I need a bike - opinions sought....

quote:

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Originally posted by Matthew Robinson:
a decent local independent bike shop is a great thing to have.

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Indeed. Wish I had one.

I don't use shops much these days though - I order parts mail order (or buy them 2nd hand) and do all the work myself.

As my wife is returning today I should be giving my Cotic Soul it's first proper run (and pictures) soon!

I've just picked up a Gary Fisher Mariln which I'd imagine is around 300 to 400 in the UK. So fat I've been using it on road/cycle track and a few tracks and hoping to get off road properly in the coming few weeks, but living in the city with no car it's not that easy.

Anyway I've found it quite easy to ride the front forks seem good (although I have little to compare with them). They only thing I really don't like about it is the saddle which I'll be off to change at the weekend.

I'd definitely recommend finding a local shop which it looks like you have since they are seem more interested in helping you find the right bike to keep you coming back as a loyal happy customer.

Reading all these biking threads here has reminded me what I've been missing. Oh for the carefree days of couriering in central London. It wasn't much of a career, but I was in better shape than I've ever been since, or will be again - all without really trying (unlike my recent gym antics).
Have to agree with Two-Sheds about the Gary Fisher Marlin. I bought mine 5 years ago (no suspension) and it's still a great ride, despite being abused and, for a year or so at least. forgotten and left out in the elements on my balcony. A squirt of lube and a wipe down with a damp cloth and it's back in action.
On the subject of backache and cycling: no connection, in my experience. The sport that's caused the biggest problems for me has been golf, surely the ultimate 'middle-aged man's' activity. Cycling actually helps prevent backache. A well-fitting bike is the key.
I recommend Gary Fisher bikes.

Thanks to all of you for your opinions and assistance so far.

At lunch I walked over to Stonehenge Cycles in Salisbury and put my case. The young guy who served me seemed to know exactly what it was I wanted (hooray!) and offered some sage advice, much along the lines I have divined from this thread - i.e. forget anything fancy, just go for simplicity and quality. Make sure that it'll stand up to the roughest tracks and forget about rear suspension unless you're willing to spend quite a bit more. So, you ask, what is the Nait of the road & track bike world...?

Well, we looked at the Specialized Hardrocks (thanks Steve) and also at a couple of Marins, the Northside Trail and the Bolinas Ridge. I have arranged to return when I have more time for a test ride so you'll have to wait until then to find out. I'll go to the other bike shop in town and also check out the Claud Butler Cape Wrath at similar money. Liked the look of the Marins though and Stonehenge seem like a dealer I can really trust.....

Richard

Richard

If you are prepared to take advice from "the forums biggest self opinionated windbag", I will just let you know that Mrs Mick and I have spent the last hours or so cycling down a cycle track near our house and then around Coate Water which is a local beauty spot with a dirt track.

Mrs Mick has a Claude Butler city bike and we both did the journey with ease.

Your average city bike is fine.

I find things like mudguards and carrying baskets indespensible. It is OK looking like a boy racer but you do need to do it in some degree of comfort.

On a seperate note, I think I may cancell my gym membership and cycle instead, certainly during the summer at least.

When I made my first cycle journey of 4 miles, it nearly killed me, now I do it with consumate ease. It is certainly good for exercising the heart muscle which, at my age, is the most important muscle you have.

Regards

Mick

Last weekend I lost the bike from under me (forwards while raising the front too high) and landed flat on my back. Fortunately I wasn't going too fast, athough I slid a few feet, and I was on grass - but even so I was winded and had pins & needles down my arms for a hour afterwards. Later on I turned my ankle, and it was this that gave me trouble on Monday, having seized up overnight. But by Tuesday all ill effects had passed and all sign of any injuries gone - so I walked to work as usual (I limped to work on Monday 2 miles with a support bandage on the ankle).
My point?....I'm older than you lot, so stuff all that old man slowing down crap.
My wife has a friend who is 30 and has MS. Within 3 years she will be gone. She lost her sight this year. If you have health, then go out and kick ass.
Sorry Mick, don't mean to have a dig at you, but you are as old as you want to be.

Blimey Rasher, I've just checked your profile and can see your 10 years older than me! I'm surprised because you appear to, as it were, "exude youth" in your posts!

(Meant as a compliment by the way )

Regards,

JonR

I'm just one of those sad bastards

Aaah yess...I thought you looked familiar....

Another vote for the Specialized Hardrock and completely ignoring any advice from Mickbag.

Maybe at this stage with Richard getting down to the shops, someone would like to explain the XT - XTS equipment levels to look for?
I'm not up to date on this stuff.

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Originally posted by Rasher:
Maybe at this stage with Richard getting down to the shops, someone would like to explain the XT - XTS equipment levels to look for?

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There are various options for 21 and 24 speed (Alivio etc) but these days most bikes from about £350 or so and up will be on 27-speed.

Deore is the entry level and presents excellent value for money. The chainset is paricularily good and lasts well due to the steel inner and middle rings. The shifters and mech work quite well although the front mechs don't tend to last all that long. The Deore hydraulic disk brakes are excellent value. Deore disk hubs are a bit heavy but very reliable.

Next up is LX. I find the shifters significantly better than Deore but am pressed to tell the difference with the mechs. The chainset is a little lighter than the Deore one but benefits from being available in a pimpy black/gold finish. Next years LX is being revamped and looks very nice indeed - including the inclusion of an LX disk brakes for the first time. LX also goes dual control (flippy shifters) for the first time.

XT is often specced on bikes around the £2K mark and above, with the occasional bit below that. The shifters are excellent (much better than Deore and noticeably better than LX), the chainset is good (this years has an integrated BB) but the alloy rings wear quickly, the front mechs last a lot longer than Deore, and all the rest is at least good. The XT disk hubs and brakes are very good indeed.

