|
Author |
Message |
Ribenapigeon |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Ribenapigeon Super Spammer
Joined: 20 Feb 2012 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
recman |
This post is not being displayed .
|
recman World Chat Champion
Joined: 26 Mar 2012 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Ste |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Ste Not Work Safe
Joined: 01 Sep 2002 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
P. |
This post is not being displayed .
|
P. Red Rocket
Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
kawashima |
This post is not being displayed .
|
kawashima World Chat Champion
Joined: 03 May 2005 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
stinkwheel |
This post is not being displayed .
|
stinkwheel Bovine Proctologist
Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :
|
Posted: 15:29 - 08 Sep 2016 Post subject: |
|
|
As with motorcycles, second hand can be best.
Try a cycle recycling place as well as the usual suspects online (go in, they are usually shit at keeping their inventory up to date online).
In terms of cheap bikes. Decathlon do some pretty well specced cheaper road bikes but are conventional multiple gear ones.
You thinking hub gears?
If you want light and simple for urban use, you could go single speed. I'm a big fucker and my road bike is single speed and I do some pretty decent hills with it. Everyone wh rides it is surprised at how easy it is to ride (it's a 1976 Puch alpine racer bike converted to single speed).
If you're a big guy, look for a frame where the pedals are landing up underneath the saddle rather than behind it. You want to be stomping up and down on them using your weight, not pushing back against them using your muscles.
This is a lovely bike:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genesis-Day-One-single-speed-road-bike-Flip-Flop-Hub-/322251729430?hash=item4b07b32a16:g:WywAAOSwkl5Xf8Zk
Would look and ride well with some comfy handlebars. I've got North Road bars on my bike.
Another thing is that you now get 10 and 11 speed rear cassettes that cover a range of gears greater than a cheap 21 speed bike from 10 years ago. You genuinely don't need to have multiple chainrings on a geared bike these days. ____________________ “Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles. |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Pjay |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Pjay World Chat Champion
Joined: 18 Jan 2016 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Derivative |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Derivative World Chat Champion
Joined: 03 Aug 2010 Karma :
|
Posted: 16:05 - 08 Sep 2016 Post subject: |
|
|
Given "of decent quality and not specialist or big bucks"...
I'd go for a second hand bike as others have said. Otherwise it sounds like you're heading for a BSO.
An entry level road bike should be doable for a few hundred quid, or something a bit more vintage for less.
That said, WRT 'getting fit', a better bike means less work to do! My Trek 1.1 would roll about for days without pedaling.
If you're in London or somewhere else that has them, https://www.bromptonbikehire.com is good for hiring a bike to get a taste for it.
You can get a foldy bike for 20 initial + 2.50 a day (yes 24 hours) or 1 initial + 5 quid a day and keep it in the house for as long as you want.
At the 2.50 rate even miserly me thinks it's decent, count it against bus/fuel cost and it pays for itself pretty quickly. As far as I can tell it's subsidised to market the bikes, they'd need to rent for a year with no other costs to make up the purchase price.
There might be other hire schemes about for 'standard' bikes, this is just one I know of. |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
recman |
This post is not being displayed .
|
recman World Chat Champion
Joined: 26 Mar 2012 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
bamt |
This post is not being displayed .
|
bamt World Chat Champion
Joined: 15 Dec 2013 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
spnorm |
This post is not being displayed .
|
spnorm Crazy Courier
Joined: 18 Aug 2007 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
bamt |
This post is not being displayed .
|
bamt World Chat Champion
Joined: 15 Dec 2013 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
stinkwheel |
This post is not being displayed .
|
stinkwheel Bovine Proctologist
Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Pjay |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Pjay World Chat Champion
Joined: 18 Jan 2016 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
stinkwheel |
This post is not being displayed .
|
stinkwheel Bovine Proctologist
Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :
|
Posted: 12:45 - 09 Sep 2016 Post subject: |
|
|
Meh.
I'm not peddaling fixed and I wouldn't recommend the OP does either.
I'm a big fan of the lightness, efficiency and directness of single speed though. Get a nice noisy Halo/White Industries freewheel.
Although my latest wheel has a totally silent coaster brake hub.
Fixed has a lot to be said for it but could definately put someone off cycling too. I find the SS option makes cycling easy and stress free. ____________________ “Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles. |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
bamt |
This post is not being displayed .
|
bamt World Chat Champion
Joined: 15 Dec 2013 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 7 years, 230 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
|
|
|