What type of bike

Rasher

You're much too kind. Nice to make your acquaintance.

Clay

Mick,

If you're looking for a more upright postion (which will be fine as long as you're mostly riding on the flat) then you might want to consider bikes like the Marin Coastal Trail or Larkspur, Specialized Crossroads or Expedition.

All of those have higher bars (especially the Coastal Trail and Expedition) and most will also have suspension seatposts which will help with comfort.

You might also want to consider small wheeled bikes but I don't know much about those myself. The Ridgeback Stornoway looks decent value and fairly light though.

Regards
Steve

Mick,
Maybe you should consider something like this. It has the upright riding position you want, should meet your storage requirements better than a basket and would allow you to take Mrs Mick out for a spin on Sunday afternoons.
http://iserit.greennet.gl/marjorie/images2/Tricycle.jpg

quote:

---

Originally posted by Clay Bingham:
They recommned Brooks leather saddles.

---

Where can you get these from, and how much?? I bought a bike for £5 at a jumble sale in 1991 which had rod brakes (he he) and, err, a very tatty Brooks saddle. It was very VERY comfortable and I wish I'd taken it off that bike, even though it looked like it had seen 1000000 miles! NIce and wide - the razor blade I have on my bike at the mo is no good for someone with a skinny bum!!!!

__________________________
Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;
Strike the bell and bide the danger
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.

quote:

---

Originally posted by domfjbrown:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Clay Bingham:
They recommned Brooks leather saddles.

---

Where can you get these from, and how much??

---

www.wiggle.co.uk do the Brooks B66 Leather spring saddle in black for £29.99

Mick

If you are after the Loricraft of bikes, something like a Roberts Transcontinental might suit. Admittedly, given your use, it would be like playing Sarah Brightman discs on a CDS3.

and the Moulton costs three times as much, so is obviously three times better

Domfjbrown

In addition to the website I noted for Mick, you can find more about Brooks saddles from www.brookssaddles.com or www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/saddles.html. All three sites offer sales and service. Each offers a bit of history and recomendations on maintenance and upkeep. I list them here for information. You no doubt will find better prices closer to home.

Clay

quote:

---

Originally posted by Steve G:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk do the Brooks B66 Leather spring saddle in black for £29.99

---

Which saddle bit is it under? I couldn't find it...

__________________________
Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;
Strike the bell and bide the danger
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.

Mick

Now one for partners!

http://www.primepuzzle.com/leeslightest/bikes_his_her.html

quote:

---

Originally posted by domfjbrown:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Steve G:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk do the Brooks B66 Leather spring saddle in black for £29.99

---

Which saddle bit is it under? I couldn't find it...

---

I just picked Brooks as a manufacturer there. It comes up with a load of training shoes and one saddle!

Clay,

Rivendell are works or art. Lovely lug work. Certainly the last bike Mick would ever need. But perhaps a little over the top for a commuter.

As an alternative, why not look at the local thrift store -- at least in the US you'll often see some nice vintage bikes with Sturmey Archer hubs and steel lugged frames for peanuts. Usuall they require just a tune up and fresh set of tires. My commuter was picked up at a local garage sale -- Italian frame with old campagnolo components -- very nice.

cheers,

Dan

Good Morning Dan

Glad to see that there is someone else who appreciates the Rivendell philosophy. I had an Atlantis in mind for Mick. Made in Japan for Rivendell by a small shop. Much less expensive. I'm looking at one of these for myself. Much nicer and more practical for us mid-life guys. Plus, if you've followed any of Mick's posts you'll know that he loves the finer things in life, good scotch, Jaguar, Leica, Naim, fancy Italian expresso machines.

Have to congratulate you on your find. Hard to beat a good Italian frame and campy parts.I have an old Masi from early 80's myself. My only problem.....my bike is now in a great deal better shape than it's rider!

Safe riding

Clay

I will be looking at a Trek this afternoon as there is an agent in Swindon.

I am also interested in the Pashley Paramount which can be seen under

http://www.pashley.co.uk/products.html

This model is well constructed and built to last with minimal maintenance.

Do you think it is comparable to other makes.

My main criteria is not speed or flashy appearance but rather durability and longevity.

Many thanks

Mick

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mick Parry:
I will be looking at a Trek this afternoon as there is an agent in Swindon.

I am also interested in the Pashley Paramount which can be seen under

http://www.pashley.co.uk/products.html

This model is well constructed and built to last with minimal maintenance.

Do you think it is comparable to other makes.

---

It looks like it'll be pretty heavy, but I'm sure it'll be comfortable enough on the flat.

quote:

---

My main criteria is not speed or flashy appearance but rather durability and longevity.

---

Pretty much any bike above "supermarket special" level will be reliable enough for the use you're planning.

Mrs Mick and I visited a bicycle shop yesterday and we were surprised how low the prices were and we were offered discounts staraight away.

We managed to visit two shops and both recommended the same bicycle.

