Recommend me a (push) bike

JonathanRyan

JonathanRyan

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So I know nothing about bikes....

I'd like to find a nice inexpensive bike for my wife - and maybe one for me. We won't use them a lot - prime use would either be popping into town when we don't fancy walking or cycling down the tow path - maybe 20 miles roundtrip.

Requirements:
  1. Easy to maintain - I have a Raleigh "shopper" which I hardly use because every time I want to use it the gears need servicing. Ideally something that's fairly reliable or that I can fix myself (though see the intro - I know nothing about bikes).
  2. No leather saddle - Wiggle have some lovely looking retro bikes but they have leather saddles.
  3. Would be nice if we can take the front wheel off easily - apparently my Honda's magic seats will easily allow me to get 2 bikes in with the wheels removed.
  4. Fairly light. There are 87 steps between me and the beach.
  5. Needs to be able to handle hills but not excessive mud. Everybody round here seems to ride fat tyre mountain bikes on concrete which seems silly.
  6. Proper handlebars - not the drop kind.
As a side note - when did bikes become so expensive? When I was shooting them about 10 years ago, a normal person's bike would be £2-300 and a pro would spend £3-4K on a top spec mountain bike. Now my local shop has 4 grand road bikes in the window and I'm scared to ask if they have anything in 3 figures.
 
Get yourself on some local pages say on Facebook and Pinkbike there are loads of 2nd hand bikes that people get and never use (or use very rarely).

Some great bargains to be had just keep your eye out for stolen ones/or scammers.
 
Decathlons bikes are excellent value, often have a much higher spec than a branded bike. A hybred will ride comfortably on tarmac and gravel paths. Will have an upright riding position over a Gravel/Road bike. Quick release is fairly wide spread so should be easy to come by

Basic option
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/riverside-120-hybrid-bike-id_8405304.html

More money gets you more gears, better (lighter frame) potentially disc brakes - again not needed for general riding

Dont be bothering with suspension, decent front and rear suspension is around £900, reasonable front only around £500. Unless ridding off road on rough paths its not needed, adds a lot of weight and gives very little effect.
 
i would always go with hub gears for a utility bike - also make sure it has full mudguards - also some sort of basket is handy (i hate sweaty rucksacs!)
 
Thanks everyone. What should I be looking out for though?

Disk brakes, good? Suspension, unnecessary?

I'm still baffled by the difference between a £200 bike and an £800 bike.
 
JonathanRyan said:
Thanks everyone. What should I be looking out for though?

Disk brakes, good? Suspension, unnecessary?

I'm still baffled by the difference between a £200 bike and an £800 bike.
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Difference between a cheap bike and a dearer one are generally weight and quality of components.

Every manufacturer compromises somewhere in a build, the lower the price point the greater the compromises become.
 
JonathanRyan said:
Thanks everyone. What should I be looking out for though?

Disk brakes, good? Suspension, unnecessary?

I'm still baffled by the difference between a £200 bike and an £800 bike.
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I bought one yesterday from Rutland cycling who do sell online. Giant escape 1 for £379, previous years model so a saving of £170 or so. Reasonably light, seems to be good quality.

Like anything, the more you pay generally the better quality. The ones at the bottom end are heavier and just generally not built as well. From now till nov I plan to use mine as a commute for 4 days a week, around 56 miles, plus stuff at weekends will add another 10 or so.

Disc brakes I believe are better but suspension only worth it if going off road a lot. Adds a lot of weight otherwise.
 
Front suspension is handy on the wrists, rear suspension makes an off road ride more comfortable, but can need more effort to move on tarmac as it absorbs your movements(especially on cheaper setups).

Unbranded Wheels on lower price bikes can start to play up sooner down the line as the spokes work loose, easily tightened but still a pita, all bikes will need adjustment eventually as every little bash up and down kerbs etc take their toll.

Disc brakes are better in that they don’t collect any crap off the rims and generally give a sharper more consistent performance, but either of the other normal types work and are easier to adjust/maintain.

Most bikes are reasonable out the box, the cleaner and better maintained you keep it the longer it will last. I generally expect to replace chain every year and gearing every couple of years but I am harsh on them...

Expect to have change her saddle quite quickly, finding one the right shape should be regarded a necessary expense if you are going 20 miles at a time, but she will need to do trip or two to work out where the one that comes with the bike is wrong....
 
