Which type of bike is best?

[Sam Kennedy]

I'm a long way from getting a new bike, but I'm not too sure which type of bike I need.

I need something which can handle hills, and gravelly(is that a word?) and bumpy paths. I will not be cycling on roads.

I would prefer something with thin tyres, but I don't know if they could hold up going downhill on a stony and bumpy track.

This is roughly what the track is like at some points which I like to cycle:

Also I wouldn't want to spend more than £300.

Any suggestions?

 

[Dayvo]

Sorry for the lazy option (I'm in heat) but this should point you in the right direction.

http://www.evanscycles.com/buying-guides

 

[Randochap]

Why thin tyres?

This is the bike I pull out when I'm going out to ride paths like the one illustrated in your photo. It's the perfect go-fast/comfy bike ... mostly due to the tyres.

I'm afraid, however, that £300 is cutting it pretty close for a decent bike. You could always buy used, or do a conversion/restoration.

 

[willem]

As often, I agree with Randochap. In this particular case, and for a small budget, I think you do best to look for tourers with 26 inch wheels (to fit something like a 50 mm Schwalbe Big Apple tyre). Howewer, you will have far more fun with a larger budget: 300 pounds is not really enough.
Willem

 

[Sam Kennedy]

Are any of these any good? And could they handle the paths like shown above? What about down hill with lots of rocks? Which is the best?

http://www.southdownsbikes.com/products.php?plid=m1b1s20p5612&rs=gb
http://www.southdownsbikes.com/products.php?plid=m1b2s20p4216&rs=gb
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b4s20p1639&rs=gb
http://www.luvbikes.com/products.php?plid=m1b115s20p4214&rs=gb
http://www.southdownsbikes.com/products.php?plid=m1b1s20p5614&rs=gb

What would I look for if I was going to buy a second hand bike from the yellow pages? How can I tell good from bad?

 

[BIGSESAL]

For under £400 you could pick up a Ridgeback Advance. We sell them in our shop and they have turned out to be quite popular.

It is classed as a hybrid but has some mountain bike features like front suspension.

They come with 29 inch wheels with nobbly tyres. Perhaps not as thin as you were looking for but as they are bigger than the 26 inch so you should find riding on gravel tracks easier as the wheel is less likely to be affected by potholes. It has mountain bike gearing so the hills should be fairly easy.

It is let down however by a lack of disc brakes, low end componetry and a brand that is not known for high end bikes (but they are a lot better quality than any Halfords Apollo crap).

Go down to your local bike shop and have a chat, I am sure they will find something that will suit you just fine.

 

[Sam Kennedy]

The only reason I wanted thin wheels was because I thought they were faster, would there be any difference between 29" normal wheels and 29" thin wheels in terms of speed?

But maybe I don't need them since 29" wheels could probably get me some speed

 

[BIGSESAL]

Yeh a bigger cicumference should get you more speed. A thinner tyre should also get you more speed. That is why racing tyres have a big circumference but are also thin. Personally I wouldn't want a really thin tyre for off road use as this will compromise grip.

 

[Sam Kennedy]

Whats the thinnest tyre which can handle that type of surface above?

Or should I just go for the best 29" hard-tail I can find?

Oh, I also forgot to mention something which is probably quite important:
I want to eventually be able to go long distance with it.

 

[Riverman]

Is it just me, or is there a tank approaching in that photograph?

 

[willem]

The belief that narrower tyres ar efaster is a myth. It is true, bu tonly for vbery fast riders of the kind who compete in the Tour De France.
Wilem

 

[Sam Kennedy]

Could a 29" mtb be used for long distance cycling?

 

[The Jogger]

is that pic on the south downs sam?

 

[garrilla]

On that kind of track speed should no be your paramount concern, I would have thought stability was more important. You'll still be able to go at a pace with wide tyres but you be more in control.

 

[grhm]

Indeed. Narrow tyres have a reputation for being faster than wider tyres - but this is only when pumped up to higher pressures and on ideal (flat smooth) tarmac. On bumpy ground, high pressure thin tyres will bounce of the ground thus losing traction and actually making so slower.

On uneven ground, like the path shown, wider lower pressure tyres will give better grip and comfort and will actually be quicker. I did see a fairly scientific look study that tested this - but can't find the link, I've only found this pdf from Schwalbe which has some explanation of p15 - but not enough to convert any real skeptics.

Edit: A slightly more thorough source - pdf here - research funded by Schwalbe.