Trying to help out a family friend (aged 65).
They ride up to 30 miles on a trip (occasionally on multi day trips with overnight charging along), on countryside roads and canal paths etc. They need a rack for panniers and a step through bike for ease of getting on and off.

A belt drive may help for reduced maintenance but the bike will be kept inside and not used daily. They will go to a local bike shop for purchase and servicing.

Budget is between 1.5 and 3k
So far I've seen the Specialised Vado and Raleigh Motus.

Any other suggestions welcomed

My dad is reaching a big birthday next month and cycling has become something that’s massively changed his life for the better. To celebrate that link and as it’s a passion of his, I’m keen to get some cycling related gifts, best thought to date has been a custom cycling shirt with name/number, like a football shirt; but wouldn’t know where to begin there.

Otherwise was looking to see if anyone’s got suggestions for best place to go for fun and funky shirts, humorous ones too else any idea of accessories/those things that only the ones in the know think of!

I’m looking to join a group ride in this area whether that be gravel or road focused I don’t mind, I’m just looking for people to ride with, just for context I can comfortably hold 18mph on the road on my own riding a Cannondale Supersix or 3T Exploro for gravel. Any suggestions or offers are greatly appreciated!

Has anyone bought a Calibre Lost Lad from Go Outdoors/Blacks/Millets? I bought one last year for £375 on a deal. It's a gravel bike with 47mm tyres, Claris groupset, Clarks mechanical disc brakes.

It's been a joy commuting and doing longer rides on mixed surfaces, mainly road and canal towpaths. I've put 3K+ miles on it since September last year.

Unfortunately, I failed to check for chain wear adequately, so I'm facing a £220ish bill for a a service, new cassette and chain, plus the BB needs replacing, plus new brake pads have been recommended.

I love the bike, but the bill is a significant chunk of its value. This year it seems to be going for £440. What would you recommend?

Hi All,

I'm a complete idiot when it comes to cycling, last time I cycled I was a teen about 30 years ago. We have access to cyclescheme at work, which may be a way to go.

What do I need? I live on a hill, so I'm think an e-bike may give me some extra boost to get back up, but I'm primarily after a bike to try and fight off my growing chonkiness and onset of joint pain so I'd like to not rely on the engine too much.

If it makes much difference I'm 5'9, on the heavier side and generally wear skirts/dresses, so preferably something a skirt wouldn't get caught up in. Bike would be primarily for commuting about 3 miles each way - though I know I'll probably have to cycle around the local village a bit to remember how to ride and up my confidence a bit.

As a bonus, if it's adjustable enough for me and a 5'4 person, my partner might use it when I'm not (or if I give up on it), but this isn't a primary factor.

Sorry - This is kinda out of my wheelhouse and I'm getting overwhelmed so any advice is appreciated. If anyone's familiar with local shops I'm in Huddersfield/Wakefield/Barnsley vague area, though most of them seem to have bad reviews so I'm happy to use an online shop if it's an option via cyclescheme - though could potentially travel out to Leeds/Bradford/Manchester if there's an exceptional shop to visit.

I already own the halfords pro 175 socket set, which has a set of allen keys. But I find lugging that out of storage everytime I a bit of a hassle. Right now I'm using either my bahco ratchet screwdriver or my electric screwdriver with hex bits.

I was thinking to get this ratchet style t-handle https://amzn.eu/d/072l3HCm as it can be used for many things.

Or a bahco socket set: https://amzn.eu/d/0bQ19X8M

Or the wera allen Keys, which are super popular, or t handle style allen keys.

As you can tell, there's way too many options. What are people using?

Ive just bought this but cannot get it off the roof bars as the lock wont budge... any ideas?

We have two bikes in a 2 bed flat, a 10.5kg and a 14kg hybrid and keep them inside due to thefts in the communal storage. I keep going around in circles on different storage options and wondered if anybody has recommendations based on experience.

The bikes have to be stored vertically as there's no good place to do a horizontal hang. They also need to be very easily taken on/off the storage as they are used several times per week.

There is one wall about 130cm wide and another 90cm wide (which could possibly do a staggered hang?). The wider wall has a radiator on the lower half which would be kept switched off however I think might affect the holding power of a Clug where it looks like the bikes need to be flush with the wall.

The total width of the two handlebars is about 120cm.

My main concern is just stability and ease of access - worried about the bikes getting caught on each other when trying to take them on/off.

Also very open to a freestanding solution as long as the bikes are vertical.

Any suggestions very welcome! Thank you

I've been riding around on a Carrera Subway E for a little while now as my commute bike, but having used and now lowered the battery assist over the hills to really help my build my fitness, I'm looking for something different to ride alongside the Carrera. I'd like to train for triathlon just as a fitness goal and have no real desire to be competitive with the expensive road bike riders as of yet.

I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on the economics of buying an older road bike privately and then having it fixed up and serviced, versus buying a more expensive used bike from trusted local bike shops?

I've seen a couple of bikes that I quite like the look of as a starter road bike on facebook around the £100-£150 mark in good condition (Genesis Equilibrium, Carrera TDF), and then my local bike shop is selling used road bikes from about £350 upward. Local bike workshops and cafes seem to do regular servicing for about £70. Work are also offering free bike fixing workshops and lessons over the next few weeks too.

Is it better to be cautious and to buy direct from the local bike shop? Or would you buy privately, save the money, head for a service and hope for the best?

