mattbike

Hi all,

I normally live on the folding bike section of this forum but i think this question is probably best suited to commuting or maybe even the mountain bike section but i'll try here first.

I'll try to keep it short but basically i'm looking for a new bike to get to work and back on and think i've possibly found the right one for my needs:

https://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/s...egoryrn_108674

Now before you think i'll gone completely bonkers let me explain...!

The strict criteria for the new bike (except maybe the last one) are as follows:

Must be small and light enough to lift up stairs and store in my porch
Must have enough gears to get me up and down moderate hills
Must cost less than £200
Must look cool/wacky/daft!

I know what i've put a link to is a childs bike but i'm fully grown and not much bigger than a 12 year old child at 152cm tall and 101lbs. I sat on the bike at the shop and with the seat fully raised i was on tip-toes. The handlebars were quite close to my knees and would touch when steering at very acute angles (angles not usually encountered during normal riding). Not sure if this is a problem but i expect i could increase the distance with different bars etc if needed.

The shop assistant thought that it was hilarious that an adult could sit on the bike and said it suited me and would be perfect for blatting around town on. I have to admit that the burnt orange colour also looks really cool in the flesh! What really impressed me was how light it felt and that combined with it's convenient BMX size (but unlike a BMX it has gears which i would imagine are essential). If i were to purchase the bike i would be eligible for £50 of free accessories so could kit it out with lights, mudguards and a saddlebag at no extra cost.

So, is this bike any good or even slightly suitable for a short hop to work and back and the occasional weekend cross-country excursion or am i mad to consider such a thing?! Tell me your thoughts!

Cheers, Matt

GV27

linky no worky.....

Dunno if they sell these in the UK, but a Dahon folder would fit your criteria perfectly:

https://www.dahon.com/us/curvesl.htm

8-speed internal-gear hub for the hills, light and folding, they have models in your price range, it'll fit you and it looks completely daft.

mattbike

LOL! I really did just laugh out loud then!

Guess what my current bike is? Dahon Curve D3!

It does indeed fit me very well and will probably be my summer commuter/shopper for a few years to come. However it has proven to be quite greedy on maintenance which i didn't expect and really rattles over the fairly knackered roads i use it on. I had hoped to continue using it all year round but i can't take it into work when it's wet and mucky (i work in a hospital) and i don't want to leave it outside. It's also a bit heavier than i would like - yeah i know i'm a wimp!

What i need is a non-folding Dahon Curve which doesn't weight or cost as much!

Hopefully this link will work this time:

https://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/s...egoryrn_108674

Cheers, Matt

nahh

*sigh* that would have been my dream bike when i was 10. absoulutly...but now? no way. get yourself a folder or even a full size bike (how big is your porch?) i can almost guarantee you won't enjoy riding that bike for two reasons: A) it's a kid's bike, end of story and B) all that suspension will kill ya.

mattbike

Hehe! I like to do things differently but i take your points!

Full sized bike is out of the question - i'm just too small and weak to lift it up stairs and then maneuver round the door. I can only just manage the weight and length of the Curve.

If i had to i could probably force myself to get a teenagers mountain bike (12-14" frame and 24" wheels) but i'd really rather not.

I guess an old and battered folding bike would be the best bet on paper but they look pretty funky - and not in a good way!

Cheers, Matt

sinner

Not to be rude but if you cant lift and carry a full sized bike, it might be time to start eating your Wheaties

mattbike

jim6b

Just a thought. If that's the bike for you, might take full advantage. Don't know how it is on your side of the pond, but here garage sales are loading with outgrown kids' bikes. Prices are next to nothing. You might consider the used market.

Good luck

mattbike

Thanks for that.

I guess i could get a cheap secondhand kids bike before winter really hits in and see if i get on with it, if i do, i can get a decent one, if not i won't have lost much.

I'll go back to the shop tomorrow and try all the bikes out and see which ones i'm really the most comfortable with. Although something the size of a BMX would be the most practical for lifting and storing, it would probably be a mistake in the long run for the reasons people have stated. There again, it could suit me perfectly and only i can decide that so i'll keep an open mind for now.

Thanks again,

Matt

BBnet3000

i doubt that bike is very light, to tell you the truth, despite it being kids sized.

BCRider

152 cm is just a skinch under 5' tall. At that height I wouldn't want to carry a full size bike of any sort up a few flights of stairs on a regular basis either.

Matt, first off forget about cheap rear suspension bikes. You think you have lots of maintanence costs NOW? A cheap full supsension bike will bleed your pocket book and on top of that it'll never have a quality ride. Far better to get the suspension effect from some slighty wider road slick tires running at a moderate inflation value that still provides lower rolling resistance.

Second is that I'll suggest you can have weird and whacy or you can have a bike that rides well and isn't harsh for getting up and down the stairs. The two seldom, if ever, go together.

