I've only bought 2 bikes in the last 15 yrs. An cheapish MTB when they seemed to be the trend and most recently a road bike when something that could take guards and could do a little off-road would have been more practical. However, the key for me is what inspires me to get out and the road bike does that as I love the look and feel of it. Plus it gives me license to argue the case for another new bike soon for winter :-)
What made you change the type of bike you ride?
- Thread starter Cheule
- Start date
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007
Active Member
I am in the kill zone to buy a full roadie - probably today.
I bought a ridgeback velocity in early May, but I have been bitten hard again by the cycling bug. I bought the bike as I though my cycling was going to go one of two ways, road based, or off road and wanted to try a bit of both. 90% of the cycling I do is on road, or on paths - so the relatively heavy ridgeback is not ideal. Flat bars are a killer as well, I get the numb fingers sensations and am loathe to buy tribars or stems.
Itś all experience though. After 3 months of hard work in the saddle I realise that I just want to go as fast as possible, or for as long as possible. I can now understand the merits of Sora, 105, Campag and so on, steel vs carbon etc etc. I am au fait with the terminology of the bike world. A great learning experience...
So, today my ridgeback and my cheap roadie (bought years ago, never used and too small for me) hit ebay to hopefully part fund the upgrade.
Cycling is an addiction, I still get a buzz from getting on the bike and feeling of the burst of speed, the fast straights on the routes I go, looking behind me to see the distance I have covered, the noise my tyres make in the rain - itś all good.
I bought a ridgeback velocity in early May, but I have been bitten hard again by the cycling bug. I bought the bike as I though my cycling was going to go one of two ways, road based, or off road and wanted to try a bit of both. 90% of the cycling I do is on road, or on paths - so the relatively heavy ridgeback is not ideal. Flat bars are a killer as well, I get the numb fingers sensations and am loathe to buy tribars or stems.
Itś all experience though. After 3 months of hard work in the saddle I realise that I just want to go as fast as possible, or for as long as possible. I can now understand the merits of Sora, 105, Campag and so on, steel vs carbon etc etc. I am au fait with the terminology of the bike world. A great learning experience...
So, today my ridgeback and my cheap roadie (bought years ago, never used and too small for me) hit ebay to hopefully part fund the upgrade.
Cycling is an addiction, I still get a buzz from getting on the bike and feeling of the burst of speed, the fast straights on the routes I go, looking behind me to see the distance I have covered, the noise my tyres make in the rain - itś all good.
Davidc
Guru
- Location
- Somerset UK
I've had a number of bikes over the years. The first serious bike was a Holdsworth Cyclone, 1966 model bought new at the end of 1967. That one toured, did TTs, provided my student transport (including around 30 return trips from Bristol to London when I went home for weekends!) and did a year of 35mile return commuting trips into central London. Then it was stolen 
in 1974, complete with the 1/2 ton concrete base and iron bar it was chained to. According to the cyclometer I'd had on it from new it did just over 80,000 miles in its 7 years. 3 sets of wheels, lost count of how many transmissions, 3 sets of BB bearings, and a complete refurb of the headset - and still the original Campy gears.
Next serious one was a Peugeot. Similar idea, a bike which stripped down would go fast, but would equally well take panniers etc. and go touring. It did just about everything, but I did less miles each year, and it lasted me from 1974 until 1996. Then I was forced into the side of the road, and the frame broke. It had rusted through in two places, a chain stay and the one which broke in the crash, the left prong of the forks. I hadn't inspected closely enough, and the paint had stayed more or less unaffected so I hadn't spotted it. I lived and worked close to the sea for 8 years while I had that bike and suspect the corrosion was partly caused by parking the bike outdoors there. That bike did about the same mileage as the Holdsworth, just took 3 times as long to do it.
While I had the Pug I also bought an early mountain bike, no suspension, and with slick tyres and a rack (much to the disgust of the sales assistant at the LBS). That was a good commuter and shopping bike, but sadly got stolen from outside a supermarket. The generosity of the thief was astounding - I was left with the lock and the cable in 2 pieces!
After that I ended up using the children's cast offs, and partly as a result did less cycling, until a few years ago when I was bought a Ridgeback mtb as a present. It fitted me, kept its knobblies for 3 days, was rackless for a week, and it took another week to get some cheap panniers! That done it's the best round town bike I've ever had. It was joined a few months later by the Dawes Horizon, the first bike I've ever bought second hand, very comfortable, and excellent for day rides and getting out into the countryside round here.
in 1974, complete with the 1/2 ton concrete base and iron bar it was chained to. According to the cyclometer I'd had on it from new it did just over 80,000 miles in its 7 years. 3 sets of wheels, lost count of how many transmissions, 3 sets of BB bearings, and a complete refurb of the headset - and still the original Campy gears.Next serious one was a Peugeot. Similar idea, a bike which stripped down would go fast, but would equally well take panniers etc. and go touring. It did just about everything, but I did less miles each year, and it lasted me from 1974 until 1996. Then I was forced into the side of the road, and the frame broke. It had rusted through in two places, a chain stay and the one which broke in the crash, the left prong of the forks. I hadn't inspected closely enough, and the paint had stayed more or less unaffected so I hadn't spotted it. I lived and worked close to the sea for 8 years while I had that bike and suspect the corrosion was partly caused by parking the bike outdoors there. That bike did about the same mileage as the Holdsworth, just took 3 times as long to do it.
