Hybrid bicycle for commuting and one long ride!

jaffacakegal

Hi everyone,

Heres the thing. I've been thinking for a while that I want to try commuting to work by bicycle. Haven't ridden for years but wanted to try as my car is unreliable and petrol prices are mad. It will be 6 miles each way on normal roads.

Well my friend has signed us up for a 60 mile bike ride for charity in July, so my need to buy a bike has just got a lot greater! I am going to train by commuting at least twice a week by bike, and going for long rides down canal etc at weekends.

I have been looking at hybrids, in particular the Viking Vitesse and Viking Prelude. I want something simple, comfortable, pretty (so I will want to ride it!) and most of all as cheap as possible! I know you get what you pay for but I just don't have the money right now! And I don't understand the technical part so I don't want to mess about changing stuff on an expensive model!

Has anyone got any thought on this brand or any suggestions?

Thanks for any help

TiTheRev

There have been at least 2 Hybrid bike threads in the last week, check there for the same advice!

Never heard of Viking, so i'd steer clear unless it's going to be a short-lived change of lifestyle. Try Decathlon bikes, Subway (Halfords) range or eBay for a good 2nd hand one that someone else no longer wants after having a similar idea to get fit/commute!

lisyloo

Why don't you get a cheap second hand one to start off with? (from trade-it or ebay).
You might find you don't enjoy it or the traffic is terrible for cycling or it hurts your knees or something.

Strider590

lisyloo wrote: »

or it hurts your knees or something.

Only if the saddle is too low.....

It's worth mentioning now that while incompetent cycle retailers (Halfrauds/etc) will size a bike up so that the riders feet are flat to the floor, this is wrong and it should be sized up so that the knee is slight bend when the foot of that leg is on the pedal. If you can put both feet down when you stop, then the saddle is too low or the bike is too small and you'll do damage to your knee's with long term use.

TiTheRev

Strider590 wrote: »

Only if the saddle is too low.

...or too near the handlebars!

no_more_cards_for_me

Don't buy a hybrid.

Second hand is a good idea, to try out whether you like it and what the traffic is like.

Going to a local bike store will help you get the right size. You don't need to buy a bike there but you could try out different types.

6 miles should be easy, if your going down canals then either a mountain bike with slicks or a cyclocross bike might be a good choice. If you want to use for distance as well then cyclocross (modified road bike with semi off road tyres) is more suitable.

Eventually you will want a road bike

sequence

Cycling will make you appreciate what good value a car is - nice, comfortable, warm, and safe! Not so expensive after all

But, I'd by a second hand bike if I were you, don't buy any with suspension, though.

ventureuk

There are six bikes in my garage, four are mine the others belong to my wife and daughter, I ride 100 miles a week on average in all weathers, on the roads, towpaths and in the mud.

For someone like you and for what you need I can heartily recommend this bike from Decathlon.

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/original-5-red-172073022/#INFO-DETAIL

We saw them all over the Loire Valley in France a couple of years ago, they were being used as rental bikes for women on cycle tours and my wife like the look of it so we bought one to add to our collection.

It is lighter than many people would expect being made of aluminium, has some front suspension to soak up the bumps, is very well priced, well made, has a great warranty and the shape of the frame means it is superbly comfortable over distance. It comes with tyres suitable for the road or dirt tracks/towpaths and those all important mudguards for when it rains.

My daughter rode it in the Dales a couple of weekends ago on some light trails with me on a rather expensive mountain bike, it didn't bat an eyelid and she almost matched my pace over the rougher stuff.

Decathlon are an excellent company, customer service is superb, the staff are friendly and helpful.

You won't find a better bike, with backup, warranty and knowledgeable sales staff for under £200.

jaffacakegal

Thanks for the help. I had looked at previous threads but it was getting technical and too expensive for me! I have been looking at ebay but I really think I need to try a couple out as I'm not sure what size I need!

Will definitely look at the Decathlon bikes tho, especially if they are helpful! Need all the help I can get!

I am hoping to make a permanent lifestyle change, but obviously can't be sure I will take to it. Tho I did say I would never join a gym and I now go at least twice a week and really enjoy it so you never know!

shimmy-shang

I've used a Specialized Sirrus for years on commuting every day (cycle paths, canal paths, roads etc) with no probs - get some Shwalbe Marathon Plus tyres though and forget about punctures!

The Boardman hybrids (from Halfords) have a good rep and like the Specialized you can find some of the 2010 models on sale at bargain prices at the moment (hopefully!).

The Decathlon road bikes also have a good rep I don't know about the hybrids.

http://www.bikeradar.com is a good place for advice, lots of commuter cyclists on there, good luck!

thescouselander

Strider590 wrote: »

Only if the saddle is too low.....

It's worth mentioning now that while incompetent cycle retailers (Halfrauds/etc) will size a bike up so that the riders feet are flat to the floor, this is wrong and it should be sized up so that the knee is slight bend when the foot of that leg is on the pedal. If you can put both feet down when you stop, then the saddle is too low or the bike is too small and you'll do damage to your knee's with long term use.

Ah yes, it never takes long to get to a bit of halfords bashing. The fact is they are the biggest bike retailer in the UK. Many of the staff are knowledgeable and enthusiastic - I actually find my local store pretty good. Of course they might not all be that good but generally I find people who make comments like this are cycling snobs and bike shop owners. You can get some good deals in halfords - just avoid their Apollo bikes.