Looking for input from members who are cyclists. (Resolved)

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'Gramps'
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I hope some of you out there can offer some help with my cycling need (and hope this forum is okay).
Having recently undergone further heart procedures I am doing my utmost to keep up with a programme of cardiac rehabilitation and have chosen cycling.
As a young man I used to enjoy road racing/trialing but nowadays, in my 7th decade, I am using an older (and creaking) but fairly reliable Dawes 21-speed hybrid bike to do trips in and around the local area, mainly roads and paths but often involving cobbles and 'typical' city road defects.
I am looking at upgrading to another hybrid bike but possibly lighter, with disc brakes and just a little more up to date spec than the one I have.
I found a bike at Rutland Cycles and placed an order but the company was hopeless, after taking my money and confirming delivery they just failed at the first hurdle, didn't deliver and offered no apology or explanation.
I have today looked at Ribble Cycles but checking the reviews in Trustpilot, the number of current failures in build, delivery and after sales is astonishing, so I have discounted them.
I'm not looking at 'top of the range' but would prefer to use a smaller UK supplier ... there is always Halfords (who were dismal with my first attempt at getting a car MOT), Cycle Republic (who seem to be part of Halfords) or Evans Cycles (who also seem to have a chequered review history.
Who would you recommend I try?
 
Whereabouts are you in the world Gramps? Might help if there are some out of the way indie shops local to you that you might not know about.
 
I would definitely recommend trying to find a good local bike shop. Mail order wise I use leisure lakes they have a few branches, but not one in Bristol from what I can remember.

To keep it vaguely photography related here’s my bike:
View: https://flic.kr/p/SyrLLQ
 
Given that like me you are on the wrong side of 70 and have a somewhat dicky ticker while yes, cardiac rehab and continuing exercise is a must do, equally I was told not to overstress my heart so might I suggest that you give a bit of thought to an electric bike if only to make life a bit easier going up hills.
 
I used to ride a lot. Names that I remember as having a decent rep when I did are Cycle surgery, Mud Dock and cycle republic. Evans, like any large business, has good & bad stores, but if you see the bike you want there it shouldn't be a problem.
 
Good point Ian, I'm in Bristol :)
The Bristol to Bath cycle path is awesome Gramps. Really nice to not have to deal with traffic. I've used it a couple of times when I've worked down there. Halfords although have a bit of stigma attached to them the Boardman bikes they sell are very good value and they sell a very good hybrid and some have a triple cassette at the front for easier up hill cycling.
 
If you don’t mind a trip across the water I can heartily recommend Tredz. There’s a branch in Cardiff.
I bought my last mountain bike from them after my local Giant showroom couldn’t supply the bike I wanted.
Great service, great communication and to cap it all I bought it on Black Friday and saved myself about £300.
I’ll still use them now for tyres, accessories and workshop stuff.
 
Our very own Greenie Mark, @TheBigYin is heavily into cycling he may be able to offer you some sound advice.
(When he picks up the tag that is)
 
If you don’t mind a trip across the water I can heartily recommend Tredz. There’s a branch in Cardiff.
I bought my last mountain bike from them after my local Giant showroom couldn’t supply the bike I wanted.
Great service, great communication and to cap it all I bought it on Black Friday and saved myself about £300.
I’ll still use them now for tyres, accessories and workshop stuff.
Thanks, that's within reach I'll check out their website. :)
 
Halfords when they have a sale on the Subway hybrid bikes or current equivalent.
 
I'd say ah would tick the box. I have had many bikes over the years which includes top of the range carbon road and MTB's, I currently rise an aluminium Boardman 29er MTB to work each day, and despite my initial thoughts that anything rm Halfords would be rubbish, it has served me well over the last 4 years and I got a great deal on it. I still hanker after a titanium MTB, but to be honest this is not something I 'need' as I only commute to work on the bike and it's only 15 miles a day. I don't have time for leisure cycling any more.

I have boat from Evans cycles before and never had an issue, and you can get some decent deals on last years / older models. Just make sure you get a bike that fits you.
 
Sorry to hear of your medical issues Gramps, hope the rehabilitation goes well.

Chevin Cycles was very popular with cyclists I knew when I lived in Otley. They are North Yorks based but have an online store and free delivery, (I think)

Not cheap though, but do have a good rep.
 
