Street Bike

Devlin said:

Hi,

I'm considering buying a new bicycle for my London commute
(about 7 miles each way). I know that I want a hybrid
style bike, but I have no idea which brand I should be
looking for. Anybody have any idea?

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

cheers, Devlin.

I've seen some nice looking Trek ones around the Uni here.
Other than that I hav eno idea.

--
Reply To is checked rarely
mseries.freeserve.co.ukmseries.freeserve.co.ukOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

Hi,

I'm considering buying a new bicycle for my London commute
(about 7 miles each way). I know that I want a hybrid style
bike, but I have no idea which brand I should be looking
for. Anybody have any idea?

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

cheers, Devlin.

If your bike is going to be left outside, I suggest that you
get something that is, or can be disguised to be, old,
battered and a highly undesirable object. If you don't, it's
likely that whatever you own will not stay in your ownership
for long. Plus - it needs to be locked securely with
something substantial (check your insurance to see what is
acceptable) and any removable parts removed by you, or you
may well find you are cycling home without a saddle...

If your bike can be taken inside and kept secure - then your
options are wide. Personally I wouldn't buy a bike from
Halfords, based on personal experience, but would buy stuff
like basic lights, a helmet (if you want one) from there,
but that's about it. If you require a bike that can be made
to be small & taking up up of little space to keep it
inside, consider a folding bike such as a Brompton.

Of course, it all depends upon your budget.

Cheers, helen s

--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam-- to get
correct one remove dependency on fame & fortune h*$el*$$e**-
nd***$o$ts***i*$*$m**m$$o*n**s@$*$a$$o**l.c**$*$om$$

Devlin said:

I'm considering buying a new bicycle for my London commute
(about 7 miles each way). I know that I want a hybrid
style bike, but I have no idea which brand I should be
looking for. Anybody have any idea?

What you get will depend how much you're spending. I'd make
sure you=20 don't get stuff you don't need but have to pay
for anyway, especially if =

it's there to look sporty (i.e., front suspension, unless
you're=20 frequenting cobbled streets in your 7 miles).
Consider possible extra=20 budget for luggage rack (carrying
bags on the bike is *sooooo* much more =

comfortable than even an empty rucksack I'm amazed how many
people use=20 rucksacks in the UK) and mudguards. On a wet
road without them you and=20 your transmission will be
sprayed with cack, with them, especially if=20 you have
mudflaps too, you'll be cleaner and drier and your chain
will=20 last longer.

Another thing to consider is hub gears rather than a
derailleur. Not as =

flexible, but a 7 speed hub gives you quite enough gears for
a London=20 commute, requires more or less zip maintenance
and again will reduce=20 transmission wear. Since they're
about as trendy as permed hair, hubs=20 will also reduce the
theivability factor, as will a chain guard which=20 again
has positive maintenance benefits.

Orbit do a rather nice hub gear hybrid with hub dynamo
lights and rack=20 and mudgaurds as standard, but it's about
=A3700, typically more than a=20 lot of people think a bike
ought to cost though it looks good value to=20
me. Cheaper, but still well equipped, the Dawes Diplomat 7
(I think...) =

is about =A3400, the Diplomat 3 a bit less. The Discovery
201 from Dawes=
=20
and the Ridgebacks at about =A3200 are okay looking. I
personally=20 wouldn't spend less than =A3200 on a new bike,
they tend to be made of=20 cheese, and at =A3200 I would
only buy something that had no pretensions =

to being other than very basic.

Pete. --=20 Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382
660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44
1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net
[email hidden] dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

"Devlin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi,

I'm considering buying a new bicycle for my London commute
(about 7 miles each way). I know that I want a hybrid
style bike, but I have no idea which brand I should be
looking for. Anybody have any idea?

