Getting back into cycling.

arybvtcw0eolkf

I cycled until five year's ago, around 25 miles per day (as a commuter mostly) and loved it.

I miss it always, and always long to get back into it.

My last bike was a Dawes Hy-brid, great for commuting. But its at least ten year's old now and I'm not interested in having it serviced and put back on the road.

My budget is for around €600 (but at a push I can go more).

I'll mainly use it for recreation, although I'm not too gone on getting a mountain bike as my experience with them is they're slow and heavy on the road.

I'm 6'2'' and 18st (if that helps anyone with recommendations) and living on Dublin's northside.

TinyExplosions

Your budget is healthy, and there's useful info in the Wiki

stuf

Mairt wrote: »

I'm 6'2'' and 18st (if that helps anyone with recommendations) and living on Dublin's northside.

I'm 6'1" and 20st and am happily riding around town on 700C-25 wheels - I make a point of not bumping up and down kerbs but apart from that my wheels are fine. There was problems with two back wheel buckles in the beginning but that was down to 4 loose spokes and not my size. As an advantageous side effect i now have wheel-truing superpowers that I never had before.

My bike's a Lapierre RCR100 and I use it for commuting and exercise riding. By the time you add locks, mudguards, lights then you're pushing into the territory of your budget.

arybvtcw0eolkf

stuf wrote: »

I'm 6'1" and 20st and am happily riding around town on 700C-25 wheels - I make a point of not bumping up and down kerbs but apart from that my wheels are fine. There was problems with two back wheel buckles in the beginning but that was down to 4 loose spokes and not my size. As an advantageous side effect i now have wheel-truing superpowers that I never had before.

My bike's a Lapierre RCR100 and I use it for commuting and exercise riding. By the time you add locks, mudguards, lights then you're pushing into the territory of your budget.

Thanks for the considered reply.

The €600- budget doesn't include mudguards, lights etc. Although of course I'd be buying them, I'm wondering at what type of bike would best suit me considering my budget.

As I won't be using it to commute to and from work I was thinking along the lines of a road racing bike (I'd be looking at taking longer rides on the weekends and my days off), but am I really aiming at the bottom end of the market at this price and how reliable would it be compared to a hybrid?.

Has anyone got any opinions on Halfords?.

blorg

€600 is probably a bit below entry-level for a road bike in Ireland- tends to be around €700-750. Giant may have something coming in below but you would probably be better off with one above the bottom there (I think the SCR 3 rather than the 4.)

Sort of stuff you would be looking at would be Trek 1.2, Specialized Allez, Giant SCR 3, entry level Lapierre from Cyclesuperstore, etc.

An alternative would be a fast hybrid- something like a Specialized Sirrus, Giant FCR, Lapierre RCR etc. There is more of this around the €600 mark.

Any idea whether you want flat bars or drops? It's a big difference- best way to decide is to try a few bikes with either.

€600 might get you close to a decent road bike online although €700 (£550) would still be a better bet. Second-hand would also be a good option- you will get something good for €600 second-hand.

Halfords are a mix but they have good value in the Carrera and Boardman ranges- for €600 you should get something decent from them. Service can be an issue though. If you are not going over €600 and want to buy new, a Carrera from Halfords could be a good bet.

Capt'n Midnight

Mairt wrote:

My last bike was a Dawes Hy-brid, great for commuting. But its at least ten year's old now and I'm not interested in having it serviced and put back on the road.

depending on the original spec of the bike getting it back into condition might be worth looking at. I've a bike nearly twice that age still running , a few new bits and change the tyres and brakes every so often. But chainset and chain and other stuff wears out and costs can add up.

then again if you didn't like the older bike or felt it wasn't suitable there would be no point, maybe though you could sell it to fund rase

and don't forget a lock

SerialComplaint

Mairt wrote: »

My last bike was a Dawes Hy-brid, great for commuting. But its at least ten year's old now and I'm not interested in having it serviced and put back on the road.

Why not interested? Reduce, reuse, recycle and all that....

arybvtcw0eolkf

Thanks for all the advice guys.

In the end, tradition won over the day and I went to Sean Duffy's in Omni Park S.C. (I've bought a few bikes from them, right from when I was a youngster in Summerhill to my kids bikes).

I sought Franks advice there and settled on a Giant SCR 4

He recommended I change the tyres, so I went with his recommendations. So now I'm dying to go out and play with my new toy tomorrow

stuf

Mairt wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice guys.

In the end, tradition won over the day and I went to Sean Duffy's in Omni Park S.C. (I've bought a few bikes from them, right from when I was a youngster in Summerhill to my kids bikes).

I sought Franks advice there and settled on a Giant SCR 4

He recommended I change the tyres, so I went with his recommendations. So now I'm dying to go out and play with my new toy tomorrow

Enjoy every minute of it - I got 30km in this morning and buzzing in the aftermath. Could have gone on for longer if it wasn't for a bit of arse-ache.

Drapper

stuf wrote: »

Enjoy every minute of it - I got 30km in this morning and buzzing in the aftermath. Could have gone on for longer if it wasn't for a bit of arse-ache.

time for nice padded shorts me thinks??

blorg

Enjoy that, looks like a nice bike. I have Bontrager tyres on one of my bikes and was always very happy with them. There is always a major advantage in buying from a local bike shop; they will do the first service for free and you can bring it back if there are any issues.

Don't know if it might be a bit too far for you (as you mention Omni) but there will be a group of us heading out for a spin around Wicklow tomorrow - starting 10:00 in Harold's Cross, 10:15 in Dundrum. You could always tag along as far as Eniskerry and feel free to turn back at any time (generally a mixed group, different people do different speeds and distances.) See the "Sunday Spin" thread.

stuf

Drapper wrote: »

time for nice padded shorts me thinks??

Got them and they had their first outing today but was still my longest stretch in the saddle by 30 mins - they did make a huge difference though :cool:

Drapper

stuf wrote: »

Got them and they had their first outing today but was still my longest stretch in the saddle by 30 mins - they did make a huge difference though :cool:

get some of this too bud!

kept my bits in order today on a long mtb spin!

skim

is dat assos stuff any good 4 stopping chaffing between the paded shorts the skin

Drapper

skim wrote: »

is dat assos stuff any good 4 stopping chaffing between the paded shorts the skin

best i've found!

Diarmuid

Drapper wrote: »

best i've found!

Do you apply it to the shorts or to, ahem, your undercarriage?

blorg

Udderly Smooth is also highly recommended and costs less than the Assos (what doesn't!) Personally though I've never felt the need to use any creme, never had chafing, it is very much a personal thing.

I believe you apply it to your person (in the areas that you experience chafing) rather than the shorts

Drapper

Diarmuid wrote: »

Do you apply it to the shorts or to, ahem, your undercarriage?

both if you want!
:pac:

stuf

Are we talking nappy rash here now? Don't have that requirement just yet

Drapper

stuf wrote: »

Are we talking nappy rash here now? Don't have that requirement just yet

prevention is better than cure ;-)