I don't know if this is true for all disk brakes but I bought a second hand bike with them and gave it no thought until the breaks stopped working and then it was a nightmare of chaning pads, bleeding the brakes, etc. TBH if it is just for casual use and self-maintianed then I would avoid them. I agree with you with regard to gears as well, my kids have had a variety of cheap-ish bikes and the gears have always been terrible and impossible to set up.Again for casual use I think fewer gears (e.g. 10 or 12 rather than 15 or 18) is probably easier to set up correctly and that is where I would be looking to invest a bit of cash. That said I don't know enough about different set-ups to be able to recommend anything in particular, I guess talking to a good bike shop might help.
 
sirch said:
I don't know if this is true for all disk brakes but I bought a second hand bike with them and gave it no thought until the breaks stopped working and then it was a nightmare of chaning pads, bleeding the brakes, etc. TBH if it is just for casual use and self-maintianed then I would avoid them. I agree with you with regard to gears as well, my kids have had a variety of cheap-ish bikes and the gears have always been terrible and impossible to set up.Again for casual use I think fewer gears (e.g. 10 or 12 rather than 15 or 18) is probably easier to set up correctly and that is where I would be looking to invest a bit of cash. That said I don't know enough about different set-ups to be able to recommend anything in particular, I guess talking to a good bike shop might help.
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Yes, I'd rather spend money on the bits that could go wrong than buy cheap there and spend time/money maintaining it. Very interesting point about the brakes. I assumed disk would be better but I can see how cheap disks would be a lot more hassle than cheap rim brakes.

There's a lovely bike shop near me but is seems they start at around £2K and go up pretty fast.
 
I've used Winstanleys and Wiggle in the past for 3 bikes. As they tend to update bikes every year l look for last years models in the sale sections as there are some great bargains around. I would choose a hardtail with hydrolic discs, you can easily add some semi slicks for summer use which makes road use much easier. My front forks can be unlocked and locked from a lever on the handle bars but they remain locked most of the time, there still is some movement when locked for comfort.

The old steed by Scott, on Flickr
 
What ever you buy make sure it has a Sturmy Archer 3 speed that way you have no derailleur problems.(y)
 
Sturmy Archer.. Christ, last century wants its technology back :LOL:

Id echo a lot of what's been said, cheap suspension is normally not worth having.

Cheap disks shouldn't really be an issue is you stick to the main brands, shimano avid etc. Although I've got "promax" on my Saracen Hack and they've been problem free. Bleeding should be a fairly uncommon occurrence to be honest, only time I've ever had to bleed any of my sets is after a hose change.

Decathlon are supposed to be pretty good, plus you can try a few for size and fit.
 
neil_g said:
Sturmy Archer.. Christ, last century wants its technology back :LOL:

Id echo a lot of what's been said, cheap suspension is normally not worth having.

Cheap disks shouldn't really be an issue is you stick to the main brands, shimano avid etc. Although I've got "promax" on my Saracen Hack and they've been problem free. Bleeding should be a fairly uncommon occurrence to be honest, only time I've ever had to bleed any of my sets is after a hose change.

Decathlon are supposed to be pretty good, plus you can try a few for size and fit.
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Not last century technology. Just not a marvel of marketing like a lot of the Jap stuff.

See here. http://www.sturmey-archer.com/files/catalogs/Sturmey-Archer_2016-2017_Catalogue.pdf
 
shapeshifter said:
Not last century technology. Just not a marvel of marketing like a lot of the Jap stuff.
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Technically it is old tech. But then derailleurs are almost as old.

SA is great until it goes wrong and needs a teardown.

At least a derailleur only relies on cable tension and in most cases can be fixed in under 5 mins. No faffing with getting chain tension right and wheel straight in the frame and brakes. More gear ratios, no interruption to pedal stroke etc etc.
 
So....I've been reading all your advice - thank you.

I've also been looking at second hand bikes on FB and there do look to be some bargains about.

Couple of questions for the hive mind:
  1. If I found a bike that looked great but the tyres were too "road" or too "off road" then is it simple to change them? Is it just a case of whacking a different tyre on (which YouTube will explain) or would I need a new wheel, which means a new fork, which means a new etc etc?
  2. Same question about handlebars. Can I generally swap drop bars for straight?
  3. This thing about taking the front wheel off to get it in the car.....do you just make sure it has a quick change wheel? Is this something I could fit to a bike and then remove it quickly/easily?
 
1- Tyres are easily changed. However, road wheels may not cope with off-road and off road wheels may be on the heavy side for road. If you change tyre diameter you may also need to change the inner tube.
2- Bars can be swapped but be wary of brake and gear lever compatibility and available cable lengths.
3- wheels are normally quick release these days, just loosen the lever. Rim brakes may need releasing to clear the tyre, disks dont have that issue.
 
1. Tyres are easy to change and there are a wide variety to suit which ever bike you choose. If it's more of a road bike you will only be restricted by the inner width of the forks for tyre width.

2. My drop bars have the gear change built into the brake leavers so not so easy or cost effective to change. My first decent bike in years was a racer closely followed by a straight bar version which I preferred for commuting.

3. All my bikes have QR wheels.

I'd recommend a seatbag with enough room for a puncture kit, spare tube and multi tool. I've had a topeak alien II for years and its high quality and has every thing you need.

