What type of bike
Posted by: Mick P on 15 March 2004
Chaps
I am only a couple of weeks away from retirement and as such will need a mode of transport. I am trying to avoid buying a second car and would like to buy a bike to do relatively short journeys of say up to 5 or 6 miles. Mainly as an aid to returning my body to its previous Greek God proportions.
I will be going to the gym between 8.00am and 10.00am most weekday mornings and a bike would be a good way of getting there.
Swindon has a good cycle path infrstructure and I have no interest in cyling up mountains or mud tracks. It there is no tarmac, I shall not go, so to speak.
So what sort of machine should I be looking at and is it better to buy from a national chain such as Halfords, a local chap or via the net.
Many thanks
Lycra clad Mick
I am only a couple of weeks away from retirement and as such will need a mode of transport. I am trying to avoid buying a second car and would like to buy a bike to do relatively short journeys of say up to 5 or 6 miles. Mainly as an aid to returning my body to its previous Greek God proportions.
I will be going to the gym between 8.00am and 10.00am most weekday mornings and a bike would be a good way of getting there.
Swindon has a good cycle path infrstructure and I have no interest in cyling up mountains or mud tracks. It there is no tarmac, I shall not go, so to speak.
So what sort of machine should I be looking at and is it better to buy from a national chain such as Halfords, a local chap or via the net.
Many thanks
Lycra clad Mick
But Mick's the sort of guy who'd appreciate the skill that goes into building a Trek, versus Raleigh (just like Huffy) simply ordering frames and parts from those huge Chinese and Taiwanese parts catalogs (Ever seen one? They're like 1,200 pages!). I don't disagree that you can't coast down to the corner store on a Raleigh, but they're chintzy bikes.
And FWIW Trek actually did hire rocket scientists to design its low void CF/thermoset frames and manufacturing processes!
And FWIW Trek actually did hire rocket scientists to design its low void CF/thermoset frames and manufacturing processes!
"I hate being a bike snob but I am one"
Nothing wrong with being a bike snob but usually this involves slagging off Trek not defending them
"Low to mid market Scott, Giant, Schwinn, Raleigh, Specialized, Diamond Back, Kona, GT, etc, etc bikes"
Nothing wrong with Specialised and Kona who both make excellent bikes IMHO. Especially Kona whose rigid frames both in steel and alu (Lava Dome, Caldera, etc) are absolute classics -- you see *lots* of old Kona frames still going strong as courier bikes in London.
Specialised also make some fabulous bikes -- from the stone cold classic Stumpjumpers through to an excellent and extensive range of well differentiated FS bikes. Arguably the do a much better implementation of the Turner/Leitner 4-bar linkage design than Trek.
"They compete on trendy paint, creative component spec, the latest suspension, sponsoring teams, and coolness factor"
They all do to some extent as the design and build of MTB frames (in all their guises) has massively converged since the days when people actually argued about which head angle was best and how to make a frame strong and lighter, etc. Nowadays a lot of the difference in mass manufactured bikes is about what fancy name to give to the fact that, like everybody else, you ovalise you down tube halfway along and have a little wiggle in your chain stays.
Matthew
Marin, Kona, Orange, Santa Cruz, Race Face, Cove, Synchros, Rocky Mountain, Cove, De Kerf
Nothing wrong with being a bike snob but usually this involves slagging off Trek not defending them
"Low to mid market Scott, Giant, Schwinn, Raleigh, Specialized, Diamond Back, Kona, GT, etc, etc bikes"
Nothing wrong with Specialised and Kona who both make excellent bikes IMHO. Especially Kona whose rigid frames both in steel and alu (Lava Dome, Caldera, etc) are absolute classics -- you see *lots* of old Kona frames still going strong as courier bikes in London.
Specialised also make some fabulous bikes -- from the stone cold classic Stumpjumpers through to an excellent and extensive range of well differentiated FS bikes. Arguably the do a much better implementation of the Turner/Leitner 4-bar linkage design than Trek.
"They compete on trendy paint, creative component spec, the latest suspension, sponsoring teams, and coolness factor"
They all do to some extent as the design and build of MTB frames (in all their guises) has massively converged since the days when people actually argued about which head angle was best and how to make a frame strong and lighter, etc. Nowadays a lot of the difference in mass manufactured bikes is about what fancy name to give to the fact that, like everybody else, you ovalise you down tube halfway along and have a little wiggle in your chain stays.
Matthew
Marin, Kona, Orange, Santa Cruz, Race Face, Cove, Synchros, Rocky Mountain, Cove, De Kerf
quote:
Originally posted by Matthew Robinson:
"I hate being a bike snob but I am one"
Nothing wrong with being a bike snob but usually this involves slagging off Trek not defending them
I can't recall the last time I saw a Trek mountain bike being used off-road.
quote:
"Low to mid market Scott, Giant, Schwinn, Raleigh, Specialized, Diamond Back, Kona, GT, etc, etc bikes"
Nothing wrong with Specialised and Kona who both make excellent bikes IMHO.
My current full-susser is a Specialized and my previous one was a Kona. Both were very well put together.
quote:
They all do to some extent as the design and build of MTB frames (in all their guises) has massively converged
There are still some unusual designs about though. my Epic being a good example.
You would have to change your system to a Garrard 301, SME 3009, Sugden A21 with Quad Electostatics, preferably all pre-1973. 
Mick,
Depends. If you buy a Pashley like this:
Then you are not remotely a bike snob and will have to endure snotty youths shouting "Nice bike Grandad" as you trundle on by.
However, Pashley are brilliant engineers and their bikes are of the very high quality associated with traditional British craftsmanship and are at least as well made as most "modern" MTBs including Steve's Sepcialized.
Pashley are also highly regarded and extremely trendy and fashionable amongst street & trials riders and riding something like this Pashley...
...will get you approving nods from The Kids albiet at the expense of a bad back. If you nail that 360 over the Town Hall steps you will be officially the coolest man in Swindon.
Their frames are seriously cool and beautifully made and have the sort of gorgeously neat welds that Bike Snobs wet themselves over.
Matthew
Depends. If you buy a Pashley like this:
Then you are not remotely a bike snob and will have to endure snotty youths shouting "Nice bike Grandad" as you trundle on by.
However, Pashley are brilliant engineers and their bikes are of the very high quality associated with traditional British craftsmanship and are at least as well made as most "modern" MTBs including Steve's Sepcialized.
Pashley are also highly regarded and extremely trendy and fashionable amongst street & trials riders and riding something like this Pashley...
...will get you approving nods from The Kids albiet at the expense of a bad back. If you nail that 360 over the Town Hall steps you will be officially the coolest man in Swindon.
Their frames are seriously cool and beautifully made and have the sort of gorgeously neat welds that Bike Snobs wet themselves over.
Matthew
quote:
Originally posted by Matthew Robinson:
Mick,
Depends. If you buy a Pashley like this:
Here's the perfect Pashley for Mick:
"The MailStar is the latest design of mail delivery cycle and is the choice of the Royal Mail for service.
Designed to operate in the toughest of conditions, easy to maintain, dependable and capable of carrying loads of up to 24 kilos. The step through frame design allows a quick and easy dismount ideally suited to short journeys. The MailStar is a firm favourite with posties."