On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 12:17:38 +0100, stupot wrote:

What would be the fastest type of bike for a 7 mile(ew) commute.
Dont care about luggage - just carry a wallet down to work.
It is downhill on the way in, so dont get sweaty - just shower
at home at the end of the day.
Do I need a fast road bike? Does ~£400 get a reasonable one?
And the silly question, can I spend less? :-)

You can get a pretty good hybrid for around £300, which leaves
you loads of cash for lights, pump, spare tubes, reflective vest
or whatever extras take your fancy. (£400 is a sensible budget IMO).

Look around for Dawes, Specialized, Trek and Giant hybrid bikes in
that price range. And if you *must* buy a mountain bike, get one
*without* suspension and swap the knobbly tyres for slicks.

Before you buy, check the bike will take a rear rack - you may
decide you need to carry luggage (laptop, clothes, lunch etc) one day.

Let us know how you get on!

--
jc