I also added a small mirror to my right hand bar so a simple look down gave a good view behind when I was commuting.
 
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3. Most modern(ish!) rim brakes are dead easy to release; disks can be a royal PITA to remount if the pads have wandered in while the wheel's out (or someone accidentally pulls the lever while the wheel's out...)
 
Thanks again. Looking at prices it's probably best to wait for exactly what I want rather than buy something an modify it :)
 
Nod said:
disks can be a royal PITA to remount if the pads have wandered in while the wheel's out (or someone accidentally pulls the lever while the wheel's out...)
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Not an issue.. Large flatty is your friend to open them back out on cheaper systems with no pad return. Or just pack the caliper with an old folded bank card (or anything really) if you suspect someone might pull the lever.
 
So that was an interesting weekend..........

Highlights:
  1. Went in a few bike shops (large chain, small indie and 2 X Halfords). Nobody wants to sell me a bike. Like nobody. "There are a bunch over there - choose what you like and we'll take your money". Weirdest was Halfords 1 where they told me it was fine to try any of the bikes out in the shop. Unfortunately they were all chained down and they didn't know how to open them.....
  2. Went round a friend's house who said "oh, take this bike we have lying around". It seems to be a cheapish mountain bike but it's actually fun to ride.
  3. Fixed my wife's bike! Using only YouTube videos, a box spanner and a load of bits from my bike (which is too big for me and scares me) I managed to get hers working quite nicely. Apparently putting different wheels on and fixing the gears isn't actually that hard. Between than and the mountain bike she's sorted for a month or 2.
  4. And.............bought a bike. After finding out just how easy it is to spend £500 (and being horrified that £350 bikes have plastic brakes....) I took advice from here and hit up Facbook. After a couple of false starts I went over to see a wildly inappropriate bike and agreed that 40 quid was a fair price :D
So....what did I just buy? Apparently it's some sort of home made bike based on a Ridgeway Genesis with skinny wheels and very little else. It's ridiculously quick and from the moment I fell off it on the test ride I knew it would be perfect. And yeah, 40 quid........

Now I think I have questions about pedals...............
 
Pictures......



Pedals, I use clip in shoes/pedals on all mine.
 
Clip in is the way forward, but yes you will pull up short and fall over a couple of times when getting used to them :)
 
There is absolutely no sense in using clipless pedals for the ridding the OP is doing, Shoes are impossible to walk in, will cost at least twice what he paid for the bike and thats with out adding the pedals themselves. Wellgo plastic pedals work fine, if you want bling try superstar components alloy platforms but beware you will get shin strikes and the metal pins hurt like hell, not worth the pain unless serious off road ridding
 
So, pedals then.
  1. I don't want clipless - I'll fall off (and have to wear special shoes just for riding down the prom to Tai Chi).
  2. I don't want the ones that go over your toes because I'm not in the 1980s :) (Also, I keep telling people it's not a racer :D )
But the pedals on it have metal pegs on them. If I wear those with thin shoes then they may tear the sole and with smart shoes they may scuff them up.

Wiggle have a bewildering selection most of which have metal spikes or cost more than the bike or both :)

What would you recommend?
 
Unlikly to destroy soft soled shoes, 5Ten shoes have a soft sole to allow the pins on pedals to grip but they dont actually damage them. The Pins on those pedals are a lot fatter than normal MTB pins. Agree slightly odd choice for the bike. as I said Wellgo basic pedals (or copies there of) are the standard shipped with pretty much every new bike, They work perfectly well. Back in the day use to ride MTB trails on them. For the money those linked above look pretty good.
 
Graham W said:
Those pedals do look an odd choice for that style of bike...more suited to MTB / BMX.
Take them off clean them and flog them on. :)
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Do you think I could get 40 quid for them? I'm only looking for what I paid for them :D

AgentOrange76 said:
Unlikly to destroy soft soled shoes, 5Ten shoes have a soft sole to allow the pins on pedals to grip but they dont actually damage them. The Pins on those pedals are a lot fatter than normal MTB pins. Agree slightly odd choice for the bike. as I said Wellgo basic pedals (or copies there of) are the standard shipped with pretty much every new bike, They work perfectly well. Back in the day use to ride MTB trails on them. For the money those linked above look pretty good.
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They do look a good, sensible, cheap option. They are just a bit, you know, ugly :)

I'm wondering if these might be a good option.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/mks-comfort-lite-commuter-pedals/

Next question... :) Do pedals generally fit any bike? The ones on there at the moment have a central allen nut in the front. Most commuter pedals (thanks for pointing me in the direction of the right search phrase @foggy4ever ) seem to have a regular spanner fitting on the back.
 
As far as I know it's a standard size/thread on the pedals and its either spanner or Allen key. I have the same clip in pedals on both road and mountain bike.
 
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