Bicycles - what do you have?

[Paul_B]

Anyone on here into cycling? If so what do you have? Looking into getting a cyclocross bike for commuting, leisure rides and light touring. Mostly on roads but with some off road on bridleways and easier tracks but will do some slightly rough stuff as I live near Lakes. Anyone got something suitable that they could recommend?

[tobes01]

Had a Trek XO-1 a few years back but I didn't get on with the geometry. Great bike though.

That said, a half-decent hybrid will cope fine with the sort of stuff you're suggesting. Personally I'd give suspension a miss, always thought of it as over-rated, just a load of dead weight to carry around.

[Roe Ring]

Have a look on BikeRadar, they have a section dedicated to commuting and plenty of advice on all types of cycling. I'm sure a quick search will give you more up-to-date information than you can handle.

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/forums...8c2f19819518bb

[Shewie]

Got an MTB which hasn't been out of the house for over two years, really need to get my act together and do some miles again.

[Fizzy]

Got a Specialized FSR XC which I bought with the intention of getting back into MTBing. Hasn't happened unfortunately, so I expect it will end up on eBay very shortly

[calibanzwei]

Im currently on a ECC Charge Plug '08 or '09, a loaner from my brother.


..only a month or so until I get my own, again from the ECC, probably a Revolution Courier Classic with the works; mudguards and panniers for those 'wanna go camping NOW' moments

[redprospector]

I used a Trek Pathfinder for a combination of cycle path and track along a canal. It was a good bike taking me from A to B over 5 miles. After three years being hammered, and being reconditioned by a bike thief, it was time to move on. Next I got the Race version of the ECC Revolution Classic mentioned above. The Race wouldn't do well on the track but on roads and paths its great! I love this bike. I would defintely buy ECC again.

[DavidJT]

No good off road of course, but I use this for commuting, no need to book it on the train. Also keep it in the boot of the car and jump out and cycle as the feeling takes me. Handles a moderately muddy Thames Path on a regular basis....


(Mezzo D10)
Then you could also have a full-on mountain bike too, if budget allows.

[Paul_B]

Commuting by bike for me consists of getting out of my house, turning onto the A6, riding for 3 minutes and out into country. Then a few villages and I'm into a small city. From there it is a case of cut across traffic before the one way nightmare and over a bridge and I'm there. 7-8 miles of brain off pedalling fun. The only hassle is the potholes that so far manages to force my rear wheel to not buckle but move to the side so it rubs the chain stay. Easy to fix but annoying. The front wheel buckles a bit though most weeks I did it. That meant a hour or so with my spoke key doing what I don't have the eye for. That is wheel truing.

The potholes managed to mess other more important parts of my bike, like the steering. Not as easy to sort out on the road. Ever tried to steer a drop handled bike with the handles slightly to one side to go forward? Easily fixed at home, even by me!! Anyway thatis why I need a new bike sometime soon.

I can't get on with flat bars. I have a problem with my hand due to a break and elbow joint problems that riding on the flat bars with the fewer possible hand positions makes rather uncomfortable after a while (crunchy elbow syndrome is what I call it). That rules most hybrids out.

There are some very tough bikes out there like those CX bikes. Reckon they will survive the potholes well. 700C x 35 tyres with carbon forks. Should soak up a few bad road surfaces and might even last long enough for the council to sort them out in about 20 years!!

[Loenja]

i got my bike bor exactly the same purpose
trek 7.3fx
with bar ends,
mud guards,
rack
speedometer
new helmet
lights
clip in shoes,
pedals,
bottle holder,
and some other bits and bobs,
just found the reciept so i actually remembered what i had, this was 16th bday present from my parents

great bike, use it for almost every school day.

[Magentus]

I have a Falcon Stealth which is an 15 speed mountain bike I got free from Freecycle and have been using it for the last 4 years to get to work. Apart from a new inner tube it hasn't cost me a penny although I may need a new saddle soon. Of the 1 gears, I generally use 3 of them (that includes a hilly bit up to one of my workplaces). It's a great bike for me, it's black and in my head it's name is Zorro. There - I've not admitted that to anyone outside my family. Feels good. I'd love to get some panniers for it when I can save up enough, or my job starts paying more!

Magentus

[Gill]

I,ve got a trek 6500 and i really need to get on it again and get this beer belly off.

[shogun]

I,ve got a trek 6500 and i really need to get on it again and get this beer belly off.

thats a nice bike m8

[grumit]

I have a Marin bobcat got it free last year from my boss,s son he brought a newer model and was going to dump it my last mtb was a Kirk from same source gave that one away it got stolen two days later lol

[rapidboy]

I have a wee Globe Vienna hybrid as my rough / winter bike


A Specialized Rockhopper SL Comp for messing about in the forest


A Trek 1.5 road bike


And a Specialized Langster because "gears are for queers" and i don't like white bikes
No pic but it's a stealthy black thing with no gears and it hurts when you try to go up hills

Bought a Felt F75 frame set last Saturday to build up through the winter and my new Campagnolo wheels should be here tomorrow.

