Can anyone recommend a decent bike for commuting ? My old Raleigh Firefly recently argued with a milk-float and lost badly ! I ran this for 2 1/2 years and although some of the running parts left a bit to be desired it worked and was safe.
I'm currently looking at spending a bit more; the Carrera Vulcan is £159.99 for a 2003 model in Halfords (2004 model is £249.99). I'm not too keen on having (front only) suspension though unless someone tells me otherwise ! The Carrera Subway 8 (£349.99) looks good too - anyone have any experience with hub gears and brakes ?
I'm basically looking for something that will run mainly on roads and do about 20 miles a day (say 5,000 miles a year), and require minimal maintenance. However I don't want to spend the extra £190 on the Subway if I only need the odd £20 - £30 worth of repairs to the Vulcan every year or so. I'm not into perfect running as London roads and weather don't allow for it without tons of servicing which reduces the cost benefits of cycling in the first place.
Any advice is greatly appreciated, even if it's 'look at other bikes' !
since you want to commute, i wouldnt reccomend rear suspension and that is also a bad idea if you want minimal maintainance. I have never ridden the carerra vulcan but i have seen it in halfords and it looks quite nice.
i commute regularly on a XC mtb with slicks and over a 15 mile distance i avegage 16-18 mph. i wouldnt go for one of those hybrid road/mtb/commuter hybrid things.
I ride a Felt SR81, it is road component based with flat bars, my friend has a Giant Perigee, similar components with riser bars, both excellent for city riding giving good comfort, mechanical reliability and excellent handling.
Neither have any suspension, just suspension seat posts, we are both over 50 yrs. 🙂
All aluminum (no rust) falt-bar road bike without any suspension [censored] (all that comfort stuff= uncomfort to me!)...May I suggest the Giant Cypress SX...or if you are feeling saucy, the SL. I have both, and I beat the dog [censored] out of them, and they always come back for more (the SL is actually wifeys)
The Specialized Cirrus Comp is a good choice too, though I found the geometry to be a bit uncomfortable for my frame. Also look at the Felt SR-71 (or 81, or 91...but I say buy the Ultegra stuff if you can) Cheers
