Hello &
I've decided to come out of the gym and onto the road, so I'm looking for some tips on how much to spend on a bike, what to look for, what kit to buy etc etc. Just the usual sort of stuff.
A decision I made a few years ago and never regretted. Unfortunately those questions can lead to other questions ...
How much: What can you afford. Generally the more you pay, the better you get, but the law of diminishing returns kicks in, for example the difference between a £1000 bike and one costing £2000 is a lot less noticeable (at least to a commuter/utility cyclist like me) than the difference between one costing £100 and one costing £200. Saying that, there is a price point at which bikes made from heavy steel with poorly fitting and rubbish components give way to ones that are, if not a joy, then at least pleasant to ride and that offer a limited amount of reliability. I am not to sure where this point is in the current market, but you can get quality bikes from £500.
What to look for: Depends an what riding you want to do. Avoid things that add weight to the bike with limited gain unless you need them. Suspension, both front and rear, is only necessary for bouncing down rough hillsides. On the smooth and flat, all it does is make the bike heavier and convert the energy you are putting into the pedals into up & down movement rather than making you go forward. Chunky tyres are great in the loose mud and snow, but take more energy to go along a road than smoother ones at a higher pressure. Some tyres offer increased protection against punctures. The choice of handlebar style is very much a personal one IMO. I like dropped ones as you see on racing bikes as they offer lots of riding position options. This is useful on long rides as it allows you to change hand positions to relieve pressure on different parts of the hands & arms. However am also happy to use flats handlebars on shorter rides. There are other options like butterfly bars and bull bars that offer different benefits. You may also want to consider your transmission on the bike. Most bikes are equipped with derailer gears that have a number of sprockets at the front and back and a mechanism for moving the chain around between them. The quality, reliability and performance of these vary massively and is one of the biggest reasons for the price difference in a bike. There are also bikes equipped with hub gears, these have all the gears nicely concealed from the elements into a neat package in your rear wheel. These commonly come with 3, 7 or 8 gears although at the top of the range there is one with 14. Both systems have advantages over the other one. Alternatively you could forgo gears altogether and opt for a single speed or fixed gear. Single speed allows you to coast down hills, but on a fixed gear if the back wheel is turning so will the pedals. These are great fun and some of us have realised that gears are not always necessary.
Kit (Assuming clothing): Go for layers that you can adjust to suit changes in the weather. If it is not raining, or only a light drizzle I don't wear my waterproofs as they don't let the moisture I develop out fast enough. It is not necessary to buy a full lycra outfit, but these clothes offer some advantages such as appropriate padding in the shorts and the ability to wick away moisture and get dry again. If you want to avoid the lycra look but get the benefits of the technology, there are options out there
I've been checking out Sportsdirect, as they seem to have some decent discounted stuff. Any gems on there I should be looking at?
I'll mainly be cycling to and from work. I live in Paisley and work in Cumbernauld. I plan on either cycling the full way, or cycling Paisley to Glasgow, or Glasgow to Cumbernauld, and vice versa. So I'm looking for some info on the cycle routes between these place, and how hard / easy they are for someone in their early 30s, who is reasonably fit. My commute currently takes 2 hours as I'm using public transport. Ideally to begin with, I'd like to avoid roads (and hills!).
I plan on getting a bike and gear through CycleScheme, just need to confirm my work do offer this.
Can someone please give me an idea on how long each of these journeys take, if I'll look a prat taking my bike on the bus for the 2nd leg of my journey, how you organise your work clothes / cycle gear and any other stuff you think I should know.
I don't know enough about Sportsdirect or your route to offer anything, but on the organisation of commuting gear ...
Does your workplace have bike storage space, changing rooms, showers, lockers? Even if not, these can be improvised to some extent, for example at one office I used a bike rack in the street a short walk away, got changed in the disabled toilet (more room), used baby wipes to get the road dirt off and kept my clothes on hangers in the office. Not ideal.
As to what you may want to take/leave. For the bike, I carry lights (depending on season), puncture repair kit, spare inner tube, pump, multi tool, thin rubber gloves, wipes, cable ties & small adjustable spanner. For me I leave at work shoes, trousers, ties, deodorant & towel and take with me shirt, socks, underwear, lunch, mobile, wallet, keys, glasses, pass, water.
