New cyclist looking for some advice

[redcard]

Hello,

I've decided to come out of the gym and onto the road, so I'm looking for some tips on how much to spend on a bike, what to look for, what kit to buy etc etc. Just the usual sort of stuff.

I've been checking out Sportsdirect, as they seem to have some decent discounted stuff. Any gems on there I should be looking at?

I'll mainly be cycling to and from work. I live in Paisley and work in Cumbernauld. I plan on either cycling the full way, or cycling Paisley to Glasgow, or Glasgow to Cumbernauld, and vice versa. So I'm looking for some info on the cycle routes between these place, and how hard / easy they are for someone in their early 30s, who is reasonably fit. My commute currently takes 2 hours as I'm using public transport. Ideally to begin with, I'd like to avoid roads (and hills!).

I plan on getting a bike and gear through CycleScheme, just need to confirm my work do offer this.

Can someone please give me an idea on how long each of these journeys take, if I'll look a prat taking my bike on the bus for the 2nd leg of my journey, how you organise your work clothes / cycle gear and any other stuff you think I should know.

Cheers all

[thirdcrank]

I presume the non-motorway distance is in the range 25 - 30 miles. That's a big distance to commute. Even a really hard rider would be looking at a toat journey time of a couple of hours when things like getting a shower at the destination are included.

I'd suggest that one of the things for anybody in your position to think about is the number of people who think that taking up cycling is a good idea, try it once, then dump the bike in the back of the garage. I'd suggest trying to beg or borrow a bike from somebody (eg one dumped in the back of the garage as above) and try it first. Once you are really sure you like it, you will then have much more idea, based on a bit of experience, about what sort of bike would suit you. (Somebody regularly riding a daily mieage of 50-60 miles will soon be strong enough for all sorts of riding.)

In short, I think it's often a mistake to shell out on a bike first, assuming that everything else will then slot into place.

[Malaconotus]

I've been checking out Sportsdirect, as they seem to have some decent discounted stuff. Any gems on there I should be looking at?

It's not discounted. It's a scam. Those products are 'exclusive' to them, and are on sale at the higher price not a second longer than is necessary to comply with the law.

Sports Direct have bought up the rights to many once-proud British brands (Dunlop, Karrimor, Lonsdale etc.) and stuck those brands on some of the cheapest, nastiest sweatshop tat imaginable. Sportsdirect products are on a par with stuff which comes in cheap christmas crackers, and includes the most poorly manufactured bikes I have seen, marketed with ridiculous RRPs and spurious discounts.... http://www.sportsdirect.com/dunlop-sign ... nch-932132.

Want bikes? Go to a bike shop. They start at about £300 to £350, with the odd passable machine with minor compromises going down towards £200 in a sale.

[karlt]

Moreover, if you're avoiding roads, then you'd be very lucky to average a flat speed much about 15mph. Flat averages are never achieved outside of Holland and Norfolk because you can never get back on the downs what you lose on the ups. A 30 mile ride, off road, is going to be close to 3 hours.

Bike Route Toaster gives me 23 miles and hour and a half on road with my road bike settings of 20mph flat and 40'/minute climb. Of course you'd need a hybrid/MTB to go off road, and it'd probably be further, so two hours would be an absolute minimum, I'd reckon, with a strong experienced rider. Of course I don't know exactly where the start and finish points are. And I dinnae ken hoo long it'll tek ye tae get thra' Glasgae.

Hills are unavoidable because Cumbernauld is some 400' higher up than Paisley. And Glasgow, in between, is in a dip. Looking through the OSM cycling layer there are marked cycle routes but they're mostly on road.

Only place for a sub-£300 bike that's up to much is Decathlon.

Quicker coming back

Perhaps start by cycling to the railway station in Glasgow and getting the puff-puff to Cumbernauld. Check out what the bicycle security is like at the station first though.

[Mick F]

Perhaps start by cycling to the railway station in Glasgow and getting the puff-puff to Cumbernauld. Check out what the bicycle security is like at the station first though.

Or take the bike with you on the train, because no doubt you work a distance away from Cumbernauld railway station.

Bike - Train - Bike.

[LollyKat]

There are bike stands at Central Station but maybe not enough. If you are thinking of using the bus part of the way then you would need a folder, with a bag to put it in. The Brompton is one of the best for this - quick folding and the smallest package. It doesn't give such a sporty ride,though it would certainly get you fit.

