| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| wellington womble |
On yer bikeHaving moved house moderately successfully, I now live about 5 miles from work, and have no excuse not to cycle. The council have done a super job of promoting cycling, and have built some very shiny, smashing cycle lanes, and are running a high profile local campain. They have even just put in a bike shelter at work. Wonderful, I hear you cry, and surely it is. Except now I can't track down a second hand bike for love nor money, and am going to be forced to BUY A NEW ONE!What do I need? Bikes seem to have bits missing that they used to still have last time I rode one! I'm only going to work and back, not off road. I'm really titchy, so could get away with a teen bike easily, I expect. I don't want bells and whistles, but I'd like to stick a couple of panniers and mile-ometer on. Tesco's have cheap ones, but will they fall to bits (and can I bring myself to go in there anyway!?) |
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| JB |
Unless it's really cheap (as in second hand, freecycled etc) don't buy cheap. Cheap will get poor gears, and brakes which will work but annoy and a heavy frame. If you have a bike with a light frame, brakes that don't jam on and gears that stay in the gear you picked then you're far more likely to use the thing than if you don't | ||||||||
| Barefoot Andrew |
There's no reason why a budget bike from Tesco or Halfords should fall to bits with general usage: it'll be "budget" because it doesn't have the features of a more expensive bike like lightweight frame, shocks, super-duper powerful brakes etc.
If you're just going to use it for travelling to and from work, and maybe the odd leisure ride, as long as it can accept your intended panniers any bike should do (I used to ride to Harlow station and back on a right heap). But, if your route involves some significant hills, and/or you could envisage subjecting your bike to a little off-road rough and tumble one day, then a more considered buying approach will be needed. If you haven't got one already, do get yourself a bike maintenance book as discussed here. A. |
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| hamster |
I bought an incredibly cheap bike in my first year at uni from a very dodgy shop, and the gears packed up after about two days!! That said, it's been absolutely fine for the past three years, with a reasonable amount of maintenance. I don't think you need anything complex for town cycling - imho frame size, suspension gears etc are important if you have to go off-road or up lots of hills (I had a snazzy mountain bike when I lived in Northumberland), but if your route's fairly flat, they're probably not as important in towns. Well-maintained, a cheap bike should do you fine. I suppose the difficulty is finding one that isn't imported from China...
You probably already are checking your local listings paper/gumtree/local newspapers for second hand ones, so it seems rather pointless me reiterating it. I don't think you're a million miles away from Oxford, so this might be useful: http://www.oxfordcycleworkshop.org.uk/ocw.php |
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| Anders |
Like someone already said. Try the local cycle group. They often do workshops where you can sort out the old bike or even pass on secondhand bikes. Good place to meet friendly cyclists too.
Otherwise edinburghbicycle coop often seem to have some good offers - and you pay no postage. Their own brand bikes are very reasonably priced and good quality. http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLqrymode.a4p?f%5FProductID=0&f%5FWebLinkID=2912&f%5FSortOrderID=1&f%5Fbct=c003155c002912 I know, - a bit far to go for a test ride. Cheers, Anders |
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| oldish chris |
Re: On yer bike
I think its a legal requirement to have the bell. |
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| sean |
It's worth buying something decent (whether new or second-hand) IMHO. Five miles, even if it's flat can still seem like a long way at the end of a day's work.
Lightness is everything, you don't need suspension, you want reasonably narrow tyres, get a seat that's designed to fit a female pelvis. |
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| Jonnyboy |
I have a 99 quid raleigh cheapo mountain bike from halfords, bought five years ago and always lives outside. apart from the chain needing a little tlc it works fine.
