Help with bike selection

[Sambo241]

Good afternoon

I do apologise if I have posted this topic in the wrong forum.

As the title says, I’m just looking for some advice on choosing a decent bike for my needs. It’ll be mainly commuting to and from work, which is roughly 22 miles there and back each day. The journey is on a little bit of road, but the majority is on a canal tow path and branch line. Couple of decent sized hills on there too.

I have a little riding experience as I’ve road to work for the past 6 months on an electric bike… which I do not recommend the problems I’ve had with the bike is unbelievable in the short space of time it was used. I am aware that it’ll require more of be fitness wise but I’m not worried about that. But anyway, I’ve come to ask you knowledgeable cyclists for your kind advice on my next bike.

I believe it’s hybrid I’ll be wanting, and I’ve also been advised to steer clear of any suspension bikes..which I hope is the correct advice? So the the bikes I’ve come across so far that aren’t too taxing on the wallet are:

Carerra Subway 2
Pinnacle lithium 3
VooDoo Marasa

Now these are just ones I’ve done light research on that seem to be of some decent quality and not too pricey. They also seem to be what I’ll need for the daily commute? I am hoping you wonderful people could kindly guide me on any recommendations and advice to the current selection I’ve picked. I would also love to see any new suggestions that I haven’t come across if there is for the £500 mark and below please.

Any help will be much appreciated!

Thank you

[JohnMorgan]

Hi, sorry, don’t know those models, but the last hybrid I had was a Boardman, and I found mudguards, panniers and bar ends very useful for commuting.
Good luck!

[Jon in Sweden]

Have you considered a well looked after used bike?

I have a selection of bikes for different uses. A town bike for around the village, gravel bike, mountain bike and several road bikes. They all have pluses and minuses and you always have to compromise somewhere.

For a commute of that length (22 miles in total, or in each direction? Either is not insignificant), I would be looking at two factors mainly. Comfort and efficiency.

I would personally look at something along the lines of a gravel/bike packing/touring bike. Something with an aerodynamically efficient riding position but that is also comfortable and and robust. And mudguards!

£500 doesn't buy you that much new these days, but it will get you something quite nice in the used market.

Occasionally, you do find some spectacular bargains on the used market too if you're patient. I found my wife a mint condition Kona Dew Drop with 3x8 Sora gearing with panniers for £130. It would be the ideal sort of bike for your needs, being comfortable and versatile and was about 1/6 of the new price.

[roubaixtuesday]

Had a quick glance at the specs, all seem very similar, steel cheaper than aluminium and presumably lighter.

I doubt there's a whole lot to choose between them, and at that price point, things like brakes might not be the most durable.

If I were using it for your duty, I'd check that proper, wrap around mudguards (NOT the clip on to the seatpost/ fork variety) and a rack can be fitted. Proper mudguards essential for commuting and even more so if some is off road.

I'd also prioritise buying from a nearby reputable shop that I trusted in case anything needed sorting out.

[slowster]

majority is on a canal tow path and branch line

I suggest you tell us exactly where this is. Better still plot the route (or at least that bit of it) in Google Maps using the Directions function, and post the resulting URL on here. That way you might get advice from one or more people who know the route.

There can be a lot of variability in the condition of the surface of canal tow paths and in how well they are lit. A lightweight road bike might be fine or at the other extreme you might need an MTB. If it is not well lit, then the lighting choice may be very important, and need to be factored into your budget.

[Bonzo Banana]

Good afternoon

I do apologise if I have posted this topic in the wrong forum.

As the title says, I’m just looking for some advice on choosing a decent bike for my needs. It’ll be mainly commuting to and from work, which is roughly 22 miles there and back each day. The journey is on a little bit of road, but the majority is on a canal tow path and branch line. Couple of decent sized hills on there too.

I have a little riding experience as I’ve road to work for the past 6 months on an electric bike… which I do not recommend the problems I’ve had with the bike is unbelievable in the short space of time it was used. I am aware that it’ll require more of be fitness wise but I’m not worried about that. But anyway, I’ve come to ask you knowledgeable cyclists for your kind advice on my next bike.

I believe it’s hybrid I’ll be wanting, and I’ve also been advised to steer clear of any suspension bikes..which I hope is the correct advice? So the the bikes I’ve come across so far that aren’t too taxing on the wallet are:

Carerra Subway 2
Pinnacle lithium 3
VooDoo Marasa

Now these are just ones I’ve done light research on that seem to be of some decent quality and not too pricey. They also seem to be what I’ll need for the daily commute? I am hoping you wonderful people could kindly guide me on any recommendations and advice to the current selection I’ve picked. I would also love to see any new suggestions that I haven’t come across if there is for the £500 mark and below please.

