New Cheap Bike

[pootler]

Due to a back / leg problem I can no longer run as I used to and I am putting on weight. A friend has suggested doing the C2C in two days, so I thought that I had better do some training. I've sold my hybrid. I have a Galaxy for touring but I don't want to use it for training, as I can't afford to replace it. I reckon that I can afford £350 to buy something to do the job, but what? I have never been successful on ebay so I was looking at new. The Triban 3 came to mind, but is not available at the moment. Has anyone any suggestions?

[Vantage]

Not being funny, but whats going to happen to the Galaxy that it would need replacing if you used it for training?
If you're worried about it being stolen if you stop for a cafe break, bring a damn big lock or train with your mate. One to watch the bikes outside and one to go get the brews and sammiches, easy. You're just as likely to have it stolen during a burglary while your out training on your new bike.
If you're worried about it being wrecked in an accident, well even if you wreck a training specific bike, you'd be hard pressed to ride the intact bike from inside a coffin or hospital bed.

[irc]

Use your Galaxy? The only things likely to wear out are replaceable. Brake blocks, tyres etc. Even a full drivetrain, cranks, cassette, chain is around £100.

For a second bike at £350 though? What about the Edinburgh Courier Race. Only 8 speed but it worked for me. Adding mudguards and a rack would be slightly over budget but they are good value bikes.

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/product ... 2fbicycles

[pootler]

Thanks for the replies. My problem is that the Galaxy is likely to be the best bike that I ever have. It's only the third new bike I've ever had. Rather like someone who buys a Ferrari would most probably not choose to use it for everyday transport, so I enjoy keeping the Galaxy as good as possible. I realise that the drivetrain will need changing for something new / better at some point but maybe not just yet. So what is out there that I can use and not be too worried about?

[CyberKnight]

triban 3

[thecycleclinic]

If you own the galaxy you might as well use it. No point in having a working bike like that and leave it unused. You might as well sell for something you will use. Even a worn out glaxy is still a good bike as all the worn bit can be replaced. If you learn how to strip heasets and hubs and repack with grease and fit new bearings then all there is to wear is a chain, freewheel/cassette, chain rings (eventually), BB (eventually) and brake pads. I suppose the rims will wear evenutally but it does take a long while.

Ride the galaxy and stop worring about it.

[irc]

If you own the galaxy you might as well use it. No point in having a working bike like that and leave it unused. You might as well sell for something you will use. Even a worn out glaxy is still a good bike as all the worn bit can be replaced. If you learn how to strip heasets and hubs and repack with grease and fit new bearings then all there is to wear is a chain, freewheel/cassette, chain rings (eventually), BB (eventually) and brake pads. I suppose the rims will wear evenutally but it does take a long while.

Ride the galaxy and stop worring about it.

Well in one respect there is an advantage to having a second bike. For utility cycling where my bike is parked unattended for varying amounts of time in various places I like to have a cheaper, less attractive bike. The idea being it is both less likely to get stolen and cheaper to replace if it is. My shopping/pub is worth a quarter of my tourer. I could shrug my shoulders if it got stolen whilst the tourer would make a big hole in my bank a/c.

As a matter of interest how many people on this forum only own one bike? A minority I'd guess.

[horizon]

Just musing upon this but I always have difficulty with the idea of "training" for a ride, even a challenging one. Surely the training would involve long day rides (the C2C is 140 quite hilly miles) to get used to the saddle, the bike, the rain, the stamina and food requirements, rather than fast evening bursts up some local hills? Those long days could be very enjoyable rides in themselves - are you going to give up cycling when you have done the C2C? You will soon get a measure of what is required and take the C2C as just another great ride rather than the Holy Grail. Of course an extra bike could indeed be used for evening or Sunday morning jaunts to build up fitness, though the one you have chosen wouldn't be as useful for much else. I would say by all means get a second bike ( ) but I still don't get the training idea.

PS I'm not fixed on this, it's just a thought really.

[gregoryoftours]

I'd do it on the Galaxy. You won't wear the drivetrain much over that distance. Even if you trained with it the cost of replacing drivetrain, brake blocks etc will come to less than the cost of buying a cheap bike which won't be as nice to ride either (as long as you can do the work yourself or have a friend who can do it.) Otherwise Decathlon have amazing value bikes at most levels in my opinion, although they aren't the loveliest looking. I did C2C a couple of months ago. Very hilly, pretty steep and long some of them so you will need low gears - although a decent bike I think that the 1x8 setup mentioned earlier won't be low enough - 44t - 32t might be a push. We had 22t - 34t as bottom gear and used it at least a couple of times as well as using second lowest gear quite a lot to grind up the biggest hills. That was with full camping gear though with quite a heavy old chromo framed mountain bike. We did it in 3 days and that was about right.