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

Does it have to be new? You could look through the local
newspaper for second hand bikes for less than 100 quid. You
could get a decent 2nd hand no-suspension MTB, put smooth
tyres on it and commute on that. It will stand out from the
crowd less than a new bike if your storage faclities are
less than secure. To get an idea what's on offer re new
hybrids, have a look at some of the online shops such as
this: evanscycles.comevanscycles.comOpen ↗

--
Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W
simonmason.karoo.netsimonmason.karoo.netOpen ↗

"Devlin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm considering buying a new bicycle for my London commute
(about 7 miles each way). I know that I want a hybrid
style bike, but I have no idea which brand I should be
looking for. Anybody have any idea?

Will it be left outside? If so a rigid MTB frame with a
Hammerite paint job and cantilever brakes is the way to go
;-)

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after
posting. chapmancentral.co.ukchapmancentral.co.ukOpen ↗

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at
Washington University

Just zis Guy said:

Will it be left outside? If so a rigid MTB frame with
a Hammerite paint job and cantilever brakes is the way
to go ;-)

And some really big pink vinyl stickers proclaiming "GayBike
2000". That should work everywhere except in Brighton ;-)

Peter Clinch said:

What you get will depend how much you're spending. I'd
make sure you don't get stuff you don't need but have to
pay for anyway, especially if it's there to look sporty
(i.e., front suspension, unless you're frequenting cobbled
streets in your 7 miles). Consider possible extra budget
for luggage rack (carrying bags on the bike is *sooooo*
much more comfortable than even an empty rucksack I'm
amazed how many people use rucksacks in the UK) and
mudguards.

Why the amazement? I use a rucksack pretty much all the
time, cycling or not. Please enlighten me where I'm going
wrong and how I would benefit from changing. I'm interested
in these small details.

Pip

On 10/3/04 11:01 am, in article
[email hidden], "Devlin" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Hi,

I'm considering buying a new bicycle for my London commute
(about 7 miles each way). I know that I want a hybrid
style bike, but I have no idea which brand I should be
looking for. Anybody have any idea?

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

I had a great bike when I was in London. It was an old sit
up and beg bike with a single gear, hedgehog crushing tyres
and a chaincase on a step through frame. The gearing was
just about perfect. I could spin the pedals fast enough to
keep up with the roadies (I was young and fit) and it was
just low enough to ride up test hill in Richmond Park
(though my knees have not for given my young, fit and
impestuous youth). It was so undesirable I hardly needed to
lock it. I had put a basket on the front and a carrier on
the back. With full mudguards it was a perfect city bike.

And at a total cost of replacing the original tyres and
tubes, it was an absolute bargain. The puncture fairy only
visited me a few times in the year I spent commuting from
Kilburn to Temple.

..d

dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers said:

I find that when cycling, if I use a backpack to carry
stuff in, my back gets hot & sweaty quite qucikly, plus it
can be uncomfortable.

I haven't managed to get hot and sweaty for quite a while.
But enough about my personal life...

Quoted message said:

If I carry stuff on a rear rack mounted on my bike it
really is *much* better. It's more comfortable cycling for
a start, plus it's easier.

Easier? You're adding an extra thing to do - take backpack
off, secure it to rack - so "easier" doesn't seem the right
word. Sure, it's not exactly a difficult task, but it is one
that you don't need if you don't have the rack.

Quoted message said:

On my everyday bike, I have a lockable rack pack which I
use to store my "spares" in, plus it keeps my helmet
secure when I'm off the bike.

Shhhh! Don't mention the "H" word!

Quoted message said:

Then, when I return to the bike, it's used to store the
shopping securely for the journey home. If necessary I can
bungee stuff to the outside of it.

Well, yes, but...

Quoted message said:

For longer journeys - days out and the like, panniers come
into their own.

Ah, now here I think I can agree with you completely. If
you're going on a longer journey, you might well want to
take quite a bit with you, and it will be a long time before
you get off. Sure, sounds good.

Quoted message said:

My son cycles to school and his stuff is in a backpack -
he bungees this to the rack on his bike rather than wear
it whilst cycling - it's much more comfortable - honest
:-) Then when he's at school, he just carries it on his
back from lesson to lesson as per normal. Having a pack on
your back when walking is fine - have done it often and
it's no problem - but when cycling, having stuff on the
rear rack is *much* better than carrying it on your back.

