New bike or old?

VoucherMan

I've been procrastinating for a while now, so I've decided to seek some other opinions/recommendations.

I'm not a great fan of exercise, but appreciate it's importance, so decided it was time to rescue my bike from the damp cellar where it's be stuck for most of the last 6 years. There were quite a few bits of rust on it, but nothing of any importance, at least not now I've cleaned it up.

Though I enjoy going out for a ride ( there's some good cycleways & quiet roads around here) I've yet to convince myself to go out more often. This is where the new bike comes in. I know if I got another bike I'd use it quite often, just because I've spent the money, and I want a return from it.
On the other hand, I could keep my old bike, maybe replace a few bits on it, including the handlebars which I'm not keen on, and get some 'toys' like a bike or helmet cam that I've been thinking about.

My latest point of procrastination, after cycling to the local Halfords store today, was about whether a new bike would actually be beneficial. An older bike may be slower and have more resistance, but from an exercise point of view that has to be a good thing?

My existing bike, which I got about 10 years ago, mainly to go for rides with the kids, is a Ridgeback MX2 (MD/19") - I can't find the specs of this model, but may be similar to the current MX2

The 2 possible replacements I've looked at so far

Claud Butler Urban 300

Carrera Crossfire 2

So really I'm after view/opinions on 2 things.

1) Considering my current intentions (an outdoor exercise machine), is there likely to be any benefit from a new bike? Certainly if I do decide to go for longer/more frequent rides then a proper road bike will be a definite consideration, but I'm not expecting that to happen.

2) Which of the bikes would you consider best, or is there something better for a similar (<£300) price?

The Carrera has disc brakes and suspension, neither of which I think are of any real use to me. Apart from that, most of the spec means little to me.

parking_question_chap

Irrespective of wether new or old, if your biggest motivation to cycle is that you have spent a decent amount of money on a bike, you might not keep it up that long.

In your situation I would get something second hand. If you make a habit of cycling you can always upgrade and you will recoup most of your money reselling on a used cycle.

Dont get suspension, its a massive energy waste.

AndyBSG

In all honesty, new or old really depends on the condition of your current bike.

How rusty are the gear cogs and chain? I would suspect that having been out of commission for so long you would need a new rear and front cassette with chain.

Wheel bearings will probably also need servicing, brake cables replacing and the rubber on the tyres will probably be heavily aged and also need replacing.

So, front and rear cassette, two new tyres, new cables, possible new inner tubes, new chain and a basic service will all bring the cost up to quite a bit more than the bike is probably worth.

Personally, i'd say ride the bike you've got until something on it really breaks then buy a new one.

No point repairing the bike you have and no point buying a brand new bike until you are sure you're going to keep it up(amount of friends I know who've bought an expensive bike then two months later it's sitting in the shed gathering dust is ridiculous!).

If a few weeks down the line you are still cycling then look at a new bike.

As for the ones you've listed, the Claude Butler looks like a decent bike but you could probably get something comparable for a little cheaper.

The Crossfire I would say no to because of the suspension.

As you'll see myself and others on here saying time and time again... Suspension is only for if you are doing real off road mountain/hill riding with lots of drops and jumps. Otherwise you are just adding a lot of weight, additional cost, something else that can break and something that will bleed energy and slow you down(also, if you're looking at suspension on a bike costing less than £500 it will be very heavy, cheap and nasty)

Also, don't underestimate disc brakes... In wet weather the difference in braking distance is very noticeable.

All of the following may be worth a look

Halfords Carerra Subway
Halfords Boardman Hybrid
Giant Escape
Claud Butler El Camino
Claud Butler Urban
Dawes Discovery
Cannondale Quick

Herbalus

My current plan is that I've promised myself a proper (£1k+ perhaps, who knows) bike when I've satisfied myself that I'll use it. I've got a miles target for the end of the year which is my benchmark for moving from occasional to regular use. I'm going for 80 miles a week (none at weekends) on a serviceable but old piece of junk I picked up for £20. If I do that then perhaps I'll treat myself. That's my way of establishing whether I'd use the bike. Can't spend money and then not use it, especially now winter is the next 6 months. Just an idea

SailorSam

It's a long time since i went out on my bike, it was only a cheap Townsend and i found it hard work so i went to Halfords a few weeks ago and treated myself to a Carrera Parva. I wasn't sore if it was like buying a car and asked how much they'd give me in part-exchange for the old one. But they don't do that.
Hope now to get out a bit more.

Bean_Counter

I bought myself this bike recently, and for under £200 have been happy with it. I use it at weekends (if the weather is OK) for cycle routes and quiet roads the same as you are intending to do.

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/road-bikes/carrera-tdf-mens-ltd-road-bike

Nasqueron

Herbalus wrote: »

My current plan is that I've promised myself a proper (£1k+ perhaps, who knows) bike when I've satisfied myself that I'll use it. I've got a miles target for the end of the year which is my benchmark for moving from occasional to regular use. I'm going for 80 miles a week (none at weekends) on a serviceable but old piece of junk I picked up for £20. If I do that then perhaps I'll treat myself. That's my way of establishing whether I'd use the bike. Can't spend money and then not use it, especially now winter is the next 6 months. Just an idea

I like cycling a lot and I have to push myself to do that much a week (around 15m round trip commute 2-3x a week and going out at the weekend). Managing 16m a day without weekend cycling is a good target certainly but unless you are commuting then as winter sets in it will be hard to keep forcing yourself out each day. Do try and do weekend cycling as well so it becomes more enjoyment than chore

Richard53

An old clunker will always be a misery to ride. A new one will be so much more pleasurable and rewarding that you will ride more.