I'm waiting for the new Focus planet 8 early next year because i want a belt drive with an internal geared hub hybrid for next summer.

I don't have a cyclocross but i was looking at the Genesis Croix De Fer 2010, my LBS has them discounted to £800, a lot of cash but an absolutely beautiful machine.
If i was looking for a cyclecross i'd be all over it - it's pure class.

[markie*mark0]

I have a Marin Attack Trail 08, not so much a commuter but a great slack dh bike

[Sanji]

I have a Gary Fisher Sugar4+ http://fisherbikes.com/bike/archivemodel/36. Best bike ive had n use to do a lott of cross coutry, buy sadly i need new pivot bearings and front shocks need repaired. No money atm to fix though

[siman]

Got a Carrera Vulcan I think it is at the moment. Used to have a Specialized SuperCross with full SRAM X.0 carbon fibre drivetrain etc but sold that to buy a lazy mans vehicle (motorbike) Bike gets used on the odd occasion the motorbike is broken or the weather is nice.

[salad]

Hi

I got a genesis vapour cyclocross bike,
I used to to a lot of mountain biking but after a series of accidents which left me with 2 broken lumber in my lower back followed by a broken pelvis and smashed arm 2 years later I decided I would be better off with a not so extreme bike and opted for cyclocross.
I have to say I have not looked back, the cyclocross is a good type of bike for someone who has an interest in bushcraft or nture watching as it has the capabilities to get you off road to some remote places but is still good over a long distance on road.
I have been thinking of getting some saddle bags for mine and doing some touring.Umm duluth make some good looking ones, wonder if I can get em past he missus

[coco110]

I have a couple of On-One Inbreds (one geared, the other single speed). They are good solid machines with no frills. I would recommend On-One (www.on-one.co.uk) - they do a wide range of bikes and all the necessary bits to build/modify as well. I'm not connected to them in any way; just a happy customer keen to promote a small british company.

[Paul_B]

I liked the crois de fer too but rtuled it out as I don't think it is right for me somehow.

Someone suggested a surly cross check which is probably similar to the crois de fer in that is is a steel frame. Tiagra kit and probably expensive US bike too.

Scott CX comp at £999 looks good. Well specced for the price point. A 2010 at £875 in a local shop looks good too.

[salad]

Yer I took a look at the crois de fer when I brought my vapour, I felt that I did not rely need to pay the extra dosh for disk brakes on a bike like that.I can understand disks on a mountain bike but not on a cyclo cross, I don't think its worth the extra weight.
Would be happy to recommend test ridding the vapour as I love mine, however you should make up your own mind as whats right for me may me not so good for you

[hairyhippy]

errr.. Pinarello Sestriere fixed gear, SJS everyday road bike, Marin mtb, just got rid of a 1957 Viking, I have a problem you see :-) and no room in the garage.

[Beorn]

For the longest part of my existence I'm a bike maniac. Because of limited money as a student , I'm down to one at the moment , but it handles everything I want to do with it:



I can fix a rack, fender are an option (if it gets really wet and I'm riding to town) and it tows my children's carrier and more important, it brakes well enough for that! Also I can reach remote spots without my non-existing car, it's the best way to get out, because the bus service in remote areas is .......

[John Fenna]

Mine is a £65 special from our local bike shop - a replacement for my £75 one that needed a service and new tyres - the new bike was cheaper than the service and tyres would have been......
The £75 one was the one I used for several years and which was my trusty steed when I wrote my book "Discovering Pembrokeshire by Bicycle" (Gomer Press).
She certainly paid for herself many times over!

[Colin.W]

I have an old muddy fox that was left at a house we were called in to repair after chavs had destroyed it, run up the rent bill, "bought" loads of stuff on mail order and got the gas and electric turned off through non payment before doing a runner, presumably to do it again to another poor sucker who rents a house to them. it's not brilliant but it gets me from A to B

[shogun]

i have a gt agressor xc2 had it about 3 years now!! i am going to add panniers so i can cycle and wild camp...

[Oarsnpaddle]

I have one of these (Dahon Smooth Hound) with a titanium Brooks saddle and better pedals:

[1972]

I use my bike for pretty much the same things as you describe - a bit of commuting (in the summer) and a bit of touring.

Its a Scott mountain bike that I've added to and swapped bits on over the years. I dont think you really need to spend a fortune on a bike, just go with a brand name and look after it and you should be fine. Mine's getting on for 15 years old now and its still going strong.


Out of the parts I've added/changed on mine the bits I've found most useful are:

Tyres - Halo Twin rails, actually really good tyres designed to be used on or off road by adjusting the pressures. I think most of the commuter/light off road tyres would make an improvment of the big stubbley things most mountain bikes come with though.

Saddle - Brooks. not showen in the photo but it was after that trip that I decided to change it, 26 miles and I could barely walk the next day

Panniers - once you've used them you wont go back to a rucksack, They're much more convinent.

Mud guards - make riding through puddles a lot more comfortable.

Peddles - I'd swap these for some decent metal ones if they're not fitted

[Alfredo]

My old Peripoli