Re: Confused noob

Vernon said:

This is half the problem, I cannot tell what the difference is between in
this case the Odyssey and the Legend? I know the spec sheet says they have a
different chainset. But what should I be looking for?

In your situation, minor differences in the parts are not important.
What is important is sitting on the bike, riding it for a bit and seeing
if the riding position is comfortable for you and your back. And that
means you are going to have to go out and try a few to find out rather
than reading spec sheets.

Recumbents have been mentioned and are generally much more expensive but
one bike you might like to look at, which a GP I met with back problems
found ideal, is the Giant Revive - half way between a recumbent and a
normal bicycle and much cheaper at between £500 and £600 list.
http://www.bikesandtrailers.com/recumbents/

--
Tony

"I did make a mistake once - I thought I'd made a mistake but I hadn't"
Anon

Quoted message said:

In your situation, minor differences in the parts are not important.
What is important is sitting on the bike, riding it for a bit and seeing
if the riding position is comfortable for you and your back. And that
means you are going to have to go out and try a few to find out rather
than reading spec sheets.

Spoke to several local dealers, including one who stocks a lot of the named
brands, including Trek, Dawes, Specialized and Claud Butler. But none are
willing to let me try a bike out. All they are willing to do is adjust/setup
the bike in store for me to sit on. Now I know that sitting on the bike
would give some indication of comfort, but it is not the same as riding.

Can anyone reccommend a good dealer around Wiltshire/Glos/Bristol area?

Vernon said:

Spoke to several local dealers, including one who stocks a lot of the named
brands, including Trek, Dawes, Specialized and Claud Butler. But none are
willing to let me try a bike out. All they are willing to do is adjust/setup
the bike in store for me to sit on. Now I know that sitting on the bike
would give some indication of comfort, but it is not the same as riding.

Can anyone reccommend a good dealer around Wiltshire/Glos/Bristol area?

When my wife and I were looking for folding bikes Avon Valley Cyclery
behind Bath Spa Station let us take a pair of Airnimals out for a few
hours. We also took a couple of other bikes out for a brief spin round
the car park, but we were sold on the Airnmals by then.

Mike

Vernon said:

Spoke to several local dealers, including one who stocks a lot of the named
brands, including Trek, Dawes, Specialized and Claud Butler. But none are
willing to let me try a bike out.

Make sure you point out to them you won't give them your business and
why. This may have more useful effect if you wheel in the machine
you've bought from somewhere else when you tell them.

Quoted message said:

Can anyone reccommend a good dealer around Wiltshire/Glos/Bristol area?

I can't, not being anywhere near, but I'd be willing to travel a fair
way to a good dealer: it may be a faff and cost time and money, but that
will be rewarded every time you ride the bike. I've bought all my main
bikes from the other side of the country, partly because it's a shop
where the owner is very happy for people to go out and try things (more
often than not, very expensive things!).

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Tony Raven said:

Recumbents have been mentioned and are generally much more expensive but
one bike you might like to look at, which a GP I met with back problems
found ideal, is the Giant Revive - half way between a recumbent and a
normal bicycle and much cheaper at between £500 and £600 list.

A few weeks ago there was one in Mike's Bikes in Cambridge at a pretty
large discount. Down to less than £400 IIRC.

Mike

Mike K Smith said:

Vernon said:

Spoke to several local dealers, including one who stocks a lot of the named
brands, including Trek, Dawes, Specialized and Claud Butler. But none are
willing to let me try a bike out. All they are willing to do is adjust/setup
the bike in store for me to sit on. Now I know that sitting on the bike
would give some indication of comfort, but it is not the same as riding.

Can anyone reccommend a good dealer around Wiltshire/Glos/Bristol area?

When my wife and I were looking for folding bikes Avon Valley Cyclery
behind Bath Spa Station let us take a pair of Airnimals out for a few
hours. We also took a couple of other bikes out for a brief spin round
the car park, but we were sold on the Airnmals by then.

I saw one on the Cabrach 200 - looks very tempting.

...d

Vernon said:

Spoke to several local dealers, including one who stocks a lot of the named
brands, including Trek, Dawes, Specialized and Claud Butler. But none are
willing to let me try a bike out. All they are willing to do is adjust/setup
the bike in store for me to sit on. Now I know that sitting on the bike
would give some indication of comfort, but it is not the same as riding.

Any bike shop that won't let you try one out (with a security deposit)
is not worth your custom.

Quoted message said:

Can anyone reccommend a good dealer around Wiltshire/Glos/Bristol area?

I only know AVC in Bath but that's mainly folding bikes althought they
do normal bikes as well. When I did a Brompton test ride there before
buying their only comment was "That was quick, we thought you'd be gone
for longer than that"
http://www.bikeshop.uk.com/home.htm

--
Tony

"I did make a mistake once - I thought I'd made a mistake but I hadn't"
Anon

David Martin wrote:

[Airnimals]

Quoted message said:

I saw one on the Cabrach 200 - looks very tempting.

