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Buying a bike in Cambridge
It's that time of year so here are some useful ressources:
Advice on what to check before you buy a second hand bike
http://www.camcycle.org.uk/newsletters/36/article15.html
Advice on what to check before you buy a second hand bike
http://www.camcycle.org.uk/newsletters/36/article15.html
Nice one, fairly comprehensive.
Have heard the Bike Man is a good first place to look for your bike when it gets stolen.
I was about to say watch out for Halfords and their cheap deals, but they've closed down now, so no problems there.
Have heard the Bike Man is a good first place to look for your bike when it gets stolen.
I was about to say watch out for Halfords and their cheap deals, but they've closed down now, so no problems there.
fumblewomble
Make sure you've brushed up on the rules of the road (especially if you've never cycled in the UK before!)
The Highway code
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070190
The Highway code
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070190
Yes, and general road safety, like not running up the inside of moving lorries. A few years back a guy at Girton was killed doing this when it turned left.
I'm not trying to put anyone off here, Cmabridge is one of the best places in the UK to cycle, just be careful.
fumblewomble
There's a lot of bike theft in Cambridge
* Get a good lock (or even 2)
* Use it/them every time you leave your bike, even if it's only for 5 mins.
* Don't have an attractive, snazzy bike.
* Get a good lock (or even 2)
* Use it/them every time you leave your bike, even if it's only for 5 mins.
* Don't have an attractive, snazzy bike.
Agreed - the best advice I got was to buy the cheapest bike I could, and the best lock I could find.
And be aware that if you don't lock your bile, it WILL get taken.
mikeha
Agreed - the best advice I got was to buy the cheapest bike I could, and the best lock I could find.
And be aware that if you don't lock your bile, it WILL get taken.
And be aware that if you don't lock your bile, it WILL get taken.
ontopic: it may even get stolen if its locked up - make sure you lock it TO something as well!
If you like your bike, get a d-lock and a cable. And if you can when you use you d-lock get the wheel, frame, pedal and solid stationary object, that way someone can't put a car jack in it.
If you're going to cycle, don't be one of the awful cyclists here. Use bright lights, stop when traffic lights are red and be considerate to pedestrians on some of more pedestrianised roads in the centre of town.
If you're going to cycle, don't be one of the awful cyclists here. Use bright lights, stop when traffic lights are red and be considerate to pedestrians on some of more pedestrianised roads in the centre of town.
A few more tips:
* It might be worth checking your college student union / JCR website to see if there are any posts about bikes for sale.
*If this is the first time you've bought a bike for yourself, if possible try to get someone with some know-how to come along with you as they will be more likely to be able to tell you if you are getting a good deal or not - a lot of the second-hand bikes I saw for sale at the start of last year where a lot more expensive than they should have been.
* Though not essential, having a basic tool-kit will make life a lot easier (and cheaper) when you get inevitable puncture / mis-aligned brakes etc. It would be useful to have:
- Tyre levers
- Puncture repair kit
- Small pump
- Philips + flat screwdriver
- Set of Allen keys
You can usually get a set with all of these for very little in cheap stores like Wilkinsons etc. (often also appear in the specials sections of Aldi/Lidl).
* When locking your bike always lock the frame not just through a wheel (and never just lock the bike to itself). Ideally use a D-Lock (SoldSecure ratings indicate locks of a good quality and will often be required if you are insuring your bike). If possible also lock your wheels, especially if they are quick release - if you put a D-lock around the triangle formed at the rear of the bike by the seat tube and seat + chain stays you can lock the rear wheel as well with the same lock.
* Adjust your seat post height so that it is as high as possible with you still being comfortable about balancing when you stop. Riding is much more efficient if you get to use the full range of motion of your leg. Make sure the minimum insertion mark on the seat post is not visible however. See here for a good guide.
* Buying a small bottle of oil and using it occasionally on your chain and any pivoting parts (careful to avoid brake surfaces / tyres) will make your bike much more pleasurable to ride and last much longer. This will particularly help if your bike is going to be left outside over the holidays.
* Last year CUSU ran cycle proficiency classes I think, so this might be worth looking out for if you are not confident on a bike.
* It might be worth checking your college student union / JCR website to see if there are any posts about bikes for sale.
*If this is the first time you've bought a bike for yourself, if possible try to get someone with some know-how to come along with you as they will be more likely to be able to tell you if you are getting a good deal or not - a lot of the second-hand bikes I saw for sale at the start of last year where a lot more expensive than they should have been.
* Though not essential, having a basic tool-kit will make life a lot easier (and cheaper) when you get inevitable puncture / mis-aligned brakes etc. It would be useful to have:
- Tyre levers
- Puncture repair kit
- Small pump
- Philips + flat screwdriver
- Set of Allen keys
You can usually get a set with all of these for very little in cheap stores like Wilkinsons etc. (often also appear in the specials sections of Aldi/Lidl).
