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#1
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I'm thinking of buying a bike.
Hi all, hope there's some experts out there.
I'm thinking of buying a new bike, I haven't ridden a bike for some 40 odd years (pensioner), I used to have what we called a racing bike then with a single fixed gear (no freewheel) and drop handle bars it was quite light but I can't remember the make. A few days ago I tried to ride a friend's bike it had 15?? gears, deep broad tyres and flatish handle bars I think it was probably a mountain bike, I rode it for approx half hour with no spills or falls. One thing I noticed was that as you pedal up hill the front wheel became very light with a tendency to lift off the ground, is this a result of the geometry of new bikes? are the centres of the wheels closer together now than they used to be or is the seat placed further back on the frame, it seemed to me that my old bike was longer than the one I rode or could it be that my backside is a lot heavier than it used to be with the result that my body's Of G has moved backwards :-) To cut a long story short I would like to buy a bike similar to the one I used to have. Can anyone recommend a place I can go to be "fitted" for a bike,? we only have a Halfords near here, are they any good or are they just staffed by cluless kids as seem to be the trend in most shops these days. Is there an informative web site anyone can recommend? Thanks Erdefen -- (Antispam, drop pants to EMail) All outgoing Emails checked for Virus with Norton. |
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#2
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I'm thinking of buying a bike.
"Erdefen" wrote in message ... Hi all, hope there's some experts out there. I'm thinking of buying a new bike, I haven't ridden a bike for some 40 odd years (pensioner), I used to have what we called a racing bike then with a single fixed gear (no freewheel) and drop handle bars it was quite light but I can't remember the make. A few days ago I tried to ride a friend's bike it had 15?? gears, deep broad tyres and flatish handle bars I think it was probably a mountain bike, I rode it for approx half hour with no spills or falls. One thing I noticed was that as you pedal up hill the front wheel became very light with a tendency to lift off the ground, is this a result of the geometry of new bikes? are the centres of the wheels closer together now than they used to be or is the seat placed further back on the frame, it seemed to me that my old bike was longer than the one I rode or could it be that my backside is a lot heavier than it used to be with the result that my body's Of G has moved backwards :-) To cut a long story short I would like to buy a bike similar to the one I used to have. Can anyone recommend a place I can go to be "fitted" for a bike,? we only have a Halfords near here, are they any good or are they just staffed by cluless kids as seem to be the trend in most shops these days. Is there an informative web site anyone can recommend? An indication of your location would help. As would an idea of what sort of riding you think you will be doing. For example country lanes, bike paths & bridleways, TT & racing etc. Some more information on you, your fitness & interests would also help. And an indication of budget. I am sure much helpful advice will be forthcoming -- but a bit more base data will allow the advice to be more carefully targeted. T |
#3
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I'm thinking of buying a bike.
Tony W wrote:
An indication of your location would help. Mid Wales As would an idea of what sort of riding you think you will be doing. For example country lanes, bike paths & bridleways, TT & racing etc. Bit old for TT and racing :-), country lanes I think tar mac surfaces mainly. Some more information on you, your fitness & interests would also help. Bike is neccesary to increase fitness, would eventually hope to tour in France. And an indication of budget. Budget not that important within reason, say Max approx 1000 Pounds but would hope to pay less. I am sure much helpful advice will be forthcoming -- but a bit more base data will allow the advice to be more carefully targeted. T Many thanks for replying so promptly, yes you are quite right I should have offered more information. Regards Erdefen -- (Antispam, drop pants to EMail) All outgoing Emails checked for Virus with Norton. |
#4
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I'm thinking of buying a bike.
Erdefen wrote:
Tony W wrote: An indication of your location would help. Mid Wales As would an idea of what sort of riding you think you will be doing. For example country lanes, bike paths & bridleways, TT & racing etc. Bit old for TT and racing :-), country lanes I think tar mac surfaces mainly. what, you're over 80 years old? -- Pete interchange 12 for 21 to reply |
#5
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I'm thinking of buying a bike.
