FAO people who know about bikes

Dan_Gleebitz

geri1965 wrote: »

And that one looks cool

I like my bike but it's blue.

How about this really, really cool option of the same bike.

http://www.bikes2udirect.com/B3235.html?mv_pc=gp1

Dan.

sequence

The reason you keep hearing that hybrids are so much better is simply because so many people ride supermarket Y frame £69.99 specials with barely inflated tyres, these bikes are atrocious POS that cannot be described as being a bike. Any hybrid will seem good compared to these.

The Marin is good, I wouldn't bother with this hybrid, just get some slicks.

Billy-no-Money

One of my son's friends has a Claud Butler Urban 200 I think, and it feels surprisingly good quality - he gives it some abuse and it keeps coming back for more.

Regarding differences between this and a mountain bike, the things that stand out to me are:
- Rigid forks, much less energy-draining than most suspension forks - don't worry about them being steel, that's pretty normal with aluminium frames. As the tyres are 35mm they'll provide plenty of cushioning for most roads and cycle paths.

- Gearing - this has three rings at the front, with 28, 38 and 48 teeth respectively. I find this about right for road use - a typical mountain bike would have smaller front rings and hence lower gears.

As someone else has said though - the wheels only have 24 spokes, which on a bike at this price is likely to make them vulnerable to pothole damage. I'd look for a 36-spoke wheel instead.

Also consider things like mudguards and a rack - e.g. the Claud Butler Windermere has those and is £235 at that site (I don't know if it's any good though!).

Finally - consider whether you really need a women's specific frame - unless you're going to be riding in a skirt you might find more choice if you look at bikes with 'compact' frames - these days the difference between 'mens' and 'womens' is often just the sizing of the frame.

[Edit: The Marin looks at least as good though, bung some Schwalbe City Jets on and it might be better - but the suspension forks and low gearing (22-32-42) still might annoy you]

geri1965_2

Dan_Gleebitz wrote: »

How about this really, really cool option of the same bike.

http://www.bikes2udirect.com/B3235.html?mv_pc=gp1

Dan.

Ooh no, I couldn't ride a pink bike! I am not really a "girly" girl.

Billy-no-Money, that is an interesting point about mens -v- womens frame, I used to ride a small man's bike but I changed over as it was getting trickier to hoist my leg over the crossbar. Although they say handlebars etc. are better proportioned on a women's bike I haven't noticed *that* much difference.

I have the Schwalbe landcruiser tyres, I find them ideal for my commute which although mostly on tarmac does have a lot of potholes/cobbled streets and is quite rough.

thelawnet

TBH if you've already got a bike, then spending £200 on a new one is not really the best idea, they are pretty cheap and nasty at that price, which is fine for a first bike, but if you've already got a bike, it's rather pointless.

Try a second-hand bike - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-Carrera-Subway-2-Ladies-Mountain-Bike-19-Frame-/300538898730 - sold for £92 as an example

Billy-no-Money

thelawnet wrote: »

TBH if you've already got a bike, then spending £200 on a new one is not really the best idea, they are pretty cheap and nasty at that price, which is fine for a first bike, but if you've already got a bike, it's rather pointless.

Try a second-hand bike - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-Carrera-Subway-2-Ladies-Mountain-Bike-19-Frame-/300538898730 - sold for £92 as an example

Get your point - but there's cheap and nasty and cheap and nasty. I don't think the Claud Butler bikes fall into that category, not when there's the likes of Universal, Halfords' Apollo and Trax ranges, Dunlop-badged monstrosities and whatever tat Argos and Tesco's are selling!

These Claud Butlers are a significant step up from a full-suspension Apollo.......

thelawnet

Billy-no-Money wrote: »

Get your point - but there's cheap and nasty and cheap and nasty. I don't think the Claud Butler bikes fall into that category, not when there's the likes of Universal, Halfords' Apollo and Trax ranges, Dunlop-badged monstrosities and whatever tat Argos and Tesco's are selling!

These Claud Butlers are a significant step up from a full-suspension Apollo.......

Sure, but the components are still cheapo ones, Shimano don't even advertise Acera on their website, the tyres are cheap, and the X-Flow chainset is not much cop either. They will work, but it doesn't look like an upgrade to me....

geri1965_2

It's only £200 because it's last year's model, think they were about £300 or so full price.

I'm not going to bother with it, the spokes thing has put me off. I need to have a bike that's sturdy.

I'll stick with mine until it gets stolen, I think (which it is bound to, I've had four or five stolen now).