It is a heavy bike though, can't argue with that. |
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| Bernie66 |
I've just bought a bike, £69 quid from Wooworths, yep, its got 18 gears (probably about 15 more than I need and suspension which is neither here nor there but it does fine. There's a load of cycle paths now and its great for going across the ones arcoss country too. I am not as unfit as I thought I was either! | ||||||||
| dougal |
Oh yes! *IF* you have a smooth surface to ride on, then avoid anything that looks "mountain bike". Instead think "Tour de France" with added comfort and practicality (which is going to mean a bit more weight). Cycle shops used to call them 'tourers' though I doubt that so many people actually go cycle touring these days. Those skinny tyres have much less rolling resistance than the fat, cushiony mountain bike style - so you can go faster, or use less effort, or both. A tourer also ought to have a comfy saddle, and elegant designed-in mounts for panniers etc, while having the performance to make the distance not too hard at the start (it should get much easier as the right muscles get conditioned). I'd suggest that most folk's fitness might benefit from some 'working up to' a 5-mile ride with luggage before and after a working day. Elegance leads to weight saving and reduced wind resistance. Similarly (thinking 10 miles a day) you may wish to avoid parachute-like clothing (though lycra isn't compulsory!) - but do please invest in a helmet, and some hi-vis bits. The faster the traffic you are mixing with, the more visible you should be (ie the further off you can be spotted by inattentive motorists, the safer.) Dayglo is your friend. A bit like a mains PC, a bike is actually a set of parts that can each individually be upgraded. From bits like the hand-grips, to the handlebars themselves, the saddle, to tyres, wheels, brakes and gears - you can change the elements to make them right (or at least better) for you. But do be fussy, very fussy, about getting the right size frame... You are pretty much stuck with the basic frame config, which determines much of what the bike feels like to ride. Not just its tallness, but its weight, stiffness and steering geometry... Bells and whistles. New bikes, once again, *must* be sold with a bell. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3667513.stm But you can (currently) legally remove it. Though there is a proposal that having a bell fitted should become a legal requirement. As reported here and elsewhere. |
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| cab |
Wellington, whats your budget? | ||||||||
| wellington womble |
Enough to buy something decent that will last and be pleasant to ride. Not enough for whistles (seem to be stuck with the bell  )
I don't want cheap, especially - my general philosophy is you get what you pay for - but neither do I want a whole load of gadets that I don't need. I wouldn't want to spend more than about 150, unless I really need to. A bit more spent is better than a bit less wasted on something I don't use. I knew about the tyres, but never thought of the saddle. I don't really anticipate any fitness problems, as I plan to pootle sedately in, and there aren't any hills, and I am fairly fit and active. I will buy a helmet, and pinch a hi-vis vest off himself, although the cycle paths are very good, and there is minimal road-riding (which is why I am prepared to risk it!) |
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| Kinnopio |
I've got a hybrid that suits me superbly. It's much quicker than a mountain bike but is stronger than a racer style bike so you can bump up and down the curbs. I wanted my bike to look cool (I know this is a bit sad) and there are some pretty nice looking bikes out there nowadays (mines a ridegback, which looks great and is really nippy). I warranted spending a bit more on it as it removed the need to have two cars. The main thing is to make sure you get the right sized frame for you, it's amazing how many people don't get this right. | ||||||||
| James |
I cycle most days around 3 miles each way to work, mostly flat, paved cycle ways & roads.
About my bike- - £160 from a cycle warehouse. - Shimano gears. They’re definitely better & worth paying a little extra for. - lightweight alloy wheels- they’re good & light but when they buckle they can’t be re-shaped like steel ones. Such is our disposable society. - Cantilever brakes- a great improvement over the old type that were pivoted in the middle, as opposed to being held in place at two locations on the front forks. They probably all have these brakes now, but if you buy second hand, its something to check for… - “Hybrid” steel frame. I’m not too worried by the weight- hybrids have a relatively light frame and I’ve never had a super-light (alloy framed) bike so I don’t miss it. Don’t go for the ubiquitous cheap mountain bike frame- they’re small, heavy and slow which really makes for hard going on a straight forward commute. The frame I have is light enough to allow for quick acceleration when I’m trying to get to work on time, but strong enough to jump curbs, cycle on un-metalled tracks & light off-roading. The sprung frames are MUCH less efficient than normal rigid frames - great if you’re speeding through downhill woodland, but terrible if your trying to get to work on time without breaking a sweat. Get a frame whose cross bar (or on a lady’s bike, the hole into which the saddle slots) is at hip level. - tyres are 5/8 inch (basically three quarters of an inch)- this allows me to have rugged hi-grip tyres for light off-roading or smoother tyres for town cycling. Mountain bikes have an inch or thicker tyres, and this really increases friction and slows you down/ increases the amount of push you need to keep you going. - 18 gears, but to be honest I probably use 5 of these, unless I’ve got a really heavy load. The more gears you have on a bike below £200, the greater the chance of your gears jumping. On cheap bikes, 12 gears would be fine, in my opinion. - Inner tubes- I protect my rear tube, because once I’ve got my gears adjusted, I don’t like altering them. I used to not protect my tubes, and I’d constantly get punctures. Now I have Cevlar (kevlar?) felt inside the tyres, and either a gel-filled tube on the rear, or (in a real downsizer bodge) I rap the tube in gaffa tape. The gaffa tape really extends the life of your inner tube. Apparently, an old safety belt run down the inside of your tyre is the best - lights- little LED’s are cheap, reliable and are great for using rechargeable. Get a powerful front white LED. Like others have said, check out the local cyclegroups, they’re often linked to your local free-cycle network or similar. In York, they repair & re-sell discarded bikes for around £40. Also check out you local police constabulary web-site. They usually have a section on sales of seized goods, where everything from speed boats to Nintendos are sold off cheaply. Finally, if you’re intending to cycle to work, you can buy your bike tax and NI free, thus saving you about 40% of the total cost of your bike. Check out the details at http://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/ |
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| Mary-Jane |
When we got our bikes, we bought a Ridgeback bike each on the recommendation of my best friend who is an avid cyclist. We wanted a combination of on and off roading bikes (hybrid?), not too expensive and fairly robust. She suggested the Ridgebacks and I have to say they are very nice bikes - not that I would hold myself out as knowing the first thing about bikes!
