James
Hey, can anyone recommend a good commuter bike to me? I'm quite fussy and finding it difficult to find a bike I like.
I'm looking for a bike with hub gears (at least an 8 speed), aluminium frame, disc brakes and possibly front suspension, though not necessity! if anyone can recommend one, or point me in the direction of a good site other than evans, it'd be a huge help! thanks in advance!
Answer
Hey mate,
Glad you're looking at hub gears for commuting - I'm a firm believer in the right machine for the job and have long questioned why you see so many commuters struggling through 27 gears designed for mountain cycling whilst weaving their way around a bus on the high street - plus changing gear while you are stationary in traffic can be a real leg saver!
Similarly I think aluminium or carbon fibre are a good thing if you can afford them, once you've had a lightweight frame, you really don't go back - I agree with the earlier comment - you don't need a road bike - these are racing bikes and have a very poor riding position after a long day at work, and the larger wheels just have more expensive tubes and tyres, as well as much larger turning circles. If you did find a mountain bike you like, you can of course just change the tyres for road ones, but I really would recommend the hub gears over derailers - less maintenance, longer life, more reliable etc.
As for discs and forks, these may be overkill for everyday commuting, but again this depends on where you're riding - you won't need hydraulic discs, but again the reliability, strength and long life of discs over especially cheap callipers may make them a worthwhile upgrade but if you're just going to be riding on predominantly flat ground in heavy traffic, you really will be fine with a good set of v-brakes or quality calipers. As for the front suspension, just think how often you're route goes around pot holed streets, shortcuts off road, or up on the pavement for those lethal junctions, and decide if you need it.
Finally the most important part - price! Please do not spend more than £500 on a commuter bike - this is a high-wear, high-risk bike. Get a work horse - absolutely nothing fashionable - high theft targets. If you want a quality performance bike, then you need two - one cheap sturdy commuter workhorse and one expensive road/mountain/downhill/bmx bike to suit your needs. Don't forget you are very likely to damage the bike in an accident during everyday commuting over the life of the bike, and that it must 'live' somewhere whilst you are at work and that bikes are very high targets for theft and vandalism - no lock is safe - use a cable/chain lock AND a D-lock (as these take different tools to open) and always remove any quick-release kit when you lock it up. (disc brakes and suspension forks say "expensive" to theives - maybe worth considering?).
I won't recommend a website because I think it's really important to go into you're local bike store and find a bike that really meets you're needs - the most important thing of all is that the frame fits you - this will make it much more comfortable, and efficient! Stick to you're guns about hub gearing though, it sounds as though you really don't need deraillers and they will offer you deraillers in the store - remember the staff are just going to try and sell you kit you don't need - they are just kids that ride bikes at the weekend, they probably know a lot about performance bikes, but very little about day to day commuting!
you sound like you know what you want so try and avoid the sales team and have a good look yourself. You may have to go to several shops, but as you will be using this bike day in day out, rain, snow ice wind and heat you want to get it right. obviously once you find the model you want, check you can't find it cheaper online (take into account some stores include a years maintenance in the price!
Hope that helps!
What's the best bicycle for my kids to learn to ride without training wheels?
Gina W
My husband says we should get a lighter weight bike for my daughter but I think that would be even more likely to fall over. Is there a brand of bike that has a low center of gravity or something similar that would make it easier to learn to ride? She's 6 and has a rather heavy "Cool Ride" by Dynacraft.
Answer
Your husband is right - a lighter bike would be easier to balance on: less weight = less work to balance. With a heavy bike she has to balance her weight plus the bike. Unfortunately though, they don't really make lightweight bikes for kids - they all seem to be horribly heavy.
A low center of gravity might help a bit, but you're not going to find a bike like that - all the weight goes into the structure, and anyway, the heaviest thing she's balancing is herself - the bike is only a minor part of the weight.
What you may want to do is get a 'balance bike'. These bikes train the child to balance - they have no pedals and the kid runs the bike along. The idea is to get the child to pick his/her feet up and start to learn to balance. After that, you can buy her a regular bike and she'll already have the balancing skill.
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