Commuting - Buying advice

I took my 10-year old Raleigh Pioneer Classic (that I had been using heavily for about two years) to be repaired recently, and the mechanic said that it would cost £120 to repair (faults included five broken spokes on the back wheel, a flat spot on the front wheel, a bent front wheel, misaligned gears, a loose pedal due to a nut with a worn thread, and damaged mud-guard fixings), and that I should consider getting a new bicycle instead. I wasn't going to bother (what, after all, could I get worthwhile for £120?) until my great uncle said that he strongly recommended that I got a new one instead, and would give me £100 towards it if I did.

So, I am trying to find a new bicycle, only I have not had much luck so far. I have learnt a fair bit from the various shops that I have visited, about the different brands, and the advancements in bicycle technology over the last ten years (aluminium is now, apparently, the standard material from which frames are made, and v-breaks are ubiquitous), and about different styles and brands, but I am still having some difficulty in finding just the right model for me.

I suppose that I'm picky: what I am after is a mid-priced fast hybrid/commuter with a high top gear, narrow wheels (I want to make sure that I catch my train!), seatpost suspension (but no suspension forks), components that will withstand daily use at speed with a heavy load on the back, and that is a suitable size for me (I am 1.85m, which is about 6'1-6'2). I have test-ridden three so far (a Trek T30, a Marin (I forget the model) and a Giant): the T30 was all over the place, it felt odd and heavy and the grip shifts were hard to use; the Marin was lovely (if a smidgen expensive), except that the top gear wasn't very high; and the Giant was similar to the T30, the tyres where huge, and the back brake wasn't up to much.

I'm going to London to-morrow to see if I can find something suitable in one of the two huge bicycle shops in Spitalfields. There's a shop in London Fields that has a Specialized Crossroads Sport 2005 on special offer (http://www.londonfieldscycles.co.uk/index.shtml?offers), which looks good to me. Does anyone here have any experiences with bicycles of this sort to offer me any pointers? I have so far narrowed down the brands to Treck, Marin and Specialized (Giant and Raleigh don't seem to have good enough components; Ridgeback don't seem to have any seat-post suspension); does that seem right?

I should be most grateful for any advice :-)

The Secialized Sirrus and Ridgeback Genesis are both popular, practical, lightweight and fast commuter bikes.
You can always get a sus post as an upgrade when you buy. The lower end sus posts are not designed for daily riding and can wear out rapidly; once they go wobbly they are worse than useless. I would advise against a sus post but if you do want some bounce then get a Brooks Conqueror sprung saddle.

Hmm, interseting advice about the seat-posts.

I notice that you reccommended the more expensive Specialized Sirrus, and not the Crossroads; was there a particular reason for that?

First off, it sounds like your old Raleigh needs a new wheelset, chain and cassette-- I'd strongly look into buying the parts on the internet and fixing it yourself. It won't be cheap, but it's worth doing.

Bike suspension is not really a good idea in general. It robs a rider of power and unless it's really high quality, it turns to trash pretty quickly. I second the a spring model Brooks saddle. Still the best you can buy. The only drawback is that thieves might steal it.

I think many of the midlevel bikes you're looking at are OK-- but you may end up with wheel problems with them just like your Raleigh. Wheels wear out and have to be replaced after time. Better wheels last longer, of course. Getting bomb proof wheels and a new saddle for your Raleigh might cost as much as a new lower end bike, but the cost per mile will be much lower over time.

Of course there are few cooler things than getting a bike! It's a hard choice. I'd fix than Raleigh and get a new bike, over time. But then I'm a bike pack rat.

First off, it sounds like your old Raleigh needs a new wheelset, chain and cassette-- I'd strongly look into buying the parts on the internet and fixing it yourself. It won't be cheap, but it's worth doing.

It might be for those who have a great deal of time and mechanical expertise...


Bike suspension is not really a good idea in general. It robs a rider of power

How does it do that?


and unless it's really high quality, it turns to trash pretty quickly.

What is the effect of worn-out seat-post suspension?


I second the a spring model Brooks saddle. Still the best you can buy. The only drawback is that thieves might steal it.

Hmm, that would be bad.


I think many of the midlevel bikes you're looking at are OK-- but you may end up with wheel problems with them just like your Raleigh. Wheels wear out and have to be replaced after time. Better wheels last longer, of course. Getting bomb proof wheels and a new saddle for your Raleigh might cost as much as a new lower end bike, but the cost per mile will be much lower over time.

That's not taking into account the fact that I will get a gift of £100 for getting a new bicycle; and I might end up with a lighter frame and better/more gears, as well as a better stem: I had been thinking about eventually getting a new bicycle for some time.


Of course there are few cooler things than getting a bike! It's a hard choice. I'd fix than Raleigh and get a new bike, over time. But then I'm a bike pack rat.

If you want what's left of the old Raleigh, be my guest... But, what would one do with such a thing? I'd hate for it to go to waste. Can they easily be sold for spares or repair?

The Secialized Sirrus and Ridgeback Genesis are both popular, practical, lightweight and fast commuter bikes.
You can always get a sus post as an upgrade when you buy. The lower end sus posts are not designed for daily riding and can wear out rapidly; once they go wobbly they are worse than useless. I would advise against a sus post but if you do want some bounce then get a Brooks Conqueror sprung saddle.

Interesting, I went cycle-scouting today (I'm a first-time buyer) and was interested in the Ridgeback Velocity, the assistant steered me towards the less expensive Comet saying it was very similar, the suspension seat post being the most obvious difference. I liked the Comet but also like the idea of the sus post but after seeing your post maybe I should reconsider. Would the Ridgeback be considered a 'lower end' post? I know the Velocity is one of their cheaper bikes but on the whole the range seems quality.

Starting from scratch makes your head hurt, I do nothing but think about bikes these days ....

Get a soft or sprung saddle instead of a suspension post. Be prepared to hurl the soft saddle out the window in a few months for something with more support (that's what I did, except I'm in a basement apartment so I didn't send it flying). I went from a soft women's saddle to a unisex touring saddle to a men's road bike seat (a women's race saddle and men's MTB saddle on my nice bikes), but that's a bit unusual (most people would probably like the touring saddle).

My preference is to buy an old bike and fix it up, but then I can do simple things myself (like install and adjust a derailleur). My current commuter is an 80s Fuji ten speed that has cost about $100 total so far, not including lights. It needed less work than your bike though (derailleur adjust, new tires, wheels trued, new saddle, and a new stem)

Fatter tires also take out some road sting.

But make the bicycle slower...

Hybrid bikes have evolved in recent years. Originally they were fairly clunky, low performance bikes designed to be used with fat tyres and with added suspension. In recent years sportier designs like the Sirrus and Genesis , often called flat-bar road bikes have emerged. These are lighter, faster, with more agile steering and a less upright riding stance. Most of the new types can take rack, fenders and 32mm tyres which is what you need in a commuter (do check for this) and you can always fit thinner tyres for a faster ride.
If you are confident on a bike then the sportier models will give a better ride.

I went for a Ridgeback Comet in the end: no suspension post, but good high-ratio gears, a comfortable position, and narrow wheels for good speeds. Thank you all for your help :-)

for real comfort, get a nice Brooks saddle
they have sprung saddles

I've heard of them, but I can't afford one at present...

I'd agree you're not missing much with the suspension seat post. My Giant came with one, after a while I just cranked the tension all the way up so it wouldn't be so floppy... It definitely has some side-to-side play even so. In fact I plan on replacing it with a solid seat post at some point reasonably soon.