Bike recommendation

It really *is* very difficult to try to work out what will be right for
you without trying it. Bikes have to fit their rider like clothes and
shoes have to fit their wearers. I wouldn't recommend getting shoes
mail-order unless you'd had several of the same make and model without
trouble.

I appreciate it's difficult to get out in your circumstances but think
you might have to go to a shop.

If you know any cyclists living nearby, they might be able to help, both
by knowing what's available locally and by letting you try their bike to
give some idea of sizing.

I agree that you are probably too tall for most women's bikes. You'll
probably be OK with a medium-sized men's bike. You need to make sure
*you* can handle the controls and lift the machine, attach the tag-along
etc. All these things are very individual.

Where geogrphically are you based? Maybe one of us could meet you close
to home to help.

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

I was wondering if anyone can recommend a good bike for me, I have looked at
every online bike shop I can but am no nearer a decision to which make and
model is most suitable.

I won't be doing any road cycling only very good country paths, cycle paths
and park rides. The bike has to be suitable to attach a child trailer or
trail-a-long.

The bike has to be under the £400 pound mark and preferable able to buy
online as I don't drive and have a young child that won't tolerate hanging
around a bike shop while I test drive every model.

I have read http://www.myra-simon.com/bike/mtb-advice1.html after finding
the URL while browsing this group but being technically illiterate I didn't
find it easy to read. I know after reading it though that I would like a
rigid bike without a hi-tensile steel frame.

Where I got lost reading it was the section on buying a bike for a female, I
couldn't follow it at all. Maybe someone in this group can help.

I am 5'9 and my torso and legs are roughly the same length. After looking at
womens bikes online they may be too small for me, the only plus point is
that they come with special saddles for females, but I can easily buy a mens
bike and just fit a new saddle?

Can anyone recommend a suitable bike for me?

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer

Fran

Purple wrote:
The bike has to be under the £400 pound mark and preferable able to
buy online as I don't drive and have a young child that won't
tolerate hanging around a bike shop while I test drive every model.

Just sitting on a few bikes in a shop and getting some advice in person
will be a great help if actually test-riding them is impractical for
whatever reason. I think I know a bit about bikes but I got the wrong
size frame myself when I mail-ordered one. Sizing is a tricky business.

~PB

in message , Purple
') wrote:

I was wondering if anyone can recommend a good bike for me, I have
looked at every online bike shop I can but am no nearer a decision to
which make and model is most suitable.

I won't be doing any road cycling only very good country paths, cycle
paths and park rides. The bike has to be suitable to attach a child
trailer or trail-a-long.

The bike has to be under the £400 pound mark and preferable able to
buy online as I don't drive and have a young child that won't tolerate
hanging around a bike shop while I test drive every model.

You don't actually need front suspension for the sort of riding you're
suggesting, and you certainly don't need rear suspension. You also
don't need disk brakes and at your price point shouldn't go for them.
Since you are proposing to ride almost all off tarmac and to pull a
child trailer low gearing would be a good thing, so you are looking at
something towards the MTB end of the 'hybrid' continuum.

I am 5'9 and my torso and legs are roughly the same length. After
looking at womens bikes online they may be too small for me, the only
plus point is that they come with special saddles for females, but I
can easily buy a mens bike and just fit a new saddle?

Yes, you can. You ought to be able to get the shop supplying the bike to
swap a womens saddle on at no extra cost - my partner rides Georgina
Terry Liberator saddles on both her bikes, and swears by them; but
saddles are pretty personal so be prepared to find you don't get on
with the first one you try. You may also want to get the shop to swap
the tyres which come with the bike for less knobbly ones, as the reason
you want low gearing is to pull the trailer, not to tackle very muddy
or rough tracks.

Can anyone recommend a suitable bike for me?

Dawes, Specialized, Scott and Giant all produce reasonable quality hard
tail mountain bikes at around the £400 mark. Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op
also have some own-brands under this price and are good value for
money.

If you want a one model recommendation you wouldn't go far wrong with a
Specialized Hardrock.