* When locking your bike always lock the frame not just through a wheel (and never just lock the bike to itself). Ideally use a D-Lock (SoldSecure ratings indicate locks of a good quality and will often be required if you are insuring your bike). If possible also lock your wheels, especially if they are quick release - if you put a D-lock around the triangle formed at the rear of the bike by the seat tube and seat + chain stays you can lock the rear wheel as well with the same lock.
* Adjust your seat post height so that it is as high as possible with you still being comfortable about balancing when you stop. Riding is much more efficient if you get to use the full range of motion of your leg. Make sure the minimum insertion mark on the seat post is not visible however. See here for a good guide.
* Buying a small bottle of oil and using it occasionally on your chain and any pivoting parts (careful to avoid brake surfaces / tyres) will make your bike much more pleasurable to ride and last much longer. This will particularly help if your bike is going to be left outside over the holidays.
* Last year CUSU ran cycle proficiency classes I think, so this might be worth looking out for if you are not confident on a bike.
-Matt-
* Though not essential, having a basic tool-kit will make life a lot easier (and cheaper) when you get inevitable puncture / mis-aligned brakes etc. It would be useful to have:
- Tyre levers
- Puncture repair kit
- Small pump
- Philips + flat screwdriver
- Set of Allen keys
You can usually get a set with all of these for very little in cheap stores like Wilkinsons etc. (often also appear in the specials sections of Aldi/Lidl).
* Though not essential, having a basic tool-kit will make life a lot easier (and cheaper) when you get inevitable puncture / mis-aligned brakes etc. It would be useful to have:
- Tyre levers
- Puncture repair kit
- Small pump
- Philips + flat screwdriver
- Set of Allen keys
You can usually get a set with all of these for very little in cheap stores like Wilkinsons etc. (often also appear in the specials sections of Aldi/Lidl).
Or get to know someone cool like Matt... and whine at them to fix your bike with their magic box of tools and many, many oils... whilst maintaining that you're helping them with the practical side to their Engineering studies
Oh, and more seriously - regarding the second hand bikes from shops - its worth having ago at bargaining the price down when they try and rip you off. Didn't buy it anyway, but I got one down by £25. If you are going to buy from one of the second hand shops - have a look in as many as possible first just to browse and gauge prices... as they do fluctuate a little from my experience.
(This is more of an issue for people bringing their bike from home than buying in Cambridge but) Don't have quick-release wheels. Unless you want to have to have two locks on your bike all the time to stop them getting nicked.
Also lock your bike properly - through both the triangle that holds the back wheel, and the back wheel itself is how I normally do it. It's better than the lazy way which most people do, which is to just lock the front wheel - the number of front wheels with no bike attached I've seen still locked to bike racks... Also be careful about where you choose to leave your bike; there are about 3 places that account for 95% of my bike journeys, these are all places with proper bike racks with plenty of space so I don't have to worry about other people damaging my bike whilst trying to wrestle their own in/out!
IIRC there is (or was, 3 years ago) a charity that used to take unwanted bikes, employ unemployed / homeless people to clean and service them and sell them to you at a ridiculously cheap price. But I've forgotten the name and don't know if they still exist.
Maybe this thread should become an "official" one into which all the fresher bike threads asking the same things can be merged!
Also lock your bike properly - through both the triangle that holds the back wheel, and the back wheel itself is how I normally do it. It's better than the lazy way which most people do, which is to just lock the front wheel - the number of front wheels with no bike attached I've seen still locked to bike racks... Also be careful about where you choose to leave your bike; there are about 3 places that account for 95% of my bike journeys, these are all places with proper bike racks with plenty of space so I don't have to worry about other people damaging my bike whilst trying to wrestle their own in/out!
IIRC there is (or was, 3 years ago) a charity that used to take unwanted bikes, employ unemployed / homeless people to clean and service them and sell them to you at a ridiculously cheap price. But I've forgotten the name and don't know if they still exist.
Maybe this thread should become an "official" one into which all the fresher bike threads asking the same things can be merged!
Re lights: remove the white headlamp when you leave your bike. They tend to disappear. I suspect it's something to do with rowing boats having to use a white light when out very early, and boaties "borrowing" them. I've actually given up, and now use a head-torch instead of it.
I always find I need gloves when cycling, otherwise my fingers freeze. Probably something to do with the fact that I go suicidally fast (see also: I actually wear a helmet, which a lot of people don't).
If you're bringing your bike from home or have a nice bike for some other reason, remember the 20% rule (spend 20% of the value of your bike on locks). Also remember that all the locks in the world don't do any good if someone can just throw it in the back of a van and then open the locks at their leisure. Finally, if your college doesn't have secure bike sheds, it's possible to pay to have your bike stored at a cycle shop in the vacations- you can also get it serviced then.
I always find I need gloves when cycling, otherwise my fingers freeze. Probably something to do with the fact that I go suicidally fast (see also: I actually wear a helmet, which a lot of people don't).
If you're bringing your bike from home or have a nice bike for some other reason, remember the 20% rule (spend 20% of the value of your bike on locks). Also remember that all the locks in the world don't do any good if someone can just throw it in the back of a van and then open the locks at their leisure. Finally, if your college doesn't have secure bike sheds, it's possible to pay to have your bike stored at a cycle shop in the vacations- you can also get it serviced then.
