Help me find a Bike

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Hey guys ,

I have decided to start cycling again to regain some long lost fitness , Now I'm looking for a comfortable bike that will take me too and from college/work. I'm currently living in Louth and would love to find a reasonable place to purchase the said bike as well. I don't want a mountain bike yet

So what to you recommend ?

where do you recommend i buy it ?

Do you need any more information on me ?

Thanks a million
sarge

Edit
Sorry My budget is about €400

blorg

Depends on your distances but I would reckon on a hybrid- you can get maybe one up from the entry level for that sort of price.

Something like a Dawes Discovery, Trek FX, Giant FCR, etc.

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Now again , Im a complete n00b what is a hybrid ?

Also where is the best place to buy these Bikes ?

Internet / shop ?

Terpsichore

Hello!

This web site will help you to find out what bikes are on the market at the moment: http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/. They have a cool section called "Bike Advisor" where you can refine your search and see what new bikes they offer for different activities, including commuting.

Hybride means it's a bike that combines both commuting and racer qualities. Be careful with mountain bikes, because they tend to be very heavy, which might not be great everyday. Racers tend to be very light, but I would keep them for long training cycles at weekends if you were into that...

Best thing to do is to go in one of your local cycle shop and try on the bikes they have. Hopefully you'll have someone professional enough to guide you in your search (Body position, frame size, type of pedals, etc...).

If you were closer to Dublin, the UCD bike shop is a great shop for strong quality second hand bicycles.

You are absolutely right to get back on your bike! All the best with this great healthy project!

blorg

@sarge- a hybrid is a bit of a mix between a road (racer) bike and a mountain bike- it takes the 700c wheel size from a racer but has flat bars and a more upright position like a mountain bike. Tyres would tend to be in between and relatively slick for road use. Generally, no suspension- note suspension is only necessary for off-road (you want to avoid this at that sort of price range anyway.) It is the ideal bike IMHO for someone new to cycling who wants a bicycle for cycling on the road.

For a first bike where you will want to get the right size, etc. I would go to a local bike shop. Joe Daly's in Dundrum is very good, UCD is also good as suggested.

MadHatter

As for local bike shops in Louth, Quay Cycles in Drogheda (opposite the Scotch Hall shopping centre) seemed to have a good range of bikes & accessories when I was there recently. Haven't bought from them so can't vouch for the service but have heard good reports from others.

Go off-peak if possible (i.e. not Thur night or Sat) as it's quite cramped and was busy enough when I was there on a Sat afternoon. Explain what you plan to use the bike for and I'm sure they'll be able to point you in the right direction.

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Thanks for the help guys , Would anyone recommend an actually bike for me ? Also do people buys bicycles online ? If so where is good . The reason for this is that i dont want to walk into my local bike store and get robbed. So a few bicycle options from people here who know what their talking about and prices would be great

Thanks a million

Sarge

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So what size of frame would i need for a hybrid bicycle , I'm just under 6ft.

EDIT

just to add , Im thinking something along the lines of this http://www.evanscycles.com/products/dawes/discovery-301-2008-hybrid-bike-ec000418

or a Giant CRS 3.0

or a Giant CRS 2.5

Can someone please that knows what they are talking about tell me what is the best buy

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Hey guys just a quick update ,

Went to Joe Dalys in dundrum as everyone advised , and i have to say himself and his son david were very friendly and helpful and let me take a few bikes for a ride. So i have my heart set on now a trek 7.3fx the only problem is that they dont have the 20" frame that i need , he was going to give me a great deal on the 7.5fx but was a little bit out of my budget.

DirkVoodoo

FX is a very good bike, did he say when they would have any in stock for you? Try cyclesuperstore as well, they had plenty of FCRs in stock last time I was there.

blorg

If you are getting a good deal might be worth it, the 7.5FX is quite a step up from the 7.3FX and a fair bit more roady and fast I would imagine. Carbon fork should absorb the road buzz and the bike looks great, would prob be a fair bit lighter too. At standard pricing I think the 7.5 is €250 more expensive than the 7.3 so if you are getting it for a fair bit less than that premium it could be a good deal.

DirkVoodoo

Oh, dont forget you will need standard commuter accessories, so make room in your budget for things like:

Helmet
Lights
High Viz/ waterproof/ windproof gear
Decent Quality lock (look to spend ~10% bike value on a lock)

There are other things, but these are the bare necessities.

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blorg wrote: »

If you are getting a good deal might be worth it, the 7.5FX is quite a step up from the 7.3FX and a fair bit more roady and fast I would imagine. Carbon fork should absorb the road buzz and the bike looks great, would prob be a fair bit lighter too. At standard pricing I think the 7.5 is €250 more expensive than the 7.3 so if you are getting it for a fair bit less than that premium it could be a good deal.

Yeah I tried the fx7.5 and was great i have to admit , the problem been here mainly that its slighly out of my budget even with the money he was giving it too me for , i still have to budget for locks , helmet , lights etc so just prob couldnt afford it. But great deal all the same.

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

FX is a very good bike, did he say when they would have any in stock for you? Try cyclesuperstore as well, they had plenty of FCRs in stock last time I was there.

He said it could be up to three weeks as there is short supply of the 7.3fx 20"frames , which is a bit bad for me , regarding the FCR is there a massive diffenence with them and the FX ? the fx7.1 just didnt feel right when i took that for a spin.

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Oh, dont forget you will need standard commuter accessories, so make room in your budget for things like:

Helmet
Lights
High Viz/ waterproof/ windproof gear
Decent Quality lock (look to spend ~10% bike value on a lock)

There are other things, but these are the bare necessities.

true thats why i didnt go for the 7.5fx , also dont forget mud guards

DirkVoodoo

I can't honestly say, a lot of people on here have had very happy commuting experiences on the FCR. The FCR 3 is 559 euro however!