is this a decent bike?

[fen_boy]

Oooh look a titanium bike for less than a grand http://www.enigmabikes.com/test-category/esprit-offer/prod_132.html

e2a no I'm an idiot, that's just the frame, as you were.

 

[Final]

Oooh look a titanium bike for less than a grand http://www.enigmabikes.com/test-category/esprit-offer/prod_132.html

e2a no I'm an idiot, that's just the frame, as you were.

None too fussed about carbon, but would love a reasonably priced ti bike.

Until then, I'll stick with my £70 ebay steel job (which I love).

 

[Corax]

can one of the cycle-nuts on the board explain what differences you'd expect to see or feel from a more expensive bike?

I spent £600 on my trek hybrid bike, and bearing in mind I am still pretty shit at cycling, would I see much difference if i bought a £800 bike or £1000 bike? And if so, what would that difference be?

just curious like...

I'm curious too. I've only ever had cheapish mountain/utility bikes. I can understand that slightly more expensive ones would be lighter, and/or more durable, better suspension, but other than that...?

 

[Lemon Eddy]

can one of the cycle-nuts on the board explain what differences you'd expect to see or feel from a more expensive bike?

I spent £600 on my trek hybrid bike, and bearing in mind I am still pretty shit at cycling, would I see much difference if i bought a £800 bike or £1000 bike? And if so, what would that difference be?

just curious like...

Depends what you're using it for.

If it's short - mid distance commuting, or for pootling about on nice days, or similar stuff, then you're fine with what you've got, and you'd not notice huge difference.

If you're doing long distance commuting (say, 15+ miles each way) or long tours, or similar, then you'll notice a considerable difference in comfort and effort, and the better handling will make things much more pleasant in a number of ways,

And if you're doing any form of mountain biking, then get the hell of the hybrid now before you break something.

 

[Termite Man]

£1k will get you a carbon framed bike - the difference in ride quality between that and an aluminium bike is huge. The same goes for steel but theres fewer options.

this ia the sort of thing I mean, just getting hold of one is the problem

Otherwise I would say go for the 500-600 range alu bikes - base model spesh allez or Giant defy rnage.

I've been looking at the spesh allez as well . To be honest I think if I'm going to get another bike it will be specialized one since thats what my current bike is and I have nothing bad to say about it

 

[editor]

Would you be more relaxed at the prospect of locking up a £600 aluminium bike?

I'd be hard pressed to recommend any expensive bike for leaving locked up around town because of all the cunts that go around nicking anything shiny (not that I'd object to someone giving me such a glorious bike, of course).

I used to go for a two bike solution: a cheap, shitty looking 531 racer for knocking about town and a lush 653/Shimano 600 bike for long runs out of town.

I'd find it hard to justify paying a grand if all I wanted was a bike for short commutes around London, but if you've got somewhere ultra safe to leave it, then I can't knock the luxury!

 

[Orang Utan]

termite man - that's my bike - it's awesome! i fucking love it!

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

I'd be hard pressed to recommend any expensive bike for leaving locked up around town because of all the cunts that go around nicking anything shiny (not that I'd object to someone giving me such a glorious bike, of course).

I used to go for a two bike solution: a cheap, shitty looking 531 racer for knocking about town and a lush 653/Shimano 600 bike for long runs out of town.

Even a 531 framed 70's racer is a target though - thieves seem to be getting increasingly discerning, theres quite a market for this kind of bike as reflected in 2nd hand prices (probably £200 for such a steed, 2 years ago you could still pick them up for £50-£80). 70's racers are supposed to be the next word in urban biking cool.

So my point is they will nick anything - so you might as well ride anything. A mate had a 50lb butchers that cost him £10 bike nicked from Ironmonger row leisure centre 10 years ago (before such a bike was cool). If you really want to hang onto it you've got to take it inside.

 

[Bob_the_lost]

Does this mean my 1982 English Eagle is going to be in danger?

 

[Orang Utan]

i would never lock any bike outside ever

 

[Boycey]

i haven't left my house since 1987, thank god for my turbotrainer.

 

[Sunray]

As has been said, Aluminium frames are for people that want power transfer and are fully prepared to get arthritic spinal columns as a 'price worth paying'. Every last tiny bump is smashed into your body.

Steel frames are the only real choice for road bikes in London.

 

[deadringer]

and there was me seeing the £70 bike in the asda advert in the paper and stroking my chin thinking.......'hmm looks ok'

 

[Diamond]

i haven't left my house since 1987, thank god for my turbotrainer.

 

[Orang Utan]

As has been said, Aluminium frames are for people that want power transfer and are fully prepared to get arthritic spinal columns as a 'price worth paying'. Every last tiny bump is smashed into your body.

