[Drooper]

energyzone, on 23 May 2012 - 14:05, said:

What do you think of these bikes?

http://www.halfords....65534&langId=- 1

http://www.argos.co....ext%3EBIKES.htm

The Master, on 23 May 2012 - 21:16, said:

The first one is in Halfords, therefore it's a heap of shite.

Sorry, not very helpful

Carrera bikes are generally well reviewed, to be fair. Halfords service and after-sales is pretty shite, but the bike is probably decent for that money.

[dorlomin]

energyzone, on 23 May 2012 - 14:05, said:

What do you think of these bikes?

http://www.halfords....65534&langId=- 1

http://www.argos.co....ext%3EBIKES.htm

What are you buying them for? Offroading or just street commuting?

Neither are awful, but you will be getting a cheap bike with cheap parts that will tend to wear quickly. That said if you are just doing 5-10 miles a day then they should not be too bad.

If you are not going to be doing a lot of off roading you may want to look more at a hybrid that will have a larger wheel and thinner tyres so take less effort to keep moving. The downside is off road the wheels are not quite so good at going through soft terrain.

[energyzone]

Thanks. I would be using it once or twice weekly, going about 10 - 15 miles each time. It's purely for leisure as I live too far away from work to cycle.

It would mainly be cycle paths/roads but I would like the chance to do a bit of off roading.

This post has been edited by energyzone: 24 May 2012 - 07:11

[dorlomin]

energyzone, on 24 May 2012 - 07:09, said:

Thanks. I would be using it once or twice weekly, going about 10 - 15 miles each time. It's purely for leisure as I live too far away from work to cycle.

It would mainly be cycle paths/roads but I would like the chance to do a bit of off roading.

On general principles Id avoid Agros as they have not a clue about bikes. The Halfords one looks ok, read a couple of reviews online and people do say it has broad knobbly mountain bikish tyres so is likely to be a bit more effort to keep going on the road but the ride should be a small bit smoother. So its up to you if you want to look for another hybrid with 700cc wheels, they will be less effort but a bit bumpier. The tyres should be fine for a bit of light offroading.

Make sure you buy a bike the right size and insist they they set it up correctly for your size.

Quote

The saddle and pedal arrangement however is most important as amazingly this will make it easier to ride and will prevent knee problems and even saddle sore !!.
The Highway code states that a cyclist rider must be able to touch the floor with their balls of their feet and this is often the best place to start although a cyclist rule of being close to full leg extent when at the bottom of the pedal stroke is a better guide as this will allow your upper leg muscles to fully extend and make it easier to ride your cycle.
This will however often mean the rider is struggling to touch the floor so it will depend on your riding experence as to where you personally end up adjusting your saddle .
Our size guide is a miniumum cycle size requirement and will generally need a adjusting according to your personal preferences.
The height at the front will also have a major effect on your cycling experence the majortiy of cycles have either a adjustable stem or can be raised or lowered .
For more information on size setup of your cycle follow our assembly guide -here

Adults

Most Adults cycles are manufactured worldwide to the same ISO standards and do not tend to vary greatly in terms of geometry from manufacter to manufacter . The general rule is one wheel size several frame sizes.
The wheelsize however can vary from 20" wheels such as folding cycles and BMX through to 28" wheels such as Hybrid, Sports Hybrid, Racer, and Road Bikes.
The frames can vary from 14" through to 23" and the size of the bike you need obviously depending on your size. On all cycles you will find some further adjustment is required in terms of saddle height and handlebar position. We have come up with this rough inside leg guide -
Frame Size Inside leg Guide (minimum size) Person Size Ft

• 22" - 23" - 32"+ 6ft +
• 20" - 29" 5ft 10
• 18" - 27" 5ft 6
• 16" - 25" 5ft 4
• 14" - 23.5" 5ft 2

http://www.bikeoutle...s/The_size.html
A badly sized bike can be a real pain.

This post has been edited by dorlomin: 24 May 2012 - 08:32

[Drooper]

All set for the Skye Mor on Saturday, with the forecast suggesting temperatures reaching 24C

I'd better arrange for a crash team to be on standby!

The route for this ride looks breathtaking, so my intention is not to kill myself but enjoy the day. Undulating is probably the best way to describe the route, though in such temperatures, the hills will be a challenge (though a sea breeze should bring some relief).

I've lost some fitness having had the Small Man Flu (worse than regular as it is more concentrated ), in the past couple of weeks. I did consider dropping to the 65 mile route but I'll most likely regret this afterwards, so will stick with the original plan and tackle the full 95. The conditions look spot-on (if a tad hot), and the scenery will be spectacular. No worrying about average mph or times on the day. This is one to savour

[broon-loon]

Drooper, on 24 May 2012 - 12:05, said:

All set for the Skye Mor on Saturday, with the forecast suggesting temperatures reaching 24C

I'd better arrange for a crash team to be on standby!

The route for this ride looks breathtaking, so my intention is not to kill myself but enjoy the day. Undulating is probably the best way to describe the route, though in such temperatures, the hills will be a challenge (though a sea breeze should bring some relief).

I've lost some fitness having had the Small Man Flu (worse than regular as it is more concentrated ), in the past couple of weeks. I did consider dropping to the 65 mile route but I'll most likely regret this afterwards, so will stick with the original plan and tackle the full 95. The conditions look spot-on (if a tad hot), and the scenery will be spectacular. No worrying about average mph or times on the day. This is one to savour

Best of luck Sir.........

I've just had a wee look at the website for this and "undulating" is one description for sure...........

It mentions that you need to reach a specific point by a certain time of day or you will be put on the shorter route. You need to average 10mph to make sure you make this....


Enjoy, whatever......

[Drooper]

broon-loon, on 24 May 2012 - 12:11, said:

Best of luck Sir.........

I've just had a wee look at the website for this and "undulating" is one description for sure...........

It mentions that you need to reach a specific point by a certain time of day or you will be put on the shorter route. You need to average 10mph to make sure you make this....


Enjoy, whatever......

Cheers b-l

The route is longer but probably less challenging (climbs-wise) than the recent Scottish Bike Show 65 mile sportive which included the Duke's Pass and a few other choice ascents, and definitely looks a bit less onerous than the Glasgow 100 I did last year. 3000 metres climbing in total apparently. Sounds a lot, but spread over 95 miles, it should be okay. The max height gained is 190 metres or so, whereas some of the others have bigger and sharper climbs.

I won't be underestimating it, though. I want to enjoy the day so will be taking it easy - averaging around 15 mph will do me fine. The heat will put paid to any ambitions I might have had to better that (not that I'm bothered, TBH, this is one to enjoy the scenery!). Keeping hydrated will be the key!