Good beginners bike?

"Paul Hutchings" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Went hunting for shades today and ended up in a big bike shop in Wolverhampton - it's been a few
years but it made me realise how much I used to enjoy riding, so I'm chewing over getting
another bike.

Likely uses would be canal-paths and that sort of thing.

Any thoughts on what I should be looking at? Guy in the shop suggested something like a
Specialized Hardrock would be a good start point as it's half-decent to begin with but if I stuck
with it and so wanted it's good enough to stand a few upgrades...

Early days and it may be a fad but any thoughts?

For tow-paths & similar the main question is to bounce or not to bounce. The guy in the shop has
pointed you at an OK entry level mountain bike.

For the same sort of money you could get a good entry level hybrid. Lighter because of the lack of
front suspension forks -- somewhat more efficient since you're not bouncing the forks up & down
while riding.

Last time a similar question came up we had a flame war between those who advocated bouncy bikes --
suggesting anything rigid was just eastern European scaffolding poles for old foggie masochists --
and the sensible faction who suggested that suspension is nice for some things (going over real
rough stuff or throwing yourself down mountains) but unnecessary for nice smooth tracks and country
lanes -- and that the fan of bounce had just swallowed the marketing hype lock, stock and
suspension unit..

I would recommend you go somewhere where you can hire a bike or two for the day and cycle a bit to
get the feel for what you want and what you will be comfortable with -- and to see if you really
want to get back in the saddle.

Have fun.

T

"Tony W" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Paul Hutchings" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Went hunting for shades today and ended up in a big bike shop in Wolverhampton - it's been a few
years but it made me realise how much I used to enjoy riding, so I'm chewing over getting
another bike.

Likely uses would be canal-paths and that sort of thing.

Any thoughts on what I should be looking at? Guy in the shop suggested something like a
Specialized Hardrock would be a good start point as

it's

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

half-decent to begin with but if I stuck with it and so wanted it's good enough to stand a few
upgrades...

Early days and it may be a fad but any thoughts?

For tow-paths & similar the main question is to bounce or not to bounce. The guy in the shop has
pointed you at an OK entry level mountain bike.

For the same sort of money you could get a good entry level hybrid.

Lighter

Quoted message said:

because of the lack of front suspension forks -- somewhat more efficient since you're not bouncing
the forks up & down while riding.

Last time a similar question came up we had a flame war between those who advocated bouncy bikes
-- suggesting anything rigid was just eastern European scaffolding poles for old foggie masochists
-- and the sensible faction who suggested that suspension is nice for some things (going over real
rough stuff or throwing yourself down mountains) but unnecessary for nice smooth tracks and
country lanes -- and that the fan of bounce had

just

Quoted message said:

swallowed the marketing hype lock, stock and suspension unit..

I would recommend you go somewhere where you can hire a bike or two for

the

Quoted message said:

day and cycle a bit to get the feel for what you want and what you will be comfortable with -- and
to see if you really want to get back in the

saddle.

Quoted message said:

Have fun.

T

Here we go - you just don't need bounce. It adds weight, takes away power and causes you maintenance
headaches. Cyclists have been going off road (rough stuff) for years before the bounce fad. Now if
you want to try and kill youself by trying downhilling then wieght and bounce is what you need. If
not, then forget it. If you need any further convincing just sit at the side of the road and watch
all those cyclist on suspension bikes bouncing up and down but going slow.

If you need some suspension off road, on a hybrid or a rigid mountain bike, then I recommend fitting
the excellent Brooks Conquest saddle. It will last you a lifetime and will be your back's friend.

"But what about all those ruts?" I hear the suspension fans saying. Well get out of the saddle and
use your elbows and knees. With those joints and decent bike handling skills you'll be able to
tackle all but the silliest off-road stuff.

There. Flame away.

"Paul Hutchings" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Went hunting for shades today and ended up in a big bike shop in Wolverhampton - it's been a few
years but it made me realise how much I used to enjoy riding, so I'm chewing over getting
another bike.