[pootler]

Again, Thanks for the replies. I've just returned from a week walking and trying to stay dry in the Lake district. Having completed two tours of the Northern Highlands of Scotland in the last two years, my daughter and I intend to have a go in France next year, so no I am not aiming to stop but I want to keep the Galaxy as good as possible for the actual tours, hence the need foe something else. WIth regard to training. I am quite happy building up my mileage over a tour but to tackle two 70 mile hilly days one after the other may well be beyond me in my present state. One development is that the man from Barclays has upheld my complaint so the budget may well have just increased. Has anybody any thoughts on the Ribble Audax / Winter bikes?

[horizon]

I want to keep the Galaxy as good as possible for the actual tours

It's such a difficult choice - I would feel the same way but would also be worried that I hadn't ridden it enough to discover any issues. Bikes do tend to get messed up quickly though IMV.

[timmyhiggy]

For training, surely you want the heaviest, slowest rolling thing you can get your hands on? Every hill on that would be a much better workout than it would be on a "good" bike!

[Brucey]

winter is very hard on bikes, and not just the bits that wear out, either.

I'd suggest a winter bike is a good idea; it doesn't matter too much what it is, just get the riding position right, and abuse the heck out of it. Traditionally something with just enough gears for unladen riding, built to be reliable as a first priority is the thing.

If it isn't too hilly where you are a bike with a 6s freewheel (say 14-28) and a single chainring will do the trick. When you trash the transmission it is cheap as chips (about £15) to fix it. Why wear out stuff at three or four times the cost, and destroy the finish on your best bike?

cheers

[jezer]

Again, Thanks for the replies. I've just returned from a week walking and trying to stay dry in the Lake district. Having completed two tours of the Northern Highlands of Scotland in the last two years, my daughter and I intend to have a go in France next year, so no I am not aiming to stop but I want to keep the Galaxy as good as possible for the actual tours, hence the need foe something else. WIth regard to training. I am quite happy building up my mileage over a tour but to tackle two 70 mile hilly days one after the other may well be beyond me in my present state. One development is that the man from Barclays has upheld my complaint so the budget may well have just increased. Has anybody any thoughts on the Ribble Audax / Winter bikes?

I have a Ribble Audax for winter riding, equipped with a Campag group set. I think this will be it's fourth winter. It is fine except for one very important flaw in design, the mudguard clearance is much too small. Admittedly much of my riding is through country lanes, but I sometimes have to stop mid ride, remove the wheels, and scrape mud out with a tyre lever. I feel this is unneceptable in a winter bike, and for this reason alone I cannot recommend one. Of course, Ribble may have changed the spec now so it would be worth checking.

[Big T]

Again, Thanks for the replies. I've just returned from a week walking and trying to stay dry in the Lake district. Having completed two tours of the Northern Highlands of Scotland in the last two years, my daughter and I intend to have a go in France next year, so no I am not aiming to stop but I want to keep the Galaxy as good as possible for the actual tours, hence the need foe something else. WIth regard to training. I am quite happy building up my mileage over a tour but to tackle two 70 mile hilly days one after the other may well be beyond me in my present state. One development is that the man from Barclays has upheld my complaint so the budget may well have just increased. Has anybody any thoughts on the Ribble Audax / Winter bikes?

I have a Ribble Audax for winter riding, equipped with a Campag group set. I think this will be it's fourth winter. It is fine except for one very important flaw in design, the mudguard clearance is much too small. Admittedly much of my riding is through country lanes, but I sometimes have to stop mid ride, remove the wheels, and scrape mud out with a tyre lever. I feel this is unneceptable in a winter bike, and for this reason alone I cannot recommend one. Of course, Ribble may have changed the spec now so it would be worth checking.

+1. My mate has a Ribble and we are always having to stop and scrape mud out of it in winter. Never a problem on my steel audax/winter bike that can take tyres up to 28mm. You can't go any higher than 23mm on a Ribble. I'd go for something like a Kinesis TK2 built up with the groupset of your choice and some handbuilt wheels, which cost about £800 for Sora and £1000 for Tiagra.