As above, forget suspension (if you can avoid it at this price level - most seem to have it for marketing reasons). Heavy and you waste energy with every pedal stroke. Front suspension if you must, but not rear. And disc brakes are brilliant and a worthwhile addition to any bike.

• Easier to keep in adjustment
• Unaffected by rain and mud
• Don't cover your rim and tyre with black gloop in wet weather
• You can still ride with a bent wheel
• Awesome stopping power.

Downside it they are slightly heavier, but it's a compromise I am happy to make.

Nasqueron

Richard53 wrote: »

An old clunker will always be a misery to ride. A new one will be so much more pleasurable and rewarding that you will ride more.


As above, forget suspension (if you can avoid it at this price level - most seem to have it for marketing reasons). Heavy and you waste energy with every pedal stroke. Front suspension if you must, but not rear. And disc brakes are brilliant and a worthwhile addition to any bike.

• Easier to keep in adjustment
• Unaffected by rain and mud
• Don't cover your rim and tyre with black gloop in wet weather
• You can still ride with a bent wheel
• Awesome stopping power.

Downside it they are slightly heavier, but it's a compromise I am happy to make.

Hydraulic disc brakes yes, cable disc are no better than rim (I ride with both) in terms of stopping power.

I also find rim brakes easier to adjust and change pads on vs disc brakes as you need to tweak the pads and grips and I've found it regularly needs a reset to stop squealing

They are not really affected by rain but they are with mud just as rim brakes are, it can gunk up in the pads!

VoucherMan

Thanks for the comments/suggestions. I'm not sure whether I've made up my mind or not yet.

AndyBSG wrote: »

i'd say ride the bike you've got until something on it really breaks then buy a new one.

It makes sense, but I still need to convince myself.

How rusty are the gear cogs and chain? I would suspect that having been out of commission for so long you would need a new rear and front cassette with chain.

Wheel bearings will probably also need servicing, brake cables replacing and the rubber on the tyres will probably be heavily aged and also need replacing.

I've given both wheels a spin. Certainly couldn't hear or see anything to suggest them being worn. Not a definitive test, but enough to keep me happy.

Everything else seems to be in acceptable condition. I'd had the bike out a few times, albeit only to check it over and add some lubrication (I've always used a Teflon lube spray. I assume that's still considered a suitable product) I'm getting a new chain & some brake pads, but not sure I'll need them yet anyway.

No point repairing the bike you have and no point buying a brand new bike until you are sure you're going to keep it up

...the Claude Butler looks like a decent bike but you could probably get something comparable for a little cheaper.

The Crossfire I would say no to because of the suspension.

Also, don't underestimate disc brakes... In wet weather the difference in braking distance is very noticeable.

I've turned into something of a fair weather cyclist, (another excuse for not going out much), which is mainly why I hadn't really considered the benefits of disc brakes. A trend I hope to turn around.

As for some of the other bikes, the Claude Butler was cheaper from my local dealer, just under £300. I was tempted by the Carrera, but the closest store with stock was about 20 miles away.

The more I go out on my bike though, the less tempted I am by the idea of a similar replacement. A lot of the time, even when going up a gentle incline, I stay in top gear. I do still use the other gears a lot, but I'm finding some higher would be good, and I'm sceptical about what I'd get with a newer, budget hybrid.

A better idea, I'm starting to think, would be to use the next few months to increase my fitness on the existing bike. There's still a stretch of hill on my current short circuit that I've not managed to ride all the way up. There's both a national & lengthy regional cycle route quite close too, so plenty of variety for practice.
If I'm still as keen in a few months, probably next spring, I'd be better off getting a road bike than another cheap hybrid. I doubt I'd want to pay much even then, but I'm sure I could get something quite respectable for £500, and then I could just keep the old one for when I wanted to go off road.

I may even be able to get myself up to a good enough standard to join a local cycling group.

Richard53 wrote: »

An old clunker will always be a misery to ride. A new one will be so much more pleasurable and rewarding that you will ride more.

Even though this is similar to to my initial reasons for considering a new bike, I've never considered riding it a misery. After a couple of hours out yesterday, I felt I could happily continue for a few more. Once I'm out it's great, it's just motivating myself to get out there.

Richard53

Nasqueron wrote: »

Hydraulic disc brakes yes, cable disc are no better than rim (I ride with both) in terms of stopping power.

I have both hydraulic and cable, and I find them similar in power and controllability. Both are noticeably better then the V-brakes on my MTB, and streets ahead of the cantis on my last road bike. The big advantage of hydraulic is that apart from changing the pads once in a while, they are fit-and-forget. I love them. The downside is that if you damage them while away from home (damage the pipework, for example), you are goosed, as there is no bodging to be done as you can with a cable.

VoucherMan wrote: »

Even though this is similar to to my initial reasons for considering a new bike, I've never considered riding it a misery. After a couple of hours out yesterday, I felt I could happily continue for a few more. Once I'm out it's great, it's just motivating myself to get out there.

That's great. Crack on, then!