What am I looking for

Wp1234 · Post by **Wp1234** » 9 Aug 2015, 11:04am

First post on here and was hoping for some newbie advice .
I've been riding hybrid bikes for years and now that I'm getting a little older am hoping to get a bike that will help me improve or even keep my fitness levels. What I really want is an all round drop handlebar bike around £750 mark which is capable of good road performance but is equally happy and safe on non tarmac paths. I'm told that I need a bike that can take 700x 30 tyres but is that right ?
What else would I need to be on the lookout for .

Really am grateful for any advice I get .

reohn2 · Post by **reohn2** » 9 Aug 2015, 11:16am

Wp1234 wrote:First post on here and was hoping for some newbie advice .
I've been riding hybrid bikes for years and now that I'm getting a little older am hoping to get a bike that will help me improve or even keep my fitness levels. What I really want is an all round drop handlebar bike around £750 mark which is capable of good road performance but is equally happy and safe on non tarmac paths. I'm told that I need a bike that can take 700x 30 tyres but is that right ?
What else would I need to be on the lookout for .

Really am grateful for any advice I get .

No,you need a bike that'll take 700x40's but they need to be the right tyre for the job.
Supple,light, high quality rubber will ride very comfortably and quite quick,Vittoria Voyager Hypers or Randonneur Pro fit that bill perfectly.
The roads will only get worse so will off road cycle tracks,be prepared(as the Boy Scouts like to say).
There are a few bikes on the market that fit the bill and more manufacturers are seeing the light

GrumpyCyclist · Post by **GrumpyCyclist** » 9 Aug 2015, 11:31am

Maybe a cyclocross type bike? They're drop bar bikes designed to be used off road if what I've seen of cyclocross is anything to go by

With the right tyre they are supposed be well behaved on the roads as well. Basically they seem to be a hybrid with drop bars but usually a bit lighter.

Apparently in competition you're limited to 33(?)mm tyres but I think they usually run at much lower pressures than we'd probably consider normal. I'd agree you'd want something that could take 40mm but you'd probably be OK with 38mm. Most cyclocross style bikes seem to come with 32-35mm fitted.

Biggest thing to be aware of if you look at this sort of bike is they're often a little shorter than a road bike or even hybrid. The chainstays can be quite short so if you're looking at panniers you could find your heel catching on the bigger ones.

Merry_Wanderer · Post by **Merry_Wanderer** » 9 Aug 2015, 11:49am

Or you could look for a touring bike which would have longer chainstays which would allow you to carry panniers. A bike which has mudguards is useful as it keeps all of the wet and crud on the road and track off you and a steel framed bike is generally more comfortable to ride as steel flexes slightly which absorbs much of the jarring from uneven surfaces. £750 would buy a decent steel framed touring bike with similar or lower gearing than a hybrid or spend £250 more and a great bike like Spa Cycles own steel framed tourer

NATURAL ANKLING · Post by **NATURAL ANKLING** » 9 Aug 2015, 11:57am

Hi,
With many of these posts I don't quite get the get fit keep fit go fast

But you do need a bike without too much tyre drag like MTB claw / block pattern, I agree.

Its just that you do not necessarily need a bike that fits with what is fashionable I.M.O.
A cross bike is correct
Even a tourer with some slightly beefier tyres
I find that a MTB which already has all the gears as standard and will never be restricted by clearance is a very good budget choice if not that fashionable, just add bar ends rack and panniers for anything.
But Heh Ho if you have the money why not a cross bike, the short stays is not what I would of expected

"Wp1234"
Said
"a bike that can take 700x 30 tyres"

Looks like sunday morning hangover :lol:

al_yrpal · Post by **al_yrpal** » 9 Aug 2015, 12:29pm

Salsa Vaya, a little more expensive but would fit the bill perfectly.

Salsa Vaya by Al, on Flickr

Al

Freddie · Post by **Freddie** » 9 Aug 2015, 12:34pm

As you are, in your own words, "getting a little older" one consideration with a drop bar bike is comfort. 95% are designed for very fit, slim and largely young men. The drop from saddle height to handlebar height is large and would likely see someone used to riding a hybrid feeling uncomfortable. There is nothing wrong with drop bars, they are in fact ergonomically superior to flat bars, but you must be able to get them high enough so that you are not bending over too much. A lot of newer sloping top tube frames make this easier. I'd say a good starting point is having the top of the drop bars at a similar drop from the saddle as your handlebars are on your hybrid now (presuming that is comfortable) with some adjustment upwards available, if necessary.

