Bike Advice

My racing and touring days are over. It is some time since I rode and
now have a rheumatic hip and knees that I am advised would benefit
from gentle cycling so I need a suitable mount.

It has to be light so that I can lift it onto a rack
Dont need gears but if they are there a hub gear would be best
Upturned handle bars

It does not seem to be a difficult spec. but all the shops I have
visited have mountain bikes, stunt bikes or racers. Anyone any ideas
please?
--

Dystopia

Dystopia wrote:
My racing and touring days are over. It is some time since I rode and
now have a rheumatic hip and knees that I am advised would benefit
from gentle cycling so I need a suitable mount.

It has to be light so that I can lift it onto a rack
Dont need gears but if they are there a hub gear would be best
Upturned handle bars

It does not seem to be a difficult spec. but all the shops I have
visited have mountain bikes, stunt bikes or racers. Anyone any ideas
please?

Rough budget would help with recommendations.

On the "sensible hub gears" front, the Halfords Subway-8 used to get a lot
of thumbs-ups. I think there is a Ridgeback equivalent for broadly thes
similar sums.
Or, for a bit more money, the Cannondale Bad-Boy with 8 speed hub gears is
nice (a friend has one).



--
Nigel Cliffe,
Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/

Dystopia wrote:
My racing and touring days are over. It is some time since I rode and
now have a rheumatic hip and knees that I am advised would benefit
from gentle cycling so I need a suitable mount.
(1) Is this _cast iron_ advice from somebody more qualified than a GP. If
so great! If it's an enthusiastic GP then get a second opinion and
importantly a definition of "gentle".


It has to be light so that I can lift it onto a rack
Dont need gears but if they are there a hub gear would be best
(2) Yes you *do* need gears. Poor use of gears puts a lot of strain on the
legs - That isn't the definition of gentle.

Upturned handle bars

It does not seem to be a difficult spec. but all the shops I have
visited have mountain bikes, stunt bikes or racers. Anyone any ideas
please?
(3) "Hybrid" is the common definition for a work-a-day bike with a purpose.
However these are a bit heavier than a road bike. But depending on
where you want to go cycling, if it involves say trails on old railway
lines, or if you want to carry a pannier's worth of shopping, then you want
that Hybrid toughness.
(4) Tell us where you live and someone will be along shortly to tell you
where a good LBS is.
(5) A common problem with 'road' bikes is their handlebars don't rise up
enough for the un-athletic cyclist. *Always-1* take the bike out for a
ride before you buy. *Always-2* be prepared to walk away from the bike
shop if you can't find what suits you exactly. (Making it clear to the
lesser shops that you're serious about getting what fits you will save a
great deal of grief.)



--
Peter 'Prof' Fox
Multitude of things for beer, cycling, Morris and curiosities at
http://vulpeculox.net
2 Tees Close, Witham, Essex, England +44 (01376) 517206

On 30 Sep, 22:40, "Nigel Cliffe" wrote:
Dystopia wrote:
My racing and touring days are over. It is some time since I rode and
now have a rheumatic hip and knees that I am advised would benefit
from gentle cycling so I need a suitable mount.

It has to be light so that I can lift it onto a rack
Dont need gears but if they are there a hub gear would be best
Upturned handle bars

It does not seem to be a difficult spec. but all the shops I have
visited have mountain bikes, stunt bikes or racers. Anyone any ideas
please?

Rough budget would help with recommendations.

On the "sensible hub gears" front, the Halfords Subway-8 used to get a lot
of thumbs-ups. *I think there is a Ridgeback equivalent for broadly thes
similar sums.
Or, for a bit more money, the Cannondale Bad-Boy with 8 speed hub gears is
nice (a friend has one).

The Bad Boy is very nice indeed, of course, but the Revolution Nexus
Courier is a remarkably similar bike at a much lower price:

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/comm...m&f_cardinal=3

Not as nice as a Bad Boy, of course; and not as light. But if the
budget won't stretch...

Simon Brooke writes:

On 30 Sep, 22:40, "Nigel Cliffe" wrote:
Dystopia wrote:
My racing and touring days are over. It is some time since I rode and
now have a rheumatic hip and knees that I am advised would benefit
from gentle cycling so I need a suitable mount.

It has to be light so that I can lift it onto a rack
Dont need gears but if they are there a hub gear would be best
Upturned handle bars

It does not seem to be a difficult spec. but all the shops I have
visited have mountain bikes, stunt bikes or racers. Anyone any ideas
please?

Rough budget would help with recommendations.

On the "sensible hub gears" front, the Halfords Subway-8 used to get a lot
of thumbs-ups. Â*I think there is a Ridgeback equivalent for broadly thes
similar sums.
Or, for a bit more money, the Cannondale Bad-Boy with 8 speed hub gears is
nice (a friend has one).

The Bad Boy is very nice indeed, of course, but the Revolution Nexus
Courier is a remarkably similar bike at a much lower price:

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/comm...m&f_cardinal=3

Not as nice as a Bad Boy, of course; and not as light. But if the
budget won't stretch...

I had one of these, but when my son's bike was stolen recently I gave it
to him. I'm back on my old hybrid for the time being, but it's not long
for this world (although I'll salvage some parts - the wheels basically
- to make a new tourer when my circular tuit supply improves).

