road bike commute

yitzchokhaffner wrote:

Hi, Still  deliberating over which bike to buy. Contemplating a flat bar road bike, I've seen btwin triban 500 or calibre filter. Any comments?

The Triban 500 has microshift shifters/brakes which aren't great...

Have you considered the Mango Point AR flat bar? https://www.mangobikes.com/shop/bikes/point-ar/point-ar-flat-bar-claris/

Mango bikes started up specifically to build bikes aimed at students. I have the Point AR frameset built up with Shimano 105 as my commute bike (10-20 miles each way) - and it's pretty sound!

It's a little over your budget, but it also comes with disc brakes (much better in the rainy months) and has mudguard/rack mounts too.

yitzchokhaffner wrote:

ktache wrote:

Probably not mate, summer is their biggest selling opportunity, they start to sell off their old stock once the next years bikes come in in the autumn.

What about early september?

Usually, the next years range of bikes comes out in September and that's often when shops discount. Might be able to get a bargain before you go back to uni.

I'd probably say your best bet is buying from a shop that sells used bikes (small independent shops rather than the chains), this way, you get the reduction (it won't be AS cheap as truly second hand though), but you also have a bike that's been looked over by a mechanic.

When I commuted from my student house to uni last year (about 3 miles but with a big FO hill at the end), it was FREEZING in the morning, I found that a merino base layer (£15 bargain from wiggle) worn beneath my cycle jacket was more than enough. You don't need a cycle specific jacket though, a hoodie/light rain jacket combo would be fine.

Rucksacks are easier than pannier racks, unless you are planning on carrying a lot of stuff - I leave most the stuff I need in my locker at uni when I commute. Saves you having to buy a pannier rack and pannier... If you definitely want a pannier rack & bag, then your local freecycle is worth a shot.

You'll almost certainly want mudguards for when it rains too, again freecycle might be good.

It's probably worth asking the university's cycle club to give you advice on buying a bike. I know the chaps in the cycle club where I study often have bikes going.

yitzchokhaffner wrote:

thanks for all your help so far? just seen cube attempt second hand. barely used. what do you reckon?

Cube are excellent bikes. Check the condition thoroughly but if it is the right size and works well then see if you can haggle.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=advice+buying+secondhand+road+bike

yitzchokhaffner wrote:

Thanks for all your advice so far!! Does anyone know if you can fit a regular rucksack onto a rack or do I need to buy a special pannier bag?

You *could* bungee the rucksack onto the rack, but that's a bit of a hack and you'd be better buying a pannier if you're going to make use of the rack.

simonmb wrote:

Go singlespeed / fixed. You can probably pick a used one up for £200 where you are, so no need to feel precious about it. It's a short journey, you'll hardly be in your stride after 4 miles and you'll be happy you kept it simple when winter comes and you're not having to worry about a gritty chain grinding your rings away. Just need to get the gearing right for that climb home! Check out BikeBlogger and his ss / fixed commutes. 

 

He said it's uphill all the way back so not the best idea for a beginner. 

wellsprop wrote:

The Allez would be a very sound choice. Always a lot of Allezs parked at the uni where I study! Be very careful where you lock it though, a bike like the Allez is the exact sort that thieves target.

I bought my son an Allez from Ebay to try and get him into cycling.  It was a great choice, when I rode it I thought it was pretty close to my bike which cost about 6 times as much.  I had planned to turn it into a winter hack for my own use, but he decided to take it to Uni.  It got nicked, although it had the back up cheapo lock on it at the time.  (The expensive decent one I had bought him was left at a mates house after a visit...)

It was easily the nicest bike at his Halls, so it was just a matter of time I think.  One of his mates has had 6 cheapo 50 quid specials stolen.

yitzchokhaffner wrote:

knowing nothing about bikes, how do I know if a second hand bike is a dud or not?

Try to find somethign that wasn't dirt cheap in the first place - no Haulfrauds. Old quality is far far bettern than newer rubbish.  Assume you might have to give it a git of TLC - cables and pads etc.  Get something around the 7 speed mark - chains and other consumables are cheap and durable.  Then see if the wheels are pretty straight and run OK (not excessive play and grinding noises) and the tyres aren't shot.  Check bottom bracket isn't all wobbly/noisy.  Talk to the owner - do they know what they are doing and how to look after a bike, or is it just a pub runner they never touch? Once you have ridden a few, you get a feel for what's half decent and what's rubbish.  If you are using Freecycle or similar, try to use one somwhere other than around the centre of a uni town, where demand is huge.  You'd be amazed what people give away in more rural areas - well worth giveing someone some petrol dosh to go and collect.

yitzchokhaffner wrote:

thanks for the advice. re the gear I usually get very sweaty halfway there even if I start off freezing in the winter. I would be looking for something that keeps me warm but also wont make me sweat buckets. any advice?

Like you, I have to start feeling cold to avoid overheating so most of the time a superlight showerproof jacket is fine. I vary what to wear underneath: on a mild day a short sleeved cycling jersey is fine, if it's cooler I'll add arm warmers, maybe slip in a carrier bag as an additional wind barrier for the first 15 minutes or so. If it's particularly cold I'll wear a merino baselayer and a cap (easily removed once I warm up).

Which jacket is best for you is down to fit as much as anything so try a few on for size, preferably while sat on a bike.