How many people bring a bicycle?
I'm thinking about bringing mine, but not sure if I'll use it that much. So I'm not sure if the trouble bringing it is worth it.
I'm thinking about bringing mine, but not sure if I'll use it that much. So I'm not sure if the trouble bringing it is worth it.
Dragonkiller
How many people bring a bicycle?
I'm thinking about bringing mine, but not sure if I'll use it that much. So I'm not sure if the trouble bringing it is worth it.
I'm thinking about bringing mine, but not sure if I'll use it that much. So I'm not sure if the trouble bringing it is worth it.
You're a Sidney engineer from a look at your old posts. Google Earth says your college and your department are a kilometre apart. You will have 9 o'clock lectures quite regularly, plus labs, so you'll be travelling that kilometre quite a lot, sometimes in the morning when every minute counts. I'd bring the bike- my neighbour last year (at Emmanuel, which is closer to the engineering department than Sidney is) was an engineer, and he usually biked to lectures.
In general, I'd say if you have a bike bring it unless you can't ride it safely or you're getting to Cambridge by some means other than car. This goes especially for scientists (who have more lectures and have labs), people in colleges that are not very near their departments, and anyone planning to row. Trust me, when it's 6 in the morning every minute of sleep counts. The majority of people I know have bikes, even if some don't use them regularly.
Dragonkiller
How many people bring a bicycle?
I'm thinking about bringing mine, but not sure if I'll use it that much. So I'm not sure if the trouble bringing it is worth it.
I'm thinking about bringing mine, but not sure if I'll use it that much. So I'm not sure if the trouble bringing it is worth it.
Most people at cambridge cycle almost everywhere, though you can get by easily enough without one as long as your college/accommodation is fairly central, once your bike is in Cambridge you can probably leave it there for the whole 3 years (if it survives that long) if you don't need it at home. In that case, bringing it up the one time isn't a massive hassle.
Re: the poster above, offside is the left? I got a new bike last term which doesn't have great attachment points for lights, so I sort of stuck it on the only place it would go. Also it has quick release wheels, so I have to get extra locks..., although it is more convenient than my old bike, where I would rip my hands off and break my spanners trying to get the wheel undone.
AlexG55
You're a Sidney engineer from a look at your old posts. Google Earth says your college and your department are a kilometre apart. You will have 9 o'clock lectures quite regularly, plus labs, so you'll be travelling that kilometre quite a lot, sometimes in the morning when every minute counts. I'd bring the bike- my neighbour last year (at Emmanuel, which is closer to the engineering department than Sidney is) was an engineer, and he usually biked to lectures.
But on the other hand I often walk from the ADC (further from Eng Dept than Sidney) to Engineering in 10-15mins. By the time you've found your way to whatever damp corner of your college the bike shed is in, pulled out into the road with the morning traffic without causing a crash, taken a legal route (not necessarily the most direct due to the one-way system) and locked your bike up properly at the other end, it can be actually sometimes be quicker to walk. Particularly with helmet, gloves (in winter) etc to faff with. One of my friends reckons he can walk to Engineering from Robinson faster than he'd be able to cycle, then again he is a hardcore speed-walking type.
Regarding getting your own bike to Cambridge, also remember that if the car you're using doesn't have a bike rack, you can also take bikes on the train, and this is how I'll be bringing my (Cambridge-bought) bike home from Cambridge at the end of my course!
paneity
Re: the poster above, offside is the left?
Offside is the right, it's the opposite of nearside which means near to the kerb.
fumblewomble
Places to buy a bike in Cambridge
*The bike man on the market (Monday - Thursday 8am-6pm) 07850 814186
*Grand Arcade Bike Shop, Corn Exchange Street (shop is accessible through the cycle park)
*Ben Hayward & Son, King's Parade
*University Cycles at 9,Victoria Avenue (at the Chesterton Lane end)
*Station Cycles in the station car park
*King Street Cycles, King Street
*3 Bike shops on Mill Road (though you have to go a fair way down the road - they're the other side of the railway bridge)
Online
*Keep an eye on Cambridge University Newsgroup - for sale
*Or Cambridge gumtree - bikes/sports equipment for sale
*The bike man on the market (Monday - Thursday 8am-6pm) 07850 814186
*Grand Arcade Bike Shop, Corn Exchange Street (shop is accessible through the cycle park)
*Ben Hayward & Son, King's Parade
*University Cycles at 9,Victoria Avenue (at the Chesterton Lane end)
*Station Cycles in the station car park
*King Street Cycles, King Street
*3 Bike shops on Mill Road (though you have to go a fair way down the road - they're the other side of the railway bridge)
Online
*Keep an eye on Cambridge University Newsgroup - for sale
*Or Cambridge gumtree - bikes/sports equipment for sale
Plus the Cambridge Bicycle Doctor, on a barge on the river. Just go to Jesus Lock, and head East, and you'll see it.
Plus Cambridge Blue cycles on Chesterton Lane.
Plus the people in the car park by the ADC with a name I can never remember.
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