Likely uses would be canal-paths and that sort of thing.

Any thoughts on what I should be looking at? Guy in the shop suggested something like a
Specialized Hardrock would be a good start point as it's half-decent to begin with but if I stuck
with it and so wanted it's good enough to stand a few upgrades...

Early days and it may be a fad but any thoughts?

regards Paul
--
paul <at> spamcop.net

Try Edinburgh Bike for good, cheap, basic mountain bikes with and without suspension forks.

edinburgh-bicycle.co.uksubcollections.cfmOpen ↗

Hope this helps.

Graham

"Smudger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

If you need some suspension off road, on a hybrid or a rigid mountain

bike,

Quoted message said:

then I recommend fitting the excellent Brooks Conquest saddle. It will

last

Quoted message said:

you a lifetime and will be your back's friend.

Of course, your backside might not be Brooks compatible, and its a heavy waste of money. My backside
required change of saddle after about 8 miles, whereas my older "[censored]" saddle is good for 70+.

Fortunately I was able to sell the one I bought to someone with a Brooks compatible backside during
the "Brooks crisis" of a couple of years ago, so recouped most of my investment.

This proves some people are Brooks compatible and others are not.

Alternative recommendations for saddles for light (10st4) and tall (6ft1) riders on traditional
drop-bar tourer would be appreciated.

NC

"NC" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Smudger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

If you need some suspension off road, on a hybrid or a rigid mountain

bike,

Quoted message said:

then I recommend fitting the excellent Brooks Conquest saddle. It will

last

Quoted message said:

you a lifetime and will be your back's friend.

Of course, your backside might not be Brooks compatible, and its a heavy waste of money. My
backside required change of saddle after about 8 miles, whereas my older "[censored]" saddle is good
for 70+.

Fortunately I was able to sell the one I bought to someone with a Brooks compatible backside
during the "Brooks crisis" of a couple of years ago,

so

Quoted message said:

recouped most of my investment.

This proves some people are Brooks compatible and others are not.

Alternative recommendations for saddles for light (10st4) and tall (6ft1) riders on traditional
drop-bar tourer would be appreciated.

NC

I always found the Selle Italia Turbo a good all round saddle. I am of similar dimensions.

Paul Hutchings said:

Any thoughts on what I should be looking at? Guy in the shop suggested something like a
Specialized Hardrock would be a good start point as it's half-decent to begin with but if I stuck
with it and so wanted it's good enough to stand a few upgrades...

Take the time to go to a few bike shops *and* test ride a few different makes of bike before you buy
anything. They can feel quite different to ride so find out what feels good to you. Once you've got
the feel of what you like you can then go back and with your new knowledge get the one you like
tweaked to feel just right. A good shop should be more than happy to do this and if they won't its
probably not one you want to buy from.

Its far more likely you will stick with it if the bike feels comfortable. The Hardrock has started
many people off on riding but it may or may not fit you and your preferred riding style.

Tony

--
raven-family.comraven-family.comOpen ↗

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable man persists in trying to
adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man." -- George
Bernard Shaw

Tony W said:

I would recommend you go somewhere where you can hire a bike or two for the day and cycle a bit to
get the feel for what you want and what you will be comfortable with -- and to see if you really
want to get back in the saddle.

Good advice, especially since many hire shops will have ex-hire bikes at sensible prices so if you
find a bike which suits you may be able to ride away on one there and then. Certainly the case with
the hire shops round the Tissington and Manifold trails (I would go to the shops run by the National
Parks folks, they seem to be better run at the moment, but that's a personal thing). The most you
can lose is a nice day cycling in some lovely countryside, and how bad would that be?

Guy
===
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dynamic DNS permitting)
NOTE: BT Openworld have now blocked port 25 (without notice), so old mail addresses may no longer
work. Apologies.

NC said:

Alternative recommendations for saddles for light (10st4) and tall (6ft1) riders on traditional
drop-bar tourer would be appreciated.

Selle San Marco Rolls, for sure.