Steel frames are the only real choice for road bikes in London.

i didn't know anything about this! is the above hysterical nonsense or true?
i have an aluminium frame but can't compare cos all 3 of the bikes i've had have been made out of it.

 

[fogbat]

i didn't know anything about this! is the above hysterical nonsense or true?
i have an aluminium frame but can't compare cos all 3 of the bikes i've had have been made out of it.

Well, it depends.

Do you have an arthritic spinal column?


I recently bought an aluminium-framed bike. Wanna be arthritis-buddies?

 

[Boycey]

i didn't know anything about this! is the above hysterical nonsense or true?
i have an aluminium frame but can't compare cos all 3 of the bikes i've had have been made out of it.

it's a gross simplification of a very complex issue. if you aren't getting issues i wouldn't worry about it and if you were buying a new bike to replace it with the last thing i'd recommend would be a modern steel frame

 

[mattie]

I would recommend avoiding aluminium forks if at all possible though - my mate bought a cheap roadie and had all sorts of shoulder problems until he switched to steel.

Again, a generalisation.

 

[extra dry]

wow...bit expensive thou.

 

[Boycey]

extradry, i used to know a bloke who had your tagline on a yellow and black stripey bikey

 

[Lemon Eddy]

it's a gross simplification of a very complex issue.

This.

 

[Lemon Eddy]

i haven't left my house since 1987, thank god for my turbotrainer.

I hope you've also securely locked your turbotrainer to something well anchored in your house.

And then built another house, around your house. With a moat.

 

[Final]

wow...bit expensive thou.

If I had cash to burn*, I'd get a Sherpa.

If I had even more cash to burn, I'd go for the Rholoff expedition version.

/dream

*or if I'd been able to convince work to let their ride to work scheme to be applicable to SJS.

 

[Spark]

it's a gross simplification of a very complex issue. if you aren't getting issues i wouldn't worry about it and if you were buying a new bike to replace it with the last thing i'd recommend would be a modern steel frame

why not a modern steel frame? i have a new steel frame and I love it.

 

[Boycey]

modern tig welded steel frames can be very very stiff indeed transferring an awful lot of road shock to the rider. steels forgiving rep i believe comes from the reynoulds 531 tubesets popular for years with tourers and racers for it's very forgiving attributes, i believe 631 is it's successor but it isn't used in anything like the same volume as ye olde 531.

i actually love modern steel frames but it is a fallacy that they are some kind of road smoothing majic wand.

 

[Bob_the_lost]

Just to crash the thread, I have finally finished building a Reynoulds 531 based road bike with Campag Atlanta 96 rims, schimano 105s, look delta pedals and cleats and badly done grip tape. My first road bike and all for less than £100.

 

[Boycey]

nice! after riding to brighton fixed last weekend i've decided i want a proper road bike, it really is time i started treating my colnago better. take one abused colnago frame:

then add:

+

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

modern tig welded steel frames can be very very stiff indeed transferring an awful lot of road shock to the rider. steels forgiving rep i believe comes from the reynoulds 531 tubesets popular for years with tourers and racers for it's very forgiving attributes, i believe 631 is it's successor but it isn't used in anything like the same volume as ye olde 531.

i actually love modern steel frames but it is a fallacy that they are some kind of road smoothing majic wand.

Indeed 631 isn't used in the same volume - 531 was the king tubeset for the almost the entire steel frame building period so theres going to be more 531 than 631 knocking about (first 531 tubesets were mid 1930's - you can still get 531 to special order from Reynolds btw). My bob jackson is 631 and its lighter than 753 and as forgiving as 531.

I have ridden forgiving steel frames and harsh steel frames but I've never ever ridden a forgiving aluminium frame - and thats without going into the inherent properties of aluminium that mean its performance characteristics will always be very narrow compared to all other bike materials.

 

[Termite Man]

I'd be hard pressed to recommend any expensive bike for leaving locked up around town because of all the cunts that go around nicking anything shiny (not that I'd object to someone giving me such a glorious bike, of course).

I used to go for a two bike solution: a cheap, shitty looking 531 racer for knocking about town and a lush 653/Shimano 600 bike for long runs out of town.

I'd find it hard to justify paying a grand if all I wanted was a bike for short commutes around London, but if you've got somewhere ultra safe to leave it, then I can't knock the luxury!

What if your doing a 32 mile round trip to and from work ? Thats not a short London commute !

 

[mattie]

Just to crash the thread, I have finally finished building a Reynoulds 531 based road bike with Campag Atlanta 96 rims, schimano 105s, look delta pedals and cleats and badly done grip tape. My first road bike and all for less than £100.

ooh, any photos?