Bike recommendation for commute to work...

[Brucey]

for what you describe a bike with a chaincase might be ideal, in which case look at (used perhaps) models from pashley, batavus, gazelle etc. I don't for a moment think you need an e-bike.

[pwa]

2.5 miles is nothing on a bike. Any well maintained bike will do for that. So I'd suggest getting one that you will find suitable for something else you might want to do with a bike. Do you like off-road trails? Would you find a folding bike useful?

[cycle tramp]

Hi,

The office where I work is moving from being 1 mile from my house to 2.5 miles which means going from an easy walk to potentially a two hour walk.
I don't want to use the car so I'm looking into getting a bike. The last time I had a bike I was probably 14 which is a good 30+ years ago and now I'm finding that aside from say Raleigh and Falcon, I don't recognise any of the brands!

My initial thoughts are a mountain bike as I like the style and want to avoid going on roads where possible (where I live there are lots of bike paths, gravel and woodland routes).
I was drawn by the appeal of an E-MTB as, despite my area being fairly flat, I like the idea of no being as sweaty when get to work (office job).

A couple of things -

Most people walk at between 4 to 6 mph.. and I'd expect to do the distance of 2.5 miles inside of 45 minutes... before we disappear too far down the rabbit hole, I'd at least time the walk.. (if a walk of 2.5 miles was to take over hours then you're already spending two hours a day walking to and from your place of work already)...

Generally I find i only start to get sweetly of i push my speed above 10 or 12 mph, when cycling. At 2.5 mph, you can afford to travel at 8mph and it will still only take you just over 25 minutes

Given that the distance is 2.5 miles, I'd check out what your 'recycle a bicycle' charity had for sale (2nd hand).. there's other factors at play when travelling to work - one of them is the great British weather..

[ymfb]

Have you access to the Cycle to work scheme, I’ve not used it myself but my LBS, Halfords and Evan’s appear to. It might help with your budget.

[Geoff_F]

Hi,

The office where I work is moving from being 1 mile from my house to 2.5 miles which means going from an easy walk to potentially a two hour walk.
I don't want to use the car so I'm looking into getting a bike. The last time I had a bike I was probably 14 which is a good 30+ years ago and now I'm finding that aside from say Raleigh and Falcon, I don't recognise any of the brands!

My initial thoughts are a mountain bike as I like the style and want to avoid going on roads where possible (where I live there are lots of bike paths, gravel and woodland routes).
I was drawn by the appeal of an E-MTB as, despite my area being fairly flat, I like the idea of no being as sweaty when get to work (office job).

A couple of things -

Most people walk at between 4 to 6 mph.. and I'd expect to do the distance of 2.5 miles inside of 45 minutes... before we disappear too far down the rabbit hole, I'd at least time the walk.. (if a walk of 2.5 miles was to take over hours then you're already spending two hours a day walking to and from your place of work already)...

Generally I find i only start to get sweetly of i push my speed above 10 or 12 mph, when cycling. At 2.5 mph, you can afford to travel at 8mph and it will still only take you just over 25 minutes

Given that the distance is 2.5 miles, I'd check out what your 'recycle a bicycle' charity had for sale (2nd hand).. there's other factors at play when travelling to work - one of them is the great British weather..

Eh? I think you will find that 3 mph is about average 4mph is a brisk walk and 6 mph is actually hard to do without breaking into a jog unless you are a trained speed walker

[Nearholmer]

^^

Yep.

[The Path Racer]

Let's face it guys, any old rusty bike with two wheels will do. The OP just has to rekindle his youthful spirit of tinkering/rebuilding bikes and all will be well in the world.

[cycle tramp]

Hi,

The office where I work is moving from being 1 mile from my house to 2.5 miles which means going from an easy walk to potentially a two hour walk.
I don't want to use the car so I'm looking into getting a bike. The last time I had a bike I was probably 14 which is a good 30+ years ago and now I'm finding that aside from say Raleigh and Falcon, I don't recognise any of the brands!

My initial thoughts are a mountain bike as I like the style and want to avoid going on roads where possible (where I live there are lots of bike paths, gravel and woodland routes).
I was drawn by the appeal of an E-MTB as, despite my area being fairly flat, I like the idea of no being as sweaty when get to work (office job).

A couple of things -

Most people walk at between 4 to 6 mph.. and I'd expect to do the distance of 2.5 miles inside of 45 minutes... before we disappear too far down the rabbit hole, I'd at least time the walk.. (if a walk of 2.5 miles was to take over hours then you're already spending two hours a day walking to and from your place of work already)...

Generally I find i only start to get sweetly of i push my speed above 10 or 12 mph, when cycling. At 2.5 mph, you can afford to travel at 8mph and it will still only take you just over 25 minutes

Given that the distance is 2.5 miles, I'd check out what your 'recycle a bicycle' charity had for sale (2nd hand).. there's other factors at play when travelling to work - one of them is the great British weather..

