Help choosing bicycle

[oaklec]

If you really want to buy a bike, there's going to have to be compromises. At one end of the extreme, a carbon road bike won't be able to do what a full suss mountain bike or a three wheeled cargo bike will be able to do (or not very well) and vice versa. At the other end of the extreme, there will be nuances of difference between two hybrid bikes or two mountain bikes etc.. All buying decisions will involve gaining something and losing something else. At the "nuance end of the scale", the differences might not be that great - they might even be insignificant: the decision making process is much less obvious and often much less significant. At this end of the scale, it is experience that informs the decision - and different experienced people will make different decisions but there could well be a consensus on the big stuff with a bit of debate over the nuances.

At the end of the day, whatever bike you get, there will be rolling resistance and there will be bumps felt through the bike. If you want to ride smooth stuff as well as rough stuff, you're going to have to make compromises. Until you make those compromises and buy a bike, you won't get the experience to inform your decisions - it's a bit of a catch 22. But if you're in the right ball park (using the experience of others), those compromises are not going to be catastrophic - they might not even be significant. They might not be that difficult to turn around (such as replacing tyres for something fatter and knobblier or thinner and smoother) but you will never know until you try and use one or the other. Pretty much all bikes mentioned will not be a catastrophic bad choice but will be a bike you can use. Some will be better on the rough stuff, some better on the smooth stuff. Most will do both admirably but some will be a good choice for one but not so good for the other. Either way, you're going to feel some bumps and you're going to get some rolling resistance and you're going to have to turn those pedals.

But one of the biggest debates is hybrid with suspension forks or not? As you can see above, some people say it's useless on a hybrid and won't deal with the small gravel stones

And Steve from Canterbury bike told me to get a mountain bike. So confusing.

Remind me how much the stones hurt your entire body when you rented that bike...

I'm thinking princess and the pea. Bunge and lots of it is required

[SummitFreedom]

I'm thinking princess and the pea. Bunge and lots of it is required

What's bunge?

Princess and the pea... You're suggesting it's not bad at all and that I'm just sensitive?
I had a literal BAD headache from the stones and bad pain neck, and I can't remember where else. Every stone caused the head to pain. Like a jolt. So the headache became worse until I got off the gravel/stones.

I went for a walk in the morning yesterday along crab and winkle until I got to just past the steep hill. I got bitten in two locations on one arm. I was wearing sunscreen and insects were galore and attracted to me like moths to a flame. I hate insects.

[rareposter]

I went for a walk in the morning yesterday along crab and winkle until I got to just past the steep hill. I got bitten in two locations on one arm. I was wearing sunscreen and insects were galore and attracted to me like moths to a flame. I hate insects.

Just think, if you'd have been on a nice hybrid, you could have outrun all the insects!

[SummitFreedom]

I went for a walk in the morning yesterday along crab and winkle until I got to just past the steep hill. I got bitten in two locations on one arm. I was wearing sunscreen and insects were galore and attracted to me like moths to a flame. I hate insects.

Just think, if you'd have been on a nice hybrid, you could have outrun all the insects!

I'm scared they're tick bites

Also I don't think it would have made much of a difference. It's the hill bit where they swarmed me. I would be pushing a cycle up that hill.

I also decided to see if I could find the woodland trail Steve told me about. So I went into the woodlands too.

Saw lots of roots and I see why he says I couldn't do those woodland trails on a hybrid.

But even on a cycle there's a chance on tick bites and other insects through the woodland trail.

Flying insects can likely go faster than I could pedal on that bit with any cycle.

[Jdsk]

NHS advice on tick bites:
https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-an ... tick-bites

I recommend reading that, carrying some tweezers, and getting in the habit of checking. But not worrying or being scared.

Jonathan

PS: Recent discussion, but beware, some of the advice is wrong:
viewtopic.php?t=86422

PPS: They aren't insects. : - )

[Sparky56]

NHS advice on tick bites:
https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-an ... tick-bites

I recommend reading that, carrying some tweezers, and getting in the habit of checking. But not worrying or being scared.

Jonathan

PS: Recent discussion, but beware, some of the advice is wrong:
viewtopic.php?t=86422

PPS: They aren't insects. : - )

is there anything useful in that 9 page thread that isn’t covered on the NHS link? TLDR

[Sparky56]

NHS advice on tick bites:
https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-an ... tick-bites

I recommend reading that, carrying some tweezers, and getting in the habit of checking. But not worrying or being scared.

Jonathan

PS: Recent discussion, but beware, some of the advice is wrong:
viewtopic.php?t=86422

PPS: They aren't insects. : - )

Thanks for the info on ticks - seems like there are so many more than there used to be, perhaps there’s more awareness too?

Anyway, is there anything useful in that 9 page thread that isn’t covered on the NHS link? TLDR

[Sparky56]

NHS advice on tick bites:
https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-an ... tick-bites

I recommend reading that, carrying some tweezers, and getting in the habit of checking. But not worrying or being scared.

Jonathan

PS: Recent discussion, but beware, some of the advice is wrong:
viewtopic.php

PPS: They aren't insects. : - )

Thanks for the info on ticks - seems like there are so many more than there used to be, perhaps there’s more awareness too? i’m off bikepacking across Scotland next week so will be even more diligent with insect repellant etc.