How well do you fit BMX bikes? What about 24 inch wheel mountain bikes? I know you want gearing and that sort of leaves out the BMX bikes but there's a lot of 24 inch wheel mountain bikes that come with some decent frames. And a switch to a more narrow road slick tire and you've got a really effective ride.

If you want to stick with a BMX then what about doing something a little custom? Get a light racing BMX frame and have a shop weld or somehow bolt on a derraileur hanger so you can add the gearing. And an extension for the usual sized seat posts will raise the saddle higher if you can't find an extended seatpost. Bar reach may be an issue but again if you can have a shop somewhere cobble something together for you?

Do you REALLY need gears? THere's some fantastic light and quick racing BMX's out there with wheels and tires that would look at home on a racing cyclocross bike. They are sweet enough that it may well be worth looking at going "single speed".

mattbike

Thanks for the support!

I'm now totally off full suspension bikes. To be honest i never really liked the idea of suspension in the first place but i let the flashy looks get in the way of clear thinking. I'm also not too bothered about weird and wacky but figured that if i was going to ride a kids bike, i may aswell make it look intentional otherwise people would think that i've nicked it!

Back to the bikes, i haven't sat on a BMX but they look like they would fit me very well. I don't understand why nobody makes a geared version. After all, they'd probably be no less practical than the full suspension mountain bikes that most people around here seem to ride on the road.

Whatever i get, i would like to have a ride quality at least equal to my Dahon Curve D3 (16" wheels and 3sp SA gears). I doubt that i would be happy with single speed and severe customising sounds expensive.

So, 24" mountain bikes with road tyres sounds like the most practical option albeit the least practical for lifting up stairs etc. I guess that it's essential that i pay the extra and get one with an aluminium frame to keep the weight down.

It's absolutely teeming down with rain so i may not venture to the bike shop today but looking at their website, i've found this bike:

https://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/s...egoryId_108677

I'm not totally convinced that i like it and disc brakes seem like overkill but it's probably an improvement on the other bike?

Cheers, Matt

Juha

Are you happy with the 3 speeds you have with Dahon? If you are, I don't see why your bike shop couldn't fit a 3 speed hub to a BMX style bike. Or a 7, or 8 or even 14 speed hub. Less hassle than fitting deraillures etc.

I agree, a no suspension bike is good for commuting. Less moving parts to wear down and break. The Carrera you posted has front suspension. I would check it's lockable at least.

Whatever you buy, get good fenders too. You live in Dorset, fer cryin out loud!

--J

mattbike

Yeah Dorset is good

3 speeds are fine for me. Surprising how many other bikes i can nail with it over short distances if i really try - especially with the acceleration from the little wheels.

I'll google to see if anyone has tried fitting a SA hub to a BMX before. Sounds like something worth investigating. BMX with fenders, lights and a shopping basket would be ace!

Every mountain(style) bike i've seen has front suspension! Seems daft to me but i guess no youngster would be seen dead nowadays without some kind of suspension - even if it is pointless!

Cheers, Matt

mattbike

Here's a couple of 24" options:

https://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/pr...Inch_Bike_2008

https://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/pr...Inch_Bike_2008

Cheers, Matt

GV27

Matt, just what sort of maintenance issues have you had with your Dahon? The folding joints? Otherwise, one of those derailleur bikes will likely be more maintenance.

From what I've heard of your needs, I have a hard time seeing any of these options - except for perhaps the BMX with three-speed - as being a significant improvement. According to their website your Dahon weighs just over 25lbs plus accessories. That's not a featherweight but department store kids' bikes can be very heavy for their size. Heck, even my size small $$$$$ hardtail MTB weighs 22lbs and is 100% impractical as far as fenders, racks, etc. go. It has none, has so provision for such.

As far as leaving it outside, with good maintenance and taking it inside at night, your Dahon should take that no problem, it'll lock securely in the folded position and is goofy enough to avoid the eyes of thieves to some degree.

Never mind your slight stature - you're a man, not a boy! There are smaller adult bikes out there that might be better for you. Kids' bikes are often lousy quality and absurdly heavy. I'm not a lot bigger than you - 4 inches taller or so (but a lot heavier) and I have no problem at all finding bikes that are way too small for me. I'd guess you'd ride a 47cm or so - those are available. A Women's size might be good for you as well - especially if you decide you really want to invest some money in a bike.

My Mom is almost precisely your size - maybe slightly smaller. A couple of years ago she bought an awesome Trek. It's 47cm, rides on 650c wheels and weighs nothing - perhaps 17lbs? No racks or fenders (or real possibilities for fenders) but they have similar models that are more utilitarian. I'm certain it has a smaller overall length than those 24" MTBs. It's completely bad-*****. Of course it was 3x your budget....but you get what you pay for....

Find a good used small adult bike. That's be my advice.

Chris