XTR is the luxury spec stuff and is generally very expensive. The rings on the chainset wear quickly but it's very stiff and light, and everything else is supposed to be excellent. I've only used the rear mechs and cables (XTR cables are superb and I wouldn't use anything less now).

There are some compatability issues as Shimano is rolling out some new innovations (e.g splined hubs, dual control shifters, integrated BB's).

Deore is great value, LX is nicer, XT is good if you're doing a lot of riding, XTR is very, very nice but also very expensive. You pays your money and takes your choice.

My No.1 bike has mostly LX and XT with some XTR cables. No. 2 bike has XT with a couple of XTR bits and No.3 bike is Deore with LX shifters and cassette.

The LX/XT mix on no.1 bike works really well - I've bought XT and XTR bits for it but so far not fitted them as I don't see the point in changing bits that are already working well - I'll fit them when the others wear out.

Hope this helps!

Dear Richard, and Friends,

Of necessity, I have riden bikes to work for far too long! {Used to run the dog on a three metre chain on a bike as well]. Kinda like the sound of the Pashley. The from someone who wore out a Raleigh, Elwick Hpper, then a Dawes, and now my latest major repair, job an Eagle (made in Brigg). The best was the Elswick, with a hub gearbox. Derailers are a magor pain once they become loose and worn. try pushing on and the chain jumps! It happens, believe me, when the miles reach into the 1000s.

Fred

PS: There can be few greater pleasures than ambling about on a bike, Sunday afternoon, with a pipe in your mouth. I believe obesity is now the current health fear even though I don't want to get "really " old myself. I have never managed to get even vaguely fat. Just at the ideal now!! Sorry not to support you in you admirable aim of giving up the dread anti-social weed! FF

I passed a bike shop yesterday and caught a look at the 2004 Marin Mount Vision.
Bang goes the chance of a CDX2 this year!!

I bought the Wife a full suspension bike yesterday, as it was her wedding anniversary.

What's the word on the Specialized Hardrock XC then? is it the best sub £300 bike for use on track, trails and cycle paths?

DS

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Originally posted by David Slater:
What's the word on the Specialized Hardrock XC then? is it the best sub £300 bike for use on track, trails and cycle paths?

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It's certainly up there with the best and tends to do very well (or win) most of the bike mag tests in that sector.

My wife has one and it's a decent bike.

Rasher

Check your PTs.

I'm sorry - I'm trying to stay clear of these non-race bike threads, but Fred, you are wrong about derailleurs. My first Dura Ace rear mech has over 10,000 miles on it and it's never even twitched...

Tim

Steve,

I am just under 6ft - should I go for a 19" frame ?

DS

quote:

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Originally posted by Tim Jones:
I'm sorry - I'm trying to stay clear of these non-race bike threads, but Fred, you are wrong about derailleurs. My first Dura Ace rear mech has over 10,000 miles on it and it's never even twitched...
Tim

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Dear Tim,

I guess that it may be down to the quality of the derailler mechanism, but the Dawes certainly went wobbly while I had it, and the Eagle was fairly wobbly when I got it - both were second hand. The Raleigh was fixed and the Elswick had a hub gearbox. I always kept all of them well fettled, and both the Dawes and Eagle were totally rebuilt while I had them. The Elswick met a very sad fate. It got run over by a fork-lift. I guess that it did more work than both the Dawes and the Eagle put together. I want another long lived and utterly servicable machine that will either get me to work (along some fairly uneven country roads!) or be fun at the weekend or even tackle a 30 mile round trip. No I am not fitness freak! My main transport is a 1989 Volvo 240, which is getting towards the veteran. [Only in the winter is it clearly preferable to a bike for getting to work]. In any case why should there be a nedd for more than four or five speeds? On the Eagle I have only ever used the top two in the middle cog on the front, and the top three on the fast cog... The hub box on the Elswick had four speeds, the bottom being low enough for any hill, while the top was similar to the Dawes and actually longer legged than the Eagle!

So, not so much to disagree, as to relate my own experiences...

Fred

Richard,

Just one thing worth thinking about - if you're going to be riding 40% on road try to change the tyres on the MTB's to something a bit less knobbly than a full on off road tire. You could even think about having a second set of wheels made up with road-orientated tyres so you can quickly switch the tyres and associated wheels to suit where you plan to ride.

One other pointer, seems to me that Dawes have a good range. I've certainly began to suspect that Dawes, Claud Butler etc actually offer better value than American brands like Specialized and Scott etc.

Mick, you don't want a basket on that Pashley, what you need is a Carradice saddlebag. Built in Lancashire from waxed cotton duck, completely waterproof and will last you a lifetime. Definately the right traditional look to complement a Brooks saddle and a Pashley. See www.carradice.co.uk I'm toying putting one on my Scott mountain bike (I've already put a Brooks Conquest saddle on there much to the disgust of my local bike shop!)

ATB

Jonathan

quote:

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Originally posted by David Slater:
Steve,

I am just under 6ft - should I go for a 19" frame ?

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You'll have to try and see. I'm 5'10" and ride 17"/18" bikes (or a medium in the Specialized range). You'd probably be somewhere between medium and large for frame sizes (18"-20") but the only way to know for sure is to try them out.

Thanks for the information.

The Pashley has a Brooks saddle as standard. The bags you mention look interesting.

Many thanks.

Mick

Are they wind-bags by any chance?

I am not a windbag, I repeat, I not a windbag, I am not a windbag, I am most certainly not a windbag, do I make myself clear, I am not a windbag.

I am not, I am not, I am not.