Help, buying a bike please.

I'd say that is not a good bike for regular, long rides.
First off, look at the frame height. Unless you're really short, you'd need a seat post long as a flag pole to get anywhere near a decent riding position for longer distances.
Next it' s freewheel. Freewheels were OK in the 5/6-speed era, but with 7 speed they're prone to axle bending/breakage.
Then it's a 7-speed. Nothing inherently wrong with that, but it's dated. A bike that is sold new with 7-speed today is just about always low-end. Then there's the frame. Hi-Ten is short for High-Tensile steel, which pretty much is the lowest class of steel where someone actually bothers to spell out the alloy.
I could go on but I think you get the drift. It doesn't look suitable b/c of its frame design, and everything about it signals low-end components. It'd be OK if you were looking to 14 miles weekly, but 14 miles daily you need something better.

And if you are going to use it mainly for commuting, reconsider your priorities. A rigid bike with fenders and a rack is a much better option for that than a MTB. If you insist on having one do-it-all-bike, look at a hybrid. As long as you can get a pair of 38 mm wide tires on it you'll be perfectly OK for modest track/trail use.

Should probably be in the bike buying thread

FWIW. I would qualify the particular bike (and, others may disagree) which you are considering as a pseudo-Downhill bike which is best classified as an overgrown, non-competitive BMX bike which has multiple gears ...

• that is, it would possibly be an "okay" bike for someone who rides his/her BMX bike 5-to-10 km to get from here-to-there and for whom other non-BMX bikes don't seem to be quite right ...
  

So, if you are between 10-to-15 years of age (okay, maybe older) OR you are on a really tight budget, then I say "yes" to that bike ...

• An 11 km commute on a trail which is free of automobiles may be okay once-or-twice (round trip!?!) ...
  

That is, "yes" as long as you realize that dabac is correct when he notes that you will need a much longer seatpost.
For off road, it becomes really difficult to suggest a bike because conditions AND the skill level of the rider may vary drastically from venue to venue & rider to rider ...

BUT, just for your reference, my front suspension fork (which is a middle-of-the-road Marzocchi Bomber fork) cost more than that bike; so, you should probably not think of that particular bike's suspension fork as being useful for any bump-or-depression which is more than an inch-or-so high-or-deep.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by Mad George 88 [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Hi I'm buying a bike soon and i was wondering weather this Is.

A) Suitable.
B) A Good Make.

I want to use it for mostly commuting a 14 mile round trip each day, I hope to use it for off road use but not too rough, so I'm wondering weather this bike is suitable for this.

parkersofbolton.co.ukp 2581 ...ike black.aspxOpen ↗

I'm planning on putting on slicks for this bike.

Or would you recommend a normal mountain bike?

Parkers of Bolton.... Yikes. If you're thinking of buying from them don't visit the showroom. It's been over a decade since I made my one and only visit there but I recall that even the "ladies of the night" that trawl up and down Shiffnal St are afraid to stand near that place as it looks like a disused mill frequented by axe murderers that hasn't seen a broom or a mop since 1729 and it smells like all the sewage has backed up for even longer...

As for the bike, I don't think you'd last 7 miles each way with a saddle that low unless you're challenged in the wedding tackle department. Buy a mountain bike or a 29er and put whatever tyres are most suitable for where you'll be riding the most.

If you live in, or near, Bolton, Geoff Smith's bike shop is probably your better bet. He has pretty good prices and caters for everyone from the local cycling clubs to small kids and he has a clue about bike sizing and what'll work best for you.

I ended up getting this bike :S

thebikefactory.co.ukproductdetails.aspOpen ↗

hope its ok for commuting also another question

Schwalbe tyres would I need inner tubes or are they supplied / built in to them if they are not what inner tubes would you suggest, as I don't want to be stuck changing a flat/ also what tyres would fit that bike?

also adding this on a rim strip any good ones out there

You will need inner tubes. You will want to get puncture resistant tubes.
My guess would be that it would be using 700x 32c tyres.

yeah just checked 🙂 thanks they have some puncture resistant tyres on but im getting some better ones and some puncture resistant innertubes and a better rim tape hopefully no punctures

I've used Specialised Armadillos before. They are some awesome puncture proof tyres. Heavy but tough.

thanks again now deciding between

Specialized Infinity Armadillo Tyre 700 x 38c

and the

Schwable Marathon Plus rival

Whats wrong with the stock tires? Why not give them a chance and see how you make out. No tire is totally resistant to flats. Learn how to fix them and be prepared. Luck is the biggest factor in not getting flats. Everyone has a favorite tire. Some swear by them some swear at them.
Anyways the bike you purchased is much better than the one you first posted. My first road bike was a Raliegh Hybrib. I loved it.

