Hybrid Bikes for tentative cyclists

Rachob

Hey everyone,

My Husband and I have decided to buy bicycles in an effort to get off the couch and out and about a bit more! The research we have done so far has lead us to the conclusion that a Hybrid bike is the best way forward as we would be using them for pottering around parks and roads with the occasional wander through a forest path perhaps.

We don't want to spend a fortune as we are quite aware that we might be all into it for a month and then forget about them for a while. However, neither do we want to end up with two cheap useless things that will fall apart if we do end up using them a lot. We had intended to buy second hand, but we are wary of not getting a good deal / having problems with the bike and no shop to complain to etc.. On the other hand, as we have yet to discover if biking will become our new passion, is purchasing two new bikes a bit much?!

We would welcome any thoughts on this and any recommendations as to how much we should reasonably spend giving our tentative interest.

Thanks!

DualFrontDiscs

Rachob,

As you're based in Dublin and considering hybrid style bikes, would renting a couple of Dublin bikes over a few weekends make sense?

Cycling is a wonderful activity and this forum is a great resource. Good luck with it.

DFD.

Rachob

Thanks DFD,

Now that you say it, that makes good sense really! Sure if we love it then we can see about purchasing bikes after a while.

Thanks for the advice and hopefully we'll get well into it and I shall frequent this forum.

Rachob

setanta159

you could also check out phoenix park bike hire Looks like they have a variety of bikes which might give you a better idea of what suits best.

Rachob

That sounds like a great suggestion setanta159 - I hadn't heard of them before! Will definitely investigate that in the morning.

Nice one

Rachob

thebouldwhacker

People being persuaded out of buying bikes!:eek:
This neighbourhood has gone to hell.....

@Rachob ye could also look into the cycle to work scheme where through a reduction of your PRSI you can buy bikes and gear with a discount up to about 50%.
The thing about renting bikes when you want them, espicaly when you want them for fitness rather than transport, is that it cuts out the 'we bought'em so we're gonna damn well use'em' motivation to get out and go.

smacl

I started cycling, also very tentatively, just before christmas, buying a second hand hybrid at McDonalds cycles in Terenure. Worth checking out your local cycle shops for decent second hand bikes, accordind to the bloke I was talking to they get a fair few coming back from people who like the idea of cycling but don't keep it up. The hybrid I got was a cheapest in the shop montainbikish type of thing that weighed a bit, but was great for coilte tracks as well as the road. If you saw a red faced middle aged bloke going up Kilmashogue having a coronary, being passed out by old dears with zimmer frames, that was probably me. Got a slightly roadier hybrid for the Wicklow 100 which I'm also planning to use for a 130k event in Clare in August. My wife is also got something similar.

I tried a racer and didn't much like it. As a newbie cyclist in my mid 40s, I like having a bit more rubber on the road, and enjoy the comfort of a bit of suspension and a less bent over riding position. The advice from others here of borrow or rent before you buy is golden, no point sinking a fortune on something that is a poor fit, and some of the lower end bikes are plenty good for leisure use. For what its worth, 6 months in, I'm loving cycling, and I reckon you and your man will have a blast!

Rachob

@thebouldwhacker You raise another good point there - we may not push ourselves enough if we don't have two forlorn bikes staring at us from the hall making us feel guilty...on the other hand, I can clearly recall two abandoned gym memberships from last year...

I think maybe if we try lash into the renting the bikes for a couple of weeks - make sure we actually get some enjoyment & exercise out of them and then aim to be purchasing ones by the end of the month.


@smacl Thanks for the encouragement, fair play to you! I'm well impressed that you have gone from being new to the activity to entering cycling challenges - that certainly gives me hope that we can manage a few regular cycles around the parks of Dublin! I like the look of the hybrids you and your wife got - I do want something relativley comfortable alright - while I am only in my late 20s, I have a bad back so I know the more upright I'm sitting, the better.

thebouldwhacker

Rachob wrote: »

on the other hand, I can clearly recall two abandoned gym memberships from last year.

Gyms suck, cycling doesnt. I've spent time in gyms, they are just night clubs without booze.

Rachob

Very true, I could never put my finger on exactly what I didn't like about it. If you could at least get locked, you wouldn't care about avoiding the hardcore people watching themselves in mirrors.

radia

Rachob wrote: »

We don't want to spend a fortune as we are quite aware that we might be all into it for a month and then forget about them for a while. However, neither do we want to end up with two cheap useless things that will fall apart if we do end up using them a lot. We had intended to buy second hand, but we are wary of not getting a good deal / having problems with the bike and no shop to complain to etc.. On the other hand, as we have yet to discover if biking will become our new passion, is purchasing two new bikes a bit much?!

What about checking out buying second-hand from www.rothar.ie (based in Phibsborough)? I've never been there myself, but as I understand it they're a secondhand bike shop/repair place, run for charity predominantly by volunteers. They seem to have a good reputation for well-restored/maintained bikes and good advice, and they should be a good price, which sounds like what you want. You'll have the bikes in the hall, guilt-tripping you into using them , but you won't have spent a fortune!
And you'll have that nice, warm, fuzzy, helping the community glow.

One of the other posters here (can't remember who offhand - sorry) volunteers there I believe.

From their website:
Email: info@rothar.ie
Telephone: Mobile: 086 8956157 | Landline: 01 8602615
We are located at 171 Phibsborough road, Dublin 7.
Opening hours: 10AM - 6PM Monday - Saturday and 10AM - 8PM on Thursdays

Rachob

Thanks for all that info radia, you're very good!

We have been taking the Dublin bikes out and really enjoying it! We are going to keep them up for a bit and hopefully put a few bob away towards getting reasonably decent bikes in due course.