what bike should I choose?



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J

J-Keeling

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Hi, this may sound kind of stupid, but I'm 16, and looking for a decent, preferably not too
expensive road/touring bike to use to get to work every weekend, plus carry some occasional luggage.
After being fed up by being ripped off and appalled by successions of pseudo- mountain/hybrid bikes
I have become rather attarcted to a more racing style. My old hybrid had a cast dynamo bracket plus
some handy holes in the frame for the wiring to go through- do any touring bikes have these, or are
they just another addition to help pass off the cheap models? Any replies would be gratefully
received as I have had painful experience of wasting hard-earned cash on rubbish bikes. Cheers for
your help- Matt
 
>Hi, this may sound kind of stupid, but I'm 16, and looking for a decent, preferably not too
>expensive road/touring bike to use to get to work every weekend, plus carry some occasional
>luggage. After being fed up by being ripped off and appalled by successions of pseudo-
>mountain/hybrid bikes I have become rather attarcted to a more racing style. My old hybrid had a
>cast dynamo bracket plus some handy holes in the frame for the wiring to go through- do any touring
>bikes have these, or are they just another addition to help pass off the cheap models? Any replies
>would be gratefully received as I have had painful experience of wasting hard-earned cash on
>rubbish bikes.

Depending on how mechanically minded you are, there is always the other option - of going even
cheaper: getting older road bikes from auctions, dumps, secondhand ads in shop windows/online Loot
etc There are plenty of bikes out there, but it will require you to 'get your spannes out', as a lot
of these cycles may require newer components, or bits taken from other bikes, but you these older
frames can still be perfectly ok for what you want.

But this approach, although while being very fruitful, can be a bit time consuming and requires you
to go 'looking' a bit further than the retail shop outlets. Secondhand might be the way to go.

Anyway, just a thought.

bob
 
Hi Matt,

j-keeling wrote:
> Hi, this may sound kind of stupid, but I'm 16

Ditto...

> and looking for a decent, preferably not too expensive road/touring bike to use to get to work
> every weekend, plus carry some occasional luggage. After being fed up by being ripped off and
> appalled by successions of pseudo- mountain/hybrid bikes I have become rather attarcted to a more
> racing style.

I (fairly) recently bought a Dawes Horizon (www.dawescycles.com) touring bike, which is absolutely
great - it's "racing style" in having drop handlebars etc. but sensible in having mudguards, plenty
of gears and racks to carry luggage amongst other things. Sounds to me like a touring bike's what
you want - I went for the Horizon because a) it's Dawes, and as various contributors here put it,
you can't go far wrong with a Dawes and b) it's cheap (as these things go... I paid £375). I mainly
bought it because I want to do serious-ish touring - I have a much older road bike I got for £20 and
have been steadily upgrading for going to and from school to avoid shiny bike getting nicked/rained
on - but something like that would probably suit you well. Worth checking for decent second-hand
ones - they apparently last ages... As Bob has already said, picking up something old and fixing it
as you go can be a cheap and enjoyable way :)

Cheers,

Simon
 
j-keeling <[email protected]> wrote:

> Hi, this may sound kind of stupid, but I'm 16, and looking for a decent, preferably not too
> expensive road/touring bike to use to get to work every weekend, plus carry some occasional
> luggage. After being fed up by being ripped off and appalled by successions of pseudo-
> mountain/hybrid bikes I have become rather attarcted to a more racing style. My old hybrid had a
> cast dynamo bracket plus some handy holes in the frame for the wiring to go through- do any
> touring bikes have these, or are they just another addition to help pass off the cheap models? Any
> replies would be gratefully received as I have had painful experience of wasting hard-earned cash
> on rubbish bikes.

A good rule of thumb is to buy the cheapest bike that you can't afford.
 
On Sun, 16 Feb 2003 21:04:19 -0000, "j-keeling" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Hi, this may sound kind of stupid, but I'm 16, and looking for a decent, preferably not
>too expensive road/touring bike to use to get to work every weekend, plus carry some
>occasional luggage.

