Novice Cyclist Bike Advice

I am about to take up cycling as a way of both getting fitter and
cutting down on my car usage but I could do with some advice about my
choice of bikes please.

At the moment I am wavering between buying a hybrid bike and a touring
bike. I am in my mid-30s, somewhat overweight (100KG and 174cm high)
and will be using the bike most days for my short commute to work
(around two miles each way) but with some regular evening and weekend
rides of around 10 miles and the occasional longer ride every so often
(hopefully building up to 50+ miles). Most of my riding will be in
mid-Somerset, on the edge of the Mendip Hills, so I will encounter my
fair share of hills but I will also benefit from most of my cycling
being in the countryside and in small towns such as Wells, Glastonbury
and Shepton Mallet so competing with heavy traffic is not really an
issue.

Via the Ride2Work scheme I will have a budget of around £1000 to buy the
bike and accessories and my initial thoughts were to get a Dawes Galaxy
(around £800) which leaves me some money for panniers, a decent lock and
some good lights.

However, I am wondering if drop handlebars are the right choice since
most of the local bike shops seem to recommend hybrid bikes with
straight bars for a more upright seating position. This made me think
about something like the Dawes Discovery range which are a bit cheaper
than the Galaxy but I would have to buy mud guards and a rear rack at
least in addition to the panniers, lock and lights.

From my layman's point of view it seems like I am mainly choosing
between riding positions here but if anyone has any comments or
suggestions then they would be most gratefully received.

Simon

On 9 Apr, 00:26, (Simon Wolf) wrote:
I am about to take up cycling as a way of both getting fitter and
cutting down on my car usage but I could do with some advice about my
choice of bikes please.

At the moment I am wavering between buying a hybrid bike and a touring
bike. I am in my mid-30s, somewhat overweight (100KG and 174cm high)
and will be using the bike most days for my short commute to work
(around two miles each way) but with some regular evening and weekend
rides of around 10 miles and the occasional longer ride every so often
(hopefully building up to 50+ miles). Most of my riding will be in
mid-Somerset, on the edge of the Mendip Hills, so I will encounter my
fair share of hills but I will also benefit from most of my cycling
being in the countryside and in small towns such as Wells, Glastonbury
and Shepton Mallet so competing with heavy traffic is not really an
issue.

Via the Ride2Work scheme I will have a budget of around £1000 to buy the
bike and accessories and my initial thoughts were to get a Dawes Galaxy
(around £800) which leaves me some money for panniers, a decent lock and
some good lights.

However, I am wondering if drop handlebars are the right choice since
most of the local bike shops seem to recommend hybrid bikes with
straight bars for a more upright seating position. This made me think
about something like the Dawes Discovery range which are a bit cheaper
than the Galaxy but I would have to buy mud guards and a rear rack at
least in addition to the panniers, lock and lights.

From my layman's point of view it seems like I am mainly choosing
between riding positions here but if anyone has any comments or
suggestions then they would be most gratefully received.

Simon

Firstly, consider a bike with a hub gear if you plan to commute in all
weathers eg Nexus 8 speed hub.

Secondly, as you are relatively heavy, bear in mind that machine built
wheels may buckle, so budget for a wheel stand, such as the Minoura
Pro.

Thirdly, rim brakes on cheaper bikes these days tend to be a hassle.
An hub rear brake is worth considering, as is a disc front item.

Fourthly, your handlebar configuration isn't too important. If you get
straight bars, also get bar ends because this allows you to have
alternative positions to relieve soreness and numbness. The main thing
to consider is that you are reasonably upright and comfortable as a
newby, but that there is sufficient adjustment to lower the bars to
get more aero as you become more experienced.

Most people new to cycling tend to think of it as a cheap option.
However, if you are planning to use it for utility purposes, you
should expect reasonable convenience and reliability from it. This
comes at a price. I would therefore recommend you consider a hand
built front wheel with a dynamo, and a hand built rear wheel with
Shimano Nexus 8 and roller hub brake.

My recommendation is therefore that you find a bike shop which will
create a bike for you which will fill these requirements by adapting
an existing bike they have available. A few searches thru' this group
will give you some idea of likely suppliers.

Finally, most bikes come as standard with gearing which is suitable
only for fit experienced riders. Before you take a bike from the
showroom, insist that the lowest gear is not more than 23 inches as
this will see you up the steepest gradients without too much
discomfort.


Most people who become regular cyclists get thru' three bikes before
they are happy with what they have, so don't worry about it too much.
Buy one, see how you get on, and discover that you will not save as
much money compared to motoring as you first thought!

