Who cycles?

[Nasir]

I've been thinking about buying a bicycle recently. Haven't been on one since I started driving but it will be good for me and it should be fun.

The question is which bike? I'm not looking to spend anywhere near the amount some people do as I'm just getting a taster, something like £200 on a used bicycle. From research I've gathered there are mountain bikes, road bikes and hybrids. I'm thinking a hybrid is best.

I've seen a couple of Carrera bikes which have good reviews, but which other ones are there to consider? Frame wise I think a 17 or 18 inch frame is best (5'10).

Last question is where to ride around West Yorkshire? Don't mind travelling a bit for some good routes.

[markymark]

If you are thinking of a road bike the Decathlon road bike is worth considering. Gets some good reviews, carbon forks and aluminium frame for £300!

[Kalpsn2000]

I recently bought a Boardman Hybrid Comp and its a great bike although not quite in your budget.  It's closer to a RB than a MTB which is good for me as I will be using it for the London to Brighton this year. Even 2nd hand it will most likely be around 300-350 although check out the bay as you may manage to pick up one cheaper. When I was looking the Carrera hybrids looked pretty good too and slightly cheaper.

The one I bought:
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_777849_langId_-1_categoryId_165534



First you have to decide what you want the bike for, road or off-road?

I'm 6'0 and went for the large frame which is 21" on the Boardman's. The frame size to go for will be different on different types of bikes. Best to try some in your LBS


EDIT:
This looks good for the price
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_810609_langId_-1_categoryId_165534

P.S. I like my bike but wish I didn't have to by it from Halfords as their staff are absolutely useless to put it mildly.

[camfollower]

The boardmans are a nice bike for the money.  I converted an oldish Orange hard tail into basically a boardman for my commute, haven't been out on it for a while, i use it as a trainer in the garage in the winter.

I too would recommend getting the bike fitted to your frame... And try and get away with the smallest / lightest frame, I'm 6ft and I've got a 19 inch frame, which is fine for mileage and commutes, but would prefer a smaller frame for technical MTB stuff, so you can throw it about easier.

[andrewparker]

First you have to decide what you want the bike for, road or off-road?

The other option is to do what I did and buy a hardtail mountain bike and swap it over to semi-slicks when you want to use it on the road. The compromise is that it's never going to be as light, but with a front suspension that you can lock out it is pretty effective.

[camfollower]

A decent hard tail and fixed fork should be pretty light, mine comes in at 22lb with everything on it, which is about 2lb lighter than the Boardman above (not to put anyone off, 24lb is still light compared to other bikes you get in Halfords)... I hear what your saying with Sussy forks though; add a fair old weight.

[andrewparker]

I think my Orange E2 with Pace forks from 1994 weighed about 22lbs. My Cube Analog 29 is much heavier at around 30lbs. Don't know how much 29" rims have to do with that?

[camfollower]

That was light with the sussy forks too!  

[andrewparker]

Yeah, I remember at the time Orange were producing the lightest bikes you could get. I can't find much information on the E2 now but I remember reading of frames snapping

[Nasir]

Thanks for the replies 

If you are thinking of a road bike the Decathlon road bike is worth considering. Gets some good reviews, carbon forks and aluminium frame for £300!

I've seen the Decathlon bikes and they do look like they're very good VFM.

I want to use it for mountain biking/off road/dirt tracks and little bit of road. Good shout on switching them over Andrew, as I did think I could get the best of both worlds. The front suspension lockout could be very useful. I've seen a couple of used Voodoo Hoodoos (odd name) which get rave reviews and it has some really cool gadgets 

I have seen some Boardmans but there don't seem to be any on the used market. Although it is another one to look out for.

What do you guys mean by having the bike fitted to my frame?

I understand that lightweight is crucial, I don't want to be hauling dead weight up a hill 

[Kalpsn2000]

Thanks for the replies 

If you are thinking of a road bike the Decathlon road bike is worth considering. Gets some good reviews, carbon forks and aluminium frame for £300!

I've seen the Decathlon bikes and they do look like they're very good VFM.

I want to use it for mountain biking/off road/dirt tracks and little bit of road. Good shout on switching them over Andrew, as I did think I could get the best of both worlds. The front suspension lockout could be very useful. I've seen a couple of used Voodoo Hoodoos (odd name) which get rave reviews and it has some really cool gadgets 

I have seen some Boardmans but there don't seem to be any on the used market. Although it is another one to look out for.

What do you guys mean by having the bike fitted to my frame?

I understand that lightweight is crucial, I don't want to be hauling dead weight up a hill 

You will need a different frame size depending on the type of bike you go for and you may also need a different frame size depending on the brand. Best to try a few out for size if you can.

[Nasir]

Ahh I've got you