June 27th, 2009 — mtb-
There is a range of MTB’s for under £200. However, when buying a MTB for £200, you have to be aware that you get what you pay for. A sub £200 MTB will be fine for a bit of gentle off road riding and riding around town. But, for a really tough work out, you will need to dig deeper and look at the £400 - £500 price range. Although, it may seem a lot, just think how much you would spend on a car and petrol in a year.
Nevertheless, not everyone wants to ride an MTB to the limit. If your riding will be the odd canal path and commute to work, £200 will get you a solid MTB and give you and idea if you want to upgrade. With over 7 million unused bikes in the UK, it might make sense to start small before spending more.
Raleigh Explore
The Raleigh Explore is a good example of a sub £200 MTB. With Raleigh there is a guarantee of a certain quality. It comes with a lightweigh alloy frame, suspension forks and an 18 speed gear set.
Mountain Bikes from Evans including Raleigh MTBs from £180
MTB Frame size guide
June 26th, 2009 — bikes-
For a cheap mountain bike, the Apollo XC.26 is a good starter bike. Sold by Halfords, it is currently on sale for under £120. For £120, the bike comes with 18 Shimano gears and powerful V brakes.
Mountain bikes under £200 are geared towards a lighter riding. However, with their cross tyres, they will perform quite well on the road as well as off-road.
Like all Halfords bikes they come with free fitting and assembly and a free check up on 6 weeks. It comes in only 3 sizes, 14 inche, 17 inch and 20 inch. These sizings may be less than optimal for some users, if you are going to be doing a lot of riding, you want to make sure you get the right size. (see MTB Frame Size guide)
Apollo MTB at Halfords
Mountain Bikes at Halfords
June 26th, 2009 — bikes-
Firstly, it strikes you as an unusual name to use for a bike. I mean aren’t Land Rovers and other 4*4 the bain of cyclists? Anyway, despite the somewhat odd choice of name, Land Rover bikes offer a range of entry level bikes for Women.
Land Rover Samara
At £137.99 the Land Rover Samara will be within the budget for many entry level cyclists. For £137.99 you still get 18 speeds with a front cog going down to a small 28 cog. This will make even the steeper hill feel manageable. It also comes with a solid 7005 alloy frame which is good value for £139.99. The colour scheme will hardly put you in the class of cool commuter, but if you are looking for a good value bike under £150 it will be worth buying. Note buying mail order will require certain technical knowledge in putting bike together, so factor this cost into equation - it may be better buying from local shop.
Land Rover Samara at Amazon.co.uk
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June 26th, 2009 — commuting-bikes-
The Raleigh Oakland is a good value hybrid bike coming in both male and female versions.
Features of Raleigh Oakland
- Raleigh hi tensile steel frame
- 18 speed Shimano Revoshift gears. Some versions come with 6 speed so check the details of the bike for sale.
- Built for commuting with mudguards, chainguard and pannier rack
- Wheels are 700c * 28. This makes it fine for using on off road cycle paths like a canal path.
- Comfort spring saddle.
Other useful features include easy to adjust handlebars and seat to help get a comfortable position.
At under £180, this offers a good introduction level commuting bike, suitable for light recreational use. Built to Raleigh’s usual standards it makes a good deal compared to cheaper hybrid bikes. If well looked after, there is no reason why it cannot last a long time.
Ladies Raleigh Oakland Hybrid Bike
Raleigh Oakland at Amazon.co.uk
June 24th, 2009 — bikes-
BMX bikes are quite different in size and design to more conventional bikes like Mountain bikes or cross bikes. They are designed specifically for performing tricks or racing around specific circuits. Whichever BMX you choose it will look small and is is not designed for any real road riding. However, the smaller size gives a better manoeuvrability for tricks and jumps.
Top Tube Length. This is the distance from handlebars to the seat. Usually size of top tubes go from 15 to 21 inches and determines the distance between the two wheels. A longer wheel base may provide greater comfort but make some spinning tricks more difficult.
Wheel size. 20 inch wheels are the most common. A 24-26 inch wheel is needed for sometimes of racing.
Seat Height. The seat height will depend on the type of riding you are doing and what you find most comfortable and practical.
Height and BMX Bike Sizes
- 4′4″-4′10″ Junior 17″-18.5″ Mini XL-Pro 3″-5″ 22″-25″
- 4′8″-5′4″ Expert 18.5″-19.5″ Pro 5″-7″ 25.5″-27″
- 5′4″-5′10″ Pro 20″-20.5″ Pro-Pro XL 7″-8″ 27″-28″
- 5′10″ & over Pro XL or Pro XXL
Choose a wheel size based on what type of riding you’re going to do. The 20-inch size is most common for street riding and some types of racing. However a 24- to 26-inch wheel is required for cruiser class racing.
June 1st, 2009 — bikes-
Touring bikes need to be versatile, comfortable and at the same time offering a good performance on the road. Most of these touring bikes are suitable for the odd off-road / baldy made road. If you want to do a lot of offroad riding, you may be better off looking to a converted mountain bike with panniers.