Any help will be much appreciated!

Thank you

Carrera Subway 2 is really a mountain bike with a rigid fork so it might be a smidgen slower than a more lightweight 700c wheel based hybrid but then again it will likely be a fair bit faster than any hybrid with front suspension forks. The Subway is a brilliant bike for versatility, comfort and reliability and one of Halford's best sellers I believe. All the components are decent although not stellar and its a very easy to maintain bike.

Which ebike gave you so many problems? Just curious.

[Nearholmer]

I can give you a review on the Pinnacle Lithium 3, because I bought one a fortnight ago!

Main point is that at the current price (£400) it is an absolute bargain, which is why I bought it. Very good drivetrain and brakes for the money, and the frame seems good. It is bit too early to say what the usual wear-out point, the bottom bracket bearing, is like ….. it is at least a screw-in one, not press-in, so I am optimistic, and if it does go quickly, at least I can get a good replacement. It is a very light and responsive bike to ride, surprisingly nice actually.

The two parts I wasn’t impressed with were the pedals (small and plasticky) and the tyres (plasticky, and the tread design is strange, causing it to trap tiny sharp stones, a puncture on the second ride!). I’ve replaced both pedals and tyres with better ones I already had, so no new expenditure. The pedals you could get by with, but I personally wouldn’t want a 20 mile commute in the winter on the tyres it came with.

I bought it as a “utility bike” for shopping, family rides, etc, for when I don’t want or need to use my posh bike, but I reckon it would make a very good commuter, and I think it’s robust enough for a high proportion of tow-paths etc. It is bordering on being a flat bar gravel bike in some ways.

As a semi-novice, you should find the range of gears very helpful …. Very wide range of ratios, the lowest of which would take you up any imaginable hill (they are the same quality gears as the Voodoo, but you get 27 instead of 18).

My other half has a 10+ year old model of the same bike (heavier, more basic frame members, same gears and brakes) and has found it ideal for utility and commuting although her trip to work is s lot shorter than yours.

Upshot: I doubt you’ll find a better new bike for £400.

Hope that helps.

[Sambo241]

Thanks for the replies! I don’t know how you quote text on this forum, or any for that matter, so I’ll just reply in the order I have been asked questions sorry for the uselessness!

Jon in Sweden:

I have looked into second hand bikes locally with no luck. Seems to be mostly mountain bikes. I also have looked at gravel bikes and I don’t know if I’d get on with the drop bar rising position. I’ve not tried one so can’t say I wouldn’t but I’m not sure.

roubaixtuesday:

Thank you for looking into the bikes I chose. They all seem ok for what I need but I’m no expert and have little experience/knowledge in the field of bikes. Reviews seem to point towards the Voodo Marasa mostly.

Slowster:

Do I copy the URL from the Google maps webpage or via the maps app? I apologise I’m useless at this kind of stuff! In terms of the surface of the towpath, it is generally level but can get a little sludgy if it has rained as a lot of mud does cover most of the canal route. Nothing that mudguards can’t keep at bay. In terms of lighting, I’d say 75% of the route is unlit. The canal and branch light have no lighting from where I ride on them. I have been using a decent bright light to navigate the early mornings as I commute from around 5am.

Bonzo Banana:

Thank you for the information on the Subway 2. It appeals as it’s the cheapest option out of what I suggested but I just wanted to know if it worth spending a little more for anything better. For instance I’d love to know how the Subway 2 would compare to the VooDoo Marasa.

The ebike that has given me issues is the Pure Flux One. At the time of buying I was just getting into cycling and thought it would be smart to get an ebike. I’ve had issues with the cadence sensor not working, both the disc brakes squealing horribly which in the time of having it has never completely gone away and the carbon belt drive’s teeth eventually wearing away.

[slowster]

Do I copy the URL from the Google maps webpage or via the maps app? I apologise I’m useless at this kind of stuff! In terms of the surface of the towpath, it is generally level but can get a little sludgy if it has rained as a lot of mud does cover most of the canal route. Nothing that mudguards can’t keep at bay. In terms of lighting, I’d say 75% of the route is unlit. The canal and branch light have no lighting from where I ride on them. I have been using a decent bright light to navigate the early mornings as I commute from around 5am.

Go to https://www.google.com/maps. Type in the start or end location (or the general location and zoom in to find the start/end points).

There should be a panel on the left (arrow button midway down the screen to expand/collapse the panel). Click on the directions button.