Can you keep a set of clothes at the office? I know lots of people who keep a suit at work and bring a clean shirt and socks with them each day. You can get special small cases to hold a shirt without it getting creased in your pannier.

There is a Glasgow-Cumbernauld cycle route which is apparently quite good for commuters. Map here; google will bring up written directions. The map also shows a reasonable route from Paisley.

You could also ask here for more info: http://www.cycle-route.com/forum/Scotland-Forum.html

[thirdcrank]

One of the facts (for most riders) is that you have to ride regularly to keep up the fitness. Unless you want to start all over again every spring, that means riding whatever the weather, unless it's downright dangerous. (eg Over the last few winters we've had quite a lot of info on here from riders who have started using studded tyres in winter so they are not stopped from riding when it's icy.) Off-road routes do not always lend themselves to this: if they are surfaced, the snow and ice are never cleared, and if they are unsurfaced, they are often a mire from September through to April. You may intend only to ride in fine weather, and fair enough, but it's then easy to find excuses for not bothering and in no time at all, the bike is languishing at the back of the garage.

I'm not trying to discourage you with this, rather to offer a bit of realism. I'd reiterate that the choice of bike and shelling out for it should not be priorities.

Having said that, my priorities would be luggage carrying capacity (even a change of togs needs carrying and this sort of distance with a rucsac would be a no-no for me;) then mudguards (there is more wet thrown up from the road than ever falls as rain, and it's mucky as well.) I may be stating the obvious but a bike only moves through the rider's efforts. Tractor tyres and suspension may look good but they add to the effort needed. I'm not an off-roader, so I'd not presume to advise those who are, but I'll suggest that if a route needs suspension and tyres with a big tread, then it's not going to be suitable for a commute of this distance.

[Vorpal]

I did a commute of 28 miles for awhile. I couldn't do it by bike every day. One or two days a week was usually enough, though I did it as many as four days a few times in nice weather. The problem isn't the miles. One can get used to that. But 28 miles with 7.5 or 8 hours of work sandwiched between is too much by the end of the week. At least it would be for me. I think 20 miles or so would probably be my maximum commute for riding every day.

I did decide after doing my commute a few times on my hybrid that I wanted a road bike. I found my commute to be much easier on a road bike than my hybrid, though I know that not everyone would agree with my assessment. The main thing for that kind of distance is having something that is comfortable and fast enough to ride for the 3 - 4 hours a day (or maybe more, initially) to get to and from work.

I would, however, never consider trying to do that kind of distance off-road. The first few times I did it, my commute took me just over 2 hours on the main roads. My time improved as my fitness did, but off-road would have doubled the amount of time it took, even if it were possible to do all of it off-road, which I doubt. One of the roads I used had a pavement type cycle track. I tried it once, but it was bumpy and horrible.

[reohn2]

Realistically a 10mile each way commute is enough,and as Vorpal says with a days work between by the end of the week it would showing.
The bike would need to be an efficient one not to mention a pretty fit rider too.
Attempting that kind mileage offroad,other than on a really good path would be unreasonable IMO.

Better to start small and increase mileage if and when its felt reasonable.The bike needs careful consideration for minimum maintainence and maximum reasonable efficiency without being too heavy and slow,that said punctures and breakdowns need to be minimised where destination times are critical,so its not going to be done efficiently on budget(read sub £450 )machine and last,TC's covered all the bases on luggage capacity and mudguards,etc.

Wheres eileithyia? you can never find a long distance commuting Midwife when you need one

[thirdcrank]

... Wheres eileithyia? you can never find a long distance commuting Midwife when you need one

My guess: getting the miles in. (Or she has a special delivery )

[Hector's House]

There are bike stands at Central Station but maybe not enough.

I remember being pleasantly surprised at how many there are - a few years ago, there were the same sort of number as in Waverley. I'm not sure what it's like now; but I don't imagine the security has got worse: I've left my nice bike there for the weekend a couple of times, and it's not been nicked.


I agree with the idea about cycling to Central, and then taking the bike to Cumbernauld. SPT have good enough bike storage on their trains, IIRC, and you shouldn't need to book a space for the bike.

[graymee]

I don't know for sure but I doubt Sportsdirect would be able to supply a bike through CycleScheme. I also think that they sell BSOs (Bicycle Shaped objects) rather than bikes. A poor quality bike will not be pleasant to ride, is unlikely to be very reliable and wouldn't be very good value for money in the long run. I doubt anything they do sell would be allowed on a bus, you'd really need a folder for that as previously mentioned.

