What bike to buy?

E

ericsson

Registered User
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175
Hi all,

Looking for a bit of advice on what bike to buy. I am eligible for the cycle to work scheme and am looking to get a bike under it. I live in Dublin and to be honest the last time I have been on a bike was about 15 years ago when I was a teenager. I haven't a clue about bikes but with the fine weather coming in I was thinking it would be something I could really enjoy. I had contemplated joining the gym and then thought, you know what, I'd probably get more enjoyment from cycling.

Since I'm not an avid cyclist I was thinking of getting a reasonably inexpensive bike for about the €300- €400 mark. I'm a bit nervous about going into a bike shop as really I don't know what I'm looking for and I'm afraid I will come out with a €1000 bike which, realistically I would not need.

I would be looking to mainly use my bike in the local park, maybe for cycling to work etc. I have heard that hybrid bike would suit my needs but really I haven't a clue what a hybrid bike even is!

Can anyone recommend a bike and or a bike shop in the Dublin area. I'm such an easy touch that I'm afraid I will be talked over by a shopkeeper.

Thanks in advance
 
You can only use the BTW scheme once every 5 years, and it's a great benefit, so make sure to make the most of it and spend most if not all the €1000 on the bike + gear. To be honest, if you don't spend more than €3-400 on the bike, you will most likely regret the missed opportunity. The difference between a €3-400 bike and a €7-800 bike is significant, and will affect how likely you are to enjoy it and take it further. A €300 bike is going to be heavy and have poor components. I couldn't tell you the amount of times I've heard people say they wish they had spent a little more on the bike. My advice would be spend the entire amount on the bike, Aldi/Lild do regular specials on cycling gear, so you can pick that up cheaply enough.

A hybrid sounds ideal for your planned usage, they are similar to road (racer) bikes, but have flat handle bars, so the riding position is more upright, making it a more relaxed experience and it's a little easier look over your shoulders when turning/ changing lanes. Look up the Giant Rapid, or Trek FX for an idea of what they are.
 
I have bought bikes (Adult, child, BTW) in both branches of a bike seller in Dublin and found them to be more interested in getting the customer on the right bike, rather than the most expensive. Better to get a happy customer and the prospect of repeat business for €500, than an unhappy one for €1000.
 
TarfHead said:
I have bought bikes (Adult, child, BTW) in both branches of a bike seller in Dublin and found them to be more interested in getting the customer on the right bike...
Click to expand...

Feel free to name them here.
 
ericsson said:
I am eligible for the cycle to work scheme

I would be looking to mainly use my bike in the local park, maybe for cycling to work etc.
Click to expand...

Maybe???

Ideally, find a local bike shop, near to your home or work. It makes it a lot easier to drop the bike in for servicing or whatever. If you like to narrow down some areas of Dublin, I'm sure people can suggest a good shop. Think Bike in Rathmines is good for me, but not much use if you're nowhere near Rathmines.
 
RainyDay said:
Maybe???

Ideally, find a local bike shop, near to your home or work. It makes it a lot easier to drop the bike in for servicing or whatever. If you like to narrow down some areas of Dublin, I'm sure people can suggest a good shop. Think Bike in Rathmines is good for me, but not much use if you're nowhere near Rathmines.
Click to expand...

I would envisage cycling to work in the long term but for the first few months I would prefer to build up my confidence with city cycling. I'm from the country and have never cycled in Dublin so I think I would need to get back into the swing of things before venturing to work. I live in the Dublin 10 area but work closer to city centre so in flexible enough with regards to areas. As I am close to the Phoenix Park, that is where I would like to get some practice in before facing cycle lanes and city drivers. I hadn't thought about getting a more expensive bike as I was a bit afraid that I wouldn't use it enough but what you say makes perfect sense. My mum bought a cheap bike a couple of years back from smyths having not cycled in years and now is an avid cyclist - although she borrows my aunts bike for long cycles... She always says hers is too heavy!

Lots of food for thought here. Thanks as always :)
 
Sounds like a good plan. The Phoenix Park would be good, though you'll read other threads here about how pedestrians walk in the cycle lanes there.

I don't know much about Dublin 10 or city centre shops, so I'll leave others to suggest good shops for you.

Another option would be for you to buy a cheap second hand bike for €100 or so, just to 'find your feet' as it were. You'd be a lot more knowledgeable about what you like and what you don't like after 3 or 6 months on that crappy bike.
 
What is termed heavy varies enormously. If you are going 50~100k and up a lot of hills thats one thing. Doing 10k which is 30mins around Dublin which is relatively flat is another.

Cheapest base point I'd pick is the carerra range in halfords I wouldn't go lower/cheaper than that. Then work upwards from that.

Get a hybrid if commuting smaller distances. Road bike if its for 2 hour cycle on a sat.
 
Thanks a million for all the replies. I feel a lot more confident now, have all the forms printed off and am going to go looking tomorrow. Will let you know how I get on.

Ericsson :)
 
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