I still think it depends. I don't go out "cycling". I go
out to get the shopping, to get from one place to
another quickly. Adding another task puts another block
on me doing that. It's a small task, so it's a small
block, but it doesn't, to me, explain why there is
"amazement" that someone would be lazy enough to want to
avoid even small tasks. There are advantages to the
rack. It just isn't an absolute.

Pip

Pip said:

Why the amazement? I use a rucksack pretty much all the
time, cycling or not. Please enlighten me where I'm going
wrong and how I would benefit from changing. I'm
interested in these small details.

I assume you do take your rucksack off at times, say, to sit
down? ;-) I do, and I do because it's more comfortable not
wearing it than wearing it (and I use high quality packs
that I've carefully fitted, but baggage is baggage).

Comfort: it's that simple. You don't have any weight on you
is the main thing, but you also don't have a non-breathable
lump helping make your back sweaty (and even those clever
suspended frame bags will lead to less ventilation than
nothing there at all). No issue of visibility reduction
either when looking over your shoulder, though that's only a
problem with a poor choice of pack.

You've bought an expensive piece of metal to take weight,
why not take advantage and hang your bags on it, rather than
on you? A rucksack can be better on rough stuff on an MTB,
as it isn't unsprung weight and you can move it about. But
that's a non-issue for the road.

A former flatmate rode to college with a rucksack, I dug out
an old rack and lent her some panniers. Reaction was
something like "I can't believe how much difference they
make!". This is for a couple of miles with light loads that
easily fitted in a 20 litre rucksack.

And unless you're on some featherweight racing contraption I
doubt you'll notice you've got a rack on in a negative way,
though things like the SQR seatpost release setups will
leave you cleaner lines if you really do object to the
aesthetics.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext.
33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177
Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Peter Clinch said:

I assume you do take your rucksack off at times, say, to
sit down?

You can do that these days? Wow, this modern technology
is amazing!

Quoted message said:

;-) I do, and I do because it's more comfortable not
wearing it than wearing it (and I use high quality packs
that I've carefully fitted, but baggage is baggage).

Comfort: it's that simple.

Yes, it is: when I go shopping, I have my backpack to put
shopping in instead of carrying plastic bags or panniers.
It's more comfortable. And I probably spend more time
walking around the shops than I do riding to and from them.

Quoted message said:

You don't have any weight on you is the main thing, but
you also don't have a non-breathable lump helping make
your back sweaty (and even those clever suspended frame
bags will lead to less ventilation than nothing there at
all). No issue of visibility reduction either when looking
over your shoulder, though that's only a problem with a
poor choice of pack.

Or a stiff neck.

Quoted message said:

You've bought an expensive piece of metal to take weight,
why not take advantage and hang your bags on it, rather
than on you?

That sounds sensible. Except that generally, I'm just
getting some milk, a few carrots... I'm not trying to carry
the fridge back. And I've been walking around with the
weight already: I'm used to it. So, to take it to extremes,
I could get a side cart so that when I did want to carry
the fridge, I'd be able to, but most of the time it's
fairly redundant. I'm not trying to start a better/worse
war, I was just trying to find out what the absolute
position was all about.

Quoted message said:

A rucksack can be better on rough stuff on an MTB, as it
isn't unsprung weight and you can move it about. But
that's a non-issue for the road.

A former flatmate rode to college with a rucksack, I dug
out an old rack and lent her some panniers. Reaction was
something like "I can't believe how much difference they
make!". This is for a couple of miles with light loads
that easily fitted in a 20 litre rucksack.

And unless you're on some featherweight racing contraption
I doubt you'll notice you've got a rack on in a negative
way, though things like the SQR seatpost release setups
will leave you cleaner lines if you really do object to
the aesthetics.

Okay, it might be something to look into. Sounds like too
much fiddling about to be really appealing except for
heavier items, though.

Pip

Pip said:

puts another block on me doing that. It's a small task, so
it's a small block, but it doesn't, to me, explain why
there is "amazement" that someone would be lazy enough to
want to avoid even small tasks.