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. chapmancentral.comchapmancentral.comOpen ↗ (BT ADSL and
dynamic DNS permitting)
NOTE: BT Openworld have now blocked port 25 (without notice), so old mail addresses may no longer
work. Apologies.

I have a san marco rolls classic sat here doing nothing. It's for blokes, obviously, and I have a
much more comfy selle italia octavia on my bike now (I'm a girlie). Tis in pristine condition,
having done less than 100 miles - tiny marks on the rails from being fitted to a bike, of course,
but otherwise nothing. No idea how much it'd be to ship, but if you're interested, make me a
sensible offer (my email addy is fake, so reply here'll be fine) and I'll look into the shipping
cost. Attractive leather finish. It's what ships as standard on the Dawes Audax.

Velvet

PS. Even given it's a blokes saddle, I can tell it's comfy - just needed to be a couple of cm
wider on the rear to accommodate my sit-bones properly, instead of one, and only half the
other bone ;-)

"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

NC said:

Alternative recommendations for saddles for light (10st4) and tall (6ft1) riders on traditional
drop-bar tourer would be appreciated.

Selle San Marco Rolls, for sure.

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. chapmancentral.comchapmancentral.comOpen ↗ (BT ADSL and
dynamic DNS permitting)
NOTE: BT Openworld have now blocked port 25 (without notice), so old mail addresses may no longer
work. Apologies.

Quoted message said:

old foggie masochists

Would that be a masochist in a low-lying cloud then???

Cheers, helen s ;-)

~~~~~~~~~~
Flush out that intestinal parasite and/or the waste product before sending a reply!

Any speeliong mistake$ aR the resiult of my cats sitting on the keyboaRRRDdd
~~~~~~~~~~

"Smudger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"NC" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Alternative recommendations for saddles for light (10st4) and tall

(6ft1)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

riders on traditional drop-bar tourer would be appreciated.

Quoted message said:

I always found the Selle Italia Turbo a good all round saddle. I am of similar dimensions.

Thanks, I'll give it some consideration. Some other Selle Italia models were on my possible list,
unfortunately they tended towards the expensive (Max Flite Genuine Gel for instance, where the tiny
amount of integral suspension sounded attractive).

Just zis Guy said:

Selle San Marco Rolls, for sure.

Possible.. I have one on a MTB (sacrilege?) with a USE suspension post under it. I found it lacked a
little give on the touring bike with a ridged post. Might be worth swapping back to see if my views
have changed.

Velvet said:

I have a san marco rolls classic sat here doing nothing. It's for blokes, obviously, ......make me
a sensible offer ..........

Thank you for the offer. I'll bear it in mind if I decide I need a second example.

NC

Velvet said:

I have a san marco rolls classic sat here doing nothing. It's for blokes, obviously, and I have a
much more comfy selle italia octavia on my bike now (I'm a girlie). Tis in pristine condition,
having done less than 100 miles - tiny marks on the rails from being fitted to a bike, of course,
but otherwise nothing. No idea how much it'd be to ship, but if you're interested, make me a
sensible offer (my email addy is fake, so reply here'll be fine) and I'll look into the shipping
cost. Attractive leather finish. It's what ships as standard on the Dawes Audax.

Velvet

PS. Even given it's a blokes saddle, I can tell it's comfy - just needed to be a couple of cm
wider on the rear to accommodate my sit-bones properly, instead of one, and only half the
other bone ;-)

If the OP doesnt want it or doesnt mind me butting in here, I'd offer a fiver for it. Dunno how much
its worth/how much you were expecting though... (thats a fiver + shipping by the way)

cheers,

--

-Alex

----------------------------------
[email hidden]

alexpg.ath.cxcycling.phpOpen ↗ westerleycycling.org.ukwesterleycycling.org.ukOpen ↗
----------------------------------

"Alex Graham" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Velvet said:

I have a san marco rolls classic sat here doing nothing. It's for

blokes,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

obviously, and I have a much more comfy selle italia octavia on my bike

now

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

(I'm a girlie). Tis in pristine condition, having done less than 100 miles - tiny marks on the
rails from being fitted to a bike, of course,

but

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

otherwise nothing. No idea how much it'd be to ship, but if you're interested, make me a
sensible offer (my email addy is fake, so reply here'll be fine) and I'll look into the shipping
cost. Attractive

leather

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

finish. It's what ships as standard on the Dawes Audax.

