advice for new bike up to £1000 for commute

[Elizabethsdad]

This one fron EBC is a good bike for the money - most bikes with Gates CDS belt drives are over £1000. I had a Trek Soho with this and it was veru nice not having an oily chain.

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/product ... ive-8-s-13

Good call on a mirror Blackburn bar end mirror is the best one I have coe accross. Also Ergon grips make life more comfortable as well.

[Malaconotus]

This one fron EBC is a good bike for the money - most bikes with Gates CDS belt drives are over £1000. I had a Trek Soho with this and it was veru nice not having an oily chain.

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/product ... ive-8-s-13

Good call on a mirror Blackburn bar end mirror is the best one I have coe accross. Also Ergon grips make life more comfortable as well.

We now have our own Revolution model with the same features, also under £1K... http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/product ... brid-bikes

[tykeboy2003]

Edinburgh Cycles Revolution Country Explorer £675. Excellent value for the money if a bit on the heavy-side at 14kg. I love mine to bits.

[Mark1978]

If you're nipping in and out of traffic for a relatively short distance, then straight bars will give the best result, IMO.

[nicl]

Wow - that was more advice than I expected. Thanks everyone. I agree with everyone who mentioned good locks. My work has a bike store which is secure, but I had a bike stolen from a busy area (locked up) in London before quite a few years ago so I know how easily it can happen. I'll also look into security skewers as I haven't heard of them before but they sound like a good idea.

Definitely getting:
- something which can have a pannier (I've cycled with rucksacks before and didn't find it a pleasant experience)
- mudguards (has to survive puddles)
- lights + other visibility stuff as it'll be dark in the winter

I didn't know about internal hub gears so I'll investigate.

And at the moment I'm not sure whether to get straight or drop handlebars. Hmm.

RE: appliication process, I've requested the voucher (didn't seem like I had to have chosen a bike beforehand) so I'll see what HR say. But I think it is okay.

Thanks again for all the input and for those who suggested specific models - I'll check them out.

Nic

UPDATE: so my application has been successful. I'll get sent the voucher/certificate in the post in the next week or so!!!

[Russell160]

Hurrah!
Looks like Evans do a good test ride scheme:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLrrR3HT ... t2ipLXRCXg

Not sure if you are male or female? If female worth looking at female specific designs which are not only the obvious differences in the saddle department but also things like brake reach and handlebar diameter, which I know my partner has found helpful.

Good luck, always a vicarious pleasure!

[David Cox]

Over 40 years I've used and been very pleased with a second hand Dawes Galaxy, a Saracen steel no suspension MTB (with some remarkable Czech road tyres that did over 10,000 miles), 3 Bromptons (front pannier is great, easy storage, good sit up and beg position for traffic, hub gears low slung requires more cleaning) current Thorn Commutour with panniers and excellent Schimdt Son dynamo lights. Never carried anything on my back and hardly ever used "best" audax style bikes. Lights (always have two sets) and tyres are so much better now. Longest commute was 18 mile round trip with occasional foray up to 28 (on the Galaxy) never get above about 12 mph average.

[David Cox]

And another thing when I specified the Thorn I went for a Sturmey Archer 3 speed because I was commuting on a flat muddy tow path and wanted low maintenance. Although I'd been happy with the 3 speed Brompton This was a mistake because within a month I'd changed jobs and struggled for 6 years with a tiresome hill before giving in and getting a 24 speed derailleur!