Smart man. Others have suggested the Dawes Horizon - I can't disagree, I think you can't go far
wrong with Dawes. The Edinburgh Country (from http://www.edinburghbicycle.com) is also very
good value
- or visit your bike shop and pick up a second hand rigid (no suspension) MTB and add a rack and
some decent road tyres like Schwalbe Marathons and a pair of clipless pedals.

Define "too expensive," though - I spent over fifteen hundred on my bike, which was cheaper than
nearly four grand for the one I really wanted :)

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. http://www.chapmancentral.com (BT ADSL and
dynamic DNS permitting)
NOTE: BT Openworld have now blocked port 25 (without notice), so old mail addresses may no longer
work. Apologies.
 
"j-keeling" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...

> Hi, this may sound kind of stupid, but I'm 16, and looking for a decent, preferably not too
> expensive road/touring bike to use to get to work every weekend, plus carry some occasional
> luggage. After being fed up by being ripped off and appalled by successions of pseudo-
> mountain/hybrid bikes

One alternative is a non-appauling rigid mountain bike and shove on slicks. They don't really make
these any more - apart from the specialised hardrock.

It'll be a lot cheaper than a tourer, or you'll be able to get something with newer/better
components.

How much were you thinking of spending 100,300, 500 ? If its the first then you're looking at a
really old tourer, or a reasonable MTB less than 5 years old.
 
j-keeling wrote:
> Hi, this may sound kind of stupid, but I'm 16, and looking for a decent=
,
> preferably not too expensive road/touring bike to use to get to work ev=
ery
> weekend, plus carry some occasional luggage. After being fed up by bein=
g
> ripped off and appalled by successions of pseudo- mountain/hybrid bikes=
I
> have become rather attarcted to a more racing style.

A racing style is not the best for luggage, and probably not for=20 commuting. A tourer, OTOH, is
ideal. But a sensibly specced hybrid,=20 like the Ridgeback Velocity or Dawes Discovery 601 should
do the job=20 fine as well, and is considerably cheaper. If you're buying new then a=20 good hybrid
can be had for prices from ca. =A3200, while tourers start at=
=20
around =A3450. Second hand is a good route, *if* you can find the right =

machine.

> cast dynamo bracket plus some handy holes in the frame for the wiring t=
o go
> through- do any touring bikes have these, or are they just another addi=
tion
> to help pass off the cheap models?=20

Most comedy componentry to pass off cheap gaspipe is there to make thing =

look "sporty". But it shouldn't be any great problem to fit a dynamo to =

a tourer.

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 protected]
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
 
"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> On Sun, 16 Feb 2003 21:04:19 -0000, "j-keeling" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Hi, this may sound kind of stupid, but I'm 16, and looking for a decent, preferably not too
> >expensive road/touring bike to use to get to work every weekend, plus carry some occasional
> >luggage.
>
> Smart man. Others have suggested the Dawes Horizon - I can't disagree, I think you can't go far
> wrong with Dawes. The Edinburgh Country (from http://www.edinburghbicycle.com) is also very
> good value
> - or visit your bike shop and pick up a second hand rigid (no suspension) MTB and add a rack
> and some decent road tyres like Schwalbe Marathons and a pair of clipless pedals.
>
> Define "too expensive," though - I spent over fifteen hundred on my bike, which was cheaper than
> nearly four grand for the one I really wanted :)
>
> Guy
> ===
> ** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. http://www.chapmancentral.com (BT ADSL and
> dynamic DNS permitting)
> NOTE: BT Openworld have now blocked port 25 (without notice), so old mail addresses may no longer
> work. Apologies.

Guy, in this context I think "too expensive" means "way beyond the means of a 16 yr old lad with a
saturday job".

I've got an Horizon - excellent bike for what you say you want it for, but I'd be inclined to buy
something a bit lighter - one of the Dawes Giro models perhaps. Don't forget that the H. is 30lbs
weight, albeit geared right down so even unfit smokers like me can winch it up hills.

However, I've been gradually moving towards the position that the best bike is the one you most want
to ride. If you can, try a few out and consider the ones which make you grin. As I'm sure many
people will say don't get too hung up on buying the "correct" bike. Lots of people do long commutes
through city streets, or even light touring, on 23mm tyres and racing wheels - Good luck, and enjoy
whatever you buy.

SteveP
 
Peter Clinch wrote:

> it shouldn't be any great problem to fit a dynamo to a tourer.

