Lightweight sit up and beg bike

[Backinthesaddle]

Hi everyone,
I’m sure this has probably been asked before but this is my first post here. I am trying to get back into cycling after a layoff of about 10 years, a knee injury left me unable to cycle until it healed. I am keen to cycle to work, but I live in a rural area and would be travelling on main roads with a lot of tourist traffic. I have a road bike but really would prefer a sit up and beg, but as I live in an insanely hilly area, don’t much fancy a big heavy bike. I have looked online but just can’t seem to find a lightweight sit up and beg bike. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[tomsumner49]

The islabike adult range are probably the lightest I've seen. Not particularly cheap though!

https://www.islabikes.co.uk/collections/icons

[Jamesh]

Sounds like you want a hybrid bike.

Most of the big name so them.

Boardman and Ribble too.....

Look for carbon not suspension forks, disc brakes hydraulic if possible.

[Jdsk]

Welcome.

Islabikes, as above, have an excellent reputation.

You've mentioned the hills: would you consider a bike with electrical assistance for those ascents?

Jonathan

[thirdcrank]

I'd agree about the hybrid although the term seems to cover range of styles.

There are dealers who sell good quality "sit up and beg" bikes which tend to be fully-specced Dutch roadsters, not necessarily ideal for hilly territory.

Bear in mind that some bikes without drop handlebars can still have a stretched out riding position.

[531colin]

............. I have a road bike but really would prefer a sit up and beg, .........

"How to get comfortable on a bike".....read my DIY bike fit piece linked below.
I'm guessing the road bike puts you too low and stretched out for comfort, or for good visibility in traffic.
A sit up and beg is likely to do the exact opposite; you can be too upright so you can't engage your glutes and quads effectively, or brace your lower back against the muscular work of pedalling.
there is a middle course!

[Vantage]

Straight handlebars on your roadie would effectively make it a sit up and beg bike. The bars and stem would set you back around £40 at the most. 'Trekking' bars would give you multiple hand positions. Brake levers and shifters another £60 or so if you shop around.
I did the same to my tourer. It was too upright for my liking and went back to drops.
You absolutely do not need carbon or hydraulic disc brakes.

[thirdcrank]

BITD, it was quite common to turn the drop handlebars on "sports" bikes upside-down. Although removing the derailleur and shortening the chain to work on one sprocket wouldn't help much with climbing

[gxaustin]

If you were to modify your existing bike remember that rear derailer pull ratios of road and MTB shifters were only common up until 9 speed. You could get away with a friction shifter for the front or there could be chainline difficulties with using an MTB front mech (I think).

[Backinthesaddle]

Thank you all so much for your quick replies, I’ll look into all of your suggestions and let you know what I go for.

[roberts8]

My hack bike is a rockhopper with rigid surly forks and butterfly bars and incomes in with rack and guards at about 13 kilos and works well for me.
Just picked a dutch style ebike for my wife and it make the hills so easy.
I guess it depends on your budget and if you can access a cycle to work scheme.

[Nearholmer]

This question makes me wonder whether anyone sells “mildly crank-forward” bikes in the U.K.

Specialized (or is it someone else, Trek maybe?) I think have a range of them in the US, but I’ve never seen one here.

I’m not talking about “full on” crank-forwards, but the milder sort.

[Orbit531C]

Appreciating this is a month after OP first posted,
but this lightweight upright bike listed on eBay
seems to be just what you are looking for (no connection to the seller):
Dutch Gazelle Lausanne X-tralite reynolds 531 frame/forks, with straight handlebars, which the seller says weighs 14kg with mudguards, large saddle, heavy duty rear rack & battery lights. Whats not to like!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225082001944 ... SwFudi1yiy

[Mike_Ayling]

Look at Merida Speeder 100.
It might tick your boxes.

Mike

[MikeF]

If I lived in an "insanely hilly area" I'd be looking at (insanely) low gears whatever the bike especially if I hadn't cycled for 10 years.