CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help

Which bike?

(24 posts)
  • Started 9 years ago by mmaohara
  • Latest reply from jdanielp
  • This topic is resolved

  1. mmaohara
    Member

    Hello folks, I am looking for some advice.

    I have a new job out at Riccarton and cycling seems to be much the most direct and quickest route as I can mostly use the canal path. The problem is that whilst I can cycle, it's been about 25 years since I did, so I know absolutely nothing about cycling!

    Looking at bikes on the various shop websites there seems to be a lot of options, hybrids, road bikes etc. I am hoping that besides commuting I might be able to use the bike to get out a bit more in the future, a friend recently did some cycling on forest paths up North and that sounds pretty great :-)

    So what kind of bike should I be looking for? Any recommendations as to makes or models? I will go I to the shops to buy it and I know they will give advice, I'd like to have some ideas though, so I don't just have to rely on the sales people. I am using the cycle to work scheme so I have up to £1000 but would prefer to spend less rather than more, though I don't mind paying to get a bike that will last for a while.

    Any advice would be appreciated :) thank you.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  2. gembo
    Member

    Welcome mmaohara

    We love this on the forum. If you are in the higher tax bracket then the cycle to work scheme deal is maximised by going for the dearest possible bike. If not there is little in the bike to work schemes that differentiates between them and interest free credit that for example Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op will offer.

    I mention EBC as they just sent me an advert for a Whyte Sussex and a Whyte Dorset. Their copy was a little confused at one point but one of them is 200 quid dearer than the other because it has carbon forks. 600 or 800 quid.

    Both are pretend cyclocross. Thus they have road bike drop handlebars and frame but mountain bike gearing and clearance for mudguards. Same story as my tricross except they also have these new fangled disc brakes.

    This deal is probably available elsewhere but hey, why not give EBC your cash?

    Pretend cyclocross ideal for towpath and water of leith path when dry which is an alternate route to riccarton in the summer. Also fine on roads and if become a roadie can just put on slick tyres and away you go. Maybe not so good for Glentress and starting back with flat bars always feels more relaxed however with the gear shifters in the brakes now for most drop handle bar bikes it is not such a big deal.

    In these discussions there is a regression to the mean for tyres which is fewer punctures from Schwalbe marathon plus, with added spikes for the towpath when icy and ortlieb panniers for attaching to your bike rack (again the mean regression is rack over rucksack)

    There will be other opinions along shortly.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  3. chdot
    Admin

    Welcome.

    I think you have come to the right place for advice - there are lots of opinions on here...

    Cyclescheme has certainly got more people trying cycling.

    Basic advice on that is try the route(s) to work first on a non-working day, and don't 'force' yourself to start five days a week.

    However fit you are, your body may take a while to adapt to the new means of transport.

    Basic advice (some 'keen' cyclists disagree) is mudguards - it's still surprising how few bikes in shops have these already fitted.

    Whatever you decide on, it helps if you like the look of it.

    Extra advice here -

    http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15#post-17

    Posted 9 years ago #

  4. mmaohara
    Member

    Thanks very much folks :-) I saw the Whyte bikes on the EBC site and they looked fine. I do prefer the flat handlebars as I grew up riding mountain bikes so feel better on that side of things rather than road bikes, but I could probably adjust.

    I suppose part of the process is to just go and look at a few and try them out :-)

    Posted 9 years ago #

  5. Morningsider
    Member

    You can commute on any kind of bike, I commuted on a road bike for years. However, experience has (slowly) taught me that the following are good to have:

    Mudguards - keeps you, and other cyclists, dry
    Pannier rack - avoid the dreaded rucksack sweaty back
    Decent gear range - this doesn't have to mean 30 gears, just a nice low bottom gear to grind up steep hills and a reasonably high top gear, so you can scoot back down those hills at a decent speed
    Reasonably comfortable riding position - if the bike isn't comfortable, then you won't use it for long
    Not too heavy - weight isn't really a huge issue for commuting, but try and avoid a behemoth as it can get pretty wearing after a while
    No suspension (others may disagree) - cheaper suspension is very heavy and doesn't really offer any benefits for commuting or occasional trail cycling.
    Fancy technology - try and avoid snazzy bells and whistles. You don't need them for commuting. If you are left wondering something like "Why do I need cable actuated hydraulic brake calipers?" then probably best to avoid.
    Decent tyres - avoid knobblies for commuting as they really slow you down, choose something reasonably slick and not too wide/narrow and with decent puncture protection

    Posted 9 years ago #

  6. gembo
    Member

    Yes EBC a and other shops will let you try out. Which is nice. Just pick a quiet time to do it and it will be hassle free.

    I still have the tank the EBC sold me as my first bike back (my son using it now) it had flat bars did the job fine, sturdy but not quick. I also have the hub gear specialized globe (well predecessor of globe) this was a nuisance, heavy and nexus 8 gears rubbish. The newer model of Alfine better but still heavy. Fun at traffic lights as can stop in 8th and whilst stationary change down when the lights change but not very flexible, I use for grocery shopping now.