The end point of the journey is likely to be prefilled in the fields above in the panel with the location you originally selected. You should be able to change it by typing a new location, or just click in the field, then click the precise point on the screen where you want the jorney to end. Then do the same with the start point (click in the field on the panel, then on the location). Edit - once the route is shown on the map (blue line), you can click and drag the start and end points to put them exactly where you want them.

If the journey mode defaults to 'car', Google will probably provide a route that does not follow the the one you take on the canal. Change the mode to bike or walk. If it still does not quite match your route, you can click on the line and drag it to match your route by inserting one or more 'hard' waypoints which Google must include in the route.

When you've got the route showing correctly, the URL in your web brower address bar will be for that precise map view and route. Copy and paste it into a post on here.

Sounds complicated, but it's pretty simple in practice.

NB I presume that your ebike had lights and you simply used them without needing to give them much thought. I strongly recommend you check what the output of the front light was (or tell us what model of lamp it was). Because they can use the bike motor's battery, ebikes can be fitted easily with very powerful lights which will not add much to the bike price. You may find it is relatively expensive to match that light output on a non-ebike, i.e. you will need good quality battery lights or a dynamo and a dynamo light with high output.

[Jupestar]

How often are you planning to do the commute out of interest? and is it all year round?

Bike are always a personal choice, but someone asked a similar question and i thought the Lithum was alot of bike for the money. This one also came up which I thought was exceptional value too.

https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-hybrid-al-acera/

If you wore out the drive chain on an e-bike in 6 months, you will need to consider how you will maintain the drive chain on which ever bike you go for. All these bikes you have linked to i would as a minimum learn how to clean service and replace a drive chain. No drive chain will last a 22mile wet gravel path commute for too long.

[Nearholmer]

I looked at that as a candidate for my replacement “utility” and it does look very good. Among other things, it comes with tyres that I know to be tough (f a bit hard-riding). The only thing that counted against it in my eyes was tektro brakes, which are a bit “on-off”. I would probably have gone for it f the Lithium hadn’t been £200 cheaper, and f I hadn had a load of spare tyres and other bits in stock.

[Sambo241]

How often are you planning to do the commute out of interest? and is it all year round?

Bike are always a personal choice, but someone asked a similar question and i thought the Lithum was alot of bike for the money. This one also came up which I thought was exceptional value too.

https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-hybrid-al-acera/

If you wore out the drive chain on an e-bike in 6 months, you will need to consider how you will maintain the drive chain on which ever bike you go for. All these bikes you have linked to i would as a minimum learn how to clean service and replace a drive chain. No drive chain will last a 22mile wet gravel path commute for too long.

Thank you for commenting on the lithium. Maybe I’ll pass on that.

In regards to wearing the belt drive out, I think that is purely down to a naive choice. I didn’t think I’d take to cycling as well as I have, I’ve really got stuck in. As I’ve got fitter I’ve pushed harder and I just don’t think the ebike is designed to be put under so much stress. I think it’s more of a leisure bike. So I think had it been chain based and not a carbon belt drive, I’d have been better off. But I don’t know much about bikes so my opinion could be utter nonsense. So please forgive me if it sounds so.

I just want a bike that’ll get me through 11 miles with as much ease and fun as possible. And I do know that going from electric to non electric will be a whole new kettle of fish

[2wb.uk]

I'd recommend the Lithium 3. My youngest is on his second (first a medium, now XL!) used for school with mudguards (Bontranger from also available from Evans) and off-road adventures with 2.1" tyres (Dorset Dirt Dash). They have both been reliable, rugged, versatile. His has hydraulic disc brakes which are fantastic, esp with sintered pads.

I ride a lot off-road / gravel / bridleways and if on a tow-path I'd stick to 40mm tyres but the ones they come with are rubbish. Schwalbe Land Cruisers very good on and off road, and tough. If it gets very muddy they will move around a bit, but 11 miles of that before work would be a proper work out. Lots of mud and mudguards is usually a recipe for everything getting clogged, which is very messy to fix.

Off road also invest in good front lights, poss one helmet mounted.

Have fun!

[Nearholmer]

Yes, having seen the OP reject the Lithium 3, I’m baffled. I tried to say that it is a very good bike for the money!

I keep a set of Marathon Plus tyres as “standby” in case of tyre troubles on any of our bikes (there are four in the household with 700 wheels) and I put those on it for now; they may well stay there as they suit the use I’m putting it to.

[Jupestar]

Yes, having seen the OP reject the Lithium 3, I’m baffled. I tried to say that it is a very good bike for the money!

Confused me too. Looks like a very good option at that price.