"Erdefen" wrote in message ... Many thanks for replying so promptly, yes you are quite right I should have offered more information. You may be best starting with a reasonable quality hybrid bike. You will not need the extra weight and complexity of suspension for the sort of thing you are describing and a reasonable quality hybrid can be obtained for a reasonably modest amount of money. I haven't tried one but Ridgeback seem a good name. This might not be the best option if you want to go for multi-day tours in France (or anywhere else). Again, you would have to think what type of touring. Would you be camping (lots of kit), credit card touring (minimal baggage), going on supported tours (where someone else moves your baggage about) or finding a nice gite and taking day tours. If you want to recapture your youth (don't we all -- well, our own youth if not yours) and prefer drop bars a 'tourer' or 'Audax' bike may be better. (An Audax won't have as much luggage capacity but will be lighter -- it would be good for day tours, supported tours and light weight touring). These will be less 'sit up & beg' than a hybrid. I find my tourer is my most comfortable, most general purpose and most often used bike. Dawes is a good name for tourers. Others will produce alternatives and possible conflicting information. Have fun. T |
#6
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I'm thinking of buying a bike.
"Erdefen" wrote in message ... Hi all, hope there's some experts out there. I'm thinking of buying a new bike, I haven't ridden a bike for some 40 odd years (pensioner), I used to have what we called a racing bike then with a single fixed gear (no freewheel) and drop handle bars it was quite light but I can't remember the make. A few days ago I tried to ride a friend's bike it had 15?? gears, deep broad tyres and flatish handle bars I think it was probably a mountain bike, I rode it for approx half hour with no spills or falls. One thing I noticed was that as you pedal up hill the front wheel became very light with a tendency to lift off the ground, is this a result of the geometry of new bikes? are the centres of the wheels closer together now than they used to be or is the seat placed further back on the frame, it seemed to me that my old bike was longer than the one I rode or could it be that my backside is a lot heavier than it used to be with the result that my body's Of G has moved backwards :-) To cut a long story short I would like to buy a bike similar to the one I used to have. Can anyone recommend a place I can go to be "fitted" for a bike,? we only have a Halfords near here, are they any good or are they just staffed by cluless kids as seem to be the trend in most shops these days. Is there an informative web site anyone can recommend? Thanks Erdefen -- (Antispam, drop pants to EMail) All outgoing Emails checked for Virus with Norton. Hey!, Welcome back to the wonderful world of cycling!! I took a 20 year break and oh my, how it'd all changed when I came back to it, just as you say. Technology has moved on somewhat, some good and worth the extra money, some a bit gimmicky and not. If money is no object, or at least not too restrictive, it's probably worth getting down to a local bike shop, or possibly not so local if you're in Mid-Wales ;-). Discuss requirements, get a feel for if they know their subject and then take their advice, getting fitted properly. Alternately, I live in the West Midlands and there are a LOT of second hand racers advertised at very reasonable prices. Not neccessarily the latest sooper-dooper high-tech TdF guided missiles, but they do for day to day riding. They might need new tyres, or brake cables, minor maintenance, but are generally worth buying and can be had for as little as under £50. My current roadbike is an old bottom of the range (in its day) Raleigh Sun Solo 'racer'. 25 years old, chromed wheels, brake blocks with leather inserts to help stop in the rain (not very effective!!) and Sachs Huret gearset (10 gears) with downtube shifting. I completed the John O' Groats to Lands End run on it in March as well as using it on a daily basis, with no service or check before hand, just a new Brooks saddle. It managed it with no real problems, so treated it to what was probably its first service in 25 years at the end of the E2E run. The bike shops verdict, following the service - " no problems mate, it'll go forever that...". I bought the bike for £25 last July. Racers aren't as popular with 'the kids' these days, generally speaking. This has 2 advantages. Second hand prices on old racers are very low and nobody nicks an old racer (again, generally speaking ;-). If you know anyone into cycling, it'd be worth taking them along if you look at anything second hand. Alternately, get it into a bike shop for assessment before purchasing. HTH and good luck, Dave. |
#7
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I'm thinking of buying a bike.
