What Bike?

Tony B said:

Sorry to be so lame, however here goes:

I am returning to cycling after 10 years off. I was incredibly fat, now not so but at 90kg still
er, large.

I am also somewhat large. The good thing is that the bike takes all the weight.

Quoted message said:

I want to cycle backroads, towpaths, a bit of town road and a little unsurfaced stuff. Nothing
extream, but easy bridalways would be nice. It's only for fun as I walk to work (just less than a
mile so hardly worth the effort of locking it up at the other end).

MTB/Hybrid should fit the bill. Don't buy cheap [censored], It'll be a hate-hate relationship.

Quoted message said:

Also what about cycle clothing, what do I really need eg posh shoes etc? Will my old Bell cycle
helmet be OK or do they "go off" like motocycle helmets do?

Depends how far you are going. Comfy shorts are really good. I like having really stiff shoes as it
takes a lot of the ache out of the feet.

Helmets will get a mixed response from the group. If you want to wear one then I would recommend
ditching the old one, it is probably well outside it's design lifetime. Make sure it is properly
fitted and try to not use it.

As you realise, a good local bike shop is a good thing.

..d

Quoted message said:

I live on the east side of Manchester, a good local cycle shop seems essential. Any
recommendations?

Bicycle Doctor come highly recommended. They're based in Rusholme. Website can be found at

bicycledoctor.co.ukbicycledoctor.co.ukOpen ↗

Cheers, Chris

Quoted message said:

I live on the east side of Manchester, a good local cycle shop seems essential. Any
recommendations?

www.bicycledoctor.co.uk are good - excellent customer service and a good range of bikes. They live
just off the Southern end of Rusholme.

If you've got plenty of cash you could try: harryhallcycles.co.ukharryhallcycles.co.ukOpen ↗ They are under one of
the railway arches west of Oxford Road Station. They are a bit up themselves though.

There's also a traditional little bike shop in Withington. They sell all the usual stuff, and make
their own frames too if you want something that'll fit perfectly. They're at 28 Burton Road.
Customer service could do with a bit of a polish (like I said, traditional bike shop) but once they
get to you they're good (you just tend to stand around twiddling your thumbs while they deal with
another customer - they just pretend you're not there until they're ready to deal with you!). Have
been pleased with the work they've done tho, and charges for fixing things might be a bit lower that
the others.

Tony B <[email hidden]> wrote:

: I'd like a low-maintenance bike, with a bit of cred, that will keep me happy.

I know what you mean, but unfortunately it's either-or here.

Low maintence = hub gears, no suspension Cred = lots of gears and full suspension

The latter requires a lot more maintence than the former if you want it to last.

: I quite like the look of Kona as a company, but only cos I have swalled their marketing hype :-)

I like Kona. All their bikes I've ridden have been nice.

I'd suggest (to go with my split above)

* a hub geared commuting hybrid. Mudguards etc. Very low maintence and will cope fine with easy
bridleways etc OR
* a front suspension MTB. Lots of cred. More work.

I'd avoid a full suspension bike for what you want. They are more expensive (and the cheap ones are
[censored]) and more maintence for no great benift for your purposes.

For helmets, yes, new one. It'll be a lot more comfortable for starters.

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune clune.orgclune.orgOpen ↗ "Technolibertarians make a philosophy out of a personality defect"
- Paulina Borsook

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

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I live on the east side of Manchester, a good local cycle shop seems essential. Any
recommendations?

Bicycle Doctor come highly recommended. They're based in Rusholme. Website can be found at

bicycledoctor.co.ukbicycledoctor.co.ukOpen ↗

I'll second that.

Very happy with the treatment and advice I got when I bought a bike there, and in subsequent visits.

Tim.

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In "]news:[email hidden],
Arthur Clune <[email hidden]> typed:

Quoted message said:

Tony B said:

I'd like a low-maintenance bike, with a bit of cred, that will keep me happy.

I know what you mean, but unfortunately it's either-or here.

Low maintence = hub gears, no suspension Cred = lots of gears and full suspension

There are hub gear bikes with a bit of cred. My Scott Street G2 has a nice sleek black paint finish
and hub gear, and a general kind of modern shape. Oh, and a Carradice saddlebag to ruin the effect.

There's one by Ridgeback this year, too: the Switch Nemesis, with an 8 speed hub gear, disc brakes,
and other stylish stuff. see: ridgeback.co.ukbike.aspOpen ↗

A

[snip]

Quoted message said:

bicycledoctor.co.ukbicycledoctor.co.ukOpen ↗

I'll second that.

Very happy with the treatment and advice I got when I bought a bike there, and in subsequent visits.

[/snip]

and I will quite gladly third it. Very nice people, very good customer service. I use them quite a bit for small parts and advice. They aren't the cheapest though.

I don't like harryhall cycles.

Martin Family said:

Tony B said:

Also what about cycle clothing, what do I really need eg posh shoes etc? Will my old Bell cycle
helmet be OK or do they "go off" like motocycle helmets do?

Depends how far you are going. Comfy shorts are really good. I like having really stiff shoes as
it takes a lot of the ache out of the feet.

Oh I do endorse this. For years and years I thought cycling shorts were for poseurs, and
consequently used to wear through the inner thighs of my jeans at a positively fearsome rate. Now I
can't bear cycling in jeans - they're so stiff and uncomfortable, and the seams dig in in all the
wrong places. If you don't go in at the waist, wear bib-shorts or bib-tights - very comfortable and
practical - and if you hear a peep out of wafflycat, taunt her about her bra.