Hope that helps,
Good luck,


Ray

"Simon Wolf" wrote in message
news:1hwa0cv.aacmy5wn9cz6N%simon@ottersoftwaredotc om.invalid...
I am about to take up cycling as a way of both getting fitter and
cutting down on my car usage but I could do with some advice about my
choice of bikes please.

At the moment I am wavering between buying a hybrid bike and a touring
bike. I am in my mid-30s, somewhat overweight (100KG and 174cm high)
and will be using the bike most days for my short commute to work
(around two miles each way) but with some regular evening and weekend
rides of around 10 miles and the occasional longer ride every so often
(hopefully building up to 50+ miles). Most of my riding will be in
mid-Somerset, on the edge of the Mendip Hills, so I will encounter my
fair share of hills but I will also benefit from most of my cycling
being in the countryside and in small towns such as Wells, Glastonbury
and Shepton Mallet so competing with heavy traffic is not really an
issue.

Via the Ride2Work scheme I will have a budget of around £1000 to buy the
bike and accessories and my initial thoughts were to get a Dawes Galaxy
(around £800) which leaves me some money for panniers, a decent lock and
some good lights.

Hi Simon,

As a svelte 130kg Galaxy owner, I can not recommend the bike high enough. I
own five bikes and the Galaxy is often the first choice for rides ranging
from 15 miles through to Land's End to John O'Groats. I've ridden through
the area that you've described, fully laden with camping gear and four
panniers with no problems at all. It really is a jack of all trades and can
cope with mild off roading as I've discovered on two ocassions when i got
lost through poor map reading and listening to locals who couldn't find
their way home never mind advising that 'the bridle path is suitable for
cyclists and is a great shortcut'. I ride 100km Audaxes on it and in fact
did one yesterday where I chose the Galaxy in preference to my road bike
because the Galaxy had lower gearing and I was heading for some seriously
hilly terrain.

I've used my Galaxy for:
general utility riding
around 2000km worth of Audax riding
3000 miles of cycle camping

Better still, it only cost me around £200 s/h

However, I am wondering if drop handlebars are the right choice since
most of the local bike shops seem to recommend hybrid bikes with
straight bars for a more upright seating position. This made me think
about something like the Dawes Discovery range which are a bit cheaper
than the Galaxy but I would have to buy mud guards and a rear rack at
least in addition to the panniers, lock and lights.

You don't have to ride on the drops. I've only used them once or twice when
ther's been strong headwinds. I normally use the top flat bit of the bar or
use the brake hoods.

The only modification that i'd recommend is fitting a Brooks B17 saddle to
the bike froum the outset. Your derrier will thank you for it.

From my layman's point of view it seems like I am mainly choosing
between riding positions here but if anyone has any comments or
suggestions then they would be most gratefully received.

Don't let the drops put you off. Like I said, you don't have to use the
drops section. You'll still have more hand positions available to you that
a flat barred hybrid.

vernon wrote:
"Simon Wolf" wrote in message
news:1hwa0cv.aacmy5wn9cz6N%simon@ottersoftwaredotc om.invalid...
I am about to take up cycling as a way of both getting fitter and
cutting down on my car usage but I could do with some advice about my
choice of bikes please.

At the moment I am wavering between buying a hybrid bike and a
touring bike. I am in my mid-30s, somewhat overweight (100KG and
174cm high) and will be using the bike most days for my short
commute to work (around two miles each way) but with some regular
evening and weekend rides of around 10 miles and the occasional
longer ride every so often (hopefully building up to 50+ miles). Most of
my riding will be in mid-Somerset, on the edge of the Mendip
Hills, so I will encounter my fair share of hills but I will also
benefit from most of my cycling being in the countryside and in
small towns such as Wells, Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet so
competing with heavy traffic is not really an issue.

Via the Ride2Work scheme I will have a budget of around £1000 to buy
the bike and accessories and my initial thoughts were to get a Dawes
Galaxy (around £800) which leaves me some money for panniers, a
decent lock and some good lights.

Hi Simon,

As a svelte 130kg Galaxy owner, I can not recommend the bike high
enough.

I'd also say that the Galaxy is a high quality option with the available
budget. There are cheaper options (including bits of Dawes range) which
would probably do just as well for the distances proposed, such as the
Horizon (comes with drop bars).
The choices through bike-to-work schemes can often be limited, so
recommendations to semi-bespoke equivalents (eg. Thorn, Hewitt) might not be
any use.