While I had the Pug I also bought an early mountain bike, no suspension, and with slick tyres and a rack (much to the disgust of the sales assistant at the LBS). That was a good commuter and shopping bike, but sadly got stolen
from outside a supermarket. The generosity of the thief was astounding - I was left with the lock and the cable in 2 pieces!After that I ended up using the children's cast offs, and partly as a result did less cycling, until a few years ago when I was bought a Ridgeback mtb as a present. It fitted me, kept its knobblies for 3 days, was rackless for a week, and it took another week to get some cheap panniers! That done it's the best round town bike I've ever had. It was joined a few months later by the Dawes Horizon, the first bike I've ever bought second hand, very comfortable, and excellent for day rides and getting out into the countryside round here.
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
In a word? Cyclesheme. The prospect of a new and different bike each year is too much of a lure for me. I've now got a half-decent tourer, a very good hardtail MTB, and an excellent Audax/light tourer to choose from in the shed and my original hack of all trades (a spesh hardrock) has been sold on.
I'm tempted to engage with cycle scheme one last time next year (if it still exists and HMRC don't further tinker with it to the point of destroying the economics) to get a skinny tyred lightish race bike, prob. a Boardman or a Trek or similar but honestly, with my paunch and at my age, I'd probably look ridiculous riding it.
I'm tempted to engage with cycle scheme one last time next year (if it still exists and HMRC don't further tinker with it to the point of destroying the economics) to get a skinny tyred lightish race bike, prob. a Boardman or a Trek or similar but honestly, with my paunch and at my age, I'd probably look ridiculous riding it.
I suppose I'm fortunate to have a selection of bikes in the garage so I can pick and choose depending on the mood - A fixed gear Carlton for trying to improve my fitness, a geared Peugeot (more of a light tourer than racer) for longer rides, a Rudge roadster for Sunday afternoon pootles, a Raleigh folder for taking with me in the car, my ladies frame roadster makes a practical shopping bike and my BSO moutain bike for playing in the snow and taking up room in the garage for the rest of the year.
wilko
Veteran
- Location
- Wiltshire, UK
I had an mtb in the garage for quite a few years unloved and gathering dust, until a couple of years ago I decided that I wasn't getting any younger and rather portly so needed to make an effort to get fit. My knees couldn't take the stress of jogging, so I dusted the old mbt down and started pootling around my local lanes. I loved it. Shortly after that I decided as I wasn't going off road that I needed a road bike, but was rather intimitated by those sleek drop bar bikes and so compromised with a hybrid. A Specialized Sirrus Sport. Got the gears, the narrow tyres, but a flat bar and gears that I was familier with and off I went very happy. But those road bikes intrigued me, so after a year with my Sirrus I have taken the plunge and bought my self a proper road bike. A Specialized Secteur Elite. I went for the Secteur because of the more upright riding position. I now even ride in lycra!! I still have all three bikes, my wife rides the Sirrus, I have the Secteur and I plan to go off road with the mtb in the future.
gbb
Squire
- Location
- Peterborough
As a kid in the early 70s, MTBs were'nt around so they never appealed to me at all. Dont think ive ever owned one...and never will.
Always had a variety of 'town' or racer bikes. Had a spell 20 years ago where i didnt ride for several years then was given an oldish Carlton racer which got me going again.
Maybe 10 years ago i wanted a new roadbike...it seemed to me they were very expensive and not much choice at that time, so i settled for a Trek hybrid....worst thing i ever did. I HATED it, I'd compromised. Ive still got it, still in fair condition and i only use it for family rides or country tracks etc.
Roadbikes for me...i think even when i'm 60 plus, i'll still be riding them.
Always had a variety of 'town' or racer bikes. Had a spell 20 years ago where i didnt ride for several years then was given an oldish Carlton racer which got me going again.
Maybe 10 years ago i wanted a new roadbike...it seemed to me they were very expensive and not much choice at that time, so i settled for a Trek hybrid....worst thing i ever did. I HATED it, I'd compromised. Ive still got it, still in fair condition and i only use it for family rides or country tracks etc.
Roadbikes for me...i think even when i'm 60 plus, i'll still be riding them.
Tigerbiten
Guru
I always rode road type bikes from a kid, 5 speed/drop handle bars.
This was before the days of MTB, etc, etc.
Then I had my accident with a Tiger.
I tried but I cannot ride upwrongs anymore, I cannot balance enough with only one arm.
Then I found ICE on the internet.
Gave them a ring, can you adapt one of the trike to single handed use.
They said yes, so I went down too try one.
On the way down, I was ery 50-50 do I buy one due to the cost.
I took me less than 30 second trying one in the carpark for me to decide "I want one of these".
I've had it over a year (+6,000 miles) and the recumbent grin is still there ..........
This was before the days of MTB, etc, etc.
Then I had my accident with a Tiger.
I tried but I cannot ride upwrongs anymore, I cannot balance enough with only one arm.
Then I found ICE on the internet.
Gave them a ring, can you adapt one of the trike to single handed use.
They said yes, so I went down too try one.
On the way down, I was ery 50-50 do I buy one due to the cost.
I took me less than 30 second trying one in the carpark for me to decide "I want one of these".
I've had it over a year (+6,000 miles) and the recumbent grin is still there ..........