Hi All,
I've come to cycling after looking for ways of extending my training. I do alot of karting which is my main hobby if you like, but need to maintain a good level of fitness to be competitive. Initially i went with a GT BMX, the thinking being it would help improve my balance as well as double up as a good pit bike. However i'm now moving closer to my work (16 mile round trip) so can seriously think about leaving my van at home and purchasing a suitable bike to get about on, which ticks alot of boxes for me as not only will it help my training but will also save me a fortune on fuel which in turn will help improve my budget for racing.
I've decided in my own mind at least that it's a racing bike i want, by my nature i like speed and also simply love the look of these bikes compared to hybrids etc (Also a racer is probably my favourite bike i can remember having as a child!) however, here's my issue.. to make this viable i need to be very strict on budget, theres no point spending £600 on a bike as a tool to primarily save money, as it would take me a while to recoup that sort of investment, therefore i'm looking to spend £150! Now i assume this might be a laughable figure after seeing what alot of these bikes go for, but from my research this would be enough money to get me onto a very clean 'vintage' racer, a Dawes/Raleigh/Peugeot etc, I've seen newer bikes at this sort of money come up occasionally but usually in poor condition, whether it's cars or bikes i've always gone for the best lower model i can afford rather than a tired better version and am thinking i should stick to this, though i'd appreciate people's thoughts. OK so here's the list of what i'm looking for in order of importance;
A Racer thats ready to ride - a good few months riding without servicing
Predictable handling and all year round usabilty (i'll draw the line at snow and ice but rain wouldnt stop me using it)
Reasonably easy to ride
Speed slightly over comfort
As presentable as possible
I guess thats about it! I'd be really interested to hear peoples views on if i could get the above from the sort of bikes i'm looking at (80-90's) or if i'm in dreamland. I'd also like to know what the general view is on bikes converted to single speed and if they would work for what i'm after or simply be too hard work. Finally of course any other suggestions you guys may have!
Cheers,
Dan
I've come to cycling after looking for ways of extending my training. I do alot of karting which is my main hobby if you like, but need to maintain a good level of fitness to be competitive. Initially i went with a GT BMX, the thinking being it would help improve my balance as well as double up as a good pit bike. However i'm now moving closer to my work (16 mile round trip) so can seriously think about leaving my van at home and purchasing a suitable bike to get about on, which ticks alot of boxes for me as not only will it help my training but will also save me a fortune on fuel which in turn will help improve my budget for racing.
I've decided in my own mind at least that it's a racing bike i want, by my nature i like speed and also simply love the look of these bikes compared to hybrids etc (Also a racer is probably my favourite bike i can remember having as a child!) however, here's my issue.. to make this viable i need to be very strict on budget, theres no point spending £600 on a bike as a tool to primarily save money, as it would take me a while to recoup that sort of investment, therefore i'm looking to spend £150! Now i assume this might be a laughable figure after seeing what alot of these bikes go for, but from my research this would be enough money to get me onto a very clean 'vintage' racer, a Dawes/Raleigh/Peugeot etc, I've seen newer bikes at this sort of money come up occasionally but usually in poor condition, whether it's cars or bikes i've always gone for the best lower model i can afford rather than a tired better version and am thinking i should stick to this, though i'd appreciate people's thoughts. OK so here's the list of what i'm looking for in order of importance;
A Racer thats ready to ride - a good few months riding without servicing
Predictable handling and all year round usabilty (i'll draw the line at snow and ice but rain wouldnt stop me using it)
Reasonably easy to ride
Speed slightly over comfort
As presentable as possible
I guess thats about it! I'd be really interested to hear peoples views on if i could get the above from the sort of bikes i'm looking at (80-90's) or if i'm in dreamland. I'd also like to know what the general view is on bikes converted to single speed and if they would work for what i'm after or simply be too hard work. Finally of course any other suggestions you guys may have!
Cheers,
Dan