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Das Internet is nicht fuer gefingerclicken und giffengrabben... Ist
nicht fuer gewerken bei das dumpkopfen. Das mausklicken sichtseeren
keepen das bandwit-spewin hans in das pockets muss; relaxen und
watchen das cursorblinken. -- quoted from the jargon file

On Sat, 03 Jul 2004 18:03:04 GMT, "Purple"
wrote:

I was wondering if anyone can recommend a good bike for me, I have looked at
every online bike shop I can but am no nearer a decision to which make and
model is most suitable.

I won't be doing any road cycling only very good country paths, cycle paths
and park rides. The bike has to be suitable to attach a child trailer or
trail-a-long.

The bike has to be under the £400 pound mark and preferable able to buy
online as I don't drive and have a young child that won't tolerate hanging
around a bike shop while I test drive every model.

My wife has a Trek 7200 FX with rigid fork and suspension seat post.
It's ideal for the type of riding you want to do, there is a women's
model (which you may or may not want) and it's well within your price.
A very practical bike and easy to ride.

--
Dave...

Get a bicycle. You will not regret it. If you live. - Mark Twain

Purple wrote:
What would the front suspension be like on the Trek 7200 FX at =A3320? =
Does
front suspension start to become reliable at that price?

Not so much it's unreliable as just not doing anything very useful.=20
It'll add to the weight and remove money from things like the frame and=20
transmission. It would be good for soaking up big bumps, but I doubt=20
you intend to take very many of those!
If you have no realistic easy choice then front sus isn't going to be a=20
huge issue at this price, but IMHO you'd do better without it for what=20
you have in mind.

Another good rigid general purpose bike is the Kona Smoke, you can get=20
details from a Google. This seems to be in your price range, you're not =

wasting money on suspension and with mudguards fitted you won't spray=20
the trailer with goop either! Konaworld.uk.com has a dealer list, a=20
couple of the general ones are in Nottingham.

Pete.
--=20
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

"Helen Deborah Vecht" wrote in message
...
It really *is* very difficult to try to work out what will be right for
you without trying it. Bikes have to fit their rider like clothes and
shoes have to fit their wearers. I wouldn't recommend getting shoes
mail-order unless you'd had several of the same make and model without
trouble.

I appreciate it's difficult to get out in your circumstances but think
you might have to go to a shop.

If you know any cyclists living nearby, they might be able to help, both
by knowing what's available locally and by letting you try their bike to
give some idea of sizing.

I agree that you are probably too tall for most women's bikes. You'll
probably be OK with a medium-sized men's bike. You need to make sure
*you* can handle the controls and lift the machine, attach the tag-along
etc. All these things are very individual.

Where geogrphically are you based? Maybe one of us could meet you close
to home to help.

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

Hi Helen

I moved from North London (near you) to Nottinghamshire five weeks ago as my
partner was transferred through work. But with him working 13 hour days six
days a week with Sundays off it makes life very difficult as I can't get to
bike shops during the week and most are closed on Sundays. I miss the seven
day shopping week that I had in London!!

Though I am getting out and meeting lots of people there isn't really anyone
I can leave my daughter with for any length of time, especially as the bus
into Nottingham is only hourly where I live and then once on the bus it
takes another hour to get there, it is one fo those plodding country buses
that everyone in cities make fun of!

I have narrowed it down to a trek 7200 FX as pointed out to me by Dave Kahn
or a Specialised HardRock which I has been reccommended to me in this group
and I have also read elsewhere that it is the best rigid in my price range.

My partner took my little girl out for lunch so I had time to ring round the
few shops that were open today, I even rang as far afield as Derbyshire and
only one shop stocked either of the bikes I am after. It was a shop in Derby
who had one 7200 in my size except with front suspension.

There is a large shop in Nottingham that I am going to phone tomorrow which
according to their website stocks both bikes and a lot more besides. It is
just a case of getting to the shop now.

There are quite a few shops round here that are open on Sundays but they
only stocked the very very low end of the market/budget bikes which aren't
suitable.

It was tempting to just shoot over to Derby today as my partner could have
driven me there and then looked after our daughter but the bike they have in
stock isn't exactly what I am looking for and they don't have any other
suitable bikes which are suitable for me to compare with the Trek they have.