I'd say the Galaxy is a nice bike, and if having a nice bike is good
motivation, get it. If after "practical", the Horizon will work well, prove
itself quite practical, last a decent time, etc. The Horizon can always
have its parts upgraded as they wear.

Either bike needs maintenance, particularly the chain. If after low/zero
maintenance, you need a bike with hub gears.

Battery lights should be fine for 2mile commutes. If you want dynamo, you
can always add a hub later.



However, I am wondering if drop handlebars are the right choice since
most of the local bike shops seem to recommend hybrid bikes with
straight bars for a more upright seating position.

Its a matter of what people find comfortable. Most first-time riders prefer
flat bars. However, the very straight bar fitted to many modern bikes
doesn't help much in comfort; I think the much more curved bar (think Miss
Marple TV dramas) is more comfortable over any time/distance.

For a distance over 5-7 miles, I prefer drop bars with their top slightly
lower than saddle, lots of variation in hand position. But for a short
commute, I use a flat-bar bike which sits me more upright. The upright
position really needs a sprung saddle as the shocks coming through are much
harsher, whereas the drop bar models spread weight out over arms and legs
more effectively.


You don't have to ride on the drops. I've only used them once or
twice when ther's been strong headwinds. I normally use the top flat
bit of the bar or use the brake hoods.

If the Galaxy/Horizon doesn't have them, its worth considering whether you
want secondary "cyclocross" brake levers added to drop bars. A bike shop
which supplies the bike should be able to add them as an accessory (about
£20 plus fitting time).
They allow braking from the flat-straight part of the drop bar. Its not
essential, but many people seem to like them. (Most people learn quickly
that you can operate a drop bar brake lever from above).


The only modification that i'd recommend is fitting a Brooks B17
saddle to the bike froum the outset. Your derrier will thank you for
it.

Or even the sprung version, which (I think) is the "Flyer". Saves deciding
to buy a sprung seatpost later. I see a lot of riders of Galaxy-like bikes
who have a B17 plus sprung seatpost. Both types are available in "Aged"
form for a few pounds extra which saves a bit of breaking in time.
I've started trying a Flyer on one of my bikes, and early impressions are
good, the springs seem to knock out all sorts of vibration and small shocks
which previous saddles passed through.

In the case of any saddle, it helps if you know roughly how the width of
your sit bones, and then select saddles on this basis. This has nothing to
do with how fat you are.



- Nigel


--
Nigel Cliffe,
Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/

From my layman's point of view it seems like I am mainly choosing
between riding positions here but if anyone has any comments or
suggestions then they would be most gratefully received.

Regarding riding positions, there's basically upright, with the bars higher
than the saddle, and sporty, with the bars lower than the saddle. People
new to cycling generally find the upright position more comfortable whilst
seasoned cyclists generally prefer a position with more of their weight
taken by their hands (leaning towards 'sportier', but without putting the
bars much below the saddle). Bars level with the saddle gives a good,
comfy position - shocks from the road aren't transmitted up the spine.

The traditional British style touring bike has drops instead of a flat bar,
but there's plenty out there with flat bars. For the money you're paying
there won't be any compromises made on the machine, so you can focus almost
entirely on comfort. I much prefer drops for cycling - more positions and
great in a headwind. It may take a few weeks to feel properly at ease on
them, but IME it's been worth it.

Anything with a triple at the front should do the hills. Add £20-25 to the
price if it doesn't come with mudguards, add £13-30 for a pannier rack.
Good quality panniers with be £50-100 for a pair.

Following on from Simon Wolf's message. . .
I am about to take up cycling as a way of both getting fitter and
cutting down on my car usage but I could do with some advice about my
choice of bikes please.

* Hybrid - Yes.
* Bottle rack - Yes
* Mudguards - Yes. _Get the shop to fit them_
* Find a good LBS (Local Bike Shop) Many are really friendly, know what
they're talking about - as an activity done by all sorts of different
people, not just as bits of metal.
* Fitness is firstly about building the ability to do exercise. For
example I amazed myself last week by going for 2hr 40min of exercise
which you can't do if your body isn't used to it. Commuting will soon
put the thews in your thighs but longer rides will be slightly different
to a commute as you work for longer. When I started cycling always
found there was a point on a ride (of say 20 miles) when I'd be really
down in the dumps and wishing I hadn't bothered, but then this would
pass and I'd end up pleased with the outing. Now I put that misery-mile
down to a protesting metabolism that started to scream after TEN
miles!!!. You don't need water for a five mile commute but I budget at
least 1pt an hour for longer journeys and try to have something simple
to eat before the start of a long ride. (Sorry if this ramble isn't
answering your question - but the more power in your pedals, the more
pubs you can visit. - Damn! Oh what a giveaway.)

