Any bike folk about?

[StatisticallyChallenged]

So, I've not cycled for years. Last year decided to take up cycling, chose a lovely mountain bike from my local independent bike shop. It was nice. It waa comfortable. The saddle didnt make my tail bones cry. And it was purple.

Then DH persuaded me that it would be a waste to buy new, might not use it, bla bla bla. Ended up buying a second hand one from a local guy who claimed to be a bike mechanic.

Well. He wasn't. First time out, 1/4 mile from home and the mis-sized seat post collapses. Badly fractured knee, fractured elbow, week in hospital, months on zimmer and crutches.

But I've decided I need to try again not least because my dd was with me at the time. I'm not getting back on the heap of shit and I'm not risking second hand again so I've signed up for my works cycle to work scheme. I have up to 600 to spend on a new bike but it has to come from evans.

Can anyone help me work out wtf to buy, as it's like a foreign language! I will mainly be using off road cycle tracks and a bit if town cycling but I'm a bit scared of going for anything with narrower tyres than a mountain bike as I'm pretty nervous now. Unsurprisingly...

I'm about 5'5 with relatively long legs and short body. And, well, I'm not exactly light either - size 16. Keep seeing female so if u mtb which are tuned for the lighter rider. That Ain't Me

Can anyone help a lost wannabe cyclist? Apart from not causing broken bones I'd ideally like something vaguely attractive maybe in purple or pink but I realise that's a long shot and not that important.

Portobelly to be fair whilst I wind DH up about it we bought a second hand bike for him at the same time so he was hardly not caring. The bike didn't look dodgy, was a decent enough brand (Giant) and was bought from someone who sounded like he knew what he was talking about. He clearly didn't. DH thought he was doing the right thing starting with second hand as he was worried it would be a flash in the pan and 2 new bikes plus tag bike, locks, helmets etc adds up to a fair amount to waste.

I live in a very hilly city ( I have a vague recollection that ItsAllGoingToBeFine might be local...) so tbh I don't think 5 or 7 gears would be sufficient. I also live on a very uneven cobbled street - I'll be cycling on a mix of that, roads that have so many pot holes they look like they've been shelled, canal towpath (not tarmac), riverside walkway (not tarmac, kind of compressed dirt with stones), old ex railway paths which are a bit of a mix of surfaces, but we do also have some nice hills very close by which I'd like to get fit enough to cycle around.

I know colour shouldn't matter and I thought it was obvious that the colour was fairly tongue in cheek. However, when I'm trying to pluck up the guts to get back on a bike after being seriously injured then if having a bike I like the look of helps me want to do it then tbh I don't care if it's a bit silly.

I'm limited to Evans for shopping because of my work bike scheme, sadly. They're not the best store locally but the savings from buying it this way make it worthwhile.

xposted!

I can't remember if you are local or not but if you are in a city have you checked that there isn't more than one Evans? If so you could maybe go to a bigger one to choose a bike, but do the rest through your local one IYSWIM.

After what you said about cobbles I think front suspension is definitely a good idea. I'm a pretty nervous cyclist, and things like cobbles a big bumps hitting a rigid front end can make the bike feel a bit like it's going out of control as the handlebars bounce round quite hard in your hands.

I agree full suspension would be OTT, but definitely look into a decent suspension seat post - it will make your ride more comfortable. I'm a bit meh about the difference between bigger and wee-er wheels - I think that with the same tyres you wouldnt notice much difference.

You might not be limited to Evans btw.

I bought a c2w bike last year.

We have a similar scheme supposedly limited to one big retailer, but it turns out that a few of the LBS will accept the letter of intent even if it is specific to another retailer.

Also, I got a cyclocross bike, as far as I'm aware you aren't limited to any kind of bike, just needs to be a bike.

Unfortunately I thing our is limited - the actual agreement is with Evans rather than with a more generic scheme. I'll double check that and the cyclocross issue, as the info on our website definitely said BMX were excluded and I'm fairly sure they excluded another type too.

Think there's only one Evans but I'll check ItsAllGoing - I might be wrong about you being local, easy to mix up indyref posters :D I think the cobbles on my street were laid by a drunk person, they're really bad. They were awesome fun on crutches.

I have a hybrid from Evans' own brand - a Pinnacle Lithium - and I lurve it.

I also live in a hilly city with lots of cobbles, and old railway paths (wondering if we're close by now!) and mostly ride it on roads, tarmaced old railway lines, and a bit of bumpier ground - gravelly hilly paths or gravelly canal towpath. It deals with that ground fine.

Cobbles - easier than I expected when I first got the bike and the tyres seemed so skinny compared to the 90s mountain bikes I rode in the past. There's only one bit of my ride to work, down a really steep cobbly hill, that feels bouncier than I'd like unless I slow right down. I wouldn't get a MTB with suspension just for that, though - not worth it just for one short stretch when the rest is faster on a hybrid. (Plus, I have to go UP that hill the other way, and I don't fancy doing that with an even heavier bike!)

If you are still reading, don't just go on the website, ask in the shop. Especially in your LBS, it won't say on th website, but you just apply through the scheme get the letter take the letter to the LBS not Evans. the independent shop accepts it as any other payment type.

Out website said it was for big chain shop only, but it wasn't. Ask around in several local bike shops before giving up. I asked at about 7 shops, 5 said no, 2 said yes.

Also I can see how a bmx would be excluded for commuting, they are a stunt type bike, but a cyclocross bike is perfect for commuting, fast, good brakes. That is why cx bikes are selling like hot cakes at the moment.

Unfortunately our scheme is Evans specific - it's not just a letter of intent, you have to sign an agreement for a specific amount then you get the certificate to spend. I can't get one from anywhere else, my employer only works with the Evans scheme.

Oh bum. That's a pity.

Hope you do find though