Commuter bike for £250

Cracking post badbob. When I was saying 20 miles I'm talking round trip, so 10 morning 10 evening. Not sure how I'll fare during the footy season but if I can't manage it after the weekend I'll have the car to use anyway :)

You're right about needing to carry clothes. Trousers/shirt/shoes. Is this possible along with waterproofs? Although having thought about it I love rain and I'll be having a shower anyway. The requirement for waterproofs is quite low for any time but the depths of winter :) So I'll need these pannier saddle bag things. I'll also need full mudguards, right?

Getting a fair idea of what I need now :)
 
You only need waterproof trousers and jacket when it's pouring, with light rain in the summer with cycling clothes it won't be cold & clammy, like heavy cotton tracksuits. You can also buy overshoes. You might prefer wearing no waterproofs, and change whilst you arrive. Rain in summer is great, but freezing cold rain in the water isn't so I'd wear the waterproofs then. That could lower your body temp. too much. I usually only wear the full lot when it's pouring down. A peaked baseball cap will stop rainwater going directly into your eyes.

Left/Right rear wheel panniers can hold about 2-4 800 gram loaves of bread. So plenty for shoes & clothes. Panniers are waterproof. Space out the weight, ie don't carry 6 tins of baked beans on one side and nothing on the other as this'll unbalance your bike.

Definietly get full length mudguards, the amount of water sprayed onto you at speed is crazy, it's like being blasted front & back constantly with a high pressure washer on "spray" As for lights I'd look for metal housing types, more rugged. A set of LED front a rear will be fine for city riding, but I'd get something with higher output for unlit country roads. I have a 5W+10W halogen and that's great. But if you can afford a HID then even better.

Always carry a spare inner tube, puncture repair kit, plastic tyre levers, mini pump, and a multi-tool kit. One time the saddle angle bolt came loose, I was without my mini tool kit. That was a horrible ride back, as the saddle was flipping back and forth for 20 miles, and I couldn't sit on it. Rode mostly off the saddle.

There isn't much you do need, but once you do have them riding becomes far more fun. Riding on a bike that isn't suitable for onroad riding (ie full suspension on the softest damper setting) with thick jeans and cotton sweater during rainstorm is enough to put off cycling for life. I think people are too soft, it was only slightly raining and they said "you're riding in this horrible weather?" :-/ and when I said "rode 30 miles" couldn't believe it.
 
What kind of bike should I be looking for? Until recently I thought only weird types had bikes that weren't mountain bikes :p I'm definitely interested in this lighter, faster, less energy required bike!
 
badbob said:
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There isn't much you do need, but once you do have them riding becomes far more fun. Riding on a bike that isn't suitable for onroad riding (ie full suspension on the softest damper setting) with thick jeans and cotton sweater during rainstorm is enough to put off cycling for life. I think people are too soft, it was only slightly raining and they said "you're riding in this horrible weather?" :-/ and when I said "rode 30 miles" couldn't believe it.
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Check! Bighit + jeans and a hoody today in very strong wind! Sore arse from the bel air being at a stupid angle aswell. Defo want a flat bar racer! Can't afford one at the moment though.
 
Gilly said:
What kind of bike should I be looking for? Until recently I thought only weird types had bikes that weren't mountain bikes :p I'm definitely interested in this lighter, faster, less energy required bike!
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There are a range of road bikes

1) Tough commuter bike. MTB wheels, steel frame & forks. Mudguards. Kona Smoke. Slow and heavy, but will take abuse.
http://www.konabikes.co.uk/2k6bikes/smoke_2k6.php

2) Urban MTB. Just have a MTB but swap the knobblies for road tyres. Best to choose rigid frame.
http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/04/ce/model-4MRBB.html

3) Flat Bar Road Bike. Exactly the same as a drop bar bike, but bar, shifters and brake levers changed to MTB style parts.
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-GB/bikes/road/1400/28829/

4) Drop Bar Road Bike. Most commonly used by on road dedicated cyclists, but they have a few drawbacks which others expand on. Drop bars and higher gearing compared to MTB
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-GB/bikes/road/1395/29624/

4.5) Modern variant now is with a shorter top tube so you're not so crouched
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-GB/bikes/road/1399/29640/

5) Cyclo-Cross. A offspring from a MTB daddy and road bike mummy :)
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-GB/bikes/road/1397/29632/

Usually tougher wheels & hubs, frame, and MTB gearing. Brake levers on the flats (road bikes do not have these, well they did years ago called suicide levers) You can use Cylco-Cross on road, if fact a good idea since you have brakes on both the hoods and the flats, so safer inner-city. Just replace the tyres.