PS I Don't have a telly and I don't have any scales. The first is a
complete waste of time and second also.

--
PETER FOX Not the same since the deckchair business folded

www.eminent.demon.co.uk - Lots for cyclists

Simon Wolf wrote on 09/04/2007 00:26 +0100:
I am about to take up cycling as a way of both getting fitter and
cutting down on my car usage but I could do with some advice about my
choice of bikes please.

At the moment I am wavering between buying a hybrid bike and a touring
bike. I am in my mid-30s, somewhat overweight (100KG and 174cm high)
and will be using the bike most days for my short commute to work
(around two miles each way) but with some regular evening and weekend
rides of around 10 miles and the occasional longer ride every so often
(hopefully building up to 50+ miles). Most of my riding will be in
mid-Somerset, on the edge of the Mendip Hills, so I will encounter my
fair share of hills but I will also benefit from most of my cycling
being in the countryside and in small towns such as Wells, Glastonbury
and Shepton Mallet so competing with heavy traffic is not really an
issue.

Via the Ride2Work scheme I will have a budget of around £1000 to buy the
bike and accessories and my initial thoughts were to get a Dawes Galaxy
(around £800) which leaves me some money for panniers, a decent lock and
some good lights.

However, I am wondering if drop handlebars are the right choice since
most of the local bike shops seem to recommend hybrid bikes with
straight bars for a more upright seating position. This made me think
about something like the Dawes Discovery range which are a bit cheaper
than the Galaxy but I would have to buy mud guards and a rear rack at
least in addition to the panniers, lock and lights.

From my layman's point of view it seems like I am mainly choosing
between riding positions here but if anyone has any comments or
suggestions then they would be most gratefully received.

Simon


The Galaxy is a good choice and the drop bars will give you more varied
hand positions on your longer rides (really won't make much difference
for your 2 miler). If you were in busy traffic you might find the brake
position not as good as a straight bar but that doesn't appear to be a
problem for you. The only thing I would say is you might prefer
shifters integrated with the brake levers over the bar end shifter - you
could get the shop to change them for you otherwise its a step up to the
Super Galaxy which pushes your budget. I would also spend some time to
get a saddle that is comfortable (not a soft and squishy one!). Sheldon
Brown's website is a mine of information and has a section on saddles
worth reading - http://sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html.

Final comment for your neck of the woods is to have a look at the Thorn
range from SJS Cycles in Bridgewater. Not the most popular shop owner
with many people here but their cycle range is very well regarded. The
Club Tour and Brevet Conical are the two to look at in your price range
as well as the Sherpa which is more of a workhorse bike.
http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/models.html

--
Tony

"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there
is no good evidence either way."
- Bertrand Russell

On Mon, 9 Apr 2007 00:26:50 +0100, lid
(Simon Wolf) wrote:

I am about to take up cycling as a way of both getting fitter and
cutting down on my car usage but I could do with some advice about my
choice of bikes please.

At the moment I am wavering between buying a hybrid bike and a touring
bike. I am in my mid-30s, somewhat overweight (100KG and 174cm high)
and will be using the bike most days for my short commute to work
(around two miles each way) but with some regular evening and weekend
rides of around 10 miles and the occasional longer ride every so often
(hopefully building up to 50+ miles). Most of my riding will be in
mid-Somerset, on the edge of the Mendip Hills, so I will encounter my
fair share of hills but I will also benefit from most of my cycling
being in the countryside and in small towns such as Wells, Glastonbury
and Shepton Mallet so competing with heavy traffic is not really an
issue.

Via the Ride2Work scheme I will have a budget of around £1000 to buy the
bike and accessories and my initial thoughts were to get a Dawes Galaxy
(around £800) which leaves me some money for panniers, a decent lock and
some good lights.


If you are only going to be doing 20 miles per week to work and back
bear in mind that this would restrict you to a maximum 40 miles per
week under the scheme as the bike has to be used mainly for travel
to/from work.

ME

"Simon Wolf" wrote in message
news:1hwa0cv.aacmy5wn9cz6N%simon@ottersoftwaredotc om.invalid...
I am about to take up cycling as a way of both getting fitter and
cutting down on my car usage but I could do with some advice about my
choice of bikes please.