Yeah the tires do look pretty nice though so I'll give them a run then but replace the inner tubes unless they are run flat too. I'm also going pack some spare inner tubes for quick repairs on the go and at work though.

Thanks again all.

One more thing, when spinning the wheel it looks like they're less than mm's out of true but they don't touch the break pads when spinning is this normal?

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by Mad George 88 [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Yeah the tires do look pretty nice though so I'll give them a run then but replace the inner tubes unless they are run flat too. I'm also going pack some spare inner tubes for quick repairs on the go and at work though.

Thanks again all.

One more thing, when spinning the wheel it looks like they're less than mm's out of true but they don't touch the break pads when spinning is this normal?

Not sure what you mean exactly, but on a new bike the wheels should be true and if they aren't ask the shop to fix it. And why would you expect the wheels to touch the brake pads when they're spinning? You don't want them to touch until you apply the brakes.

About your earlier question about tires - there are no flat proof tires so as others have said you'll have to learn to fix them and always carry the necessary gear with you. That means tire levers, a pump, one inner tube and a patch kit. The patch kit is in case you get two or more flats on the same ride and run out of good inner tubes - you'll be able to fix the damaged one and get home.

Also, when I commuted a lot a number of years ago, I went through a period where it seemed I was averaging more than one flat a week. I eventually found these hard rubber strips that can be inserted between the inner tube and the tire - the idea being that if anything punctures the tire it won't be able to also puncture the hard rubber strip. This adds a bit of extra weight, but after I installed those babies I never had another flat on my hybrid commuter.

Enjoy your new bike - 14 miles is a long commute. I used to do 17 miles a few years back and I took my road bike and even then I didn't do it every day.

oh no what i meant was they don't seem so out of true that they touch the brake pads if they are that is.

also where can i get these strips, ty I can fix a flat and i will carry all the gear to do so but since i finish work at 8pm i don't want to have to do it there, thanks for help again and yes i will be doing that soon, hopefully.

Things i have done to stop punctures are duct tape on the inside of the tyre a few layers. Or if you have an old tube with too many punctures, cut the valve off and insert that inside the tyre to act as the hard rubber strip Yojimbo was talking about.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by Mad George 88 [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

I ended up getting this bike :S

thebikefactory.co.ukproductdetails.aspOpen ↗

For commuting that's a far more sensible choice. It's still 7-speed, so probably a freewheel. Be aware of the possibility for axle bending/breaking. Luckily, an upgrade to a freehub rear wheel(if needed) will not kill you financially.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by Mad George 88 [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

hope its ok for commuting also another question

Schwalbe tyres would I need inner tubes or are they supplied / built in to them if they are not what inner tubes would you suggest, as I don't want to be stuck changing a flat/ also what tyres would fit that bike?

also adding this on a rim strip any good ones out there

I've never seen a bike delivered "barefoot", so you can safely expect it to come with tires, tubes and rim strips. I wouldn't bother with either until they've proven to be insufficient or if I'm in there mucking about for some other reason.

Flats can always happen unless you run "solid" AKA airfree / airless tires. Carry a tube, a pump and the required tools to fix it. I also carry self-adhesive patches in case there's a sliver stuck in the tire that I didn't find the first time round.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by dabac [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

For commuting that's a far more sensible choice. It's still 7-speed, so probably a freewheel. Be aware of the possibility for axle bending/breaking. Luckily, an upgrade to a freehub rear wheel(if needed) will not kill you financially.

any suggestions on the upgrade just in case for the future?

wouldn't i have to keep pedalling with a free hub? plus how would i go about fixing it, and how much more benefit would it be than the wheel i have now is it likely to break 🙁