Quoted message said:

Helmets will get a mixed response from the group. If you want to wear one then I would recommend
ditching the old one, it is probably well outside it's design lifetime. Make sure it is properly
fitted and try to not use it.

They're supposed to have a lifetime of about four years, so you should ditch your old one. However
it is worth reading the research on helmets yourself first - it's not, actually unambiguously clear
whether they do much good and opinions are sharply polarised.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗ ;; Sending your money to
someone just because they've erected ;; a barrier of obscurity and secrets around the tools you ;;
need to use your data does not help the economy or spur ;; innovation. - Waffle Iron Slashdot, June
16th, 2002

Arthur Clune said:

Tony B <[email hidden]> wrote:

: I'd like a low-maintenance bike, with a bit of cred, that will keep me happy.

I know what you mean, but unfortunately it's either-or here.

Low maintence = hub gears, no suspension Cred = lots of gears and full suspension

Rohloffs have lots of cred, and there's a current Cannondale hybrid with front suspension and
a Rohloff:

<URL:http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/04/ce/model-4SS5K.html>

*Very* nice.

Or you could get a Nicolai - any of their frames can be specified with Rohloff dropouts:

<URL:http://www.nicolai.net/>

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗ ;; Sending your money to
someone just because they've erected ;; a barrier of obscurity and secrets around the tools you ;;
need to use your data does not help the economy or spur ;; innovation. - Waffle Iron Slashdot, June
16th, 2002

On Fri, 13 Feb 2004 12:35:07 GMT someone who may be Simon Brooke
<[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

and if you hear a peep out of wafflycat, taunt her about her bra.

Quoted message said:

They're supposed to have a lifetime of about four years, so you should ditch your old one.

However, an old helmet will avoid a lot of nonsense from the helmet lobby, even if it is even more
useless than a new helmet.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E I will always explain revoked
keys, unless the UK government prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

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

Quoted message said:

[snip]

Quoted message said:

I don't like harryhall cycles.

I don't like Harry Hall cycles either.

After the straw that broke the camel's back, I wrote a letter to the manager explaining exactly why
I'd never set foot in the place again: It was probably intercepted and binned by a minion before the
Mgr. got a chance to read it and have a good belly-laugh.

It's still on me HD somewhere, but it's probably a bit big to post here.

Cheers,

Tim.

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David Hansen said:

On Fri, 13 Feb 2004 12:35:07 GMT someone who may be Simon Brooke <[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

and if you hear a peep out of wafflycat, taunt her about her bra.

A certain person posting to this group takes grave offence at people wearing straps over their
shoulders to suspend garments which would otherwise fall down. She even threatens physical
violence to people who wear such garments. But she doesn't like it pointed out that she wears such
a garment herself.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗

;; If you're doing this for fun, do what seems fun. If you're ;; doing it for money, stop
now. ;; Rainer Deyke

Quoted message said:

<URL:http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/04/ce/model-4SS5K.html>

*Very* nice.

hmm, yes very nice. Too rich for me though! Unfortunately.

Thanks for all the advice though, I have a bit of a better idea now.

bfn,

Tony B

"Mark Thompson" <[email hidden] (change warm for hot)> of

Quoted message said:

There's also a traditional little bike shop in Withington. They sell all the usual stuff, and make
their own frames too if you want something that'll fit perfectly. They're at 28 Burton Road.
Customer service could do with a bit of a polish (like I said, traditional bike shop) but once they
get to you they're good (you just tend to stand around twiddling your thumbs while they deal with
another customer - they just pretend you're not there until they're ready to deal with you!). Have
been pleased with the work they've done tho, and charges for fixing things might be a bit lower
that the others.

Withington Cycles changed hands recently and is now run by Malc Cowle who also makes frames (of
which I have one, and very good it is too) . Very handy for maintenance and repair jobs, especially
of the can you find a ... to fit here type. Traditional bike shop also in the sense of having lots
of the bits and pieces wanted for non-MTBs. I thought my bike needed a new headset, but they
correctly diagnosed it as loose and tightened it for me instead, for a trivial amount of money
rather than just selling me a headset anyway.
--
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separating the imaginary rights of one from the imaginary rights of another.
Ambrose Bierce
Steph Peters delete invalid from [email hidden]
Tatting, lace & stitching page <sandbenders.demon.co.ukindex.htmOpen ↗

On Fri, 13 Feb 2004 17:35:02 GMT someone who may be Simon Brooke
<[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

A certain person posting to this group takes grave offence at people wearing straps over their
shoulders to suspend garments which would otherwise fall down. She even threatens physical
violence to people who wear such garments. But she doesn't like it pointed out that she wears such
a garment herself.

I'm not a great fan of bras, but I thought that the aim of them is not to stop the garment itself
falling down. Rather the aim is to do things with parts of the body. Perhaps I am just confused:-)

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E I will always explain revoked
keys, unless the UK government prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

Simon Brooke <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Or you could get a Nicolai - any of their frames can be specified with Rohloff dropouts:

In fact our bikes have a Rohloff dropout as standard (apart from the Hardtail on which it's an
option). Cable guides can be supplied for Rohloff, conventional or both.