Darth Ben is an Airnimal dealer now, so a trip to Bearsden has even
/more/ chance of melting your Visa card. He seems to be doing Moultons
too now, as another option for stowable sports machines.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Vernon said:

Quoted message said:

Take a look at the Claud Butler Odyssey rather than the Legend. Although
it's not that light, I've found it very good for just the sort of trips
you envisage, plus much longer ones. The riding position is widely
adjustable and with some tweaking (e.g. finding a saddle that suits you)
it could do the job, IMO.

--
Brian G

This is half the problem, I cannot tell what the difference is between in
this case the Odyssey and the Legend? I know the spec sheet says they have a
different chainset. But what should I be looking for?

A very confused

Vernon

The difference doesn't matter much. What you asked for was
recommendations and what I've said is that I've found the Odyssey good
for what you seem to want. Doesn't mean that you'll like it but one way
to cut down the long list to manageable size is to ask, just as you did,
for recommendations from experience. As others here have said, only by
trying out various bikes can you arrive at something that suits you, but
at least if someone else has found a particular model OK, it's a
starting point.

If bike shops won't let you try out bikes (for which they should be
boycotted) you could maybe try approaching local bike clubs to see if
any members will let you ride their bikes - although changing the set up
to suit you might be problematic.

--
Brian G

Brian G said:

If bike shops won't let you try out bikes (for which they should be
boycotted) you could maybe try approaching local bike clubs to see if
any members will let you ride their bikes - although changing the set up
to suit you might be problematic.

Can't hurt to ask, but I would think that the typical UK cycling club
member's bike is probably not something where a bolt-upright sitting
position comes as standard.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Peter Clinch said:

Brian G said:

If bike shops won't let you try out bikes (for which they should be
boycotted) you could maybe try approaching local bike clubs to see if
any members will let you ride their bikes - although changing the set
up to suit you might be problematic.

Can't hurt to ask, but I would think that the typical UK cycling club
member's bike is probably not something where a bolt-upright sitting
position comes as standard.

Pete.

Yes, I'm not a club member, so can't be sure, but I was thinking more
of the "leisure" type clubs than the wheelers. For example, the local
over-50's club trots out a fair variety of bikes (mainly MTBs made of
toffee, admittedly ;-) )

--
Brian G

in message <[email hidden]>, Mike K Smith

(') said:

Vernon said:

Spoke to several local dealers, including one who stocks a lot of the
named brands, including Trek, Dawes, Specialized and Claud Butler. But
none are willing to let me try a bike out. All they are willing to do
is adjust/setup the bike in store for me to sit on. Now I know that
sitting on the bike would give some indication of comfort, but it is
not the same as riding.

Can anyone reccommend a good dealer around Wiltshire/Glos/Bristol
area?

When my wife and I were looking for folding bikes Avon Valley Cyclery
behind Bath Spa Station let us take a pair of Airnimals out for a few
hours. We also took a couple of other bikes out for a brief spin round
the car park, but we were sold on the Airnmals by then.

And that's why bike shops letting you try bikes is good business for
them. Sitting in a shop, it's hard to tell the difference between a good
bike and a not so good one. Out on the road on something really nice for
an hour, and you're /very/ likely to spend more money than you intended.
And not regret it afterwards, either.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

[ This mind intentionally left blank ]

Vernon asked:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Can anyone reccommend a good dealer around Wiltshire/Glos/Bristol area?

and Tony Raven responded:

Quoted message said:

I only know AVC in Bath but that's mainly folding bikes althought they
do normal bikes as well. When I did a Brompton test ride there before
buying their only comment was "That was quick, we thought you'd be gone
for longer than that"
http://www.bikeshop.uk.com/home.htm

AVC usually seem to have a few very nice normal bikes in as well. They
also used to stock the occasional recumbent, but (apart from a
second-hand Windcheetah that they had in last year) haven't done for
quite a few years now.

The other bike shop to try in Bath is John's Bikes on Walcot Street,
although they don't seem to keep as many bikes in stock these days as
they used to. Both are great shops, but I tend to favour AVC because
they do a CTC discount.

I don't know the Bristol shops as well. Mud Dock and Dave Bater Cycles
aren't worth bothering with unless you want a mountain bike or a
cruiser. There's one shop in particular that probably *is* worth a try,
if only I could remember it's name. After Googling and looking at the
A-Z I think I'm probably thinking of Bristol Bicycle Workshop on Colston
Street.

Another one that the OP certainly ought to check out is Comfort Cycles
in Mangotsfield.

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
<URL:http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine