maxro said:
1a. No
1b. About 6years since I owned a bike (had a mountain bike)
2. Not very fit but started running recently (I hit that wall so obviously not too fit)
3. No 9st 10
4. 24 . wear glasses to correct 'bad' astigmatism in right eye
5. pavements, a few pot-holed country lanes, occasional brike road. Hills, yes there are a few
6. no lunch:- bottle,maybe the occasional papers. maybe occasional shopping trip good, and bike lock ?
7. probably as I walk to station in the rain currently
8. £300 excluding the extras
9. Yes secure at home, and there are places to lockup your bike at the station but they are limited available.
Hi,
I have only ridden steel framed bikes regularly and a couple of goes on aluminium.
So from that intro I do not have a wide knowledge and am prepared to shot down.
As my bikes have got newer they have become nicer to ride.
My most recent Muddy Fox Monarch comp. has what I can only describe as a live feel (rather than dead) that responds to standing on the pedals. It's as if it returns the leg/body energy into drive power rather than dissipating it as damped energy being converted into heat. If that conjecture is true, then I can assume that the springy steel is responsible for that feel. Certainly the aluminium and lower quality steel frames cannot reproduce the spring effect.
Jumping ahead, from that conclusion, no other affordable frame or fork material can approach the stiffness/mass/strength ratios of thin wall high tensile steel tube.
A lot of the springiness and resistance to deflection in the frame will come from the torsional stiffness inherent in tubes, but for it to be efficient the frame must not convert the force/deflection into wasted heat. my conclusion is that fat thin wall high tensile steel is the only cheaper way to go.
Titanium may offer most of these benefits and knowing the fatgue life of a well designed titanium weld should last a lifetime.
Aluminium cannot offer many (any?) of the advantages inherent in steel, but worst of all is the fatigue life.
I do not want my frame breaking when I am doing an emergency stop for a bus pulling out or some other just as hazardous road encounter. My life is more important to me and buying a new frame every few years is not on.
Carbon-cost. No way.
Puncture resistance of knobbly tyres is way above lightweight tyres. If you have to get to work on time then knobbly is a big advantage, particularly on Edinburgh's cycleways which seem to attract bottle throwing accuracy testing.
Hybrid or mountain bike would be my choice with 1.5inch to 2inch tyres. Besides, pulling the bigger tyres keeps you fitter, just as using a heavy bike to test the lung and leg power.
I have only ridden steel framed bikes regularly and a couple of goes on aluminium.
So from that intro I do not have a wide knowledge and am prepared to shot down.
As my bikes have got newer they have become nicer to ride.
My most recent Muddy Fox Monarch comp. has what I can only describe as a live feel (rather than dead) that responds to standing on the pedals. It's as if it returns the leg/body energy into drive power rather than dissipating it as damped energy being converted into heat. If that conjecture is true, then I can assume that the springy steel is responsible for that feel. Certainly the aluminium and lower quality steel frames cannot reproduce the spring effect.
Jumping ahead, from that conclusion, no other affordable frame or fork material can approach the stiffness/mass/strength ratios of thin wall high tensile steel tube.
A lot of the springiness and resistance to deflection in the frame will come from the torsional stiffness inherent in tubes, but for it to be efficient the frame must not convert the force/deflection into wasted heat. my conclusion is that fat thin wall high tensile steel is the only cheaper way to go.
Titanium may offer most of these benefits and knowing the fatgue life of a well designed titanium weld should last a lifetime.
Aluminium cannot offer many (any?) of the advantages inherent in steel, but worst of all is the fatigue life.
I do not want my frame breaking when I am doing an emergency stop for a bus pulling out or some other just as hazardous road encounter. My life is more important to me and buying a new frame every few years is not on.
Carbon-cost. No way.
Puncture resistance of knobbly tyres is way above lightweight tyres. If you have to get to work on time then knobbly is a big advantage, particularly on Edinburgh's cycleways which seem to attract bottle throwing accuracy testing.
Hybrid or mountain bike would be my choice with 1.5inch to 2inch tyres. Besides, pulling the bigger tyres keeps you fitter, just as using a heavy bike to test the lung and leg power.