It was a Raleigh City Urban P1000. It was a steel frame (I think) with 18 speed gears. It came complete with mudgards, plastic chainguard and and rear carrier.

I mentioned Pashley bikes and the salesmen slagged them off rather rotten.

His comments were

a) Pashley have only 5 gears which is not enough

b) Pashley's frame is far to heavy

The combination of the above will make cycling an ordeal rather than a pleasure.

Therefore I am hoping that someone can comment on

1. Is Raleigh a good make and are the bikes durable.

2. Are the salesmens comment on Pashley correct.

3. Do you really need 18 gears and is the 5 speed offered by Pashley insuffient. I used a 3 speed as a schoolboy for years.

Another question...some of the bikes had suspension systems, are these a gimmick and are they reliable.

I shall take a look at a Trek next week.

Regards

Mick

Whatever you buy, don't forget some trouser clips.

I remember a long time back cycling home from work, coming to a stop on a busy main road. Just as I tried to put my foot down my jeans got caught in the chain and over I went - very embarrasing.

Steve B

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mick Parry:

It was a Raleigh City Urban P1000. It was a steel frame (I think) with 18 speed gears. It came complete with mudgards, plastic chainguard and and rear carrier.

---

It looks ok although the frame his hi-tensile which means it'll be heavy. For steel frames you're better off with Cro-Mo. The spec looks ok for the price (about £160 list I think) with reasonable SRAM and Shimano mechs.

It should be fine as long as you steer clear of the hills. The P4000 might be a better buy as it has a lighter, aluminium, frame.

quote:

---

1. Is Raleigh a good make and are the bikes durable.

---

Raleigh is a bit down-market make these days but there is no reason why the bike shouldn't be ok for your needs.

quote:

---

2. Are the salesmens comment on Pashley correct.

---

He's right that it'll definitely be heavy. To be honest I'm not sure why anyone would want such an old fashioned bike for actually riding as bikes have improved a lot in recent years.

quote:

---

3. Do you really need 18 gears and is the 5 speed offered by Pashley insuffient. I used a 3 speed as a schoolboy for years.

---

5 speed would be fine on the flat but on any kind of incline having a wide range of gears is better.

quote:

---

Another question...some of the bikes had suspension systems, are these a gimmick and are they reliable.

---

Cheap suspension is a gimmick as it adds a considerable amount of weight and is ineffective anyway. For road bikes suspension isn't really necessary although it's excellent off-road. Decent suspension forks start at around £200 though (e.g. Marzocchi MX Comp) so front suspension bikes under £500 or so will most likely have crap forks. For full suspension bikes you need to spend a good bit more to get anything worthwhile.

Regards
Steve

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sean2:
Mick,

I've never been to Swindon and unless there are a lot of hills there you will find 5 gears enough, 7 would be useful but 20+ is really ridiculous. My bike has 18 and I use about 6 of them regularly.

---

My mountain bikes have 27 gears and I use most of them (there are a few combinations that aren't advisable, e.g. smallest front with smallest rear, but I use all the rest).

My road bike has 24 gears and again I use most of them. I live in a hilly area though.

Thanks for the information.

Swindon is flat, especially where I intend to commute.

One question if I may on weight.

Surely weight will not be a problem once the bike is moving as its own momentum will keep it going.

I am I correct or am I missing something.

Regards

Mick

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mick Parry:
Surely weight will not be a problem once the bike is moving as its own momentum will keep it going.

I am I correct or am I missing something.

---

There is a bit more too it than that. As well as being harder work to get going etc. heavy bikes can also tend to feel sluggish and unresponsive.

My bikes range in weight from around 23-24lbs (road bike and XC hardtail mountain bike) to 28-29lbs (full-suss mountain bike and a steel framed "trail" mountain bike) and they're all fine. The bikes you've been looking at could be well over 30lb though and I've found the weight noticeable once it gets to that sort of level.

On flat tarmac cycle paths it won't be as noticeable, but it also won't be as much fun to ride.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mick Parry:

Swindon is flat, especially where I intend to commute.

---

Oddly enough sometimes really flat conditions can also be a bit tiring as you tend to be pedalling all the time with no respite - I prefer slightly undulating routes over ones that are totally flat (such as canal towpaths).

Also if you're heading into the wind that can be worse than any hill, so bear that in mind when you're considering how many gears you'll need!

Mick,

Raleigh are crap bikes through and through.

Did you look at Trek, or was all my advice for naught? <grumbles and curses under breath>

Also- you can buy aftermarket chainguards, mudguards, and racks/bags for almost any hybrid style bike. It's no great achievement that the Raleigh offered them as standard.

...But in case all those goodies as standard items on a commuter bike is important, here is the Trek T200 (US $770):

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ludwig:
...But in case all those goodies as standard items on a commuter bike is important, here is the Trek T200 (US $770):

---

The Trek T200 retails for about £550 over here. The Raleigh Mick was looking at retails for around £160.

The "perfect" bike for Mick is probably somewhere between the two.