I feel a certain amount of disloyalty saying this, but I'm thinking of buying a new bike. The problem is that my current one needs:
- new wheels & tyres
- a new chain and set
- a new seat
- possibly new brakes and gears
The time comes when you think - well, that will probably cost about the same as a new bike. But inevitably I'm looking at spending a bit more than just the cost of repairing my current one.
My requirements are:
- needs to be tough as some weeks I do 100 miles over London's pot-holes and along the fairly rough canals
- needs to be light and fast
- needs to be strong as I'll be carrying a child on the back sometimes and normally I have paniers
- I don't want to do too much maintenance as I'm a lazy fool
- I think I may be prepared to spend about £600 - with the Cyclescheme through work you can get the bike for about half that price
Doing a bit of research and consulting my ever-obliging and highly knowledgeable bro-in-law, I was thinking of a Chris Boardman hybrid. I got quite excited. But imagine my horror when I discovered that the sole supplier of Chris Boardman bikes seems to be Halfords. And wait for it - the Cyclescheme does not have Halford's as one of the preferred partners.
So I'm back to square one and the deadline is in about 5 days. Any ideas?
6 comments:
Tricky decision if the old bike is still loyal and working OK. Those Cyclescheme discounts are tempting, but there's also some five-star karma involved in running an old bike for as long as possible. I thought of getting a straight-bar road bike like maybe the Ridgeback Flight, as a faster alternative to my 10 year old hybrid. You can put 35-37 hybrid tyres on them, and there are lugs for a rear pannier rack - but I've been put off by doubts about how strong it would be for commuting with a full bags. When I looked at new hybrids, they looked an awful lot like my old hybrid. Just more theft-worthy, and hence actually a step backwards in London.
Thought this might be of interest -
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/flight-04-10-37571
lex
Thanks guys. Good link Lex. Paul - yup, I'm in the same dilemma. But things are more urgent because my chain set is in such bad shape that it keeps slipping out whenever I press hard on it, and it's a nightmare. Thought: I could probably convert my old hybrid into a one-speed and use it for shorter trips.
Yep - thanks for the link. Not really a glowing review, perhaps I better shop around some more. The Boardman is v good spec for price.
with these descriptions if you definitely need a new I recommend you look for in a good brand as economic cannondale
Thanks collector - I took the plunge a while ago and opted for a Giant. I do like the Cannondale's though ... KC
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