Taking the saddle

Shimz

Shimz

Shimz

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Joined
15 Apr 2014
Posts
135
Location
London
Hi Guys

I've recently been given the idea to change my commute to work by a colleague, I was told about this cycle to work scheme the company uses which seems to give me a huge discount on purchasing a bike and safety gear for commuting reasons.

I'm thinking that this might be a great way to avoid the crowded tube and buses I usually use to get to work and also let me get some exercise in. I have read some of the threads here and think a hybrid bike would be the best bet to get started since I haven't ridden a bike in years.

I'm also a bit nervous of riding a bike in London and also the fact that its going to get dark and wet most days soon, so would it be better to wait until next year in the spring to start?

The distance is around 6.4 miles from home to work also, with big inclines on the way home.

TLDR

Complete newbie to commuting on bicycle, advice on type of bike? gear? safety?
 
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Starting now is fine. You'll just need to make sure you get some decent lights/etc.

I won't bother going on at you about it but if you look through all the recent threads where people want to get their first bike you'll see that overwhelmingly the advice is to *not* get a hybrid as, well, they're cack. My first bike after 20 years of not cycling was a hybrid and I regretted it. It's worth just feeling a bit wobbly to start with and just going for a road bike.

Gear you'll want:

Helmet
Cycling Glasses
Lights
Softshell or hardshell (jacket with water and wind resistance)
Padded shorts or leggings
Fingerless gloves until October, then full-fingered gloves (these are important to protect the nerves in your hands).
Mudguards on your bike
A decent D-lock. Silver secure at least.
Spare inner tube * 2
Puncture repair kit
Bike multi-tool
Dry or wet lube for your chain

Having all of the above will mean you can do very basic maintenance on your bike as needed though you'll probably initially want to use whatever bike shop you buy from for anything more complicated.

edit: You could optionally get clip-in peddles and appropriate shoes but I wouldn't recommend jumping straight on to those when you're first starting out. Maybe in a few months when you start to feel more comfortable.

With regards to safety and just general ideas about how pleasant the ride can be/not be I'd say this:

* Work out a route beforehand and don't be afraid to make it a mile longer if it means you can avoid the worst A roads or places where traffic is hideous.
* Don't ride on the pavement.
* Don't jump red lights.
* Look out for segregated cycles lanes and the like - plan your route around these where you can.
* Make sure your brakes are always set up correctly and practice getting used to your stopping distance both in the dry and in the wet.
* Many cyclists are as unpredictable as the worst drivers. Be careful around them.
* Get your bike shop to set your bike up correctly for you - bad saddle height/positioning can cause stress on your legs and if you're commuting 12 miles each day you could injure yourself.

edit2: One last thing. If you have the option definitely swap out your tyres from whatever comes with your bike by default. Assuming you end up on a bike with 700c wheels the Michelin Pro4 Endurance 25mm tyres have extremely good grip in the wet and reasonably good puncture protection. When I moved to them I found cycling in the wet a lot less daunting than I did on my old Gatorskin tyres.
 
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Thanks so much for your reply very informative :)

Just a few questions

* Look out for segregated cycles lanes and the like - plan your route around these where you can. - I take it they're more dangerous than they seem then?

* Make sure your brakes are always set up correctly and practice getting used to your stopping distance both in the dry and in the wet. - Would you recommend getting a bike with disc brakes compared to pads?

Also would you recommend drop down handle bars or straight?

Thanks for all the help
 
Shimz said:
Thanks so much for your reply very informative :)

Just a few questions

* Look out for segregated cycles lanes and the like - plan your route around these where you can. - I take it they're more dangerous than they seem then?

I worded this badly. What I meant was "cycle on the segregated lanes when you can" :)

* Make sure your brakes are always set up correctly and practice getting used to your stopping distance both in the dry and in the wet. - Would you recommend getting a bike with disc brakes compared to pads?

Yes, definitely. I love disc brakes :) Some people get on fine without them though so don't dismiss a good deal just because it doesn't have discs.

Also would you recommend drop down handle bars or straight?

Drop handlebars every time :) They are so much more comfortable to ride on due to the more natural positioning. As they stick out less I feel safer when cars go past too.