Erdefen wrote:
A few days ago I tried to ride a friend's bike it had 15?? gears, deep broad tyres and flatish handle bars I think it was probably a mountain bike, I rode it for approx half hour with no spills or falls. One thing I noticed was that as you pedal up hill the front wheel became very light with a tendency to lift off the ground, is this a result of the geometry of new bikes? are the centres of the wheels closer together now than they used to be or is the seat placed further back on the frame, it seemed to me that my old bike was longer than the one I rode or could it be that my backside is a lot heavier than it used to be with the result that my body's Of G has moved backwards :-) It's certainly true that modern road bikes have far shorter wheel bases than older bikes, but mountain bikes still have relatively long wheel bases. The rest of the geometry and also handlebar position may have something to do with it (it's so easy to pull back hard on the bars), but it's mainly down to the low gears. I bet you didn't use such low gears on your old bike. Did you otherwise enjoy the mountain bike? The problem of the wheel lifting could be solved - mainly by just getting used to the bike. I suggest giving it another go just to make sure you don't like that type of bike. I had the same initial experience of wheelying by accident when I first tried them. To cut a long story short I would like to buy a bike similar to the one I used to have. Can anyone recommend a place I can go to be "fitted" for a bike,? we only have a Halfords near here, are they any good or are they just staffed by cluless kids as seem to be the trend in most shops these days. Some Halfords shops with "Bike Hut" departments are quite decent. It will be worth travelling to the nearest old fashioned bike shop as well. For the bike, a tourer might do well, or you could even track down an old second hand frame of exactly the type you had (or even same model) and rebuild it with modern components. That would be expensive (although cost would be reduced by using another used bike for parts) but you might be happier with the final result. Just an idea. ~PB |
#8
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I'm thinking of buying a bike.
"James Annan" wrote in message
... That's easy then, you want a tourer, probably a Dawes Galaxy, at least something similar. On the premise that Dawes Galaxy is rarely the wrong answer to "which bike" I will agree :-) Also check Edinburgh Cycle Co-Operative, Orbit and Thorn, all of whom are turning out nicely specified and reasonably priced bikes. -- Guy === WARNING: may contain traces of irony. Contents may settle after posting. http://www.chapmancentral.com |
#9
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I'm thinking of buying a bike.
I came back to cycling at about 60.
Thoroughly recommend a tourer type. Dawes Horizon is good IMHO, but Edinburgh bike co-op, do same bike as an own label, a bit cheaper. My wife and I crossed from Biarritz to Perpiganan last autumn, staying in logis and classy B & Bs. Credit card touring is great. You could keep an eye on e-bay to see what is on offer, and cycling plus is also a good source of second hand road / tourers. If closeness of experience ( age / touring France) is of any relevance do make direct contact. Roger "Erdefen" wrote in message ... Tony W wrote: An indication of your location would help. Mid Wales As would an idea of what sort of riding you think you will be doing. For example country lanes, bike paths & bridleways, TT & racing etc. Bit old for TT and racing :-), country lanes I think tar mac surfaces mainly. Some more information on you, your fitness & interests would also help. Bike is neccesary to increase fitness, would eventually hope to tour in France. And an indication of budget. Budget not that important within reason, say Max approx 1000 Pounds but would hope to pay less. I am sure much helpful advice will be forthcoming -- but a bit more base data will allow the advice to be more carefully targeted. T Many thanks for replying so promptly, yes you are quite right I should have offered more information. Regards Erdefen -- (Antispam, drop pants to EMail) All outgoing Emails checked for Virus with Norton. |
#10
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I'm thinking of buying a bike.
Since nobody else seems to have done this I thought I'd post the url
for Dawes web site. http://www.dawescycles.com/ Have a look at that and you should get an idea of what types of bikes are available. Buying over the web is probably not a good idea if you don't know _exactly_ what you are looking for. A local bike shop is a much better resource, although it's a good idea to go to a couple of different ones and give your business to the one that gives you the best impression. Not all LBSs are created equal. There's no harm doing a bit of research before you go. As most of the other posters said, a touring bike sounds like the sort of thing you are looking for. These will be very similar in design and handling to your old bike I would think. Modern racing bikes tend to be a lot more skittish and not generally suitable for loading up with things like mudguards and bags. An audax bike is kind of a halfway house between the two. It compromises between the speed of a racer and the comfort and flexibility of a tourer. Hybrid bikes are a compromise between a mountain (all all terrain) bike and a racer/tourer. They are better designed for road travel than an ATB but have the wide tyres and low gears that make them better able to handle the occassional excursion away from any sort of pavement. Maybe I'm wrong but I kind of got the impression that you were dubious about the amount of gears on the MTB you tried out. You can get fixed gear bikes these days but they are for fairly specialised purposes, I wouldn't think about that if I were you. Gear changing levers are very easy to use nowadays and having a wide array of them should mean you can ride at a fairly comfortable pace in almost all wind conditions and/or gradients. It won't take you long to get used to having them. Eric. |
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