What would the front suspension be like on the Trek 7200 FX at £320? Does
front suspension start to become reliable at that price?

Fran

"Pete Biggs" wrote in message
...
Purple wrote:
The bike has to be under the £400 pound mark and preferable able to
buy online as I don't drive and have a young child that won't
tolerate hanging around a bike shop while I test drive every model.

Just sitting on a few bikes in a shop and getting some advice in person
will be a great help if actually test-riding them is impractical for
whatever reason. I think I know a bit about bikes but I got the wrong
size frame myself when I mail-ordered one. Sizing is a tricky business.

~PB



Hi Pete

I know what you are saying is right and though if I order the wrong size
through the net most online stores will exchange free of charge I will still
have to fork out three times for P&P.

My little girl is three and can not stand/sit still for mnore than two
minutes now keep herself to herself. She is at the demanding stage and I
know it will be nightmare if I have to take her along, Just going to the
supermarket is an event I dread.

There's a shop in Derby that has a bike that seems suitable so I'll go have
a look next Sunday when my partner can look after our little girl for me

Fran

"Simon Brooke" wrote in message
...
in message , Purple
') wrote:

I was wondering if anyone can recommend a good bike for me, I have
looked at every online bike shop I can but am no nearer a decision to
which make and model is most suitable.

I won't be doing any road cycling only very good country paths, cycle
paths and park rides. The bike has to be suitable to attach a child
trailer or trail-a-long.

The bike has to be under the £400 pound mark and preferable able to
buy online as I don't drive and have a young child that won't tolerate
hanging around a bike shop while I test drive every model.

You don't actually need front suspension for the sort of riding you're
suggesting, and you certainly don't need rear suspension. You also
don't need disk brakes and at your price point shouldn't go for them.
Since you are proposing to ride almost all off tarmac and to pull a
child trailer low gearing would be a good thing, so you are looking at
something towards the MTB end of the 'hybrid' continuum.

I am 5'9 and my torso and legs are roughly the same length. After
looking at womens bikes online they may be too small for me, the only
plus point is that they come with special saddles for females, but I
can easily buy a mens bike and just fit a new saddle?

Yes, you can. You ought to be able to get the shop supplying the bike to
swap a womens saddle on at no extra cost - my partner rides Georgina
Terry Liberator saddles on both her bikes, and swears by them; but
saddles are pretty personal so be prepared to find you don't get on
with the first one you try. You may also want to get the shop to swap
the tyres which come with the bike for less knobbly ones, as the reason
you want low gearing is to pull the trailer, not to tackle very muddy
or rough tracks.

Can anyone recommend a suitable bike for me?

Dawes, Specialized, Scott and Giant all produce reasonable quality hard
tail mountain bikes at around the £400 mark. Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op
also have some own-brands under this price and are good value for
money.

If you want a one model recommendation you wouldn't go far wrong with a
Specialized Hardrock.


Hi Simon

I would ideally like a Hardrock as aswell as your recommendation I have
heard elsewhere that it is the best in my price range but I can only find
one shop near me that stocks it and it is closed the only day I can get down
there dammit!

I take on board what you say and agree with you on both suspension, disk
brake and gears which is why the Hardrock seems ideal.

Fran

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Das Internet is nicht fuer gefingerclicken und giffengrabben... Ist
nicht fuer gewerken bei das dumpkopfen. Das mausklicken sichtseeren
keepen das bandwit-spewin hans in das pockets muss; relaxen und
watchen das cursorblinken. -- quoted from the jargon file

On Sun, 04 Jul 2004 14:32:37 GMT, "Purple"
wrote:



Though I am getting out and meeting lots of people there isn't really anyone
I can leave my daughter with for any length of time, especially as the bus
into Nottingham is only hourly where I live and then once on the bus it
takes another hour to get there, it is one fo those plodding country buses
that everyone in cities make fun of!


Ha. Reminds me of the last time I took a bus from my home village (as
opposed to the village I live in now) into Cambridge. After an hour on
the bus, stopping at every hamlet, farm and desolate cross roads, I
looked out of the window only to realise that *I could still see my
house*!