Thanks for all the help
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What kind of budget do you have? I personally would recommend a CX bike - drop handlebars and disc brakes. They tend to be a bit pricier though. If you don't mind not having discs then there are some very good deals around the £450 mark, such as the Felt bikes and the like.
 
FrenchTart said:
What kind of budget do you have? I personally would recommend a CX bike - drop handlebars and disc brakes. They tend to be a bit pricier though. If you don't mind not having discs then there are some very good deals around the £450 mark, such as the Felt bikes and the like.
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As long as it keeps within the £1000 price range of the Cycle to work scheme it's all good, if you want a range perhaps £400 - £600 although the cheaper the better.

Drops bars and discs sound fun to have though, perhaps grab some gear within the £1000 too.
 
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Some places have the Charge Plug 4 at sale price of about £740 if I remember correctly. Sometimes you can get discounted bikes on bike to work - so it's worth checking out:

http://www.chargebikes.com/bicycle-collection/plug-4 (obviously that's the original price rather than reduced)

There are other bikes a bit cheaper but I can't think of them off the top of my head. It may be worth posting in the main road bikes thread asking for suggestions :)
 
This is all great advice. I started thinking 7 mile commute was a very long way, but now am doing 16ew without feeling it and have 385miles in 63 hours for JOGLE am and off to do 117 miles tomorrow - bike riding is awesome!
 
FrenchTart said:
Some places have the Charge Plug 4 at sale price of about £740 if I remember correctly. Sometimes you can get discounted bikes on bike to work - so it's worth checking out:

http://www.chargebikes.com/bicycle-collection/plug-4 (obviously that's the original price rather than reduced)

There are other bikes a bit cheaper but I can't think of them off the top of my head. It may be worth posting in the main road bikes thread asking for suggestions :)
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I think the Charge Plug 3 or 4 would be ideal in this scenario. Some good deals on the Plug 3 at the moment too which would leave plenty of scope for gear.

I'm coming up to 1000 miles on my hybrid since I got it (bought it as a commuter hack for my 4.5 mile each way trip to work) and it gets the job done. Now I think they do have a place and I wouldn't knock anyone for buying one but as I now ride my one for pleasure if I was in the position to buy a bike again I'd get something like the Charge Plug 3.

What appeals to me;

More efficient riding position but not too racey.
32C tyres so still pretty compliant.
Disc brakes (great for wet roads or if you ride mucky country lanes like me)
Mudguard mounts with good clearance.
Steel frame for a bit more compliance.
...plus I think the Charge range look great, which really makes no difference at all :p
 
If you're spending more money I'd go for the Whyte Suffolk over the Charge Plug personally but I guess the Plug 5 does have somewhat nicer components. I think the Whyte Suffolk will feel a bit nippier though.
 
[DOD]Asprilla;26887202 said:
There is about 300g in it and the plug looks nicer and has a fully hydraulic brake system rather than a hybrid.

I'd probably swap out the wheels on both and put a double on.
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I meant more the geometry rather than weight.

I do agree that full hydraulic would be nice though (and the gearing is better on the Plug 5).
 
ArmoVanBuuren said:
It is indeed 10%, I think I got confused when I was thinking of buying their Nanolight bike for £1999 on C2W and overpaying on the £1000 limit but the admin fee was going to be nearly £200 which I decided was just too much for an admin fee!
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They should only charge you the admin fee on the £1000 part which is C2W. That's what they did with me. That said, I wouldn't put it past them to try and be cheeky and charge more :/
 
So I've been looking at some bikes and just wanted some final opinions, here is a short list of the ones I've been looking at

http://www.cyclesurgery.com/whyte-s...nents-bikewear/fcp-product/52455?listing=true

http://www.cyclesurgery.com/orbea-a...nents-bikewear/fcp-product/54756?listing=true

http://www.cyclesurgery.com/orbea-a...nents-bikewear/fcp-product/54759?listing=true

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Specialized-Secteur-Sport-Triple-2014-Road-Bike_65836.htm

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Specialized-Diverge-A1-2015-Road-Bike_73411.htm

I'm waiting on hearing back from our finance director on if we have to purchase from certain stores or not. He mentioned Cycle Surgery when he first mentioned the scheme.

Thanks for the help :D
 
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