With the state of roads today and giving you an option to venture off road on tracks and such, I second reohn's recommendation of a bike that can take 40mm tyre width or thereabouts. Tyres this width have improved dramatically in the past 5 years or so, so unless you are very speed conscious, the extra comfort is worth it.

keyboardmonkey · Post by **keyboardmonkey** » 9 Aug 2015, 1:30pm

An occasional cycling buddy of mine got a Giant Revolt. The appearance of this bike might put some people off - so you could pick up a remaindered bargain - but the chap I know really rates it. There are three bikes in the range. Clearance for up to 50mm tyres, apparently.

Wp1234 · Post by **Wp1234** » 9 Aug 2015, 6:27pm

al_yrpal wrote:Salsa Vaya, a little more expensive but would fit the bill perfectly.

Salsa Vaya by Al, on Flickr

Al

Thanks for all the great advice .The Salsa Vaya seems to fit the bill but it's a little too rich for me , are there any other like bikes that I should focus on

Brucey · Post by **Brucey** » 9 Aug 2015, 6:46pm

you could look into putting dropped bars onto your present hybrid, perhaps? Along with a few other tweaks (like decent tyres, wheels maybe) you could basically end up with a good allrounder bike for pennies vs a whole new bike?

BTW if you want to try dropped bars easily/cheaply you could fit a shorter stem and some 'dropped' bar ends. SJS (amongst others) sell them. You could fit the lot inside fifteen minutes.

cheers

ChrisF · Post by **ChrisF** » 9 Aug 2015, 7:02pm

If you are used to straight bars then it may take some getting used to drops. They certainly won't help much on non-tarmac tracks, where the straight bars will give you more control and you won't get the benefit of lower wind resistance (which is the main advantage of drop bars). There is research somewhere that suggests the 'dropped' part of drop bars are used only 8% of the time by those that have them. Looking at most riders with drop bars I have seen in recent years, that seems roughly correct.

maxcherry · Post by **maxcherry** » 9 Aug 2015, 7:19pm

Adventure Bikes are the future. Better gearing than a cross so riding on the roads doesn't leave you spinning out and capable of riding off roads, plus a lot of them come with rack and mudgaurd mounts.

http://www.evanscycles.com/search/f?sor ... er_page=21

just an example of the types of bikes. Evans gives a 30day return if you are not happy.

I got this one for £540 in the sales

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/kon ... e-ec105822

Came with 35 puncture resistant tires which saved my pocket and the comfiest bar tape i have ever had the pleasure of gripping, the only thing i needed
was a saddle to make my bum happy (always respect your bum) .
Been up Cannock Chase and had no problems with the trails and it is a pure mountain goat on the climbs :lol:

You can get a lot with your money, best advice is to try before you buy and take your time. I'm even sure that you could also end up with a chunk of change
from your money as the 2016 bikes are coming in so 2015s will be dropping in price.

Good luck shopping

Post by **Vorpal** » 9 Aug 2015, 7:31pm

Besides flat bars, what is wrong with the hybrid? Use that to help you decide what kind of bike. Otherwise, any bike can be used to achieve and maintain fitness.

foxyrider · Post by **foxyrider** » 9 Aug 2015, 8:03pm

I'd take a look at the Kona Rove (http://www.konaworld.com/bikes.cfm), drop bar adventure bikes start from £650 and you get a guarantee! Its not worth trying to convert the flat bar bike, if you don't know what you are doing you could end up with a dog, talking of which, here Salsa, good boy!

blackbike · Post by **blackbike** » 9 Aug 2015, 9:05pm

Wp1234 wrote:First post on here and was hoping for some newbie advice .
I've been riding hybrid bikes for years and now that I'm getting a little older am hoping to get a bike that will help me improve or even keep my fitness levels. What I really want is an all round drop handlebar bike around £750 mark which is capable of good road performance but is equally happy and safe on non tarmac paths. I'm told that I need a bike that can take 700x 30 tyres but is that right ?
What else would I need to be on the lookout for .

Really am grateful for any advice I get .

A traditional tourer is what you need.

Here's one for £540.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/ral ... e-ec116259

Good quality 28mm or 32mm tyres can easily cope with off road paths and tracks. No need for all the overkill of heavier, fatter tyred bikes.

Tourers are reasonably nippy on the road and have good off-road capability so long as you aren't straying into real rough MTB territory.

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