So I'm looking at a single speed round town bike and am quite tempted by
a Ridgeback World Solo
http://www.ridgeback.co.uk/index.php?bikeID=89&seriesID=41&show_bike=TRUE. But
as they're announcing next years range in a week or so I thought I'd
hold off making a purchase until details are available.

On the "sensible hub gears" front, the Halfords Subway-8 used to get a lot
of thumbs-ups. *

I've had a Subway 8 and it was as good as they say, but it is
definitely NOT light (it is a very heavy bike). I have a Subway Zero
now which is a lot lighter and has no gears (flip-flop hub). I'd have
thought gears would make for gentler cycling, though.

PhilO

On Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:02:07 +0100, Dystopia wrote:

My racing and touring days are over. It is some time since I rode and
now have a rheumatic hip and knees that I am advised would benefit
from gentle cycling so I need a suitable mount.

It has to be light so that I can lift it onto a rack
Dont need gears but if they are there a hub gear would be best
Upturned handle bars

It does not seem to be a difficult spec. but all the shops I have
visited have mountain bikes, stunt bikes or racers. Anyone any ideas
please?

Single speed is nice in a flat terrain. But if you have problems with
knees, gears are very important. It's much less stressful for your knees if
you can cycle with a high cadence (rpm of the pedals) in any given
situation.

As for bikes with hub gears... not that common in Britain. But there are a
few available, apart from the Halfords and Ridgeback models mentioned in
the other post:
- Edinburgh bicycle cooperative: Revolution Courier/Pathfinder Nexus
- Giant offer some good-value-for-money models, like the Expression N3/N7
or the more sporty Seek 0.
- If you live nearby London, http://www.bikefix.co.uk/ sell bikes with hub
gears from Fahrradmanufaktur - from the simple 8-speed T100 to the
luxurious T900 Rohloff, as well as very traditional Pashley models and the
expensive dutch Koga Miyata models.
- Specialized have a few models with hub gear, such as the Globe Vienna 4
and San Francisco. The old Globe City models used to feature more hub gear
models, maybe still available somewhere?
- Cannondale have a few models, such as the Tesoro Traveler Rohloff or some
of the Bad Boy Solo, Street and Vintage series.
- Finally the GT Bicycles Traffic 2.0.

Hope this helps,

Andreas

"Dystopia" wrote
all the shops I have
visited have mountain bikes, stunt bikes or racers. Anyone any ideas
please?


Cycleshow in Earl's Court next Fri, Sat, Sun will have more bikes than you
can shake a stick at including some you can have a go on. Can you get to
that?

Andreas Schulze Bäing wrote:
On Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:02:07 +0100, Dystopia wrote:

My racing and touring days are over. It is some time since I rode and
now have a rheumatic hip and knees that I am advised would benefit
from gentle cycling so I need a suitable mount.

It has to be light so that I can lift it onto a rack
Dont need gears but if they are there a hub gear would be best
Upturned handle bars

It does not seem to be a difficult spec. but all the shops I have
visited have mountain bikes, stunt bikes or racers. Anyone any ideas
please?

Single speed is nice in a flat terrain. But if you have problems with
knees, gears are very important. It's much less stressful for your knees if
you can cycle with a high cadence (rpm of the pedals) in any given
situation.

As for bikes with hub gears... not that common in Britain. But there are a
few available, apart from the Halfords and Ridgeback models mentioned in
the other post:
- Edinburgh bicycle cooperative: Revolution Courier/Pathfinder Nexus
- Giant offer some good-value-for-money models, like the Expression N3/N7
or the more sporty Seek 0.
- If you live nearby London, http://www.bikefix.co.uk/ sell bikes with hub
gears from Fahrradmanufaktur - from the simple 8-speed T100 to the
luxurious T900 Rohloff, as well as very traditional Pashley models and the
expensive dutch Koga Miyata models.
- Specialized have a few models with hub gear, such as the Globe Vienna 4
and San Francisco. The old Globe City models used to feature more hub gear
models, maybe still available somewhere?
- Cannondale have a few models, such as the Tesoro Traveler Rohloff or some
of the Bad Boy Solo, Street and Vintage series.
- Finally the GT Bicycles Traffic 2.0.

Hope this helps,

Andreas

I could also mention that Decathlon have a range of town bikes. They're
not actually too light, but ideal for a certain type of "gentle"
cycling. Some are single speed, some with hub gears, and many under
£200, and most with dynamo lighting included if you're needing a quick
but gentle ride to the pub - and hopefully back ;-)

Colin

--
Murphy's Law – If anything can go wrong, it will.
Parkinson's Law – Work expands so as to fill the time available for its
completion
Cole's Law – Thinly sliced cabbage.

Thanks everyone - I now have plenty to follow up.

I live in North Staffordshire so its hilly but there are lots of canal
towpaths and old railway tracks to go on. I don't want to pay
anything like a grand but the cheapest is never the best value so I
don't mind paying a bit over the odds for something that's right. I
am sure at least one of your suggestions will suit me.


On Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:02:07 +0100, Dystopia wrote:

My racing and touring days are over. It is some time since I rode and
now have a rheumatic hip and knees that I am advised would benefit
from gentle cycling so I need a suitable mount.

It has to be light so that I can lift it onto a rack
Dont need gears but if they are there a hub gear would be best
Upturned handle bars

It does not seem to be a difficult spec. but all the shops I have
visited have mountain bikes, stunt bikes or racers. Anyone any ideas
please?