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[tunnie]

My current bike a 20 year old Peugeot, which was originally my Dads, finally needs replacing. Done about 1,500 miles on it since bringing it to London, did near enough 3k at University on it 

Came out from work yesterday, to find that bulge on the tyre wall, thats been there a few months  Finally let go, also 3 of the 18 gears work, the brakes are shot (non existent in the wet), suspension seized and back tyre showing canvas, its time to go.

I'm quite keen on Specialized, keep changing my mind between a Hybrid & Full Road bike.

For Hybrid, considering Sirrus range:

http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/specialized-sirrus-elite-bike-for-sale/108091115

For Road, considering Allez Sport:

http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/specialized-allez-sport/107294274

Questions I keep mulling over is, are Carbon Folks worth it? How well would a full road bike cope with rough roads we get?

My commute route is about 4 miles, 90% road/pavement and 10% through a park, I do tend to cut across grass in some sections (thinking road bike here will be a no-no) - Should add it would get occasional 9 mile runs into Central London

But also thinking about other uses, as the New Forrest is only an hour away and MrsT is considering getting a mountain bike so need something that can cope there.

Any thoughts suggestions? Budget is around £250/300.

I can get a brand new Sirrus for £370, but its basic model with no carbon parts. But, it does mean I can get the XL frame. As most second hand examples are all Medium or just Large.

Being 6ft5, I think I need at least a 61cm frame 

[Kevin Wood]

20 years? Spring chicken. My Raleigh's still going strong after 30 years.

Sounds like it just needs some maintenance and a new tyre and inner tube.

General consensus seems to be that a lot more people buy a hybrid and wish they'd got a road bike than vice versa. I would have thought, if you're happy with the dropped handle bars, road bike would be the only choice living in the smoke. It's something I've been pondering recently. I reckon mountain bike+road bike is the ideal but I've got a lot of woodland to cycle in near me.

Anything with an upright riding position and knobbly tyres will feel tedious compared to a road bike IMHO. Some of the more extreme road bikes these days don't look like they'd survive a decent pot hole, though. Maybe looks are deceptive.

When I told my local bike shop what I'm riding he said a lot of people prefer the "feel" of an old steel framed racer over the ali / CF modern bikes... when he stopped laughing.

[feeutfo]

I don't see the point in hybrids. Seems to me they are for people who are too dim to swap thier mountain bike tyres for road tyres. £50(for puncture proof road tyres and heavy duty tubes) and some tyre levers and you have two bikes in one.

Plus that sport bike frame is way too small for you, but you knew that.


Around the streets of London you need your head up, so no dropped bars, and rugged tyres for pot holes and the odd miss timed bunny hop up kerbs and pot holes. IMO.


If your cycling proper miles in events or joining a road club, then get a racer/sport bike.
Hybrids are gay.

Chrome Molly frames are toughest, Reynolds 501/531 flex like a rubber band. I would think Carbon would flex a little, and chip.

[aaronjb]

I know a friend of mine - who rides a lot (40+ mile trips are her 'Sunday ride') was told by a bike shop not to get a CF frame as they're easily damaged, can't be put on a bike rack on a car and are only designed to last a season; not sure if that follows with just CF forks but it'd be a sod to buy them and have them collapse on you over a pothole!

Oh yes - she has a mountain bike and a full road bike. The mountain bike never gets used and the road bike (ally frame, I think) seems to survive just fine on the potholed roads of Hertfordshire.

[edit] I got my 20+ year old Raleigh out of the shed the other day and briefly pondered riding it. Then remembered how fat I am, sighed and put it away again

[Kevin Wood]

... of course, the great thing about riding a tatty old bike is that when you leave it somewhere, it's still there when you get back.

[feeutfo]

Although as Kev says, there doesn't sound like there's much wrong with the old one that a bit of maintanance won't fix.

[tunnie]

20 years? Spring chicken. My Raleigh's still going strong after 30 years.

Sounds like it just needs some maintenance and a new tyre and inner tube.

General consensus seems to be that a lot more people buy a hybrid and wish they'd got a road bike than vice versa. I would have thought, if you're happy with the dropped handle bars, road bike would be the only choice living in the smoke. It's something I've been pondering recently. I reckon mountain bike+road bike is the ideal but I've got a lot of woodland to cycle in near me.

Anything with an upright riding position and knobbly tyres will feel tedious compared to a road bike IMHO. Some of the more extreme road bikes these days don't look like they'd survive a decent pot hole, though. Maybe looks are deceptive.

When I told my local bike shop what I'm riding he said a lot of people prefer the "feel" of an old steel framed racer over the ali / CF modern bikes... when he stopped laughing.

I have considered fixing it, but it needs two new wheels, the current bearings are shot, they are all over the place. I need two new inner tubes, plus tyres. The rear set of gears have no cable to them, the switcher self destructed. New brakes needed all around, new cables too as current ones are shot. All that , is not far off something new...

Heard that quite a bit, that the Hybrids are a bit of a compromise.

