Cycling OSers

frosty

I have just bought a bike off ebay ,I am going to cheat a bit(its electric)due to health reasons,so I can pedal for a while and then when I need a bit of help I can switch to electric.

kittiwoz

The person who asked about where to buy bike accesories online:

Argos have some cheap stuff. My lock and helmet are from there as well as my panniers but I bought some cheap lights from there and really regreted it. I actually tried a few sets which where either really dim or ate batteries at an alarming rates resutling in them dying on you in the middle of a dark evening. Particularly worrying since though I mainly cycle on the road I often take a pedestrian route which goes through a narrow gate and under a pair of railway arches where there is no lighting. I would really recommend the bright light LED type since thery're much brighter and use less batteries. I also like that they are small because I can detach them and put them in my bag or pockets when I park my bike in town so they won't get stolen. I bought some with inbuilt parabolic reflectors from http://www.withingtoncycles.co.uk/ I didn't do much research into where was best or cheapest though. I just bought from there because it's local to me.

halia

okay this thread is ages old but its worht a shot anyway. I'm thinking of getting a bike trailer (tag along trailer) fo rmy bike. At the moment I have a child seat for my 2 and a bit yr old but hate it for several reasons;
1 Small Fry can get out of the straps
2 It unbalances the bike something rotten
3 It means I can't carry anything else - not even a rucksack because he is behind me and therefore he is too close to the bag
4 When I get to shops/park I have to carry him or try and get him to walk as I have no buggy.

So my questions are:
how stable are they?
how escape proof are they?
what about pollution/ mud kick up etc?
Do cars give you a decent berth?
Where can i get one cheaper than £200?

kezz

Hi, We are having transport problems within the family.
My son goes to college 9 miles away and it would take 3 bus es to get him there and cost a small fortune. I take him at the moment and have been doing so for the last year. It would be lovely for him to be a bit more independent.
Is and 18 mile round journey excessive to cycle if he built up to ?
He has no cycling experience so would have to go on a course of some kind. Any advice would be really appreciated.
Kerry

halia

Kez, I'd say he will find it a bit much for at least a year unless he is fit already or is prepared to really work at it.

The biggest difficulty most people (including me) have with a long bike ride into work/study is that whilst 9 miles on a sunny day with no cares i easy 9 miles in winter in the rain with a heavy bag load of books and a class to get to is quite another thing. It also takes about an hour each way (yes you can bike faster but when you allow for traffic averaging 9 miles an hour is good going)

I'd definitly recomend learning to cycle - dont' know of any courses though we all learnt the old fashioned way with a mate/dad/big sister running behind the bike holding on until you got your balance sorted out! But if he can't ride at all now I wouldn't see it as a way to get to college. Can you think about a small moped instead? £500 should get you one and that would give him independance. I know thats a huge lot of cash but if he takes care of it the moped will last 5 yrs+ so thats only £100/yr (plus insurance etc).

If on the other hand he is keen to get fit or already works out or plays sport then go for it - sell it to him as alternative training. Mkae sure he has decent gear - a good bike for daily use will set you back about £200+, lights, pannairs are a necesity for commuting, relfective gear, wet weather gear, repair kit and I'd suggest biking clothes and then change clothes at college.

nick_b

halia wrote: »

okay this thread is ages old but its worht a shot anyway. I'm thinking of getting a bike trailer (tag along trailer) fo rmy bike. At the moment I have a child seat for my 2 and a bit yr old but hate it for several reasons;
1 Small Fry can get out of the straps
2 It unbalances the bike something rotten
3 It means I can't carry anything else - not even a rucksack because he is behind me and therefore he is too close to the bag
4 When I get to shops/park I have to carry him or try and get him to walk as I have no buggy.

So my questions are:
how stable are they?
how escape proof are they?
what about pollution/ mud kick up etc?
Do cars give you a decent berth?
Where can i get one cheaper than £200?

I'd be interested in advice about this too, as I'm interested in getting one for my son. I've seen plenty for under £200, but the really nice ones are a bit more. Some can be detached from the bike and used as a buggy. These are very nice, but I don't know if I could justify the cost.

Penelope_Penguin

kezz wrote: »

Hi, We are having transport problems within the family.
My son goes to college 9 miles away and it would take 3 bus es to get him there and cost a small fortune. I take him at the moment and have been doing so for the last year. It would be lovely for him to be a bit more independent.
Is and 18 mile round journey excessive to cycle if he built up to ?
He has no cycling experience so would have to go on a course of some kind. Any advice would be really appreciated.
Kerry

Hi, a 9-mile trip shouldn't be too difficult for your son, if he's of average fitness. I took up cycling about 7 years ago, after a break of around 15 years. I started on journeys of around 13 miles, and apart from some light *saddle soreness* no ill effects.

Another issue will be - has he somewhere to shower and change once he gets to college?

I'm sure he'll be delighted to have some independence.

Penny. x

kezz

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

Hi, a 9-mile trip shouldn't be too difficult for your son, if he's of average fitness. I took up cycling about 7 years ago, after a break of around 15 years. I started on journeys of around 13 miles, and apart from some light *saddle soreness* no ill effects.

Another issue will be - has he somewhere to shower and change once he gets to college?

I'm sure he'll be delighted to have some independence.

Penny. x

Hi Thanks for the replies. I am quite ashamed to say that he is not very fit which is one of the reasons Id like him to cycle. I wouldnt expect him to cycle to college straight away, I know he would have to build up to it gradually. I would start cycling to work too and thought we could train together as I would eventually be taking my four year old with me either in a seat or trailer. We are a family of couch potatoes and really need to change our ways. I need to lead by example.

Im sure my sons college has showers as they have sports facilities

headintheclouds

Hi,

I am thinking very seriously of buying a bike. I am a terrible cyclist but I have decided that I need to go for it and improve. I will probably use it for mostly local trips, on cycle paths where possible, and perhaps the occasional outing along a canal towpath or disused railway line.

I'd really appreciate any tips as to what I should look for. I haven't had a bike since I was a child. My "problem" is that I have very long legs - about 35" inside leg (and I'm a girl!), and I want a ladies' bike - not a crossbar one. I've never used more than 3 gears - how many do I really need?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

mum26

nick_b wrote: »

I'd be interested in advice about this too, as I'm interested in getting one for my son. I've seen plenty for under £200, but the really nice ones are a bit more. Some can be detached from the bike and used as a buggy. These are very nice, but I don't know if I could justify the cost.

Toys r us has one of the trailers that you can use as a buggy at your destination on special offer at the moment, I think it is under £80!

I got my double trailer from ebay from a german seller, they now do the type that you can use as a buggy as well like this:


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Jogger-and-children-s-bicycle-trailer-in-one-D1-T19_W0QQitemZ230149493608QQihZ013QQcategoryZ98932QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem