Cycling Thread - All Peddlers and Pedallers welcome.

[VivaLeBeaver]

Have started a new thread as the other one is very nearly full.

Anyone got any hints n tips for bike trailer to carry a 3/4yr old? My DD is nearly 3 and getting too big for the Hamax bike seat but not big enough for our tag along, so I'm wondering about getting a bike trailer to cover the next 12-18mths cycling.

Hi Rudy,
Good to hear you are shopping about! oH had a Boardman full carbon frame and did rate it ( but did get a deal via cycle to work) - but has since moved on to full carbon Orbea- so not a bad choice at all . My first hybrid was a Boardman and lovely as it was, gears on my Bianchi road bike (which are Campagnolo) are fab and really do reiterate engineering.
also on my Bianchi - happy to ride in drops all day long so sign of a good fit.
Ultimately go with what makes you feel happy! All best!

Hi all, my bike research brought me to this thread and its predecessor :) Have read through most of the posts, thank you for sharing your experiences!

I want to get back into cycling, I currently have a really old MTB which I now know is far too heavy and needs so much work I don't think it's worth repairing (wheels and gears need repairing). I did however somehow manage to do 20km on it the other day and kept up with my mate who was on her shiny new Trek, but it was really hard work!!!

I want to buy a hybrid bike, have looked on Gumtree etc but nothing is jumping out at me.

My maximum budget is ~£500 (ideally less than £450) and my criteria are:

• comfort
• as light as possible for the money (I'm avoiding ones with suspension, I don't need it anyway)
• as quick as possible for the money (related to the above)
• 700c tyres, ideally 2.8cm wide (can you feel much difference between 2.8 and 3.2?)

I will mostly be using the bike for commuting in London, leisure rides (on the road, again probably in and around London) at the weekend and the occasional off-road leisure ride through woods, up hills and the like. Nothing too rough and ready.

I went into Evans the other day but the guy didn't want to show me anything other than their own brand so I came out feeling none the wiser. He said that the components are higher-spec than other brands costing the same. Also said that the small frame was too small for me (I'm 5'2" with 28.5" inside leg).

I've been doing some Internet research and it looks like Trek and Specialized are my best bets. As far as I can tell, Trek hybrid bikes generally look to be more MTB-style, am I right?

With that in mind I think the Specialized Vita looks like something I should try out. Any thoughts? Are there other bikes which better fit my criteria for the same sort of money?

Not sure about step-through (many of the Specialized ones seem to come in that variant), does this affect the ride in any way or purely make it more comfy to hop on and off?

I know the only way is to sit on a few and try them out but I'm kind of struggling with the amount of choice. Any help you could give would be much appreciated!

:)

I bought a specialized vita in March and I've been pleased with it. I too had an old mtb bike (18yrs old) with road tyres on it but it wasn't too heavy as had been good make. The vita I bought xs frame I think based on the spec online, I'm nearly 5ft3 but I think the frame may have been a bit small. I didn't try it before i bought it because no one locally stocked it. I used freeborn bikes in Horsham. I did spend another £100 setting it up with higher stem riser for the handle bars, adding on water bottle rack, mud guard at back fixings for my computer and lights..... My lovely DH spent easily a day in total over few days tinkering for me . I think specialized must restrict which bike shops they supply? As my local ones didn't stock them? I would recommend going to a shop to try some even if it's not the make you want it will help you work out what you do and don't like on a bike and the bits you can tinker with. My saddle slides back n forth and tilts up and down , it is a hard saddle but now I prefer it to my old gel one. I commute to work doing between 40-60miles a week and I recently did a 100k sportive ride on it. The only problem I've had is a clickly pedal as they quite cheap the ones supplied but I'm waiting for SPD ones to arrive tomorrow so I'm hoping that will solve the problem. Good luck with your search

And it's a step through which I love! I still ride my old bike as it has the child seat attached but I prefer the vita with step through.

The tyres on the vita won't cope with off road. I've done a cycle path with some gravel parts and it was bit unstable com paired to mtb bike tyres. It is a Tarmac bike I think.

Thanks for your insight, ssmile! Does the Vita feel fast? That's the main thing on my wish list I think.

Interesting that it won't go off-road. That limits my options a bit but I guess the tyres can be changed...

There are some Specialized shops in London which I hope carry lots of stock/demo bikes so I am going to have a look :)

Cheers Rudy, how speedy is it on the road? Does it have suspension and, if so, does this add much to the weight?

Hello bike enthusiasts! :o
I'm a lifelong cyclist who has lapsed a little in the past few years but suddenly got all enthusiastic again!

I have a specialized road bike and a heavy old mountain bike which I'm considering replacing with a specialized mountain bike, probably the Jett.

I'm rather keen on the idea of 29 inch wheels and disc brakes but have never used either...has anyone on here had a go?

Hi cyclists!

I am fairly new to the world of cycling but loving it now. It is pretty much the only exercise I am allowed to do due to really dodgy knees.

I have a specialized hardrock mountain bike and a Trek road bike which I love. my DH has bought me shoes and clipless pedals as an early birthday present but I am a bit scared of them at the minute. Anyone with any advice?

I was due to do a sportive earlier in the year, but ended up in hospital with appendicitis the day before, only just got back on my bike this week since that.

Hi emmalou I lost the thread for a while found it again now.
Did you try out your clip ins? I got someaabout 6wks ago and really like them but I still have limits in using them. I did my first timed sportive yesterday. ...and got a medal ..but with only 4mins to spare after 3.5hrs of riding! I was a bit slow as hadn't done any proper rides in the school hols. With my clip ins I couldn't stay in with both feet going up hills. I cant get a foot out when wobbling off in steep bits so I kept right foot in and left foot out on hills. I wasn't fit enough on the mega steep Devon hills so knew I couldn't make it up without stopping (I could barely walk up the last hill!!) So keep practicing with your shoes.
Anyone still riding? Its gone rather quiet on here lately. Anyone know when Aldi getting their winter cycle kit in? I got some good stuff in there last year.

I lost this thread as well!

Not cycled over the summer holidays but have been out twice this week.

I think the Aldi stuff is normally in sept.....off the top of my head I think it was about third week in sept last year. So soon hopefully.

can anyone recommend a bike for an old biddy who is considering biking to work and who hasn't been on a bike for 40+ years
am I too old for this?
quite fancy a bike à la call the midwife!!

Mariscochick I'm a road bike rider so can't help with your question but hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be along.

Just wanted to let everyone know that Aldi cycling stuff is back on Thursday.

No, you're not too old.

Beware of style over quality. I think some bikes like the Pashley bikes and similar are quite heavy and not very well geared. Maybe ok if its a mile on the flat but I don't think that you'd be inspired to ride distances for pleasure and if you'd make even a short commute harder than necessary.

Ridgebacks are meant to be ok

Hi Mariso, there are a lot of Pashley a likes that are much lighter than the originals.

Although beautiful, Pashleys tend to be very heavy.

I hadn't been on a bike for about a decade before I got really into it, I practised a bit off road and it was fine.

Sigh, miss my bike (DS2 is four and a half weeks), can't wait to get back in the saddle...

Hello! Sorry I am sort of resurrecting a thread which hasn't been posted on for a while

My DP has just bought me a lovely Bianchi road bike because I'm totally jealous of how much weight he's lost and how much fun he's been having since he took up cycling. I'm far too nervous to go out on the road straight away so I'm going to try and get my fitness up (from literally nothing) and my weight down (from a hell of a lot) over the winter using his turbo trainer, then hopefully venture out in the spring.

Is anyone still around? I'd be very keen on some tips for a beginner

Try venturing out on a Breeze ride or a Skyride. Look at British Cycling website to find one in your area. I really enjoy going out with the breeze group in my area. There are plenty of organised rides for beginners. Good luck and dont leave the bike indoors for too long

Ooh someone's still here hello! Thanks for the reply. They do Sky rides here in Leeds but I'm moving out to the moors next month (the hills are RIDICULOUS!). I will look up the breeze ones too

It takes a while to master hills. The trick is to use as much down ward motion as you can from going downhill in a high gear and then keep changing gear as you climb. However, there is no shame in pushing your bike Try and aim to do 5 miles and work up to 10. As you get fitter youwill be doing 10 miles in an hour easily. Honestly, its amazing the number of miles you can cover on a bike. However, I have not been on mine for 3 weeks due to a chest infection so I know its going to hurt when I do!