Recommend me some bikes please.

[RedBike]

When you come to pick your semi slick tyres you need to think carefully about the roughest parts of your route.

The slicker the tyre the quicker it will roll on tarmac; but slick tyres and mud / wet grass don't mix.

The narrower the tyre the lighter and therefore quicker it will be. But narrow tyres are very uncomfortable over rough ground.

I'm thinking a long travel hardtail, (on-one 456), something a little more butch than the cube with a second set of wheels for the commute.
Maybe even a 29ner?
Fit narrow road slicks / cyclo-x tyres for the commute, effectively making it a hybrid, then large volume off-road tyres for the days on the trail.

 

[spence]

Agree about the 456, then I would as I have an older Inbred. Before I brought the road bike I used that with the forks locked and a 2nd wheel set with Spech Nimbus 1.5 tyres for when I wanted to keep out of the mud.

 

[Mantaii]

Well I have just been told that the company we need to use if we want to use the cycle to work scheme is...........halfords! I guess I will stick with the Trek I have just now and just put up with it
The range that they have at Halfords is limited to say he least.

O.

 

[RedBike]

Unless things have changed Halfrods can order you in more or less any bike you want. Although you obviously need to know exactly which model and size you want.

I would experiment with the Trek first. Try and work out exactly what sort of bike you want. Ideally it sounds as though you want two. A road bike and a full on Freeride mountain bike.

 

[Mantaii]

Thanks! Didnt realise that about Halfords. Will give the Trek a go and see what happens.

O.

 

[punkypossum]

Never been to a trail centre, but do they do bike hire? In which case you could possibly get a bike that's suitable for what you do most of the time and just hire one for the occasional downhill trip?

 

[Mr Pig]

Never been to a trail center, but do they do bike hire?

Some do. It's not expensive, about £10 a day.

 

[Mantaii]

Brilliant suggestion and probably what I would end up doing, depends what I get from Halfords Might spend a bit extra on the bike and get something that will do a bit of both but neither very well.

I will be doing the Edinburgh Rat Race later this year so a mountain bike will probably be required but again not a trial specific one, something that will do road and tracks but also stairs and tame down hill sections.

O.