Getting a bike

[baldowrie]

Stonehead wrote:

The only downside is that some of the local mums like to perv at my legs...


Oh, come on - it's probably the only entertainment they get in their lives!

Desperate house wives springs to mind!



or delusions of grandeur

I have to agree with Stoney about child seats if I was going to choose one, not that I have riden a bike with one. I have seen far too many children on the back of bikes in their seat hanging down with little hands just brushing the rear wheel as mum rides along because they have fallen a sleep and also one fall over with a child in the seat because mum forgot when she got off the bike....and no helmet for either

[Geonz]

DOn't know from the kid issues but tossing a vote in for paying extra for quality and people who know what they're doing. If you're going to use the thing and put miles on it...

I got an xtracycle myself and am inordinately fond of it for hauling just about everything.

[Annpan]

I am getting somewhat depressed about this now

Bike £230
Child seat £70
Rack for seat £25
Panniers £40 (this is a special set up that means I can carry Shortie and panniers at the same time)
helmet for me £25
helmet for Shortie £20

Total £450... I could pass my driving test for less, and have the freedom to carry everything and drive anywhere I want... most of the roads around here are very hilly (I mean they go from 210m down to 100m and back up again) there is no way I could cycle around the whole area, I will be limited to 3 or 4 routes... I still can't get to any major population centres without taking the train too...

I am really doubting that I should buy a bike now, but I have no other way of getting around and as E gets older she needs more socialising... oh stuff and bother.

[red]

you might have to pay less and get less...?

for later years.. we had a tag a long.. terrific for the slightly older child. used it for years...

[Thomzo]

My BF recommends http://www.wheelies.co.uk/ for a good deal and good advice.

Cheers
Zoe

[Brod]

As per costs try your local car boot sales: at the Cheltenham car boot in the last couple of years I've picked up:

27" Frame touring bike by Dawes £3 , and the bloke chucked in a Raleigh 27" frame racer missing a front wheel as well.
Karimor rear cycle rack £5 (actually I had to buy the bike it was attached to as well to but at that price I wasn't complaining)
Pair of Karimor 20 litre panniers £6
I've seen child seats there as well, but since they appear to contain a lot of plastic which gets brittle with age I'm not sure I like the idea of a second hand one with unknown history, ditto helmets.

[Geonz]

you can spend less and be less.

it generally costs less to go with the flow.

Do wht you can! If you can't... you can't. Find other ways to be and give :)

[Big Al]

I am getting somewhat depressed about this now

Bike £230
Child seat £70
Rack for seat £25
Panniers £40 (this is a special set up that means I can carry Shortie and panniers at the same time)
helmet for me £25
helmet for Shortie £20

Total £450... I could pass my driving test for less, and have the freedom to carry everything and drive anywhere I want... most of the roads around here are very hilly (I mean they go from 210m down to 100m and back up again) there is no way I could cycle around the whole area, I will be limited to 3 or 4 routes... I still can't get to any major population centres without taking the train too...

I am really doubting that I should buy a bike now, but I have no other way of getting around and as E gets older she needs more socialising... oh stuff and bother.

The thing is annpan is that you are buying good gear that will last a fair while maintainance free. I've bought cheap bikes before and some weighed over 40 pounds but now i have a £800 bike that weighs 16 pounds and yes it is expensive but I can beat a lot of traffic when I have my cyco biker head on ( just to prove to myself that I still can.... won't be long before I can't sadly) but generally it is a lovely lightweigh bike for riding around. As for the hills buy a 21 or 24 gear bike and learn to use the gears.... that's not patronising but the number of people who knack themselves up or even give up because they don't use the gears properly is sad.

Personally i'd get the bike first and a back pack. Ride the bike and do a bit of local shopping with the back pack. When you get acoustomed to the bike and the extra weight then go for the panniers and start again. Get used to the weight and then go for the child seat although I never did. I never took my son near the bike before he was 8 and then it was on a trailer bike and only off road ( as in cycle tracks in parks etc so no cars).

Cycling is such a fun pastime and if you want to be mental and chase cars you can, if not you can poddle along at you lesuire but seriously doing all you plan at once might put you off cycling for ever.

Alan

[jondy]

I think annpan can halve those prices, it will mean a trip to Halfords or following ebay to find something s/hand for sale locally on a cash on collection basis. I brought a Halfords ladies bike around two years ago for my wife. Avoid the cheap all suspension front and rear types. The steel framed bike, about £100, has been fine I added road tyres which makes the bike better on the road.

