First adult bikes, £500 budget - recommendations?
Discussion
The wife and I are looking to make our first foray into cycling since we were kids(!) and just looking at a couple of websites, the choice and options are somewhat overwhelming for the uninitiated!
The principal goal is for fitness and exercise in the warmer/drier months when it's too nice to be in a gym. I am a keen runner but the older I get (I'm only 33 but feel like 63...) the harder it is on my joints, so probably looking at replacing some running with cycling.
They will be most likely mainly used either on the road in our local residential area or on dirt tracks/trails etc if we go out for the day and get off the beaten path.
Could anyone kindly make a recommendation for a particular brand or style to start the search with? Budget would be c. £1k for two bikes, not sure if this is good bad or indifferent for our (fairly basic?) requirements.
I mentioned this in passing to a colleague and he suggested I look at the 'Specialized Sirrus' range - is that good advice? Their website has the basic models in that range at around £450-£550 but wanted some advice from more than one person!
Also, probably sounds a silly question, but does a woman specifically need a bike that's branded as a women's bike? I notice the Specialized ones come in a range of different sizes and some are branded as Men's / Women's and some don't specify.
Any tips much appreciated.
The principal goal is for fitness and exercise in the warmer/drier months when it's too nice to be in a gym. I am a keen runner but the older I get (I'm only 33 but feel like 63...) the harder it is on my joints, so probably looking at replacing some running with cycling.
They will be most likely mainly used either on the road in our local residential area or on dirt tracks/trails etc if we go out for the day and get off the beaten path.
Could anyone kindly make a recommendation for a particular brand or style to start the search with? Budget would be c. £1k for two bikes, not sure if this is good bad or indifferent for our (fairly basic?) requirements.
I mentioned this in passing to a colleague and he suggested I look at the 'Specialized Sirrus' range - is that good advice? Their website has the basic models in that range at around £450-£550 but wanted some advice from more than one person!
Also, probably sounds a silly question, but does a woman specifically need a bike that's branded as a women's bike? I notice the Specialized ones come in a range of different sizes and some are branded as Men's / Women's and some don't specify.
Any tips much appreciated.
Was here 4 years ago. 59 none too flexible or fit. I ended up with a Halfords hybrid. With helmet etc was around £380. Aside from 2 punctures and a bit of cable adjustment has been great. Seriously did my back 3 years ago with a slipped disc but once cleared by the physio went back to cycling, probably wouldn't have managed a road bike.
I'd have a look online for second hand bikes. Paid £25 for something that would have been £250 new. It had done less than ten miles and just needed a new innertube.
If you've got a local bike shop they may also have some specials in, though I suspect that demand for bikes recently has been too high for much cheap to be about.
If you've got a local bike shop they may also have some specials in, though I suspect that demand for bikes recently has been too high for much cheap to be about.
I would look to see if your employers have a Cycle To Work scheme, where you can get loads of money off a new bike.
I'm short, you buy it through your payroll, before tax and national insurance are deducted, resulting in huge savings. Which would mean you could spend a lot more than the £500 a piece, and it only cost you £500.
The other thing to do is see if you can find a local bike shop still open, most are, and just go and look at some metal. The most important thing about any bike is frankly, how it makes you feel. If you feel good about it you're more likely to want to ride it. When you see them you can quickly decide what you like the look of, from style to paint job.
Ladies specific? It can make a difference. You have 3 contact points with the bike, hands, feet and crotch. Ladies have different ratios between them. And often prefer the dropped top tube, for ease of getting on and off, as you don't have to swing your foot, and thus hips, so high.
I'm short, you buy it through your payroll, before tax and national insurance are deducted, resulting in huge savings. Which would mean you could spend a lot more than the £500 a piece, and it only cost you £500.
The other thing to do is see if you can find a local bike shop still open, most are, and just go and look at some metal. The most important thing about any bike is frankly, how it makes you feel. If you feel good about it you're more likely to want to ride it. When you see them you can quickly decide what you like the look of, from style to paint job.
Ladies specific? It can make a difference. You have 3 contact points with the bike, hands, feet and crotch. Ladies have different ratios between them. And often prefer the dropped top tube, for ease of getting on and off, as you don't have to swing your foot, and thus hips, so high.
OriginalFDM said:
The wife and I are looking to make our first foray into cycling since we were kids(!) and just looking at a couple of websites, the choice and options are somewhat overwhelming for the uninitiated!
The principal goal is for fitness and exercise in the warmer/drier months when it's too nice to be in a gym. I am a keen runner but the older I get (I'm only 33 but feel like 63...) the harder it is on my joints, so probably looking at replacing some running with cycling.
They will be most likely mainly used either on the road in our local residential area or on dirt tracks/trails etc if we go out for the day and get off the beaten path.
Could anyone kindly make a recommendation for a particular brand or style to start the search with? Budget would be c. £1k for two bikes, not sure if this is good bad or indifferent for our (fairly basic?) requirements.
£500 a bike will get you a lot of bike. Have you factored in all the extras:The principal goal is for fitness and exercise in the warmer/drier months when it's too nice to be in a gym. I am a keen runner but the older I get (I'm only 33 but feel like 63...) the harder it is on my joints, so probably looking at replacing some running with cycling.
They will be most likely mainly used either on the road in our local residential area or on dirt tracks/trails etc if we go out for the day and get off the beaten path.
Could anyone kindly make a recommendation for a particular brand or style to start the search with? Budget would be c. £1k for two bikes, not sure if this is good bad or indifferent for our (fairly basic?) requirements.
outfit, shoes, padlock, chain, mudguards, pannier etc ?
My usual tip is Decathlon: cheaper and better than Halfords I find.
You would probably quite happy in a medium range £300 mountain bike.
That won't have all the bells and whistles of a much more expensive bike,
but as a newbie, it'll be fine. Think of it as a Ford / VW / Vauxhall for a new driver.
Not great, but perfectly reasonable at that level.
Maybe a hybrid might be quite nice, but I wouldn't bother with a road bike,
unless you want to join in with the ultra keen lycra-clad hordes hammering about
at 30 mph in big groups.
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