Velvet

PS. Even given it's a blokes saddle, I can tell it's comfy - just

needed to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

be a couple of cm wider on the rear to accommodate my sit-bones

properly,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

instead of one, and only half the other bone ;-)

If the OP doesnt want it or doesnt mind me butting in here, I'd offer a fiver for it. Dunno how
much its worth/how much you were expecting though... (thats a fiver + shipping by the way)

cheers,

--

-Alex

----------------------------------
[email hidden]

alexpg.ath.cxcycling.phpOpen ↗ westerleycycling.org.ukwesterleycycling.org.ukOpen ↗
----------------------------------

A little bit more than a fiver, given it's in mint condition ;-) Ah well, maybe one day, or I'll
just hang on to it and if I ever sell my current bike to get a different one, I'll put the rolls
back on it - want to keep my comfy selle italia now!

Velvet

Velvet said:

A little bit more than a fiver, given it's in mint condition ;-) Ah well, maybe one day, or I'll
just hang on to it and if I ever sell my current bike to get a different one, I'll put the rolls
back on it - want to keep my comfy selle italia now!

Fair enough 🙂

what 'bout a tenner, inc cheapest p&p then?

--

-Alex

----------------------------------
[email hidden]

alexpg.ath.cxcycling.phpOpen ↗ westerleycycling.org.ukwesterleycycling.org.ukOpen ↗
----------------------------------

Quoted message said:

(my email addy is fake, so reply here'll be fine)

[email hidden] - really? sounds genuine to me!

Mine isn't fake. I suppose that explains some of the 50+ emails I get daily

sorts of untold muck.

Or should I be paranoid?

Mal.

"wafflycathcsdirtycatlitter" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

old foggie masochists

Would that be a masochist in a low-lying cloud then???

No, clearly (sic) its a person of age who dislikes smoking a pipe but does so anyway -- just for the
pain of it.

[email hidden] (wafflycathcsdirtycatlitter) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

old foggie masochists

Would that be a masochist in a low-lying cloud then???

Masochists whose brains have become addled due to the repeated blows.

--
Dave...

"NC" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Velvet said:

I have a san marco rolls classic sat here doing nothing. It's for

blokes,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

obviously, ......make me a sensible offer ..........

Thank you for the offer. I'll bear it in mind if I decide I need a second example.

NC

IMHO the best saddle there is. Not expensive and very comfortable. Quite a few pros still ride them
even though they are not light or fancy. All the best

Stan Cox

"NC" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Smudger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"NC" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Alternative recommendations for saddles for light (10st4) and tall

(6ft1)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

riders on traditional drop-bar tourer would be appreciated.

Quoted message said:

I always found the Selle Italia Turbo a good all round saddle. I am of similar dimensions.

Thanks, I'll give it some consideration. Some other Selle Italia models were on my possible list,
unfortunately they tended towards the expensive (Max Flite Genuine Gel for instance, where the
tiny amount of integral suspension sounded attractive).

Just zis Guy said:

Selle San Marco Rolls, for sure.

Possible.. I have one on a MTB (sacrilege?) with a USE suspension post under it. I found it lacked
a little give on the touring bike with a

ridged

Quoted message said:

post. Might be worth swapping back to see if my views have changed.

Velvet said:

I have a san marco rolls classic sat here doing nothing. It's for

blokes,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

obviously, ......make me a sensible offer ..........

Thank you for the offer. I'll bear it in mind if I decide I need a second example.

NC

LOL, look - if you're going to cut and paste my replies to posts into a reply to a post *after*
mine, at least do it so I don't look completely daft, ta :-P The post I replied to made no mention
of you already owning a rolls classic...

Velvet