No indeed - in my experience they almost all have a front hub ;-)

--
Guy
===
I wonder if you wouldn't mind piecing out our imperfections with your thoughts; and while you're
about it perhaps you could think when we talk of bicycles, that you see them printing their proud
wheels i' the receiving earth; thanks awfully.

http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/09.shtml#103 http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/09.shtml#104
 
stephen pridgeon wrote:

>> Define "too expensive," though - I spent over fifteen hundred on my bike, which was cheaper than
>> nearly four grand for the one I really wanted :)

> Guy, in this context I think "too expensive" means "way beyond the means of a 16 yr old lad with a
> saturday job".

Note the smiley. We don't know if Pater might chip in, after all. A young lad with a Saturday job as
their only means of support prolly can't afford the Horizon either - hence my comment about
second-hand bikes (often surprisingly good value even from bike shops).

Which is actually why I asked the question, define too expensive. It's really hard to make an
intelligent recommendation with no idea of budget. £100? £200? £300?

--
Guy
===
I wonder if you wouldn't mind piecing out our imperfections with your thoughts; and while you're
about it perhaps you could think when we talk of bicycles, that you see them printing their proud
wheels i' the receiving earth; thanks awfully.

http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/09.shtml#103 http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/09.shtml#104
 
Thanks guys- I'm quite tempted by the 'scrapheap challenge' idea as I was thrilled to bits by my old
'sit up and beg' fixed wheel trade bike which I bought for a tenner down at auction- stuck a new set
of tyres/tubes on her and filled up the wonderfully quaint little oilers on the front hub and bottom
bracket- the ultimate load lugger but not the easiest or speediest of things to pedal ;-)

Matt
 
In news:[email protected], Just zis Guy, you know?
<[email protected]> typed:

> Note the smiley. We don't know if Pater might chip in, after all. A young lad with a Saturday job
> as their only means of support prolly can't afford the Horizon either - hence my comment about
> second-hand bikes (often surprisingly good value even from bike shops).

Maybe not a '02 or 03 Horizon; but it looks like that these have been made for some years, and he
may end up with one alsmost as old as himself (or older!) I guess it may need new parts, but would
imagine the design is essentially the same and parts are pretty standard...

Alex
 
"j-keeling" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Thanks guys- I'm quite tempted by the 'scrapheap challenge' idea as I was thrilled to bits by my
> old 'sit up and beg' fixed wheel trade bike which I bought for a tenner down at auction- stuck a
> new set of tyres/tubes on her and filled up the wonderfully quaint little oilers on the front
> hub and bottom bracket- the ultimate load lugger but not the easiest or speediest of things to
> pedal ;-)
>
> Matt

Ohhh, jealous :)

does this make me a bike pervert ;((

SteveP
 
"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> stephen pridgeon wrote:
>
> >> Define "too expensive," though - I spent over fifteen hundred on my bike, which was cheaper
> >> than nearly four grand for the one I really wanted :)
>
> > Guy, in this context I think "too expensive" means "way beyond the means of a 16 yr old lad with
> > a saturday job".
>
> Note the smiley. We don't know if Pater might chip in, after all. A young lad with a Saturday job
> as their only means of support prolly can't afford the Horizon either - hence my comment about
> second-hand bikes (often surprisingly good value even from bike shops).
>
> Which is actually why I asked the question, define too expensive. It's really hard to make an
> intelligent recommendation with no idea of budget. £100? £200? £300?
>
> --
> Guy

Guy,
a) I missed the smiley - sorry.
b) I must not post early in the morning. I must not post early in the morning. I must not post
early... x 100 as penance.
c) I must keep track of what I post to so as to reply to nice people such as yourself sooner. I must
keep track.... etc x 100 to remind
ca.

Regards SteveP
 
On 20 Feb 2003 01:53:51 -0800, [email protected] (stephen pridgeon) wrote:

>Guy,
>a) I missed the smiley - sorry.

De nada, dear boy. Think no more of it.

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. http://www.chapmancentral.com (BT ADSL and
dynamic DNS permitting)
NOTE: BT Openworld have now blocked port 25 (without notice), so old mail addresses may no longer
work. Apologies.
 
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