Bike purchase Advice - 8 mile Commute

[Roadster]

You certainly don't need to fork out for a Rohloff with belt drive in order to enjoy the benefits of hub gears, least of all for your modest purposes. After a lifetime of derailleurs, I've been using Alfine 8 for nearly three years now and am a convert - it's been very reliable and I've never felt the need for a top gear higher than its 86".

I must say that £600 is a very good price indeed for a complete Alfine 8 machine - the back wheel alone would easily cost around £300 and that's without tyre, inner tube, shifter and cable.

[JTT]

Straight in at the top of the range:

http://www.chargebikes.com/grater-3/

Simple, low-maintenance, rather stylish from a maker with a good reputation.

Thx looks nice, would need lights and a cargo rack.

I assume these are easy to fit?

Looks like the tyres on this one are already re-enforced road tyres?

thx

Yes, yes, and yes, respectively to your questions

2016 model is available in your size here:

https://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/6330/ ... brown.aspx

What size is this, doesn’t specify? Thx

[Bonefishblues]

Small - I think it does specify.

[JTT]

Small - I think it does specify.

OK, yes it says SM

I'm trying to work out if i need small or medium frame size..?

[Bonefishblues]

I too have short legs for my height and tend to have to select a smaller frame than might ordinarily be the case, but there's no real substitute for actually riding a bike.

[Roadster]

I'm around 5'8" with relatively short legs for size. Not sure if the S would be good?

We can't be sure either but it's quite possible given what you say. Bike frame sizes used to go up in 1" increments but are now S, M and L on these modern hybrids, giving more latitude. Perhaps you could ask for a hold on that bike while you (quickly) investigate the issue further... or search elsewhere on the Internet for a Medium...

[Vorpal]

If you have short legs, do you have long torso? That could mean going up a size for a longer top tube.

I'm 5'8", but I have long legs and a short torso. I think I would take the small, but check the medium for size.

As above, there's no substitute for trying it.

[JTT]

Yeah short legs long torso

[Vorpal]

Call them and ask. They might ask you for some additional measurements, like standover height.

531colin has an easy bike fitting guide at http://wheel-easy.org.uk/uploads/docume ... 02017a.pdf

If you do decide to get one without trying, you can use it to set the bike up.

[Bonefishblues]

In my case, I can extend the reach of the bike by substituting a longer stem and having the saddle a tadlet further back, but I couldn't get the standover height short of wearing platforms

ETA
Whilst I'm thinking about it, one of these might also suit, perhaps?

https://www.rutlandcycling.com/bikes/hy ... rPEALw_wcB

From our experience (wife and me) a lovely ride, but you'd need the tyres changing, guards fitting etc

[Roadster]

Getting the right size is more important than getting the lowest price or the best bargain, otherwise it's just false economy.

[Bonefishblues]

Getting the right size is more important than getting the lowest price or the best bargain, otherwise it's just false economy.

Agree completely.

[John_S]

Hi JTT,

You've already got loads of good advice about the importance of getting a bike that fits and also getting out there and trying bike options if you can so I won't add anything to that.

Regarding a bike for commuting if you're going to commute all year around I'd definitely echo the thoughts above and recommend a bike that has a dynamo hub and lights, as well as a rack & mudguards.

In terms of bikes to consider I'd take a look at the bikes from VSF fahrradmanufaktur. They won't be as easy to track down on every highstreet as other brands but they're more likely to come with everything as standard, including the dynamo hub, dynamo lights, mudguards and a rack, at a price which will hopefully be within your budget.

https://www.fahrradmanufaktur.de/en/

http://www.bikefix.co.uk/fahrradmanufaktur

http://www.chrisbikes.co.uk/giant-bike-dawes-bike-reviews/


Good luck with your search to find the right bike for your commute.

John

[Brucey]

I'm around 5'8" with relatively short legs for size. Not sure if the S would be good?

I'd say you would be smack bang in the middle of the S size

geometry here

https://static.evanscycles.com/production/pdf-media/sizing-table/Day_One_2017_Geometry_Chart.pdf

Also what's this spinning out discussion pls? I plan to get some speed up on the flat also. Would the day-one be suitable?

everyone has a preferred cadence (rate of pedalling) and the more you ride the higher that cadence tends to become, even if it starts out slow. With a hub gear you can shuffle the gear range up and down using different sprocket and chainring sizes. Use 1/8" chain eg KMC B1 and sprocket eg SA ones when the originals wear out; cost is less than ten quid to replace both.