    Remember with gears, it is not how many but the actual range. You can have loads of wee gears that are very close together or a rohloff hub gear with only 14 gears and a 625 range so big skips between each gear. This is what Mark Beaumont went round the world in. However probably costs more than 1000 now for the gears alone. Also said to take a year to fully bed in.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  7. SRD
    Moderator

    a lot of us seem to agree on this as 'ultimate commuter'
    http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=14087&page=4#post-177408

    There's also a similar flat barred, hub geared bike from Charge that some folk on here have.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  8. chdot
    Admin

    "I grew up riding mountain bikes"

    Ah, so at least you know that 'cycling' is fun!

    Posted 9 years ago #

  9. chdot
    Admin

    Oh, and you need to explore CCE, finding threads like this -

    http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13934

    Posted 9 years ago #

  10. mmaohara
    Member

    Brilliant, thanks folks. Lots to look into and I'll look around the site a bit more as well. Thank you :-)

    Posted 9 years ago #

  11. Edinburgh Cycle Training
    Member

    One of the great things about the great thing about bike to work scheme....

    If down the line you think "should've got a different bike........"

    They make it easy for you to buy a new one ;-)

    Horses fr courses might be cliched but its true. We all do and enjoy differnt things.

    I'm overweight and not too fit but I LOVE commuting (often along the canal in summer) on my one geared, no mudguards bike wearing a wee rucksack! Showers and decent lockers at work make that possible though.

    I started 10 years ago using a hardtail MTB, moved on to a racer, finally (14 months ago)a flat barred SS.

    Enjoy your cycling and commuting evolution!

    Posted 9 years ago #

  12. chdot
    Admin

    https://twitter.com/rangirevo/status/556425783921872896

    Posted 9 years ago #

  13. Mandopicker101
    Member

    A cyclo-cross bike, such as the range that EBC do, makes for a pretty good all-rounder. Swap out the knobblies for something better suited to the road/towpath and you've got a very nice road bike. Add the knobblies and you could handle some off-road action, but I'd pause at doing a red run at an MTB centre.

    I bought EBC's 2012 base model and it's been grand. I've had it off-road, done sportives (with road slicks), commute 70 miles or so a week on it, use it for hauling shopping home... If you were looking to go down that route, I'd suggest buying a step or two up the range as the 2014 base model wasn't as well-specced as mine (although the frame was redesigned).

    Evans' Pinnacle Arkose range seem to be pretty good, the Boardman crossers from Halford's are also fine. If you're happy shopping online, I believe that Ribble make a very nice entry-level cross bike. Planet X are another one to look into, but check your scheme fits with theirs. My works scheme uses Halfords (and Planet X don't work with them).

    A hybrid too would probably be a good option. Before my 'crosser I had a Specialized Sirrus and it was great (totalled it in an accident...). It hauled child trailers, panniers laden with shopping, got me to work and went on tour. The Sirrus was fast, pretty light and gave you an upright position in traffic.

    Remember that your grand can include equipment - a decent jacket, gloves, helmet, panniers, rack and lock all add up. You might want to look at some sort of bike insurance (they aren't very much) as your household policy only goes a certain (quite low) level.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  14. jdanielp
    Member

    Hi mmaohara! Are you working at Heriot-Watt? I've been commuting to the campus on the towpath for a few years.

    I recently upgraded to a Charge Grater 3, which is a pretty good low-maintenance, 8-speed Alfine hub-geared hybrid for £750 (mudguards included). That leaves you £250 to spend on a pannier rack (the Tortec Velocity fits nicely), panniers, clothing and so on to maximise the £1000 budget for the Bike to Work scheme.

    The main limitations that I have found with it so far are a degree of toe overlap with the front wheel, the top end of the 8-speed Alfine hub being lacking in its default configuration (although I find it ok for cycling on the towpath at ~25kph), and I would not be hugely confident riding it on rougher paths and trails. Oh, I pretty quickly swapped the stem for a higher angled version to lift the bars up a bit and also fitted ergonomic handlebar grips with bar ends.

    On the plus side I have yet to suffer any p*nctures with the standard tyres (touch rubber) and have yet to wear out the chain after four months of regular use, and I have been getting away with rather less cleaning in comparison to my older MTB to hybrid conversion :)

    It would definitely be worth test-riding to get a feel for it if you were at all interested though... I would be happy to meet up on campus to talk you through mine.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  15. mmaohara
    Member

    Thank you everyone :-)

    I have had a look at some of the bikes on the Evans and EBC and see a few I like - I guess that I might change my mind around if I get to try them out and find I like the feel of one over the other. The links to the ones above are good as well, both the Pinnacle and Genesis bikes look good.

    Mostly the cyclocross bikes seem to be the all-rounder that would my ideas of what I'd *like* to do, but they are all a bit pricier than the hybrids and I might fall into the 'all the gear, no idea' trap and get a pretty, shiny bike that I love but don't use properly! :-)

    I saw a few nice hybrid bikes but they seemed a little but more limited? Yes I know I'll def use it at least for commuting so that would fit the bill with what I know I'll do. Maybe I'm reading too much into the site descriptions and with some adjustments I could go about up North on a Hybrid!