Eh? I think you will find that 3 mph is about average 4mph is a brisk walk and 6 mph is actually hard to do without breaking into a jog unless you are a trained speed walker

3 mph? - that's not a walk, that's a pleasant stroll you need to work on your technique- shorter strides faster pace

[Carlton green]

Let's face it guys, any old rusty bike with two wheels will do. The OP just has to rekindle his youthful spirit of tinkering/rebuilding bikes and all will be well in the world.

^^ Yes, just so.

The office where I work is moving from being 1 mile from my house to 2.5 miles which means going from an easy walk to potentially a two hour walk.

(^ to quote the OP).

Typical walking speeds seem to be near to 3mph. At first impression a commute of 2.5 miles each way (5 miles total) would take the best part of two hours (total) per day to walk. Time might be lost due to waiting to cross roads, etc., other pavement users slowing progress and inclement weather.

The preferred walking speed is the speed at which humans or animals choose to walk. Many people tend to walk at about 1.42 metres per second (5.1 km/h; 3.2 mph; 4.7 ft/s).[1][2][3]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preferred_walking_speed

[sukuinage]

Hi,

The office where I work is moving from being 1 mile from my house to 2.5 miles which means going from an easy walk to potentially a two hour walk.
I don't want to use the car so I'm looking into getting a bike. The last time I had a bike I was probably 14 which is a good 30+ years ago and now I'm finding that aside from say Raleigh and Falcon, I don't recognise any of the brands!

My initial thoughts are a mountain bike as I like the style and want to avoid going on roads where possible (where I live there are lots of bike paths, gravel and woodland routes).
I was drawn by the appeal of an E-MTB as, despite my area being fairly flat, I like the idea of no being as sweaty when get to work (office job).

A couple of things -

Most people walk at between 4 to 6 mph.. and I'd expect to do the distance of 2.5 miles inside of 45 minutes... before we disappear too far down the rabbit hole, I'd at least time the walk.. (if a walk of 2.5 miles was to take over hours then you're already spending two hours a day walking to and from your place of work already)...

Generally I find i only start to get sweetly of i push my speed above 10 or 12 mph, when cycling. At 2.5 mph, you can afford to travel at 8mph and it will still only take you just over 25 minutes

Given that the distance is 2.5 miles, I'd check out what your 'recycle a bicycle' charity had for sale (2nd hand).. there's other factors at play when travelling to work - one of them is the great British weather..

Eh? I think you will find that 3 mph is about average 4mph is a brisk walk and 6 mph is actually hard to do without breaking into a jog unless you are a trained speed walker

I'd second that. Back when I was young and fit I'd calculate 3mph as a basis for timing for a hike and then factor in elevation gain. 4mph was doable but pushing it, 6mph a reasonable jogging pace and 8mph my max running pace for 5km and over (running was never my best sport). I'd now be happy with 6mph for running as it would give me a 2:20 half marathon

[Cowsham]

I'd second ( or third or forth ) the Carrera Subway suggestion but make it a subway 2 with the Clarks hydraulic brakes or that one that comes with rack and mudguards. The supplied tyres are good enough for mixed surfaces, ie dirt tracks to roads and it's the easiest bike to convert to electric. The yose kit looked like it was made for the subway. Steel front forks with mounts for pannier racks and mudguards. The 9 x 3 gears work perfectly and are all you really need.

I bought an almost new one for around £200 with all the extra bits already on -- complete bargain.

Mine converted to electric specifically for commuting on summer days when I don't want to overheat. It was so nice to ride I used it to go to the tt last year. Wished I'd brought it this year.

[Brucey]

on a flat road, if you expend the same amount of energy as when walking, you can expect to do up to 12mph. So it is perfectly possible to ride in 'normal' clothes without getting sweaty. I just don't understand why others are recommending that you subject yourself to a diet of inevitable/annoying transmission maintenance when it simply isn't necessary with a well-chosen bike. 'Like walking, but faster' is a pretty good mantra for this kind of utility cycling.

[Nearholmer]

The OP will hopefully be back to tell us, but I’m pretty sure s/he mentioned wanting to use the bike for a bit of exercise beyond basic utility, and about riding it off-road.

My personal take is that having a “sit up and beg treader” does indeed cover many utility needs, but isn’t much cop off-road, and is about as much fun as cold porridge when it comes to exercising in an even mildly sporty fashion - I suppose what I’m saying is that riding a bike has the potential to be huge fun, and for many people that’s what keeps them doing it.

[Brik]

I live exactly 4 miles from my workplace and have had to walk it once or twice, it takes me an hour on foot.
These days, on my bike (especially when it's raining) I can do it in 10 minutes, this is about the same amount of time it used to take by car.

To the op I would work out where you will be doing the majority of your riding, either on or off road, and then get the most suitable bike, either hybrid or mountain/gravel.
New or used is up to you but stick with name brand, Specialized, Giant, etc. Carrera have some good models and are readily available.
Ebike is nice to have but not necessary, you should be able to do 2.5 miles easily the aching legs stop after a few weeks...

[mig]

any sort of single speed bike in your size will get your over the distance easily and not give need for much maintenance at all.

a fixed gear bike would have even fewer demands (if you can ride it safely.)