At the moment I am wavering between buying a hybrid bike and a touring
bike. I am in my mid-30s, somewhat overweight (100KG and 174cm high)
and will be using the bike most days for my short commute to work
(around two miles each way) but with some regular evening and weekend
rides of around 10 miles and the occasional longer ride every so often
(hopefully building up to 50+ miles). Most of my riding will be in
mid-Somerset, on the edge of the Mendip Hills, so I will encounter my
fair share of hills but I will also benefit from most of my cycling
being in the countryside and in small towns such as Wells, Glastonbury
and Shepton Mallet so competing with heavy traffic is not really an
issue.

Via the Ride2Work scheme I will have a budget of around £1000 to buy the
bike and accessories and my initial thoughts were to get a Dawes Galaxy
(around £800) which leaves me some money for panniers, a decent lock and
some good lights.

However, I am wondering if drop handlebars are the right choice since
most of the local bike shops seem to recommend hybrid bikes with
straight bars for a more upright seating position. This made me think
about something like the Dawes Discovery range which are a bit cheaper
than the Galaxy but I would have to buy mud guards and a rear rack at
least in addition to the panniers, lock and lights.

From my layman's point of view it seems like I am mainly choosing
between riding positions here but if anyone has any comments or
suggestions then they would be most gratefully received.

Simon

Hi Simon,

I too can recomend the Galaxy. My wife has one and we also have a Galaxy
Twin tandem. Reliability is excelent. We have done 3000 on the tandem now
and at least 2000 of that has been fully laden camping touring. In all the
only non-routine maintenance we have had to do is have the rear wheel
retrued after about 1500 miles and we had a snapped chain due to a dodgy
gear chain on LEJOG.
Briliant machines, buy one you will love it and it will last you 20 years or
more. On it you will find you will eat mountain bikes/hybrids for breakfast
on the road.Course as you get fitter, start to get faster, leaner and keener
your eye may occasionally drift in the direction of a lean, mean, all out
road (racing) bike. These are the jewels of the cycling world and priced
accordingly.
So welcome to the world of cycling. The keener you get the more expensive
you'll find it but the more you'll love it.
One more thing. You may wonder 'How will I know when I'm hooked'? Easy, it's
when your 2m commute is not enough and you begin to devise 5m, 10m, 20m
loops between work and home.

raisethe wrote:


Fourthly, your handlebar configuration isn't too important. If you get
straight bars, also get bar ends because this allows you to have
alternative positions to relieve soreness and numbness. The main thing
to consider is that you are reasonably upright and comfortable as a
newby, but that there is sufficient adjustment to lower the bars to
get more aero as you become more experienced.

Also, drops apparently look scary to some people, but they are really
easy to use and give a wide variety of positions. Every kid in the late
70s to late 80s used them without a second thought...

Most people new to cycling tend to think of it as a cheap option.
However, if you are planning to use it for utility purposes, you
should expect reasonable convenience and reliability from it. This
comes at a price.

I'd agree with that. My 10 mile each way commute costs me about £3.50 a
day in petrol - that's about £70 a month assuming I'm in the office
every day. That means it took a solid month to "pay" for the Ortlieb
hard pannier I use to carry my laptop and clothes, over a month to pay
for the Shimano dual control gear/brake levers I added last year (a lot
of money, but very comfortable and important as I have a long term thumb
problem that causes severe pain with trigger shifters), a month to pay
for a new set of tyres and a quality rechargeable front light, a month
to pay for winter specific clothes (warm long trousers, shoes, etc.),
etc. etc.

I'm obviously not taking car maintenance into account, but last year I
only paid a couple of hundred for the annual service and MOT - about
half the amount I spent doing a complete rebuild on my rather tired
mountain bike (new drivetrain, rear wheel, etc.).

Having said that, I could do it cheaper - but convenience, comfort and
reliability mean a lot to me.

I would therefore recommend you consider a hand
built front wheel with a dynamo, and a hand built rear wheel with
Shimano Nexus 8 and roller hub brake.

Possibly overkill for small amounts of commuting, but worth considering.

My recommendation is therefore that you find a bike shop which will
create a bike for you which will fill these requirements by adapting
an existing bike they have available. A few searches thru' this group
will give you some idea of likely suppliers.

Assuming that the bike to work scheme he is taking advantage doesn't
insist on a mail order bike selected from a catalogue, this is a good plan.

Buy one, see how you get on, and discover that you will not save as
much money compared to motoring as you first thought!

Seconded :-)

Matt