Cycling to work..

Strider590

sequence wrote: »

I agree - no point buying an expensive bike if you're going to give up after a week because the traffic is too scary. Where do you think these second hand bargains come from :rotfl:

To the OP - Is there anyone you can lend a bike from for a week perhaps ?

More likely to give up if the bike is uncomfortable, unstable and heavy.
Sooooo borrowing such a bike is not going to give an accurate impression... Surely?

alocin

I would recommend finding an independent cycle repair shop or one of those schemes where charities recondition old bikes and sell them on; most areas seem to have at least one. Then you get the value of buying secondhand - like cars, new bikes drop loads in value once you get them out of the "showroom" - but you also have the knowledge that trained mechanics have checked the bike over, replaced worn-out parts, etc so you're safely not buying a lemon. Or with ebay/gumtree the likelihood that your friendly seller actually nicked the bike the day before from outside a shop or someone's back garden.

Tom_Jones

thescouselander wrote: »

Not very good advice - those are very good bikes but extremely expensive and the OP doesn't even know if they will keep up the cycling yet - how many people buy bikes and end up just leaving them in the shed?

I'd say go for a cheaper bike first and then if the OP really gets into it they could think of getting a really good bike. Even the cheaper bikes can last many years if looked after properly. To be honest you do pay a bit of a premium for the brand name with the likes of Trek etc.

You obviously know naff all about cycling then ? If you buy a cheap bike, you'll find it heavy, it will break easily, it will cost more to repair, and will probably demotivate the person riding easily. Buy a decent bike and most of the problems go away, and the fact you have paid decent money for a bike motivates people. If you pay £100 for a bike you will leave it in a shed, if you pay £500 for a bike you will be less likley to give up IMO.

sickofusernames

I'd love to buy myself a racer but i'm too scared of trying to squeeze my backside into lycra :rotfl:

Personally I still ride my 5 yr old Dawes Stony Ridge mountain bike, only front suspension, with semi slicks on as they help on the road instead of knobbly's.

DermotFlanigan

Whats the OP?

Mids_Costcutter

alocin wrote: »

I would recommend finding an independent cycle repair shop or one of those schemes where charities recondition old bikes and sell them on; most areas seem to have at least one.

I don't know where the OP is in South Wales (it's a big place), but there is a project in Cardiff ran by Cycle Training Wales that refurbishes unwanted bikes and resells. They have a bike sale on on 2 April:

http://cycletrainingwales.org.uk/events/bike-sale

DermotFlanigan

I went to my local bike shop on the weekend.. I've got a 2nd hand bike....

New tyres, new chain, new pedals and service for £60 I will see how the cycling goes over the next few months...

If I get into it, I will invest in a new bike Thanks for all the advice

JQ.

Brilliant news. Good luck with it all.

You'll be back in a few months asking for advice on upgrading the bike as you've got hooked.

TiTheRev

Lol, hope you enjoy it! Very MSE

DermotFlanigan

I got to work quicker than in the car!

Needed to pop to work for a bottle of water though haha