The day-one has dropped bars which means there is more choice of riding positions and more aerodynamic riding positions.

actual standard gearing is 42/20 and gives gears from 30" to 94" assuming 37mm tyres are fitted

http://www.gear-calculator.com/?GR=SNI8&KB=42&RZ=20&UF=2200&TF=90&SL=3.5&UN=KMH

gearing up to a 17T sprocket gives you a range from 35" to 110" (and gear 5 is 67")

http://www.gear-calculator.com/?GR=SNI8&KB=42&RZ=17&UF=2200&TF=90&SL=3.5&UN=KMH

gearing down to 21T sprocket gives a gear range from 29" to 89" (and gear 6 is 67")

http://www.gear-calculator.com/?GR=SNI8&KB=42&RZ=21&UF=2200&TF=90&SL=3.5&UN=KMH

both these schemes give a gear that is 67" which would suit me very well (it is a good gear for tapping along on, and is the gear ratio that is fitted to the singlespeed day-one 10 model ). Overall efficiency is altered by your use of different gears; in simple terms using this hub, gears 1 and 5 are most efficient, gears 2 and 6 are the next most efficient, and gear 4 is the least efficient. So gearing up or down may alter the overall efficiency a little by altering which gears you most use.

A 90" gear will be enough to allow you to pedal at over 25mph and if you pedal downhill the benefits (in terms of increased average speed) are slight; all you do is more net work against air resistance.

Most riders would reckon on a bike with an alfine 8 hub being fractionally slower than one with (more) derailleur gears, and (given a few givens) a bike with flat bars is likely to be slower again (by a greater amount) than one with dropped bars. But the increased journey time is likely to be about 30s (tops) over eight miles and you get this time back many times over in terms of reduced maintenance.

cheers

[JTT]

I'm around 5'8" with relatively short legs for size. Not sure if the S would be good?

I'd say you would be smack bang in the middle of the S size

geometry here

https://static.evanscycles.com/production/pdf-media/sizing-table/Day_One_2017_Geometry_Chart.pdf

Also what's this spinning out discussion pls? I plan to get some speed up on the flat also. Would the day-one be suitable?

everyone has a preferred cadence (rate of pedalling) and the more you ride the higher that cadence tends to become, even if it starts out slow. With a hub gear you can shuffle the gear range up and down using different sprocket and chainring sizes. Use 1/8" chain eg KMC B1 and sprocket eg SA ones when the originals wear out; cost is less than ten quid to replace both.

The day-one has dropped bars which means there is more choice of riding positions and more aerodynamic riding positions.

actual standard gearing is 42/20 and gives gears from 30" to 94" assuming 37mm tyres are fitted

http://www.gear-calculator.com/?GR=SNI8&KB=42&RZ=20&UF=2200&TF=90&SL=3.5&UN=KMH

gearing up to a 17T sprocket gives you a range from 35" to 110" (and gear 5 is 67")

http://www.gear-calculator.com/?GR=SNI8&KB=42&RZ=17&UF=2200&TF=90&SL=3.5&UN=KMH

gearing down to 21T sprocket gives a gear range from 29" to 89" (and gear 6 is 67")

http://www.gear-calculator.com/?GR=SNI8&KB=42&RZ=21&UF=2200&TF=90&SL=3.5&UN=KMH

both these schemes give a gear that is 67" which would suit me very well (it is a good gear for tapping along on, and is the gear ratio that is fitted to the singlespeed day-one 10 model ). Overall efficiency is altered by your use of different gears; in simple terms using this hub, gears 1 and 5 are most efficient, gears 2 and 6 are the next most efficient, and gear 4 is the least efficient. So gearing up or down may alter the overall efficiency a little by altering which gears you most use.

A 90" gear will be enough to allow you to pedal at over 25mph and if you pedal downhill the benefits (in terms of increased average speed) are slight; all you do is more net work against air resistance.

Most riders would reckon on a bike with an alfine 8 hub being fractionally slower than one with (more) derailleur gears, and (given a few givens) a bike with flat bars is likely to be slower again (by a greater amount) than one with dropped bars. But the increased journey time is likely to be about 30s (tops) over eight miles and you get this time back many times over in terms of reduced maintenance.

cheers

I think you are right looks like a 50cm Seat Tube length is about right for me.

I think I will order the Charge Grater 2016 at £600.

Then add the dynamo hub lights after, I assume fitting these should be easy enough, even if i have the shop do it? There's no issue issue retrofitting dynamo hub lights?

Plus the rack

thx again.