That isn't the source of the amazement though. That comes
from the sheer number of cycles used for utility jobs in the
UK that have no provision for luggage carrying mounted at
all, forcing their owners to use body mount bags even where
they are clearly inferior. Based on the people I see and
talk to, most people don't have experience of using anything
other than a rucksack, so they have nothing to compare to.
Those of us that do, apparently including most people in
utility cycling cultures AFAICT, have bikes with racks for
utility work. That doesn't force you to use them or prevent
carrying a rucksack, but mostly in the UK they're not there,
or lacking suitable luggage, not used even when they are.

If all you want to do is carry a pint of milk and a pack of
sausages home then a basket on the front of the bike is
*easier* than a rucksack. Just drop it in and off you go,
no faffing about with small tasks you can avoid like
undoing the buckles on the rucksack and adjusting the
straps for carry. But you try and buy a bike with a
shopping basket in a typical UK bike shop... And then for
an encore, have a look around Amsterdam and try and spot a
street bike *without* a good solid rack (and you'll have
thousands to look at).

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext.
33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177
Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Zog The Undeniable <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<404f615b.0@entanet>...

Quoted message said:

And some really big pink vinyl stickers proclaiming
"GayBike 2000". That should work everywhere except in
Brighton ;-)

Of course, you know from experience.

Pip said:

You can do that these days? Wow, this modern technology is
amazing!

You only get TOSH (TM) ("Take-Off Shoulder Harness"😉
Technology at a price, but it's worth paying! ;-)

Quoted message said:

Yes, it is: when I go shopping, I have my backpack to
put shopping in instead of carrying plastic bags or
panniers. It's more comfortable. And I probably spend
more time walking around the shops than I do riding to
and from them.

Depends on the bag. Personally, if I'm just getting a pint
of milk or the like then I find a courier bag is far more
utilitarian than a rucksack because you don't have to take
it on and off to access it. The pannier on the Brompton has
a shoulder strap so I just walk around the shop with it over
my shoulder like a courier bag. The Ortliebs have shoulder
straps too, and dismount and remount by just picking them up
or putting them down: lifting the handle releases the
security catch, releasing it engages them.

Quoted message said:

That sounds sensible. Except that generally, I'm just
getting some milk, a few carrots... I'm not trying to
carry the fridge back.

When I'm carrying a fridge I use my freight bike (very
amusing to see the looks of the staff at Comet when I
pedalled away with my new fridge on board!).

Quoted message said:

I'm not trying to start a better/worse war, I was
just trying to find out what the absolute position
was all about.

More comfort is more comfort. If I was really obsessed I'd
use the recumbent everywhere, but I often use the Brom as
it's more convenient, but with the easy mounting of good
luggage like the Brom and Ortlieb panniers there really
isn't any more faff than putting on and taking off a
rucksack so convenience isn't compromised.

Quoted message said:

Okay, it might be something to look into. Sounds like too
much fiddling about to be really appealing except for
heavier items, though.

It's no more faff, or often less IME, as long as you have
good luggage. Look at Klickfix bar bags as well, which just
lift off with a QR catch and snap back into place merely by
placing it back on the bike.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext.
33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177
Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

"Devlin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi,

I'm considering buying a new bicycle for my London commute
(about 7 miles each way). I know that I want a hybrid
style bike, but I have no idea which brand I should be
looking for. Anybody have any idea?

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

cheers, Devlin.

I was looking for a cheap bike to cycle 2.5 miles from
station to work. I was happy to get a beaten-up 2nd-hand
one, but a visit to my LBS got me a new hybrid with 18 speed
gears, pannier rack (for laptop case), & mudguards for £160.
Perfect, I thought. I stuck a dynamo set on it, coated every
vulnerable surface with vaseline and went for it. After 3
months I took it home at Christmas and cleaned up all the
rustyt bits I'd missed, and it's still looking far too
attractive (I know I started out with the intention of
letting it rust so as to reduce its value to a thief, but I
can't bear to have a squeaky chain). I carry a puncture kit,
a small screwdriver, a multi-tool and tyre levers in my PC
case. I bought a cheap old-fashioned pump which has all the
appeal of an Austin Allegro.

