Buying a bike: advice, recommendations and chat

[gentlegreen]

My bike is 28/38/48 front and 11-34 back so I have a decent top speed without having to kill my knees getting up my big daily hill.
I chose the gearing so that most of the time I stay on the middle front sprocket - for instance on a good day I can do the whole Bristol to Bath path and back like that - though it's not very kind to chains ...

 

[felixthecat]

I reckon this is a great bike. 8 speed hub gears. Tyres okay for canal path (not not much rougher than that though), very light and simple and 120 quid off (though still not really cheap). Okay for about 5'1" to 5'7" with the two frame sizes they have.

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And more importantly, it's red

A bit more than I wanted to spend sadly

 

[sleaterkinney]

You might find it difficult to get a cheap bike now, they're popular...

 

[Sprocket.]

I believe a_chap is ‘the’ Pashley fan on Urban.

 

[maomao]

And more importantly, it's red

A bit more than I wanted to spend sadly

Me and my daughter reckon that's orange (though it clearly says red). Avoid the dangly bits off the rear axle if you can. And multiple chainrings (cogs) on the pedal axle. They'll be responsible for half your trips to bikeshops to get it fixed.

 

[hash tag]

I spent much of my biking life wanting an Orange bike. I got a white one after having the Brompton nicked. Sadly that too was nicked within weeks.

Seriously, finding a decent bike, that you with enjoy and won't find hard work will be pushing it for a £100.

 

[maomao]

Cheaper, not as pretty and maybe too big. Sorry, I'm obsessed with hub gears today.

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This is prettier (though not available in red) and cheaper but only 3 speeds and a lot heavier. Nearer your budget?

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[maomao]

Also this:

https://www.urban75.net/forums/threads/bike-cardiff.371506/

 

[Cid]

You see, this is like Chinese to me.
2x8? I thought that was something you buy from a builders merchant.

I just need to know what bikes fits my criteria. Technical specs are zzzz......

They may be zzz, but they are the main way you can tell which bike will work for you. The bikes maomao is suggesting have a type of gearing that is much lower maintenance than normal gears. A bike like that is going to have huge benefits for someone like you who doesn’t want to worry about the technical aspects... and the savings will come with you not having to pay a bike shop to do that stuff for you.

 

[gentlegreen]

I couldn't manage in Bristol and on the open road with a narrower range of gears and there are still hills where I have to get off and push ...

 

[a_chap]

I believe a_chap is ‘the’ Pashley fan on Urban.

I'm simply a Pashley fan. There are quite a lot of us

Pashley Bicycles: hand-made in Stratford upon Avon. With Brookes saddles, hand-made in Birmingham.

BRITANNIA

The Britannia is a celebration of all things great about our green and pleasant land, marrying classic design with British stylings.

www.pashley.co.uk

There's a bit of a waiting list for new Pashleys at the moment...

However, even a second-hand Pashley comes with oodles of elegance

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

I couldn't manage in Bristol and on the open road with a narrower range of gears and there are still hills where I have to get off and push ...

View attachment 223951

Or get a modern 2x setup with a wide range cassette and don't worry about cross chaining as it then really isn't that much of an issue anymore...

 

[gentlegreen]

Or get a modern 2x setup with a wide range cassette and don't worry about cross chaining as it then really isn't that much of an issue anymore...

If one wanted to spend a lot of money...

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

However, even a second-hand Pashley comes with oodles of elegance

Also comes with approx. three and half metric tons of weight

 

[a_chap]

Also comes with approx. three and half metric tons of weight

Quality by the hundredweight.

It also helps you get much fitter. Wins all 'round, really.

 

[felixthecat]

They may be zzz, but they are the main way you can tell which bike will work for you. The bikes maomao is suggesting have a type of gearing that is much lower maintenance than normal gears. A bike like that is going to have huge benefits for someone like you who doesn’t want to worry about the technical aspects... and the savings will come with you not having to pay a bike shop to do that stuff for you.

And that's what I want. I need someone who understands the specs to tell me what bikes would suit. I'm not interested in the mechanical side of things sadly, but I don't want to be too beholden to the bike mechanic

 

[maomao]

Or get a modern 2x setup with a wide range cassette and don't worry about cross chaining as it then really isn't that much of an issue anymore...

I used to have one chainring and a close range 8 speed sprocket on the back with a special short arm mech. And I still didn't use half the gears.

