Need advice on buying a bike!

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  1. NeonXIII's Avatar
    • Full Member
    • Location: London
    • Posts: 85
    Need advice on buying a bike!
    Hi guys,

    As the thread title says, I need advice on buying a bike.
    My second year house at uni is about a 20 minute walk away from campus so I'd rather cycle to and from my house (plus bikes are fun!!)

    The problem is that I don't have a huge amount of experience with bikes so I'm not entirely sure what would be the best type of bike to spend my money on.

    I've been looking online and I've seen a lot of single speed fixie bikes which aren't only cheap, but also look pretty nice as well compared to normal mountain/road bikes.

    The problem I'm having with getting a fixe though, is that I won't be able to coast when riding... and only having 1 gear will take a little getting used to as well.

    Would it be worth getting a fixie bike as they're cheaper to buy, and supposedly easier to maintain?
    Will having gears make a huge difference?

    Has anyone got any experience with riding one? Is it difficult?

    All advice is appreciated!!
  2. Converse Rocker's Avatar
    • Overlord in Training
    Re: Need advice on buying a bike!
    Asking here might be more beneficial:

    http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/show...y#post38538552

    In regard to fixies, if you are only just starting cycling, I don't think it's the best option. People always bring up the maintenance on geared bikes but honestly, this isn't really an issue for commuters. If you are just getting around, I'd at least start on a bike with gears; they're much more forgiving.

    Consider a hybrid? It's the middle ground between a road bike and a mountain bike, roughly.
    Last edited by Converse Rocker; 13-07-2012 at 17:05.
  3. NeonXIII's Avatar
    • Full Member
    • Location: London
    • Posts: 85
    Re: Need advice on buying a bike!
    Thanks for that, I'll ask over there too.

    I'd guessed that fixies aren't really beginner bikes as well, but I'd forgotten about hybrids so I'll look at those too haha, thanks again!
  4. CJ's Avatar
    • TSR Community Team
    • :badger:
    • Location: Brighton
    Re: Need advice on buying a bike!
    (Original post by lisapeteres)
    You could mabye get a cruiserbike? They are pretty cool.
    Saw one of these riding round Brighton today. Big chunky wheels, pretty damn nice :cool:
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