I've used dynamos for years and have never had one stolen.
The Noordlicht ones are good in the wet. I have a small
chain which I loop through the saddle and frame to prevent
saddle theft. I have a standlight which I unclip after each
journey. In 6 months of leaving it every night on Swindon
railway platform, it has had no damage.

I can't remember the make of the bike, but apparently it's
manufactured in the same factory as Claude Butler. It
certainly has the same wheels as they use.

Peter

I suggest one of the following;
1 - The new Edinburgh Hybrid cycle for 2004, good alu fram, suspension
forks and great continental tyres
edinburgh-bicycle.co.ukdetail.cfmOpen ↗
or
2 Even cheaper, the old 2003 model, tyres aren't as good and solid
forks...but very good value for money
edinburgh-bicycle.co.ukdetail.cfmOpen ↗

and I don't work for them before you ask

[email hidden] (Devlin) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Hi,

I'm considering buying a new bicycle for my London commute
(about 7 miles each way). I know that I want a hybrid
style bike, but I have no idea which brand I should be
looking for. Anybody have any idea?

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

cheers, Devlin.

Jon Senior said:

Let's be fair... the same applies to panniers, it's just
that the weight is in a different place.

That's a very big "just".

Quoted message said:

The weight is still present when cycling. You've just
moved the burden from your shoulders.

That's a very big "just".

Quoted message said:

OK. I have one of those featherweight racing contraptions
and fitting them is not an option

SQR seatpost bag should work nicely, if you don't have a
carbon aero seatpost...

Quoted message said:

If was going to do distance riding (Multi-stage, self-
sufficient tour) I would definately get a solid frame and
fit panniers, but for efficiency I can't recommend them.
Very little of my sac is visible from the front, thus
reducing imediate wind resistance.

If this is a problem then a rack mounted top bag or box will
get you straight round it. And if you really dislike wind
resistance get a recumbent with an aerodynamic tail box
including a lockable luggage trunk! Goes faster, *and*
carries more stuff!

Quoted message said:

Panniers require pairs and balancing of weight (Unless you
like the unusual handling of a badly-laden bike)

No they don't. See threads passim with several posters
pouring cold water on that particular theorem. I only ever
take two if I need the space, there's no discernible
effect on handling with only one unless you've got far
more weight than you'd want in a rucksack. Note that EBC
sell panniers singly, which they'd hardly do if only using
one was a problem.

Quoted message said:

(From my experience of the cheaper ones) tend to snag your
heels and act as wind-traps.

If they snag your heels then you didn't get the right ones,
is simple enough. Yes, they do catch the wind more than not
being there on an upright, but if you have less than 20
litres of stuff you can put it on the rack inline anyway.

Quoted message said:

Horses-for-courses an' all. I'm not saying they're of no
use. Just that they always seem O.T.T and excessive grief
for short rides.

Seems you haven't been using ones that were any good, which
would cloud your feelings rather, I think.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext.
33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177
Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Simon Brooke said:

Oh, heck, what do you want to spend? If I was looking for
a flat barred street bike these days it would be the
Cannondale with the Rohloff <cannondale.commodelOpen ↗
4SS5K.html> - even comes with my favourite saddle fitted
as standard.

Drool! If only it had Hope brakes instead of Maggies, I'd...

[shakes piggy-bank]

... poobums :-(

--

Dave Larrington - legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uklegslarry.beerdrinkers.co.ukOpen ↗
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
bhpc.org.ukbhpc.org.ukOpen ↗
===========================================================

NIGEL said:

2 Even cheaper, the old 2003 model, tyres aren't as good
and solid forks...

So less maintenance, something less to go wrong, and less
power loss to pogoing the bike. Good suspension is
wonderful, but costs Real Money. Cheap suspension is
questionably worthwhile, unless your route includes cobbled
streets or the like.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext.
33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177
Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