You're absolutely right. UK cycle paths are designed by non-cyclists who seem to think that a bicycle should travel at a maximum speed of 12mph. I expect cycle paths are only made because the local authority has to meet some target or another. And yes, they suddenly stop, leaving you wondering what on earth to do next. When was the last time you drove along a road and it suddenly came to a dead stop without any warning?
Attachments
Hi,
Edinburgh manages better than that.
Both Edinburgh's and Midlothian's and to a lesser extent East Lothian's cycle paths are following routes that were once rail routes (thanks Dr. Beeching). Long, very low gradients and gentle curves dedicated to cycle traffic and adults with/without accompanied children (although this one is flouted by numerous and illegal dog exercisers). The major down side to this policy is the number of cuttings somewhat eliminating the views of our beautiful country, balanced by the outlook from the embankments.
They form part of the Sustrans' network stretching through much of central Scotland and probably well beyond. They are championed by Spokes who look after cyclists interests.
Shame on our juveniles for being the source of our seemly common glass problem.
Edinburgh manages better than that.
Both Edinburgh's and Midlothian's and to a lesser extent East Lothian's cycle paths are following routes that were once rail routes (thanks Dr. Beeching). Long, very low gradients and gentle curves dedicated to cycle traffic and adults with/without accompanied children (although this one is flouted by numerous and illegal dog exercisers). The major down side to this policy is the number of cuttings somewhat eliminating the views of our beautiful country, balanced by the outlook from the embankments.
They form part of the Sustrans' network stretching through much of central Scotland and probably well beyond. They are championed by Spokes who look after cyclists interests.
Shame on our juveniles for being the source of our seemly common glass problem.
With almost 20 million bikes and 16 million inhabitants we need the infrastructure...
The road in the picture is only available for cars making a delivery
Winds can blow pretty bad here ; i remember standing on the pedals throughout the whole 10-mile journey to school (on a bad day it would take me more than an hour, on a good one just 20 mins.) , only to find out on my way back the wind had turned - NOT in my favour
Klaas
The road in the picture is only available for cars making a delivery
Winds can blow pretty bad here ; i remember standing on the pedals throughout the whole 10-mile journey to school (on a bad day it would take me more than an hour, on a good one just 20 mins.) , only to find out on my way back the wind had turned - NOT in my favour
Klaas
ash_dac said:
Okay, so you're young, trim, don't need to carry much cargo and riding on mixed tarmac. And, for 300 pounds, it looks like a hybrid is the best choice for you. That said, the term hybrid has morphed to encompass a variety of bikes that aren't 'road' or 'mountain' specific. Hybrids range from skinny-tyred road bikes with flat handlebars to suspended, upright comfort bikes with fat tyres. I would steer you towards the former type. Well, maybe 35-40mm wide tyres, but skip the suspension.
I looked at the website you linked to to see what one gets for 300 pounds. It looks like about what would be $500 CDN here. That's usually a good bang for buck price point.
Features that you may or may not get on a particular bike at that price, but should seek-out are:
Cassette type rear hub (also called 'freehub') as opposed to 'freewheel'. (If the bike has 8 cogs on the back, it probably has a cassette hub. But, do ask.) The cassette hub places the bearings closer to the ends of the axle so that axle breakage is a non-issue. Bent and broken axles are an embarrassingly common phenomenon amongst freewheel type hubs.
(However, at your weight it ought not to be a problem. But, if you plan to launch off kerbs on a daily basis...)
Shimano brand hubs in this price range are likely to be made in China, but parts are readily available for them compared to off-brand Taiwanese hubs, so they are strongly recommended.
Stainless steel spokes, for obvious reasons.
Frame fittings and clearance around the tyres to fit mudguards.
Purchase from a decent shop that you feel comfortable dealing with.
Max
Re: Cycle paths
I always thought that telephone poles should be run down the middle of the road instead of the sidewalk. It would sure keep centre-line violations to a minimum.
max
edit: spelling
pinkmouse said:
I always thought that telephone poles should be run down the middle of the road instead of the sidewalk. It would sure keep centre-line violations to a minimum.
max
edit: spelling
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