Can anyone give advice for the best kind of bike to get for my needs:
I have a 4 mile cycle to work everyday, almost all on country and suburban roads.
I'll be doing it in all weathers.
The area where I live is hilly (almost as bad as Bristol).
Occasionally I'll take shortcuts along stoney footpaths.
I'll need to take a panier on the back.
Mountain bikes look the most sensible since I'll be going on footpaths sometimes, but I worry about if they are slower on normal roads (because the tyres are thicker and knoblier).
Is it worth paying the extra for bikes that have the front suspension (and back sometimes), or is this just a gimmick.
How much should I expect to pay for a bike that will last me a good while doing this 8 mile journey a day (I don't want to have to replace bits after 6 months).
2006-09-07 08:02:10 · 14 answers · asked by pantocool 1 in Sports ➔ Cycling
Mountain bike sounds like it would suit your needs. Forget road bikes on the stony paths!!! There are "comfort bikes" made like mountain bikes with a more upright riding position. Sounds like you're more interested in performance / wind resistance though.
A light weight mountain bike can give very good road performance. I would only get a fully suspended bike for actually riding down rocky mountains. Full suspension bikes can rob a little power from your pedaling. A hardtail bike with only a front suspension is nice for road / trail use. You can get smoother higher-pressure tires that will further improve road performance at the cost of some stability on the stony paths. The word "stony" definitely makes me think you'd be safer and more comfortable on a hardtail mountain bike than a hybrid. The hybrids have more of an emphasis on road performance with the riding position of a mountain bike. They'll handle dirt bike paths and things like that well... Stony would be pushing it, and a front suspension would be nice to have under those conditions. Like I said... A light, well-made mountain bike will perform very well on the road.
Sorry I can't help much as far as pricing. In the USA. Things are different here...
2006-09-07 08:10:22 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The mountain bikes with only front suspensions are called hardtails, and the ones with both suspensions are called full suspension bikes. Depending on the suspension they actually use, they can be really good, but only if you use it for the intended purpose (have some off-roads). If you're only using it on paved roads, maybe a rigid (no suspension) would make more sense.
And, if you get a low prices full suspension, it will actually be worse, since you would get a lot of peddal bob, and no real need for it.
It's hard to really say which bike to buy, but I think you could benefit from a hardtail, since you sometimes go on stoney footpaths.
If you're finding that you're not really doing off road sections, maybe you can switch to smother tires (you can find them for around 20 bucks each if you don't want high tech, top of the line stuff).
2006-09-07 09:59:14 · answer #2 · answered by Roberto 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Prices for a decent hard-tail (no rear suspension) mountain bike vary quite a bit, but I wouldn't recommend anything under 300 pound, ideally 500, or it will be in the workshop more times than out of it.
If you pick up a good MB magazine like MBUK you'll find a lot of deals on excellent 2005 or 2006 bikes at the moment as the new 2007 ranges are just being launched.
2006-09-08 01:11:18 · answer #3 · answered by Gary B 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need a hybrid for this. A bike that'll cope with gentle off-road and footpath doesn't need to be a mountain bike, and so a mountain bike might be a bit overspecced for your needs. As you say, it woun't be entirely suitable for any distance on-road. Likewise, you don't need suspension for that sort of stuff, and it would be a gimmick in your case (although it is nice for when you're hopping over kerbs...) So, I'd only go for a mountain bike if you are planning to go mountain biking, otherwise a good hybrid will do the job better.
As to how much you want to pay, I can't advise you, but last time I bought a hybrid, it was pretty good and cost me about £150 (but that was in a sale in 1998)
2006-09-07 08:11:17 · answer #4 · answered by Paul D 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You should go and test ride a few. I was pretty sure I wanted a comfort bike for the type of recreational riding I do. But I took a few rides on a mountain bike, a hybrid, and the comfort bike. I found that the Hybrid was most comfortable to ride. it's a middle position between the very bent over ride of a mountain bike, and the straight up position of the comfort bike. The hybrid is very versitile for road biking and trail biking as well. I have a Trek 7100, it cost about $200(US). It's got great suspension, and decent construction. There are a few models above it with better options, but I just didn't find it worth it for recreational riding, but if you are using yours everyday, you should consider them.
2006-09-07 08:11:05 · answer #5 · answered by Olive Green Eyes 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I had a similar commute for a long time and I bought a touring bike, which is essentially a hybrid with drop handle bars. I'm sure that the bike shop will be happy to switch handlebars for you if you prefer an upright riding position. The one I have is a Cannondale T-1000 and I love it. They don't make that model anymore. They now have two: T800 and T2000. I'm guessing that the T800 (less expensive) will be perfect for your commute. I also have a mountain bike and I'm an enthusiastic off-road rider, but with the right tires a touring bike or a hybrid will be fine for much off-road riding on dirt & gravel paths, etc. As long as it doesn't get "technical" with big rocks, logs, gulleys, etc., you don't really need a mountain bike.
I've put two links under sources below. (1) Cannondale Touring-bikes page and (2) Cannondale T800 page.
Good luck. I wish I could still commute by bike, but my current commute is just to long and through horrendous traffic.
2006-09-07 08:46:31 · answer #6 · answered by pollux 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I bought a Trek hard-tail for these purposes myself 18 months ago, and by the sounds of it, this is the sort of thing to go with.
Go with a short travel fork, but go for suspension up front as their are handling benefits.As for tyres A cross country racer tyre [like on my Scott] would be ideal, fast rolling, more confidence inspiring then slick or skinny road tyres and less prone to punctures.
The lower gearing of a mountain bike will be best for what it sounds like you'd be doing, and you'll still be able to gain enough top end speed.
And there's alot of 06 models on sale as bikes shops are receiving 07 stock...
I bought my full suspension 06 Scott from evanscycles.com for
£650 reduced from £850]....
For best deals buy from the Internet here are some helpful websites:
evanscycles.com
paulscycles.co.uk
sunsetmtb.co.uk
winstanleysbikes.co.uk
Good luck.......
2006-09-07 10:49:20 · answer #7 · answered by Ste22 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Carbon Copy what has been said here. You got a lot of good info. There is one other thing I would add. You can get different kinds of tires if you go for the MT or Hybrid that aren't knobbies. They have different types for the different types of terrain as well as what kind of riding you would be doing.
2006-09-08 05:49:09 · answer #8 · answered by Brzo Biciklo 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go to your local cycle shop explain what you want the bike for and how much you can afford, i am sure they will be able to sort you out with one. Good luck.
2006-09-07 08:09:42 · answer #9 · answered by ? 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
they make hybrids, a bike with thinner tires but not quite a road bike. id suggest that. or you can get a mountain bike and put road slicks (smooth mountain bike tires) on it, that will help with the road protion. i would suggest a hybrid though
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_bicycle
2006-09-07 08:10:16 · answer #10 · answered by platukism 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