The approximately 25 miles each way for your commute is also a touch ambitious I think. I do 9 miles each way, 5 days a week in Lincolnshire where it's relatively flat and have been doing this almost continuously for in excess of 3 years. Although I'm an experienced and pretty fit commuter I wouldn't like to up my mileage to that extent although I am 50 not 30.

I don't want to put you off but trying a part of your commute on a borrowed bike during the summer when the weather is better might be a better idea. See how you get on then buy a bike based on your experience and adjust your daily distance accordingly.

[Big T]

I used to commute 21 miles each way to work and could do it in 1hr 10 mins on a good day. it could take me 1hr 35m with a strong headwind. This was all on road, mostly on country lanes with the last 5 miles through the suburbs to the city centre. I also had a bail out main road route if it was icy. It's possible for someone who's reasonably fit, doing it will dramatically improve your fitness. very tiring though and i would say only feasible if you have a desk job.

You need a something fairly quick,but with a bit of load carrying capacity. An audax bike would be ideal, or something like a Trek 1.2 or 1.5. Only if you're using roads and reasonable cycle paths though. if you're wedded to off-road you'd need a hybrid or cyclo-cross bike, but they're not as quick and it will take you longer. Edinburgh Bike Co-op have a bgood selection of bikes (including their own brand Revolution bikes) or Evans, if there's one near you. Or you could try a proper bike shop. Steer clear of Sports Direct for the bike, but you may be able to get some clothing from them. Decathlon is also a good place to get a bike.

You'd also need a good set of lights if you're going to ride in the autumn and winter and a good front light to see on dark, unlit roads will set you back about £100 or more.

[Michael R]

I've been checking out Sportsdirect, as they seem to have some decent discounted stuff. Any gems on there I should be looking at?

It's not discounted. It's a scam. Those products are 'exclusive' to them, and are on sale at the higher price not a second longer than is necessary to comply with the law.

Sports Direct have bought up the rights to many once-proud British brands (Dunlop, Karrimor, Lonsdale etc.) and stuck those brands on some of the cheapest, nastiest sweatshop tat imaginable. Sportsdirect products are on a par with stuff which comes in cheap christmas crackers, and includes the most poorly manufactured bikes I have seen, marketed with ridiculous RRPs and spurious discounts.... http://www.sportsdirect.com/dunlop-sign ... nch-932132.

Want bikes? Go to a bike shop. They start at about £300 to £350, with the odd passable machine with minor compromises going down towards £200 in a sale.

Agreed on Karrimor. I would get anything with a Karrimor label. Generally I like what you say.

[eileithyia]

... Wheres eileithyia? you can never find a long distance commuting Midwife when you need one

My guess: getting the miles in. (Or she has a special delivery )

Lol just got in from work and checking the forums over a brew having done a 40 mile cycle ride around my shift lol!

1. Commute; I have commuted a variety distances over the years; My first commute distance was 6 miles, then it went up to 9 miles, then I started working at Solihull hospital... 17 niles away and seriously missed my cycle commute. This is one way mind. I then realised I could cycle to Cov station, train to within 4 miles of work for the early shift (ride the remainder) then ride all the way home at 3pm, for afternoon shifts I did the reverse, ride all the way in part ride/part train home.

You need to be fit to do a long commute every day on a reg basis. As said off road routes tend slow down your av speed.

You might be best looking at some means of splitting your journey.
At the moment for my evening shifts I drive part way, ride the remainder, mainly because after finishing at 22.00 it would take me 11/4 hours to get homethen I have to be up the next day to ride in to work for 07.15 start.

2. For a longish distance commute you will need lockers at work, somewhere to change and if there are no showers, look at having some wash stuff so you can have a strip wash at a sink.
3. Drying facilities, one thing I hate is putting damp clothes back on, shoes and socks are worst offenders for getting wet, I have drysocks at work and a spare pair of longs just in case.

TRy this commute for a week and you will completely cream-crackered at the end of the first week.

When I started serious commutes, I was already cycle fit, had started racing, and used my commutes to assist training as well altruistic beliefs of reducing my carbon footprint, reducing petrol costs etc.

Get a bike yes, start doing some cycling at weekends/ evenings as the ights draw and get used to handling the bike, and see if you like it first.