Dawes Galaxy
The Dawes Galaxy is one of the best selling touring bikes on the market. Within this brand of bikes there is actually a range of different options based around the same principles. For example, at the top of the range Galaxy model we have the £3,000 Titanium Framed and Shimano Ultegra groupset edition. Dawes Galaxy 2009 Ti
If you don’t fancy spending so much money, you could look at the Dawes Galaxy Plus 2009. It is based on a Reynolds 653 Steel frame and Chromoloy Fork. With mudguards, Cargo carrier and panniers it comes to 13.5Kg. Slightly heavier than the Titanium version but will be in more people’s budget. For £1,200 you do get good value. The Reynolds frame offers a comfortable ride whilst being responsive to the power generated. Dawes Galaxy Plus
Another alternative touring bike is something like the Cannondale Trekking conquest. Built around an SI Trekking lite frame and Shimano Deore. It provides a good touring bike for under £700. There are different versions of the Cannondale Trekking model. For £1,200 you can buy a lightweight version based on SI Trekking Superlite frame and Shimano LX, it also comes with hydraulic disc brakes a superiod braking system.
Choice of Touring Bikes at Evans cycles
Tips for cycle touring
May 22nd, 2009 — bikes-
* Developed by Chris Boardman who after a gliterring professional career has been hired by the successful British Olympic team in developing the latest state of the art technology - gaining small improvements from improved technology.
* Ultralight unidirectional T800 carbon fibre monocoque frame for Olympic gold medal winning performance. As ridden by Nicole Cooke to become Olympic and World Champion
* Ultralight unidirectional carbon fibre monocoque fork with 1.5 inch lower bearing for accurate steering and maximum strength
* SRAM Red 20 speed gearing with carbon fibre levers, carbon fibre rear derailleur and one-piece CNC machined cassette for ultra low weight
* Lightweight and powerful SRAM Red dual pivot brakes
* SRAM S900 GXP carbon fibre chainset is lightweight and stiff for better power transfer
* Zipp 404 deep section carbon fibre rims with dimpled surface and bladed spokes cut through the air with low resistance - option of clincher or tubular
* Ritchey WCS finishing kit including carbon fibre seat post
C Boarman Carbon Pro Bikes at Halfords
Reviews of the bikes have been positive and have been riden to great effect by the Halfords Road team. Using C Boardman carbon bikes they have won several Premier calender wins. In comparison to other top of the range road bikes, the C Boarman Carbon Pro looks good value. WIth SRAM red and light carbon fibre frame it has the basis of a pro level bike and at £3,300 it is not overpriced.
May 21st, 2009 — shoes-
A good paid of cycling shoes is indispensable for any serious cyclist.
The first thing is to invest in a good pair of clipless pedals and compatible shoes. Clipless pedals offer greater efficiciency and comfort when cycling, but, for this you will need a specific pair of cycle shoes
Note: If you enjoy combining walking and cycling, invest in some spd pedals which means you can get a pair of cycling shoes without cleats at the bottom - making it difficult to wear.
When buying cycling shoes there are important things to bear in mind.
Right Size is most important. The most important thing when buying shoes is to get a pair that fit you well. Bear in mind that when you pedal and the blood starts pumping through your legs, your foot can expand half a size - especially in warm weather.
Word of warning. Shoe sizes are notoriously unreliable. I have worn size 46,47 and 48. It is manufacturers having different standards of shoe size.
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May 19th, 2009 — commuting-bikes, gears-
Dawes Diploma
Firstly, I think this looks a really attractive stylish bike. For £320 it looks great value and could make an excellent buy for someone want something a little more stylish than a gharish coloured mountain bike.
It is not built for speed but for a comfortable and practical ride. The ladies version comes with a step through frame design - suitable for skirts. (The Men’s Dawes Diploma comes with a standard horizontal top tube). The chain guard helps protect any loose clothing from getting oily. It means you don’t have to worry so much about tucking your trousers into your socks. The basket is practical and large. Though filled with heavy items it will make steering more difficult.
At 17.1Kg it is not light and with only 3 sturmey archer gears it may prove somewhat inhibiting for hillier cities. However, for most cities, a 3 speed sturmey archer is sufficient. If you buy this bike, you won’t be racing people at traffic lights. But, you will get a few admiring glances. At £320 its pretty good value. You could get a hybrid or mountain bike for £200 and it would have more gears. But, they wouldn’t have anywhere near the same class as this.
Related
May 12th, 2009 — bikes-
Dahon Vitesse.
At £350 the Dahon Vitesse offers an excellent introductory value foldup bike. Light enough to carry on public transport it has an easy open and close mechanism. Manufacturers say a mere 15 seconds to unpack and start cycling.Aluminium frame gives bike a weight of 11kg. With 7 gears it offers sufficient flexibility for moderate rides in the town or country.
Raleigh Boardwalk
Even cheaper than the Dahon Vitesse, is this Raleigh Boardwalk. At only £289, its 6 speed aluminium frame offers excellent value. With panniers and front and back mudguards it offers most things a commuter would want from a fold up bike.
Dahon Curve SL
For those with a bit more money to spend, you would struggle to beat this Dahon Curve SL. With a distinctive curved top tube, it looks distinctive and classy in its silver finish. At just over 10kg, it is one of the lightest foldups on the market
Brompton M6R Folding Bike
No review of folding bikes would be complete without an iconic Brompton. For £680 this Brompton offers the usual Brompton class and finish. At 12kgs it is a little heavier than the Dahon for the money. But, includes dynamo lighting system and ease of folding (Brompton Folding at Evans)
at Amazon.co.uk
at Amazon.com