Bike Quality/millage question

ali.c

hello all!

Just a quick question, basically i have a cheap ass bike (one of those dunnes special offer type thingys) and until a couple of months ago i was doing about 5miles twice a day. Over the summer i am looking at a ten mile commute each way and i was wondering if upgrading said crappy bicylce would have an impact on how easy the cycle is. Basically if i am cycling 20miles a day i kind want to enjoy it (somewhat). Oh and any ideas what price range i'd be looking at, as budget is an issue?

Ali

green123

does your bike have a suspension ?

from what im hearing and from the thread i just started it seems like the old rigid frame bikes might be easier to cycle on the roads.

you could have a look on www.sterlinghouse.co.uk
bikes from £50
im looking around at the moment and cant find anywhere cheaper than this site

ali.c

yes it does, i am seriously considering replacing it tbh its gone a bit bockity all together!

chicoben

you can get a decent bike for in and around 300 euros, especially if you're commute is getting longer. Stay away from suspension unless you're willing to spend a lot more money as the suspension on cheap bikes isn't really worth having, you're better off spending your money on a better bike than one with bad suspension. ye pretty much get what you pay for.

Alkers

Those damn cheap bikes. We should really have a sticky up about them. They should considered more toys than a method of transport.

ali.c

thanks! I got it free so in my defence well it was free, the breaks keep going on it lol, so i am well happy i didnt pay for it lol! Cool, will seriously look at upgrading so, i just didnt want to go buy one if it wasnt really going to make a difference. A friend suggested that anything under €1000 wasnt really worth considering, and tbh thats outside my budger, just a tad;) so i just wanted to get a second opinion!

blorg

20 miles a day is a lot, a better bike without cheap suspension will definately make a difference. If you are commuting on the road, stay away from mountain bikes full stop. For those distances I would suggest a tourer, road bike, or light hybrid, probably in that order. Tourer will be hard to come by so road bike next- a second hand road bike for €300-500 could do you very well indeed. If it's commuting I'd suggest something you have the option of a rack so that you don't have to carry everything on your back and get sweaty in summer (have to be careful as many road frames, including all higher end ones, generally won't take a rack.)

If you are more starting out or feel more comfortable with the upright position, a hybrid is a very good choice. For that distance a very cheap and easy addition to give you extra hand positions are bar-ends (€10-20.)

You don't need to spend €1k+, that's ridiculous. Most bikes will fall between the cheapy "toy" end and that. €1k+ you are into the serious enthusiast area.

Something like a good condition second-hand entry-level modern racer would do you very well (like a Trek 1000 for example.) Alternatively a hybrid like a Trek 7.x or Specialized Sirrus. I've never had a Giant myself but they also have a strong reputation for good quality/value ratio.

ali.c

thanks for the info, just wondering though if there is any were good to try for getting a second hand bike? Or is it more a matter of having a good look around?

Civilian_Target

Dunno, picked mine up off a friend but you can try small bike shops (like Ranelagh cycles), adverts.ie, buy and sell or the Garda auctions.