love it and want a 'proper' bike, which will leave you looking again.

I've got a simple Universal Stowaway 3 folding bike which I picked up unused for £30 from eBay last year.

It was enough to get me interested and then I splashed much more on a far better bike.

Overall I'd suggest the budget Decathlon one - which is likely to be cheaper in the sale on Tuesday (I hope so since I'm looking at their Triban Junior for my youngest).

One note: don't let the asthma stop you. I carry my inhaler with me and used the blue one before rides when I started. Now it's very rare for me to need it.

 

[casualcyclist]

Welcome - you'll see a lot of threads started on here by people who were in your place a year ago (me included!).

The Decathlon bikes should be fine or the Evans one. What you are likely to do is either

a) hate it and give up, which is OK since it won't suit everyone. If you're starting, don't spend the whole budget because if you don't like it, there's no cash for a different activity.

Or b) Love it and want a 'proper' bike, which will leave you looking again.

I've got a simple Universal Stowaway 3 folding bike which I picked up unused for £30 from eBay last year.

It was enough to get me interested and then I splashed much more on a far better bike.

Overall I'd suggest the budget Decathlon one - which is likely to be cheaper in the sale on Tuesday (I hope so since I'm looking at their Triban Junior for my youngest).

One note: don't let the asthma stop you. I carry my inhaler with me and used the blue one before rides when I started. Now it's very rare for me to need it.

Thanks for the response. That smaller-wheeled ones are definitely my main consideration, now - nice and affordable, and I'm sure they'll handle parks just fine.

Fortunately, I don't have asthma any more. It disappeared when I was 15 or so, but the fact that it was very severe throughout my childhood and at one time had me in hospital on a nebuliser multiple times a week meant I never got into sport and fitness. In my late teenager years I started putting on weight and in my early 20s I became obese. In the past year I've lost a stone, putting me back to overweight, but now I need something that will really encourage me to work on the exercise side of things, and will also reduce stress as I have a very busy schedule. Hoping this bike is the answer, but I'm not going to deny I've tried other exercise equipment in the past and become bored or found a reason I can't carry on with it. It's why I don't want to spend a fortune if cycling isn't for me.

 

[Nebulous]

Given what you've said is there anyone you can beg or borrow (preferably not steal) a bike from?

That would save you spending money that you could use for other things before knowing if you will stick with it. Despite that there are some great stories of weight loss on here. For many people (including me) cycling seems to work better than anything for losing weight, and for keeping it off.

 

[casualcyclist]

Given what you've said is there anyone you can beg or borrow (preferably not steal) a bike from?

That would save you spending money that you could use for other things before knowing if you will stick with it. Despite that there are some great stories of weight loss on here. For many people (including me) cycling seems to work better than anything for losing weight, and for keeping it off.

Unfortunately, I don't know anyone who cycles, and I've never seen a folding bike in person in my life! I know I'd have so many options for cheap bikes if I didn't need to take it further afield, but I want to explore many places with my bike because I know I'll get bored of the same few roads over and over again. I want to just be able to bundle my bike into the car boot or onto the train, and go to new places. I might just keep looking at eBay and hope for a great deal when it's time to buy, but I worried if I bought a used bike from eBay it might not be in great condition, and might put me off further.

 

[summerdays]

I would stay away from the one at Play.com ... if the gears/set up needs adjusting (and they often do) then where are you going to find someone to do so whereas at Decathlon service bikes (AFAIK - not used them myself as none locally).

As for using the bike - you need to build it into a routine - find something that you could do not necessarily commuting at this stage, that you could always do by bike whether it is visiting a friend/relative who lives a short distance away or always getting your milk. That is why the commuting works ... once you get in the habit of it, then it doesn't matter what the weather is you just look out the window, adjust your clothing and get on with it without thinking up excuses as to why you won't do it this time.

However I understand your fear of busy roads - that is how I started on the side roads very local to me (several years ago now). Remember too to look for alternative routes to the ones you may be used to going in a car. The route I take to the city centre is very different to the route I would take in the car for the most part.

Look into getting some training too - it can really help. Have you contacted your local council to see if they have cycling maps or advice?

 

[summerdays]

Unfortunately, I don't know anyone who cycles, and I've never seen a folding bike in person in my life! I know I'd have so many options for cheap bikes if I didn't need to take it further afield, but I want to explore many places with my bike because I know I'll get bored of the same few roads over and over again. I want to just be able to bundle my bike into the car boot or onto the train, and go to new places. I might just keep looking at eBay and hope for a great deal when it's time to buy, but I worried if I bought a used bike from eBay it might not be in great condition, and might put me off further.

If you have never tried a folding bike I would go to a bike shop and ask for a trial ride ... the feel is different.

 

[vickster]

I think the very cheap folder from Decathlon is single speed, i.e. no gears. I would personally get a geared bike, more versatile - single speed fine for riding a couple of miles two and from the station although it does sound like something without gears would be ok if the terrain is flat, although you are concerned about hills. If you get into the hobby, you'll be wanting to upgrade soon enough and I reckon you'd sell that on easily enough on eBay

This company sell a lot of folding bikes - this is quite heavily reduced and well in budget

http://www.fudgescyclestore.com/index.php?p=74070

or http://www.fudgescyclestore.com/index.php?p=57134

Note there are rider weight restrictions, but for those ones is about 17 stone

 

[casualcyclist]

If you have never tried a folding bike I would go to a bike shop and ask for a trial ride ... the feel is different.

Thanks. This is the thing, though - it's been so long since I've ridden a bike I can't remember what a normal one felt like! I'm hoping this means I'll have no problem getting used to a folding bike. Many years (at least a decade) ago, my bike was a Magna Chameleon. Like I say, though, I was a young teen (or perhaps even younger), and barely used it.

 

[vickster]

I would say the Dahon Espresso is a more normal bike for tootling around the park as opposed to the more traditional 'brompton style' folding bikes

 

[Hatties]

it's been so long since I've ridden a bike I can't remember what a normal one felt like! I'm hoping this means I'll have no problem getting used to a folding bike.

I've got a feeling that you would probably need time to get used to a folding bike, particularly those with smaller wheels. I'm struggling to get used to my newly bought 16 inch wheel bike at the moment. The last time I rode a bike was 30 years ago and it was a classic Dutch bike. I loved cycling so much when I was a kid and spent up to 3 hours cycling around in my town almost on the daily basis. I thought I could cycle just in the same way as how I did all those years ago but now I'm finding my folding bike very difficult to control.

But it could just be unique to the folding bike I have though. It's Brompton btw. I didn't test ride anything before I bought it. So I don't really know how different each folding bike is. I relied on reviews, you see. Perhaps you'll get used to it very quickly because you are young and the period of absense from cycling is much shorter than me. But I think you should definitely test ride a few bikes before you buy.

In terms of carrying a folding bike in a car... I don't know how big your car is but if it's a small city car, I've found it not as easy as carrying a suitcase. My Brompton won't fit comfortably in the boot of my Nissan Micra (engine size 1.0). My car may be one of the smallest of all city cars but the Brompton has the smallest folded size of its kind. I expected it to fit into my car easily but apparently it won't. It somehow fits behind the driver seat but it's because I'm a very small person and the seat is pushed forward more than the normal person would do. Obviously it can be carried on the back seat easily with any car though - but you might still have to struggle with lifting it up and squeezing it into the back seat if it's a 3 door car.