John

[Annpan]

Well we decided to go with the... get the best that is reasonable for the job in habd (basically the prices above are what we paid) It arrived on Tuesday, I have been on it for a few miles (sans baby and seat - just on me tod)

The only major problem (besides it being vary large and a 'proper' mountain bike on which you can't lower the seat or raise the handle bars ) But the saddle is either a mans one or made for a pre-childbirth women... which IS a problem as [TMI WARNING] due to child birth my pelvic bones are wider that they once were which means that my pelvis is not well supported by the seat - it does not make cycling impossible by any means but I have more aches than I ought to have....

[Geonz]

Oh, yea, seats

Never seems that a bike comes with the right one. My bike shop lets you test ride most of the models.

But ... great that you got it! Keep working on getting the fit that feels right - it's totally worth it.

[Big Al]

Well we decided to go with the... get the best that is reasonable for the job in habd (basically the prices above are what we paid) It arrived on Tuesday, I have been on it for a few miles (sans baby and seat - just on me tod)

The only major problem (besides it being vary large and a 'proper' mountain bike on which you can't lower the seat or raise the handle bars ) But the saddle is either a mans one or made for a pre-childbirth women... which IS a problem as [TMI WARNING] due to child birth my pelvic bones are wider that they once were which means that my pelvis is not well supported by the seat - it does not make cycling impossible by any means but I have more aches than I ought to have....

Where did you get the bike ?? sounds like you got a man's mountain bike. You did tell the shop that it was for a woman didn't you ?? Look at swaping the seat for a gel seat or a ladies seat. Wider, less pointy. YesI know it's a bit more expense but the comfort is great. If you can't lower the saddle then you have bought the wrong size frame bike I'm afraid.

What is the bike name and size of frame?

[Wombat]

Good one Ann!

I can definitely vouch for the gel seat, they take the "Ike!" out of "bike"

Nev

[jondy]

My wife insisted on a gel saddle. To be comfortable she also needed to sit in a more upright position. If you can't lower the seat, as Big al say's the frame may be to large. To sit more upright with what you have try flipping the stem (the part that holds the handlebars as this can also raise and lower) there may also be adjusting washers to rearange for height. Also try rocking the handlebar around a bit to achieve a bit more height.
Ask the local cycle shop for handlebars that are more sit up beg style.

John

[Annpan]

Well we decided to go with the... get the best that is reasonable for the job in habd (basically the prices above are what we paid) It arrived on Tuesday, I have been on it for a few miles (sans baby and seat - just on me tod)

The only major problem (besides it being vary large and a 'proper' mountain bike on which you can't lower the seat or raise the handle bars ) But the saddle is either a mans one or made for a pre-childbirth women... which IS a problem as [TMI WARNING] due to child birth my pelvic bones are wider that they once were which means that my pelvis is not well supported by the seat - it does not make cycling impossible by any means but I have more aches than I ought to have....

Where did you get the bike ?? sounds like you got a man's mountain bike. You did tell the shop that it was for a woman didn't you ?? Look at swaping the seat for a gel seat or a ladies seat. Wider, less pointy. YesI know it's a bit more expense but the comfort is great. If you can't lower the saddle then you have bought the wrong size frame bike I'm afraid.

What is the bike name and size of frame?

this is the bike I have bought... 18" frame I did all the measurements and followed all the guidance I could as to the size of frame.
It IS a womans bike... It is only big because I think it is (that doesn't make much sense huh) I haven't ridden a bike for years and when you have to balance on this 2 wheeled monster it seems too big... but I actually have the height lower than is recommended... And I do find it odd that the handle bars can't be raised... I had thought I would have some kind of option as to my position while riding (ie more upright) but seems that I bought the wrong bike for that.

I have already been through the 'send it back' argument with OH and I think he is right that I was just overwhelmed and any bike would have been daunting. We are going through to the shop at the weekend (I was adamant that I would buy on-line, and I made the best choice I could) I plan on getting a new Big Ass saddle while there lol...

I don't think I have bought the wrong bike, just one that is a bit scarier than the old ladies, step through frame, wide saddle, wicker basket, low saddle... which might have been an easier one to get on and off, but it wouldn't have survived on the rough paths and hills around here... Oh, and it is 24 gear... and any tips on how best to use them would be greatly appreciated... it would help with the hills.