[tunnie]

Gahhhh, back to maybe mountain bike or road bike then 

Yeah I knew in the links the frame sizes were wrong, when I first started looking at second hand the prices are really good, but none of the frames are big enough 

Lot to be said for an old tatty bike, my £2 bike lock from Wilko's is enough to secure it even in Central London 

A mate did buy a Mountain bike, then stick road tyres on it. Worked well for him, could go that route 

[tunnie]

This is quite tempting, could always upgrade the tyres at a later date, also available in 23" frame which is what I need.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/hardrock-disc-2012-mountain-bike-ec030131

[albitz]

Had one of these sat in the shed for the last two years.Brand spankers,hasnt even had the labels taken off.
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=bianchi+mazda+zoom+zoom&hl=en&sa=X&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7ACAW_enGB404GB404&biw=1366&bih=587&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=KXiV6nytBszH8M:&imgrefurl=http://regensburg2.auto-schindlbeck.de/go.to/modix/2,426010/after-sales-service.html&docid=nE6hw2gaHNpITM&imgurl=http://userdata.modix.de/userdata/10459/files/lb_zzbike_gr.jpg&w=668&h=423&ei=PDQiUIDhM8jQ0QWfyIGgDA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=72&vpy=144&dur=94&hovh=179&hovw=282&tx=136&ty=78&sig=103304408089237875137&page=1&tbnh=94&tbnw=149&start=0&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:73

[tunnie]

Had one of these sat in the shed for the last two years.Brand spankers,hasnt even had the labels taken off.
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=bianchi+mazda+zoom+zoom&hl=en&sa=X&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7ACAW_enGB404GB404&biw=1366&bih=587&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=KXiV6nytBszH8M:&imgrefurl=http://regensburg2.auto-schindlbeck.de/go.to/modix/2,426010/after-sales-service.html&docid=nE6hw2gaHNpITM&imgurl=http://userdata.modix.de/userdata/10459/files/lb_zzbike_gr.jpg&w=668&h=423&ei=PDQiUIDhM8jQ0QWfyIGgDA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=72&vpy=144&dur=94&hovh=179&hovw=282&tx=136&ty=78&sig=103304408089237875137&page=1&tbnh=94&tbnw=149&start=0&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:73

How big is the frame? 

[Kevin Wood]

Bearings are just a race of ball bearings, though. An adjustable race of ball bearings. What's wrong with the wheels? They can be trued easily when you get the hang of it. All excuses to buy a new bike rather than show stoppers with the old one, IMHO. 

I have an ally framed mountain bike and do enjoy riding that. They do "give" a little more than a steel bike, but possibly that's a good thing on a mountain bike. Ali frames do fatigue quicker, and if you do damage them you'll be lucky to repair them successfully, even if you can TIG.

Biggest frustration I have with the mountain bike is that it's geared too short for the road. Plenty of downhill stuff near me and over 20MPH you just have to sit there and coast. On the racer I can push it up to 35MPH (then I start thinking about how old the bike is ). There's a lot more drag on the mountain bike, but then mine has knobbly tyres. Not such an issue for me as I'm cycling to get fit anyway, so effort is what I need, but for longer rides (I probably do 10-20 miles on average) the racer is much less effort.

If you're riding mostly on the flat, shortish journeys and need the upright position, mountain bike with road tyres might be the best compromise.

I certainly can't see the attraction of hybrids. Seems the worst of both worlds to me.

[feeutfo]

Re the evans one, No experience with cable operated disc brakes, but yes, only question is if you need a soft tail or not, or lockable suspension. Probably not, esp given the added price those parts incur.

I went 21" frame as I find 23 I bit cumbersome. Steering angle, mine(xc pro) is juuuust a fraction wobbly, a bit too quick steering. So try before you buy. I presume specialised stick with the same geometry accross their range.

[albitz]

Had one of these sat in the shed for the last two years.Brand spankers,hasnt even had the labels taken off.
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=bianchi+mazda+zoom+zoom&hl=en&sa=X&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7ACAW_enGB404GB404&biw=1366&bih=587&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=KXiV6nytBszH8M:&imgrefurl=http://regensburg2.auto-schindlbeck.de/go.to/modix/2,426010/after-sales-service.html&docid=nE6hw2gaHNpITM&imgurl=http://userdata.modix.de/userdata/10459/files/lb_zzbike_gr.jpg&w=668&h=423&ei=PDQiUIDhM8jQ0QWfyIGgDA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=72&vpy=144&dur=94&hovh=179&hovw=282&tx=136&ty=78&sig=103304408089237875137&page=1&tbnh=94&tbnw=149&start=0&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:73

How big is the frame? 

No idea,but I could probably find out.
I know its too big for its owner (Mrs Albs) to ride,and pointless me trying,as spazzy right leg would result in me going round in little circles.

[albitz]

One for sale on Scumtree,all the details should be there.Im pretty sure they are all the same,as they were a limited edition thing for Mazda.I dont believe they were actually available to be bought retail, although the value at the time was put at around £650 iirc.

http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/bianchi-mazda-zoom-zoom-mountain-bike/106159232