Buying Road bike and Kit (no0b)

Cookie_Monster

Hi All,

My old MTB was nicked a few months ago and I've been meaning to buy a new one. Since then I've been out road biking with a few people on occasions using borrowed hardware which I have enjoyed a lot. From this I have decided to get something for commuting and road biking and likely joining a club.

I'm looking for a bit of advice.

I know a guy involved with Trek who can source me a Trek at wholesale (or at least a bit less than retail) if I'm really nice to him, so looking at Trek 1.5 for example, maybe 2.1 if price is reasonable.

I also have a voucher from BMW which I have no use for so was looking at their bits they do a part of their Lifestyle range (:pac::D).
Prices:
Helmet: 86
Fingerless gloves: 33
Saddlebag: 22
Cable lock:29 (lightwieght, but look handy for short stops)
Alumin drinks bottle and cage: 26

Not the best prices I know cos of the little logo but I can get up to 150 of it for free essentially.
Link: http://www.bmw.ie/ie/en/owners/accessories/brochures.html, then this one: BMW Lifestyle Collection 2009 – 2010
P 8 and 9 the stuff is on.

Can anyone comment on whether the helmet and gloves are any good as it would be nice to think I can get these few bits for free as such?

Hail 2 Da Thief

Your old bike was nicked & you're going to lock your new bike with a cable lock?:eek:

Captain Havoc

Hail 2 Da Thief wrote: »

Your old bike was nicked & you're going to lock your new bike with a cable lock?:eek:

And it's got a BMW logo on it, asking for trouble.

seamus

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

I know a guy involved with Trek who can source me a Trek at wholesale (or at least a bit less than retail) if I'm really nice to him, so looking at Trek 1.5 for example, maybe 2.1 if price is reasonable.

Can't go wrong there.

Helmet: 86

Expensive for a helment, but if you've nothing else to spend your voucher on...

Fingerless gloves: 33

Winter is coming. Get windproof full-finger gloves. Although if you have money left over, no harm to get the fingerless gloves for next summer.

Cable lock:29 (lightwieght, but look handy for short stops)

And by "short stops" you mean, "Running into the shops and never letting the bike out of my sight", right? Because otherwise you may as well tie the bike up with a piece of string for all the good that lock will do. I imagine some thieves might have a go at it just for the logo.

I have a Trek 2.1 and I use it for commuting. It's locked in an underground carpark (with security), so it's largely safe. But if I had to park it overground or otherwise out in the open, I wouldn't be very happy at all. It's an expensive piece of kit. I don't use it as a runaround at home, because I wouldn't be happy cycling down to the shops and leaving it locked outside.

If I had the room to store two bikes and I needed a bike for commuting and as a runaround, I would buy a cheap fixie like this and keep the more expensive bike for weekend spins.

markcroninbsc

comin into winter now so id get the full finger gloves instead of the fingerless ones, youd get more use out of them.i wouldnt say the prices are all that bad, check them against the stuff in your local bike shop and theres probably not much difference really. helmet looks good but maybe a bit odly shaped, and the vents are a bit small (big vents are great when your head gets itchy from sweatin i find)

petethedrummer

Those gloves look a like a rebranded version of these.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=38506

You can see the same 'Bio-X-Cell' on the palm.

They're the gloves I wear and I think they're very comfortable. Also €10 cheaper from chain reaction. I would get fingerless and wear a pair of cheap woolly full length gloves under them.

DO NOT buy that lock, get something like this for nipping into the shop.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=19330

Watch the three HAL videos here for reasons why.

Cookie_Monster

I have a proper lock already that I bought for using my GF's bike when cycling to work. I thought this as something useful if leaving it outside a coffee shop or something mid spin, rather than just left there as everyone seemed to do last weekend... but anyway,knock that off then

i could get helmet, finger less and full gloves for about a tenner more than the 150, which would be grand