To our eternal shame, since moving to Wales I don't think we have actually had them out of the bike shed as we're always so bloody busy working now... 
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| Northern_Lad |
Although SRAM are waaaaaay better, but probably fill your budget in one go. I can echo what most have said: Try lots of bikes - they may be the same size, but the position and 'feel' will be different. Go for a hybred, not a 'racer' or 'mountain' style. If you can afford it, get front forks; they make a heck of a difference. Ladies saddles are slightly broader at the back, and have a hole in the middle for comfort.  didn't mean it to sound like that.
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| Jonnyboy |
In that you don't have to wheelie everywhere? |
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| Northern_Lad |
Ah, yes. I meant front suspension forks, instead of fixed. Mind you, a unicycling physotherapist has novelty value... |
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| dougal |
I wrote a long para for WW about the 'cycle to work scheme' and then didn't post it after it struck me that IIRC she worked in the 'public services'. To whom the scheme doesn't really apply. The scheme (a deliberate government tax perk) works like this. The employer provides a bike (free loan or cheap hire) and you don't get taxed on it as being a 'benefit in kind' (so no Income Tax or NI). What's in it for the employer? Well, he gets to reclaim the VAT immediately, and claim 'capital allowances' (reducing his tax bill) over the time he 'owns' the bike, so it costs him rather less than the sticker price of the bike to provide. (And the bike can be sold off cheaply to the employee at the end of the hire/loan period.) BUT, the public sector doesn't do normal VAT, let alone capital allowances. So its *not* anything that the public service employer (er, the government, really) gets help from the taxman (er, the government, really) to provide. So such schemes would purely depend on the generosity of the management, as public service employers have no financial benefit (government contribution) to running them. Daft, IMHO. |
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| Northern_Lad |
Ah, but if WW did 1 hour a week 'secretarial work' for her other half... |
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| dougal |
... then she could unicyle downstairs to work in the morning! 
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| James |
I work for the Environment Agency, and we're being encouraged to use this scheme. I've heard our local authority is also doing it, out of two government employers, there's 100% opt-in |
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| cab |
In the 150 quid range, maybe a fraction above, if I wanted reliable, dependable and lots of other words ending in 'able' I'd go for a Dawes. They're heavier, they don't have many whistles and bells, but ultimately weight and add-ons matter less to you as a new commuter-cyclist than that your bike requires little maintenance and runs well. Dawes do that.
Ultimately, when you get your legs, you'll be bored by a Dawes (I certainly would be). But for you, now, I'd be seriously tempted by a Dawes hybrid. |
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| Mrs Fiddlesticks |
this place might be worth a look at when you're next in Oxford - Warlands Cycle Shop
Proper old fashioned bike shop with workshop and 2nd hand bikes for sale in the front.... |
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| dougal |
I'm delighted that the Government is being so generous with its/our funds! However, the point remains that, unlike for the private sector, any cost advantage has to come out of their operational budget, rather than being a tax concession.
That's from the DfT's implementation guide for employers - http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/cycling/cycletoworkschemeimplementat5732?page=1 |
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| Behemoth |
This is the scheme we have at work and then you get paid a mileage rate for work use. Interestingly there in no monitoring if you come to work on your bike. Judging from the lack of bikes and our geographical location (up high), take up has been low. Also promoting the scheme in novemeber wasn't the best time of year.
