Hi all,

I normally live on the folding bike section of this forum but i think this question is probably best suited to road cycling 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 commute to work and back on and think i've possibly found the right one for my needs:

https://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/s...goryId_108674#

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

The criteria for the new bike 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. 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 or am i mad to consider such a thing?! Tell me your thoughts!

Cheers, Matt

do you need a full suspension bike for commuting? what sort of terrain will you be commuting in?

No need for any suspension i don't think. I ride on tarmac roads but they're pretty battered-up in places so actually, suspension would probably be nicer. I've never ridden a bike with suspension before so can't say for sure. I would occasionally do a bit of offroading/crosscountry at the weekend if the bike could take it - but it's not really essential.

Cheers, Matt

Why did you post this in the road forum? You're going to get lots of people telling you to buy a road bike instead. Infact I'll even start; you should find a used roadbike instead. The only requirement one may not fill would be the physical ease of fitting it on your porch. I don't doubt that you could find a small enough frame if you looked around.

Anyway, to be more helpful, that bike will get you to and from work, but a road bike would do it more efficiently. It will also help that you can ride a road bike on the road, and that bike may not be capable of going fast enough.

I thought it was the best forum from the list to start on? Plus it was intended to be fairly light-hearted thread!

I know road bikes are best for the road but the actual efficiency of the bike on the road comes further down on my list than weight and portability due to the short distances involved. Coupled with my small stature and lack of luck finding anything else that ticked all the boxes, i thought i would think outside the box. That said, it must be reasonable to ride. At least as reasonable as my Dahon Curve (16" wheel folder).

Are there any proper road bikes with 20" wheels and lightweight frame that i could consider instead? I love the Dahon Hammerhead but sadly can't afford one.

Cheers, Matt

Ah, i see that there's a commuting Forum so i'll take this over to there as it's probably a bit more appropriate.

Sorry for the mix-up. A moderator can delete this thread if they like.

Cheers, Matt