Bicycle Advice

PJ from NJ

Hi,

I am about to start cycle training to compete in a sprint triathlon. I am basically a complete novice when it comes to biking. I learnt to ride as a child but have not cycled for 10 or 12 years now.

This triathlon is a personal odessey for me - I am not trying to break any records. I just want to complete it! I need to buy a bike - I feel that a hybrid/comfort bike will best meet my requirements but am not sure. Ultimately I will use the bike to do the odd competition (for my own satisfaction) and cycling with my family.

Any advice on make, model, price range I should be looking in etc would be greatly appreciated. Any other advice would also be welcome!

Thanks.

PJ from NJ

Geonz

I do lots of rides on my hybrid (7500FX with Continental 700X25 tyres) -- but almost everybody else in the known universe simply *doesn't* find a hybrid adequate once they've gotten significant miles under their backsides. You're almost certainly going to be aching for an upgrade. I'd get something comfy to get you started, since you won't get the miles under the backside on something that you don't like, but don't shop as if it's the last bike you'll ever own. (Once you've been riding a while then having a second bike for casual riding is desirable.) If you know you won't be able to afford more than one bike, shop carefully. What is it you like about comfort bikes?

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Mouse Potato

Yep, I'd agree with that assessment.

I'm in a similar situation to PJ, a complete novice... who actually had to learn how to ride! My main aims are fitness and fun, and I doubt I'd do much (if any) formal competition.

I bought a second-hand cheapie hybrid (a 2002 Giant Cypress) a couple of months ago. I'm really aiming for a road bike and I had a few models in mind when I went out looking, but I was also a bit concerned that I wouldn't be able to evaluate them on the road and might end up buying one that I wouldn't have chosen once I could actually stay on the sucker. On the other hand, I didn't want to buy a bike that was so pathetic that it would put me off cycling.

I explained all that to the guys at the LBS and said that I'd be a total beginner, but I couldn't keep from drooling at the road bikes, and every question I asked or bit of kit I mentioned was from my road bike wish list. I'm sure they thought I was hilarious . Anyway, they effectively told me -- much more politely than I would have done -- that I was insane and that a hybrid would be much better/easier to learn on with its more upright position and wider tyres, but still be close enough to progress to a road bike reasonably.

So that's why I went for the hybrid. Ease of learning, and cheap enough to consider disposable.

But after two months I already find it a bit wanting in terms of fun (the gears don't go high enough, for starters, despite thinking they were more than adequate in my first week!) although it's fine for general fitness purposes. And even though it's a small frame it only juuuuuuust fits on my set of rollers when they're at maximum extension, so if you're thinking of using those for indoor training and you're a taller person than I am (and most people are), you'd be stuffed.

But I don't regret buying it. It's decent enough, it was good value for money, it was better to learn on than a high spirited thoroughbred kind of bike would have been, and I've now got adequate (if basic) riding skills (and muscles... they're different to the ones used for running!) for evaluating my first "proper" bike which I'll buy in the spring. I'll probably keep the hybrid on a mag trainer in front of the telly then.

coolworx

<i>But after two months I already find it a bit wanting in terms of fun (the gears don't go high enough, for starters, despite thinking they were more than adequate in my first week!) </i>

Ehh... slap front/rear racks and panniers on that sucker and head for the hills.... then complain about too low gear-inches! ;-)