(Pushbike) Ride 2 Work!

[veeeffarr]

Just found out that we do the Ride2Work scheme at work.

Just wondering if anyone else does it? Is it a good deal? It looks it.

Thinking of getting a sorted bike with the money, I'd probably use it for going to work and back (5 miles each way).

Would this kill a pretty unfit novice? What type of bikes should I be looking at? Looking at about the £500 mark.

Something rigid like this?

https://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=60167

[G]

5 miles should be fine even with no recent exercise at all - just take it easy to start with.

My company does it and with the 20% discount the shop offered us ontop it came out that I got a £1k bike and £250 worth of extras for a total of around £550 over 18 months.

Pretty good deal I'd say.

18 months is almost up, so hopefully I can do it again - question is, do I go for a full suspension or road bike?

Something like you linked to should be a good choice, but I don't know enough about the individual models.

[fenton]

IF your riding to work and back and already have a mountain bike of some description. I think it would be best for you to invest in some sort of racer, you know with the really thin wheels. SO much easier for road riding, the mountain bikes slow you down so much on the road compared to these. I have hit speeds past 30mph on my mates racer. ( down a hill )

If your not that comfortable with riding on them racers, get yourself a GT avelanche, and stick some road tyres on it, theyre nice and strong. Ive got one in my shed thats in bits.

Hope that helps

Fenton
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[veeeffarr]

It is literally for blasting to work and back

G: That's really helpful, £550 over 18 months! I would be stupid not to take this up.

T

[fenton]

Will the company pay for repairs?

Im getting fed up of repairing my bikes ( claud butler, GT ) for riding them a bit hard. i reckon ive spent double what i bought the bikes for. Bloody derailiers, chains and wheels.

Fenton
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CBR400RR NC29 ( '06 - '09 )... TL1000 RK1 ( '10 - present )

[veeeffarr]

Not sure mate, I think evans cycles do the servicing.

T

[instigator]

Wish my company did it.

[Ste]

[Barry_M2]

Toby,

Company I work for has just started this, I put my request in this week but wont get my voucher til next month some time. £500 bike for around £250, cant go wrong really!


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[veeeffarr]

[Cigaro]

I do 5 miles each way when I pushbike to work and I have no problems (although it takes me about 45 minutes) - I'm 17 stone and I do no other excercise at all. Having said that I go along the canal, which is flat all the way.

I don't think you need to spend £500 on a bike though. I got a GT Avalanche for free, It's had two new wheels, tyres, tubes, etc and it's absolutely fantastic.

[Shaun]

I've done the cycle to work scheme, only got a £300 bike though, not much need for anything more than that!

I was cycling to work over winter, about 5 miles each way and it was tiring me out at first but after a couple of weeks you get into it more. I was getting to work feeling refreshed instead of dead and I could hold a higher average speed on Mondays compared to Fridays lol.

[Itchy]

I would but there are things called hills big ones which I struggled to get up when i was 14 , years later less fit I think they would kill me. Sure I could power my way up them like I did as a teen but I'd stink all day.
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[Cigaro]

[Itchy]

maybe but lower gears = slower speed = more time,

its one helluva hill , its about 1.8ish miles long , proceeded a dip down , and a horrible surface
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[JonB]

I think if it were for commuting to work and at 5 miles, i'd want the luxury of a road bike, I have a road bike and I can average about 20 MPH, saying that, I cycle for leisure so for commuting would probably push it that little bit more.

Get yourself some lycra shorts, if you get a road bike, cause I am not kidding you will get one mother of a rash around your testicles if you don't, get it with the foam padding inside as well.

To be honest, if I ever work in a city or large town, i'd take the push bike whether it is a paid for scheme or not.
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[Stiffler]

These cycle to work schemes are usually very good value. If you're planning to ride on the road the last thing you want is a full suspension bike. A road bike gives you the best speed, a hybrid is almost as fast but with a more comfortable position (they come bottom in the fashion stakes though), next you're looking at the mountain bikes and I think at worst for road riding I wouldn't go any further than front suspension... Unless you're planning to take up offroading

And cycling to work over 5 miles is the perfect distance. I could do that in my sleep. It's good exercise, good fun and just as traffic busting as a motorbike. Also I agree with Jon B lycra shorts are fantastic for improving comfort and the close fit aid's with aerodynamics and sweat!

Tim
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Current Bikes - Kawasaki ZX-6R (636) | BMW G650GS

[colin1]

i think lycra for commuting is a bit ridiculous

i prefer road bikes with skinny tyres

you can still go up kerbs u just need to be careful

however for someone new to biking, a hybrid may be better. this is basically a mountainbike style bike but more road oriented

suspension bikes are a bit over the top for road use, just extra weight
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[G]

My front suspension mountain bike is actually a bit lighter than the no-suspension road 'daily' bike (that actually cost a bit more) which a work colleague has (he does have a proper road-racer as well).

So off road doesn't always mean heavier, though I suspect at this price point it probably does.

[400bandit]

I feel that suspension saps too much energy when your really getting to business. I bought a Cluad Butler Alpina (22 inch frame!) last year and whacked road tyres on (made a huge difference) ut I's still rather it had no front suspension. I find the biggest problem with a mountain bike on the road is that when you come to slight down hill I run out of gearing...

I would at least go with a hybrid with no suspension. My self, if I was to buy my bike again I would buy a racer. It is also my advice to stretch to the highest bracket you can, dont buy like a 99 pound shitter if your going to use it every day.

Joe
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(+ a XS650 in lots of pieces in my garage and other places...)

[_Will_]

Just when did pushbikes become so damn expensive

I ride to college a lot of the time which is 6 miles each way, i ride a 10 year old raleigh max thing which cost me a tenner, has knobbly tyres and does fine - tis a pushbike for godsakes

Its a good all purpose thing actually because i sometimes ride 30 odd miles in a day with no problems and go offroad(is filthy and caked in mud as we speak )

Anything you spend more than 3 figures on will be up to the job i'd say and a mountain bike with knobblies gives you that versatility if you want it
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[Jamie S]

I have a Saracen , it cost £400 and I have spent aprox £200 on it , I have bought a lock out rear shock so that at the flick of a switch it becomes a hard tail , flick it back and its a down hiller , I have got road tyres on it as well, they cost £20 ,well worth the money IMO as its so much easier with them on , top speed went from 20mph up to 30mph , before I fell off,riped my arm open and then needed an operation on it, but thats not the point

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR IS ALL I'M GOING TO SAY TO YOU.

[Stiffler]

I have two Road bikes, an older winter hack and a brand new one. The old hack cost more than my YBR125 did, and my new road bike I recently got cost me more than the NC30... It's totally bonkers really how much they cost.

Off to the Dolomites in 2 weeks though so I thought I'd treat myself to a new one.

Tim
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Current Bikes - Kawasaki ZX-6R (636) | BMW G650GS

[truslack]

[Jamie S]

Yes but if I let you on my £400 bike you would realise just how crap thoses cheepy bikes are ! Think somewhere along the lines of the difference between a 98 R1 and a Honda C90 step through.