Gramps , Have you thought about one of these ?

https://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.u...MI8YPphcW25QIVSYfVCh0wywcNEAAYASAAEgKKVvD_BwE

No worry about weather conditions , No mud , You are at home if you suffer any problems , Just a thought

Thanks Allen ... I've got one of these Tacx Trainer in the garage. together with a monitor, so I can 'pretend' ride through the Alps or around the French countryside.
It works well for a workout in the wet weather but it's no substitute for a ride out and about. :)
 
Found a little independent, the Bristol Bike Workshop ... they will supply and customise for me as well as taking my existing bike in exchange so looks promising.
Thanks all for the suggestions, I have checked them all. :)
 
Haven't read all the previous suggestions but in terms of value for money Boardman Bikes are difficult to beat IMO. I had a hybrid commuting bike from them in the past and my current full suspension MTB is also a Boardman Bike. All bought in Halfords and never really had a problem with them but I am able to do most of my own bike maintenance. You could also buy the Boardman Bike in Halfords and get it checked over in a local bike shop if something doesn't seem right.

If you want to be able to go on longer and more challenging bike rides an electric bike could be something to consider.

Islabikes now also have a few bikes specially designed for older riders; my kids have grown up on their junior bike range and they are excellent but not cheap: https://www.islabikes.co.uk/icons/

To bring your photography kit along, I recommend you have a look at the Carradice saddle bag range. Most of my bikes have been customised with a Brooks saddle and a Carradice bag.
 
Our very own Greenie Mark, @TheBigYin is heavily into cycling he may be able to offer you some sound advice.
(When he picks up the tag that is)

Thanks for your vote of confidence, but to be honest, I'd not have had much more to add to everyone's input here - mainly as I've no real experience of the bike shops in/around Bristol....

@gramps - hope you get something sorted - the cardiologist that's keeping an eye on me, post "episode" a few years ago pretty much credits my getting back out on the bike for the excellent recovery I made, post op - well - that and his talented handiwork with the rotary ablation kit and fitting the stents of course...

One thing (non bike related, but concerning riding) is that if they've got you on beta-blockers to keep the HR down, be prepared that your going to take longer to recover from any form of exercise than you'd expect. Basically, slower the heart goes, the slower you clear all the fatigue products from your muscles - because of the reduced blood flow. So, while it's good psychologically to feel like you're doing a bit every day - don't be worried if your body just says "woah, duvet day today pal..." The HR monitor's good, as far as it goes, but listening to our body is perhaps more important still.
 
Thanks for your vote of confidence, but to be honest, I'd not have had much more to add to everyone's input here - mainly as I've no real experience of the bike shops in/around Bristol....

@gramps - hope you get something sorted - the cardiologist that's keeping an eye on me, post "episode" a few years ago pretty much credits my getting back out on the bike for the excellent recovery I made, post op - well - that and his talented handiwork with the rotary ablation kit and fitting the stents of course...

One thing (non bike related, but concerning riding) is that if they've got you on beta-blockers to keep the HR down, be prepared that your going to take longer to recover from any form of exercise than you'd expect. Basically, slower the heart goes, the slower you clear all the fatigue products from your muscles - because of the reduced blood flow. So, while it's good psychologically to feel like you're doing a bit every day - don't be worried if your body just says "woah, duvet day today pal..." The HR monitor's good, as far as it goes, but listening to our body is perhaps more important still.

Thanks Mark, I do get tired that's for sure.
Since cycling it has had a good effect on reducing my medically controlled BP, actually making me think it was far too low but my GP says it's a great benefit and nothing to worry about. :)

As an aside the £50 eBay promotion has put a fly in the ointment ... decisions, decisions. :)
 
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Hi gramps, sorry to hear about your health problems but you seem to have the right advice and motivation to ‘come back’ nice and strong.
I am 72 and average between 80-100 miles every week and thankfully have no physical impediments (apart from being 72) and appreciate how important it is to stay active into your later years.
As regards the bike, I heartedly (pun intended) recommend the Boardman Adventure 8.9. I have owned 3 different Boardman bikes over the years and you just cannot beat them for value for money. The 8.9 is a very competitive weight for a hybrid bike and will take full mudguards if you wish. Sure Halfords get a ‘bad press’ but there is nothing to stop you buying at Halfords then taking the bike to your LBS for service and maintenance.
Good luck with your decision.
Roy
 
Since cycling it has had a good effect on reducing my medically controlled BP, actually making me think it was far too low but my GP says it's a great benefit and nothing to worry about.