    I do have some reservations about using the cycle to work scheme so might look at other options. It seems strange that you spend a year paying back the loan and yet still don't own the stuff you've got from it. It's either a straight up loan or an expensive rental agreement. Still, at the moment it would be the easier way to afford the bike and bits that you need so I'll probably just go for it.

    Thanks again for all the advice - it's really great to know what to think about :-)

    Posted 9 years ago #

  16. SRD
    Moderator

    I suspect the hybrids are a fair bit heavier than the 'cross bikes?

    Posted 9 years ago #

  17. Dave
    Member

    Unless you pay higher rate tax I would avoid the Bike to Work scheme if I were you. My better half got her commuter through a CycleScheme voucher a few years ago. If I recall correctly the repayments, plus the "fair market value" charge they levied at the end meant it was pretty much a wash with just buying the bike for cash, but of course if you buy the bike yourself, it's yours immediately.

    (This doesn't include any potential discount you'd get for paying cash, since a bike to work voucher is only worth 90% of the face value to the bike shop, i.e. a middleman takes £100 of the £1000 voucher so the shop is always on a bit of a loser and may be willing to negotiate over accessories or whatever).

    As far as the bike goes, there are hundreds of any particular kind of bike you can buy, so I will just make a couple of observations:

    - you want a bike with full SKS mudguards. With these you will only get wet if it is actually pouring down, the water on the ground is irrelevant and there are actually very few commutes where it is raining right at this moment, but loads where the ground is soaking.
    - make sure the bike will take a pannier rack even if it doesn't come with one. Eventually you will want one... really :)
    - There is no real difference in comfort, safety, manouverability etc. (except in sales copy) between different types of handlebars for your purposes. However, if you have drop bars you will enjoy the sometimes massive headwinds on the canal a lot more than on a flat barred bike.

    I'd find a nice faux-cyclocross bike (many cyclocross bikes are like racers, in that they won't take racks etc, but many are quite adaptable for the commute).

    Posted 9 years ago #

  18. SRD
    Moderator

    Another ultimate commuter?

    http://uk.businessinsider.com/this-ceo-quit-his-job-to-create-a-new-kind-of-bicycle-and-people-are-loving-it-2015-1?

    Bizarrely, it comes with a kickstand, but no mudguards!

    Posted 9 years ago #

  19. Stickman
    Member

    @SRD:

    Yes, that's what I was thinking! They look nice bikes, though I'm not sure about the foot brake. I wonder if the fork has mounts for a front brake?

    Priority Bikes

    Posted 9 years ago #

  20. Uberuce
    Member

    My experience of coaster braking is the Bike Station's Bullitt, and I conclude they are fine for urban use if you expect to wear SPDs and never have so much weight on your bike that you can't pick it up one handed by the seat-tube and standing on one foot. If you do and don't, respectively, it's easy enough to lift up your bike and get your foot in the right place at junctions. It's my standard practise on my fixies.

    That makes them rubbish for a Bullitt, but I'm considering one for wee blue floofy, my daily workhorse, currently a fixed gear.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  21. jdanielp
    Member

    The Heriot-Watt Bike to Work scheme is organised directly with a number of local bike shops so there's no middleman or voucher involved, just delays getting paperwork signed off and then payment arranged with the shop. Also, a final 'ownership' payment will only be levied at such time that the employee leaves employment with the university, so if that is sufficiently long after the hire started then the final payment will be fairly negligible or even nothing.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  22. mmaohara
    Member

    That's good to know, thanks jdaniel, I was a bit worried about paying over the odds in the end.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  23. jdanielp
    Member

    A very worst case scenario is leaving employment during the 12 months hire. As I understand it, you would have to pay the remaining instalments post tax and NI and I'm not sure if they'd also ask for the 'ownership' fee on top of that, which would be at its maximum... As long as the 12 months hire is complete, the worst case scenario is having to pay 25% of the value of a bike worth £500+ to 'own' it, which still means a saving of at least 5% given that the tax/NI saving will have been 30% even on the lowest tax band. Best look carefully at their documentation though.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  24. Snowy
    Member

    I'd agree with the good points made above. Drop-bar or flat bars is up to you. Either a hybrid or a cyclocross/tourer will get the commuting job done for you, and will be able to handle forest paths.
    Some suggestions...
    Disc brakes = no wearing out the rims of your wheels. The mileage soon adds up.
    Mudguards...possibly the best commuting accessory you could add to your bike.
    Rack and panniers - saves your back/wrists and you can get the weekly shop in on your way home.
    Saddle - try and ensure the shop equips you with the right width of saddle from the start. IMHO, getting the right width is more important than padding.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  25. jdanielp
    Member

    Heriot-Watt staff and students can now also receive a 20% discount from Bike Craft Edinburgh on Ferry road.

    Posted 9 years ago #

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