6) Tourer. Available in flat bar or drop bar, with either 26" or 700cc wheels. Usually a shorter top tube, and upward pointing head stem. 700cc & drop bars with front roadie chainset, larger rear sproect classed as "fast tourer" 26" & flat bars MT front chainset more off-road tourer, basically solid framed MTB with panniers. Also some tourers have end shifters

http://www.dawescycles.com/dawes/galaxy.htm
http://www.dawescycles.com/dawes/kara-kum.htm
http://sunnypowers.perso.cegetel.net/pat/ilpompino/bars_sm.JPG

7) Audax, Somewhere between a road bike and a tourer
http://www.dawescycles.com/dawes/audax.htm

8) Hub gearing, ala Raleigh style. :D 8 gears, low maintenece. Also drum brakes
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-GB/bikes/lifestyle/2137/31763/

9) City bike, similar to a hybrid but solid forks. Usually raised stem & bars, like the old style dutch bikes. More upright than MTB, short top tubes.
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-GB/bikes/lifestyle/2139/31774/

10) Folding. After use fold up and put under your desk. Usually expensive, starting at £500. Checkout Brompton
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-GB/bikes/lifestyle/175/31785/

11) Time Trial. Usually a souped up road bike, with aero bars, carbon everything
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-GB/bikes/road/1396/29626/

12) Track bike. Stripped down road bike, no brakes, single speed. Not a good idea to riding in Buxton :D
http://www.witcombcycles.co.uk/images/track2.jpg

Then you have the components (wheelset, gear & brakes, chainset, dereailers)

http://www.campagnolo.com/jsp/en/index/home_true.jsp
http://www.shimano.com/
http://www.sram.com/

Then different materials used for frames, steel, cro-mo, alminumium, carbon, titanium. Also mixtures, ie alu frame + carbon fork, alu frame with carbon rear stay etc. And classic style steel frame

http://www.condorcycles.com/classico.html

One thing to check if you want a road bike & full length guards is the gap between tyre and underside of the brake arms. Most road bike won't take guards but some have long reach brake arms. You should be able to pass your finger between the two. Also check for guard mount holes. If you ask for a road bike with full length guards they'll direct you to a right one.

tifosi-ck-audax-08.jpg


So as you can see there is no right bike I can say which fits you, you have to work that out yourself, there are just too many variables. Nothing is stopping you using a fast tourer for work, likewise you can use a road bike for work also. You might not like drop bars in traffic you need to be on the hoods. Also road bikes are quite crouched position, if you have a bad back you might find it uncomfortable. Or you might prefer the totally upright position of a City bike. Or if you're a aggressive cyclist kerb hopping then you'll need a urban MTB not a road bike as the wheels wouldn't last that long.

These are my two bikes.

Orbit Helium (company now bust) :( Steel fast tourer, with Campagnolo Veloce groupset. Brooks 17 saddle

helium_the_frame.jpg


Giant OCR-1. Alu frame, carbon fork. Campagnolo Mirage groupset. Brooks Team Pro saddle

giant-ocr1-montage.jpg
 
One of the guys in the office has recommended this as a cheap low-end decent-ish bike. Thoughts?

Don't like the thought of the shifter being on the down tube rather than the handle bars.
 
Gilly said:
One of the guys in the office has recommended this as a cheap low-end decent-ish bike. Thoughts?

Don't like the thought of the shifter being on the down tube rather than the handle bars.
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I would only recommend that bike if you do riding on b roads (country lanes) Not easy to use down shifter in busy traffic. Also with a aluminium fork road buzz is greater. That bumps up the price though. I had a road bike with down shifters, takes some getting used to and tricky in traffic.

I'd go for something like
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-GB/bikes/road/1399/29641/
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-GB/bikes/road/1399/29641/
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-GB/bikes/road/1398/29637/
 
I used to bike 7 miles each way to work when i first started, I only had some cheap ass mountain bike.
Used to have a radio sellotaped to the handlebars so i didnt get bored (all fen roads).
 
Frame looks quite large on that, is it just the perspective?

Are you putting mudguards on it?
 
oddjob62 said:
Here's My new Spec Globe Sport (£300) from http://www.cyclesurgery.com/Product...ID/240/v/5417ab9b-b910-4834-9dd8-1b2983de56a4

DSC00002.JPG
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Thanks you saved me going taking some pictures and uploading them etc.
Thata a similar Bike as mine I just have the basic version. I had my first proper ride on it today and it was brilliant. Very comfortable and carries momentum really well. I paid £250 for it from leisurelakes they have 5 or 6 stores across Northen and Central England. Includes 2 free services at 6 weeks and 5 months. Great service from them too.
 
Gilly said:
Frame looks quite large on that, is it just the perspective?

Are you putting mudguards on it?
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Yeah i'll be getting mudguards, rack and panniers this weekend. Will upload another pic when it's done.

Frame is 54cm (i'm 6ft with a 33inch inside leg).

The fram is quite big compared to the other bikes that are parked near me when i get to work, but i think 3 of them belong to females, and one has been permanently parked there since i started cycling.
 
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