Yeah, I had that too, though in my case, they ended up reducing the meds by about 7/8ths (2x10mg a day down to 1x2.5mg) over the first 9 months, because as I got back to my "normal" fitness, my BP was so low I was falling over if I stood up too quickly, and my resting heart rate was dipping below 30 in my sleep - this showed itself as waking up having nightmares - the scary dreams were my brains way of getting the body to release adrenaline and speed me back up apparently!! - they had me on a continuous ECG machine for a week and found I was beating WAY too slow in my sleep, and gradually kept weaning me off the Beta Blockers. Eventually they hit a point where I started getting palpitations a few hours after riding the bike for a couple of hours, and just upped the meds 1 notch from there.

Anyway - not wishing to derail this chat about bikes and where to buy 'em - if you want to ask anything, or run anything by someone who's been there already, just drop me a PM mate - i'll back out at this point and let the thread return to topic :)
 
I'd suggest Martyn Ashfield in Risca, had sprints and tubs and gears built there so they know what they are doing. It's the place I'd go first (and I'm near Neath) I know it's a bit of a run for you 30 miles maybe but check it out.
 
Earlier in the year I deciced to buy a bike. I went into the local bike shops.

Cycle Republic (Halfords) - a keen member of staff introduced himself and asked pertinent questions about my intended use, my history of cycling and suggested a few bikes that he thought I should look at.

Giant - ditto. Helpful, friendly. Sadly the bikes I liked were a bit more than I wanted to spend.

Evans. Walked into shop. The four members of staff were too busy nattering amongst themselves. I took note of some bikes that interested me and left.

Halfords. No contact from staff, although to be fair it was really busy. Left without saying a word...

I ended up buying a bike from Halfords. Boardman ADV 8.9. Halfords (and not Cycle Replublic) were offering a deal where if you traded in an old bike helmet, bike or scooter, they would give you 20% off a new helmet, bike or scooter, but also allowed you to cross products.

So I bought the cheapest bike helmet from Argos, took it to Halfords and got 20% off a £1k bike. The bike I wanted was out of stock, but I found en ex-display one in London which had never been ridden and happened to be in a van in the area, so bought that. Error at checkout meant I got another 20% off...

Bikes been great. Had to adjust gears but other than that no problems.

If I need accessories or servicing I can't do myself I will seek out an indepenedent, but none of the smaller independent bike shops could compete with the Halfords 20% offer.
 
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Thanks for all the updates folks.
I checked various sites and visited some local shops ... I was hoping to get a bike for around the £500 mark.
The local bike shop would have been my first choice but the options were very limited and there was a clear indication that I was being steered toward one manufacturer of far eastern origin, which seemed to be the only ones in stock.
UK Bike were busy and just wanted to rush me into making a purchase, it put me off.
Halfords/Cycle Republic had a pretty good selection and I was drawn toward the Boardman range with a hybrid bike coming out at £600 (pity because it was cheaper by around £100 earlier, before I had decided to buy!).
Evans also had a good selection and I liked the Pinnacle Lithium 4, which seemed to meet my needs at £575, when I got home I decided that this was the bike that would suit me best ... 27 gears, disc brakes, not too heavy. Checking here I saw that eBay were doing a (up to) £50 off voucher so I logged in to see if I could benefit and sure enough Evans had an eBay shop and I could apply the £50 voucher, making the Lithium 4 come out at £525 ... it was delivered within 24 hours and all I need now is for the rain to clear to give me a chance to put it through its paces.
 
You’re coming towards the time now with a lot of bike sales. I’d wait until Black Friday personally.

I own a Ribble carbon road bike and in my opinion - its very good. I had a slight issue and they were happy to sort it for me.

I’d recommend Ribble or Planet X for the best value.

Halfords are ok when they have a sale on, combined with British cycling discount can give some good deals.

have a look at Leisure Lakes Bikes, they’re good.
 
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