Anyway, is there anything useful in that 9 page thread that isn’t covered on the NHS link? TLDR

[Jdsk]

I'll add some current stuff to that thread.

Jonathan

[Sparky56]

I'll add some current stuff to that thread.

Jonathan

Good idea.

[Cowsham]

Summitfreedom -- I can see getting out on a bike for you is going to be a challenge but once you do it'll give you so much more freedom but you've got to earn that freedom.

No one is fit from the get go or have a comfortable bum right away.

Follow the basic bike fit setup ie your position on the bike and work from there.

Wear glasses and a mask ( I find a snood better -- actually two one for below the helmet to keep the bugs off my Baldy head the other to keep me breathing them in. )

Where there's a will there's a way.

Build up the miles and you'll be like all the rest on here missing it when you can't get out because of weather etc.

[SummitFreedom]

Went into Halfords today.

Tried out some bikes in store.

I found that a particular MTB felt like the handles were big and it just felt overall big and not that nimple compared to a boardman MTB. I tried the Crossfire 3 in a small and it does feel cheap, they didn't have it in any other size.

Tried the Carrera Vengeance too which felt like the handlebars weren't as wide. Got a staff member to measure the 2 MTB's handlebars and they were the same weirdly.

Tried a boardman with that gear twisty thing and thin tires that apparently was still a Hybrid. URB was written on the label thing that had the price on it. That had no exposed gears. Like the dutch cycles. Self contained gears in a enclosed tiny unit, so little maintenance. Just wanted to try it, cus I thought it was a road bike.

Sadly it wasn't very useful trying to check how suspension is as I need gravel to try it.

Some of the bikes had breaks that were more on and off giving little control over braking.

One of the guys in there recommended I get a MTB, tubeless tires with tube sealant in it so he said you will never get a puncture. The Boardman MTB that felt big from the front that I tried is one that he said he has himself and it has a drop post.

I have never seen that before. It was so cool and useful. You can just adjust the seat whenever you want by pressing a button on the handlebar.

It was this one: https://www.halfords.com/bikes/mountain ... =undefined

Maybe the wheels are bigger on it?

Felt less nimble to move around too. The Vengeance which is also a MTB, felt smaller. Both were Medium

They guy said with a MTB you can increase tire pressure way up to reduce rolling resistance. He said the Boardman MTB (one linked above) has tubeless tires which also helps with rolling resistance.

[Cowsham]

One bit of advice I got from a fellow biker was
Don't buy a mountain bike too big and don't buy a road bike too small.

[rareposter]

Tried a boardman with that gear twisty thing and thin tires that apparently was still a Hybrid. URB was written on the label thing that had the price on it. That had no exposed gears. Like the dutch cycles. Self contained gears in a enclosed tiny unit, so little maintenance. Just wanted to try it, cus I thought it was a road bike.

URB is the Boardman urban commuter range. Low maintenance, reliability, really designed for short road-based rides with a small pannier maybe - like to and from work!

Some of the bikes had breaks that were more on and off giving little control over braking.

Not really noticeable once you're riding, brakes take a couple of rides to bed in properly anyway.

I have never seen that before. It was so cool and useful. You can just adjust the seat whenever you want by pressing a button on the handlebar.

Dropper posts are designed for riding steep technical descents. The idea is that you ride the bike at full height most of the time but on really steep stuff it's easier to drop the saddle out of the way to get yourself lower over the bike. Really not worth considering for riding on regular trails.

It was this one: https://www.halfords.com/bikes/mountain ... =undefined

Genuine question - the start of this thread has you narrowing your choice down to two decent hybrids, the most expensive being about £600 and you've already posted to say you preferred the cheaper one because "money/expense".

Why are we now looking at £1000+ MTBs with features like dropper posts and tubeless tyres?!

[SummitFreedom]

Tried a boardman with that gear twisty thing and thin tires that apparently was still a Hybrid. URB was written on the label thing that had the price on it. That had no exposed gears. Like the dutch cycles. Self contained gears in a enclosed tiny unit, so little maintenance. Just wanted to try it, cus I thought it was a road bike.

URB is the Boardman urban commuter range. Low maintenance, reliability, really designed for short road-based rides with a small pannier maybe - like to and from work!

Some of the bikes had breaks that were more on and off giving little control over braking.

Not really noticeable once you're riding, brakes take a couple of rides to bed in properly anyway.

I have never seen that before. It was so cool and useful. You can just adjust the seat whenever you want by pressing a button on the handlebar.

Dropper posts are designed for riding steep technical descents. The idea is that you ride the bike at full height most of the time but on really steep stuff it's easier to drop the saddle out of the way to get yourself lower over the bike. Really not worth considering for riding on regular trails.

It was this one: https://www.halfords.com/bikes/mountain ... =undefined

Genuine question - the start of this thread has you narrowing your choice down to two decent hybrids, the most expensive being about £600 and you've already posted to say you preferred the cheaper one because "money/expense".

Why are we now looking at £1000+ MTBs with features like dropper posts and tubeless tyres?!

Just tried it out. That's all. Also because Steve said to get a mtb. Steve from the Canterbury bike project.

I told the guy there that the gravel path caused me lots of pain, he said you need softer grips and tubeless tires so you can get to really low pressure.