Please help me choose my next bike..

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Soltydog

Legendary Member
Location
near Hornsea
Maybe worth checking the crank sizes if you are 6'2" :okay: I had a belt driven hub geared hybrid for a while & at 6'5" I'm used to 175mm cranks, the belt drive cranks on the bike I had only came in 165mm & it couldn't get on with the small pedaling circle & ended up selling the bike. Not sure if you can get different crank lengths nowadays, but something to be aware of.
 
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Goggs

Guru
Thanks for the head's-up. That's something I hadn't even considered.
 
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Goggs

Guru
We went out scouring bike shops in the area today, even going as far as Marseille. I found nothing I liked to be honest. The few hybrid bikes I did find were more like the Dutch/ German variety - dynamo lights, racks, mudguards & oh so heavy. So I've pretty much decided to buy online. One thing I've noticed though is that I'll be damned if I can see rack or mudguard mounting points on the frame of my top pick so far, the http://www.cube.eu/en/products/trekking/hyde/cube-hyde-pro-black-white-2016/ . I know I started off this thread considering the Race version with it's belt drive but out & about today I didn't see one belt drive machine. That worries me for when it comes to repairs and replacements. It's also a fair chunk more expensive for what I think is only a small benefit. Put it this way, I can fix everything on the Pro myself, the Race might require a professional.

Thanks for the help so far guys & I'll be sure to update this thread when I finally get a bike.
 

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
Left-field is an understatement. Nah mate, too heavy, too slow & too dowdy. I'm not that old yet. Thanks for the thought though.

Pah, fashion victim.

Mind, nothing with a Shimano gear hub will be very light - the hub is a dense, heavy lump.

I know, I have one.
 
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Goggs

Guru
Lol, I know. I still think I'm a teenager. To be fair though, where I live now looks ARE important. It's like a bike catwalk around here. But yes, I'm aware of the weight problem (bike & me). If I could stretch the budget I'd go for one of these..

http://www.cube.eu/en/products/trekking/sl-road/cube-sl-road-race-black-grey-flashblue-2016/

Nearly 3kg lighter and with a huge gear range but sadly I have no more than the insurance pay-out on my stolen bike (£700).
 
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Goggs

Guru
I thought I should add this, in case anyone has any misconceptions about me.

Yes, I now live in the south of France & yes, we did previously live in Scotland. My wife was a gardener & I was a van driver. My wife's boss in Scotland decided to sell up there and move here. He gave us the opportunity to come with him which we accepted. My wife is now still a gardener & I am, sadly, an unemployed van driver. Only difference now is that I'm a bit browner & nobody understands me.

Just in case anyone was thinking, well, you know..
 
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Goggs

Guru
Has anyone got any thoughts on the Eastway Flyback H1 sold by Wiggle? It's got a good spec for the money - Tiagra 11-speed, hydraulic discs, strong & light wheels - with the only caveats being that I've never heard of Eastway & I'm slightly concerned about the chainline being pretty far out on an 11-speed cassette. I was always taught that you wanted the chainline to be as straight as possible to minimise wear.

The bike is light though & I think it would also be quick. Plus, it's red. Red is always faster. ;)
 

KneesUp

Guru
I met the lovely @vernon once. Within minutes he was extolling the virtues of the belt drive on his lovely Woodrup. He'd cycled it with no problems for thousands of miles, and for long journeys carried a spare belt, which weighed next to nothing and was never needed anyway.

I mention this as I'm sure he'd be in this thread tell it you be same of he could.
 

T4tomo

Legendary Member
11 speed is no wider (or very marginally) than 9 or 10 speed, just the sprockets and chains and spacing are thinner.

And in any event it's 10 speed:smile: eastway are owned by Wiggle so it now effectively an in house brand, hence good value.
 
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Goggs

Guru
11 speed is no wider (or very marginally) than 9 or 10 speed, just the sprockets and chains and spacing are thinner.

An in any event it's 10 speed:smile:

Yes you're right, sorry. My heads buzzing with different bike specs at the moment. It still seems to me that that's going to make the chain run well out of line when at its most extreme ends. It surely must put a helluva dish on the rear wheel too which also can't be good for reliability.

I've been going through the threads posted by people in a similar position to me - although, unlike my post, in the correct sub-section - and the choices are vast.
 
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Goggs

Guru
Quick update folks. The insurance money went into my account today and promptly went right back out again. I've bought a Cube Hyde Pro. I did initially want the Race but I started to have doubts about belt drive and also the price. I really didn't want to go over €1000. Also, I couldn't find it anywhere in my size. So I've managed to find an online mail order company in Germany that had my size of Pro in stock for €749. That leaves me enough money to buy a pair of shorts, mitts & perhaps a new saddle if required. This bike's a bit of a gamble in that I've never had so few gears since I was maybe 10 years old but to be honest 8 is probably more than I've ever actually needed as an adult. Time will tell.

I'll post an update once I finally manage to turn a wheel on the new bike. Thanks to all for advice and encouragement. Really, much appreciated.
 

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
I wouldn't worry too much about having a chain.

On a hub gear bike, the chain line is high - stays cleaner - and always dead straight.

The chain is never derailed by scraping it across a cassette, all of which contributes to a longer life than a chain on a derailer bike.

One thing I found with the Shimano 11 hub gear is the hub nuts need to be done up fairly tight to avoid them coming loose.

A full-size ring spanner is needed for that, which I'm afraid you will have to carry as part of your puncture repair kit, unless you are happy to patch in situ.
 
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Goggs

Guru
Nope, no problem with carrying one extra tool. It's odd how things are so much more expensive here though. I guess there's a lot of money floating about around here. Want to hear a funny story?

I was in the LBS yesterday and there was only one couple in there before me. The owner was on his own and very flustered. I told him I was only looking and so he carried on his job, which consisted of fixing punctures on two bikes. The two bikes in question? Wiliers. One red, one white. The owner was fixing punctures in both. He fixed the red one and the male customer grabbed it and took it out to the car. He never came back in while I was there. The woman got a call on her mobile and it was then that I realised they were Australian. I only heard her end of the convo but it was this, "Has Pete fuelled up the plane yet?.. OK, we'll be along shortly".
 
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