Basically the price of the bike comes out of your wage before tax and NI, so you pay the going rate for the bike but you aren't taxed on that income: Bike to Work is a government backed initiative designed to help increase access to more environmentally friendly transport to work and improve general health and wellbeing. We launched the scheme in October 2006 and plan to offer another opportunity to take part in the scheme in spring 2007. We are working with Cyclescheme who operate this scheme through a number of independent bicycle dealers across the UK. Here’s a summary of the benefits of the scheme… · Employees can take advantage of a government initiative that offers tax and National Insurance savings. The scheme gives you the option to reduce an agreed amount of your salary in return for a bicycle for travel to and from work. The bike can also be used at weekends and on holiday. · Dependant on your income tax rate you can save up to 50% on the retail price of a bicycle · You can use your local bike shop (if linked to Cyclescheme), who can provide a wide range of bicycles from many manufacturers and the support of expert advice and fitting. · You have the benefit of full warranty and servicing and a local source for insurance replacements. · You pay for the bike over 18 months by monthly deductions from salary. Further details of how to take advantage of this benefit will be available in 2007 when we re-launch the scheme. |
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| dpack |
tt a long time york resident and cyclist has a good quality but old and unfasionable bike cos they dont get nicked ,are cheap and easy to maintain
round here we have hills so 72 gears and a helium filled frame is popular with the few hardy souls who pedal |
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| lassemista |
Does anyone know why I always get numb hands when I cycle - not cold!!
Andrea. |
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| Northern_Lad |
You're probably gripping too hard, combined with the vibrations for the bike. there will be an element of wind-chill, plus our body will draw the heat from your extrematies to your main muscles. A good pair of padded gloves should fix the problem. |
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| dougal |
However, in the private vat-able sector you could be charged much less (than the actual price of the bike {and all the kit to go with}) WITHOUT the business losing a penny. If you worked for a city bank a year or so back, you got a £1000 tax-free bike (& kit) as well as a (perhaps marginally smaller) taxable annual bonus... |
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| Behemoth |
Yes, they are different but 'This is the scheme..' was a statement rather than a comparison...
We are a private company.
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| dougal |
Sorry, I was trying to remark that "Cycle to Work" (the scheme encouraging loan/hire {not actually simple outright purchase at the start} with tax advantages is actually not just distinct from but actually supposed to be incompatible with the scheme for paying mileage rates for business bike travel.
That's what the DfT say - do take a look http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/cycling/cycletoworkschemeimplementat5732?page=1 Note that "Cycle to Work" is a scheme for hiring or lending a "company" bike to an employee. It might look very like a 'purchase' but it actually isn't {and mustn't be} - in order to get the tax advantages.
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| gil |
A quick release front wheel, so you can remove it and chain it to the back wheel and frame with one of those D-locks.
Or a quick-release saddle, so you can take it with you. Not protection against thieves with vans, though. |
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| James |
If I park somewhere dodgy (for "dodgy", read "York railway satation"), I use a steel rope AND a D-lock. Normally thieves only carry equipment for one type of lock. I saw 4 bikes being stolen yesterday. One had no saddle, but the kids were just cycling along holding the other bikes |
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| MarkS |
I wouldring the local police and find out where they dispose of stolen recovered bikes. cambridge used to have loads.
the less scruipuless (and more literate) could pop in and say - my bikes gone, then have a look at the unclaimed ones |
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| cab |
Cambridge still has loads, I gather there is the occasional charity auction. |
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| wellington womble |
Ooh - thanks guys. Loads of useful info there. I don't think theft is going to be an issue - I can actually store it in the building, or in an discreet cycle shelter (with CCTV!)
I did wonder about cycle to work, but although I do work in the private sector, I also work for the tightest gits known health, so it's unlikey to be a goer (although the boss' son is a keen cyclist, hence the shelter!) however, I can access it through himself company (Good point, NL) I'll go shopping then! |
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| FiddlesticksTim |
There's a bike shop near us that does an awesome selection of second-hand bikes (including some mean looking tandems!!). There's some quality stuff there for very reasonable prices compared to new. If you're over our way, we'll happily take you up to the shop to have a look around.
I'd echo the advice to get a decent (lightweight) bike rather than anything budget (heavy!). And I'd also echo the advice to get a good lock!! Tim |
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| Mrs Fiddlesticks |
bless him - darling, if you'd read further up you'd see I've put a link to Warlands!!
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