 

[gentlegreen]

And that's what I want. I need someone who understands the specs to tell me what bikes would suit. I'm not interested in the mechanical side of things sadly, but I don't want to be too beholden to the bike mechanic

perhaps you could plot some typical routes in Google Earth,

I was dismayed in recent years when female colleagues of mine of similar vintage opted for heavy 8 speed hub gear bikes with baskets - to relive their university years ... one of them had a touring bike prior to that - but she's in pretty good physical shape and it could be that had fairly high gearing.

At 60 years old, over the next decade or so I will be fighting the temptation to go electric ...

 

[Sprocket.]

At 60 years old, over the next decade or so I will be fighting the temptation to go electric ...

Hopefully you don’t get the reception Bob Dylan did!

 

[maomao]

I was dismayed in recent years when female colleagues of mine of similar vintage opted for heavy 8 speed hub gear bikes with baskets - to relive their university years ... one of them had a touring bike prior to that - but she's in pretty good physical shape and it could be that had fairly high gearing.

Hub gears aren't much heavier when you take into account only one chainring and one sprocket, no mechs, shorter chain and shorter spokes on back wheel. That first bike was only 11.5kg. Maybe a bit pricey but that's lighter than most 500 quid mountain bikes.

 

[gentlegreen]

Hub gears aren't much heavier when you take into account only one chainring and one sprocket, no mechs, shorter chain and shorter spokes on back wheel. That first bike was only 11.5kg. Maybe a bit pricey but that's lighter than most 500 quid mountain bikes.

it was the overall heaviness of an "oxbridge" bike and the limited range of gears in one of the hilliest cities ...

 

[maomao]

it was the limited range of gears in one of the hilliest cities ...

Nexus 8 is equivalent to 11-34. If that's not enough stick a bigger sprocket on. A 22 tooth sprocket will give you a 1:1 gear. I can't imagine needing lower than that.

 

[gentlegreen]

Nexus 8 is equivalent to 11-34. If that's not enough stick a bigger sprocket on. A 22 tooth sprocket will give you a 1:1 gear. I can't imagine needing lower than that.

but then you sacrifice the high end.
My bike has 28/38/48 and 11-34

 

[maomao]

but then you sacrifice the high end.
My bike has 28/38/48 and 11-34

Spread out across two gear levers I bet you don't even know which is the closest gear up or down half the time. And assuming 29 inch wheels gives you a gear range from 20 to 125 inches. Do a lot of towing trailers up hills followed by 60 mph descents do you?

 

[Winot]

And that's what I want. I need someone who understands the specs to tell me what bikes would suit. I'm not interested in the mechanical side of things sadly, but I don't want to be too beholden to the bike mechanic

Do you have any nearby independent bike shops? I’d find one you trust and take their advice.

As noted up thread though, now is not the time to find bikes <£500.

 

[gentlegreen]

Spread out across two gear levers I bet you don't even know which is the closest gear up or down half the time. And assuming 29 inch wheels gives you a gear range from 20 to 125 inches. Do a lot of towing trailers up hills followed by 60 mph descents do you?

I can't even be bothered to parse that.
these are the gears I have used for 30-odd thousand miles over 20 years ...
I use the highest and lowest on a daily basis.

Some lunatics ride with one ratio and no freewheel ...

 

[maomao]

I use the highest and lowest on a daily basis.

God knows what for.

I've just got the hump about gears because my new bike has far too many and they're all over the place. But seeing as I've only ridden it once so far and it cost too bloody much in the first place I don't really want to shell out for a new block and mech at the back.

 

[Orang Utan]

Do you live somewhere flat (I'm guessing yes from the canal)? Dutch style bikes are cheap, sturdy and comfortable and most of all available, stock is very low in UK bike shops at the moment. Wouldn't want to ride one up a mountain though.

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If you need gears for hills but don't want anything to do with maintenance look for anything with Shimano Nexus hub gears, or even Sturmey Archer. Proper cyclists tend to turn their noses up at them but they're easy to use and require little to no maintenance.

I lost four stone riding a Dutch bike to work and back for a few months. They’re great for fitness!

 

[Cid]

I lost four stone riding a Dutch bike to work and back for a few months. They’re great for fitness!

Last time I checked you weren't a 58 year old woman with a gammy knee though...

 

[Cid]

Which, lest we forget, is who this thread is for. Low maintenance tootling bike.

Though tbh I think it's going to be hard finding something that fits the bill better than the first one maomao suggested at a decent price. Hopefully weeps will be along at some point.