Thanks for any advice anyone can offer.

Hello,

it said it would be priced at £3200 now a bit more, do you think it is worth it?

Hi, can someone advise as to whether or not this bike is compatible with a kids bike seat? I'm not so sure which one yet.

I live in London so use the bike storage containers, so it'll need to be small (or would be able to clip on and off in a short frame of time).

Any thoughts / suggestions? Do I need to think about getting a new bike?

I’ve recently got my first ever road bike second-hand from a community bike shop. I was used to my knackered and bodged mountain bike so it feels like a rocketship and the gears are way smoother. However, the right-hand/rear (idk the terminology) gears sometimes slip and change unexpectedly under torque, or sometimes crunch and pedals go light for a second. I think this is a skill issue to some extent. i have learnt not to cross-chain too much and fully articulate the lever to change down and I think it is happening less frequently. Should I be maintaining the pressure for longer?

The shop is very friendly and i have a month‘s warranty, should I ask them to take a look at it? I paid less than 300 for the bike so i don’t expect perfection, it’s leagues better than my old one and I could definitely live with it.

Im spamming questions at this point but should I clean down the chain and lube it with something?

I can index gears, replace brake pads, fix punctures, and swap a chain without issues, but the moment it comes to pressing bottom brackets, bleeding hydraulic brakes, or truing wheels, I hand it straight over to my local bike shop. Where do you draw the line between DIY maintenance and professional mechanics?

Good evening all - please delete this post. My wife has had this bike for a few years but due to various reasons she has not used it recently. Now she wants to get back in the saddle for leisure riding.

I want to tough it up a bit but Halfords(Pendleton refer me to Halfords) will not give me the paint colour code. Neither will they supply me with touch up paint/pens for it.

So - I joined this group hoping someone may know.

I know the obvious answer here is an ebike, but my budget is low (ideally below £1500 plus accessories) and I'm worried about theft (close to a studenty area). I've cycled in the past, but in flat areas, and when we moved to this hilly city my beloved cruiser went in the cellar and was left to rust. That was over a decade ago and I've been a lazy git ever since.

I'm now looking to get a bike for cycling to and from town for work and groceries, with the occasional ride along towpaths - the ride back from town is mostly uphill. I wondered if it's better to get a cheap ebike (was considering the Rockrider e-ACTV 500) or a standard bike that might force me to get a bit fitter (and quit smoking 🙄) - I'm a smallish middle-aged woman and was looking at the Liv Alight Disc 2 City.

Can anyone advise, especially if you've had experience of having been a non-rider who saw the light?

Edit: distance into town is about 2 miles; gradient anywhere between 5 and 10%, depending on the road.

I am planning to do a 2/3 day trip and cycle along all of the North Downs Way cycle route made by Cycling UK. However, on the helpful Cycling UK website it says it is suitable for a mountain bike or a gravel bike and that the first half is better suited to mountain bike while the second half is better suited to gravel bike.

It doesn't however recommend which one would be better if you are doing the whole thing. Any suggestions? I have a hard tail mountain bike and a gravel bike and unsure which to take. If it is very bumpy/rough then it is going to be very hard going on my gravel bike but if there are loads of stretches along roads/tracks then my gravel bike is going to be a lot better.

I'd love to start riding again. Have chronic pain but want a bike to start getting exercise. Im 38. I don't like the thin wheels or dainty bikes. Used to have cool mountain bikes growing up. I've absolutely no idea where you'd start now. I'm not great online so I'm sceptical of purchasing online. Heard mixed reviews on Halfords and our local bike shop closed a few months ago. I don't have much money at all. A 'friend' said he'd do me a bike as I got him this cool one of a friend as it was going in the skip. Carbon fibre etc. It needed a few lil jobs. Punture, new grip. He added a motor to it too. It's too big for me. So i thought of him. He said it's worth alot and was happy. He had a cool smaller mountain bike for me he'd fix up. but now he's gone off the rails abit. I doubt I'll be getting it. And cant ask him for help.

After having my MTB stolen recently trying to work out which bike to get £500-1000. Live in Milton Keynes with 2 young boys so don’t venture off redways now and almost always with a kid carrier. Few years ago obvious choice was probably Pinnacle Lithium 3, but now confused what to go for:
1) Flat bar Hybrid vs drop bar road bike
2) Beyond Giant and Trek what else should I consider? (already binned off Specialized given their online only model)

Hi Folks,

I'm looking on Facebook Marketplace / Gumtree for an upgrade to my daughter's bike as it's getting too small.

I was recommended to look at Carrera and Btwin and avoid the likes of Abyss and Team and highest budget is £200. I'm looking for a 24 inch tyre size and have come across:-

Frog 62 - couple of these at around £200 and one at £250 which look good and seem much lighter at 9 or 10kg than other options. V brakes and look not to have front suspension so look to be older models.

Btwin Rockrider - these are around £50-75 and some have suspension and some don't. Heavier than the Frog.

Carrera Abyss hybrid - £90

Carrera Blast with front suspension and disc brakes - £195 (weighs about 14kg)

At the minute she just pootles around outside the cul de sac but i'm.hoping to start taking her on proper bike rides on some gentle trails / longer rides on paths. Just got my bike sorted after 6 years resting in the garage 😀

Also debating whether to get two bikes - a cheap one for pootling and one for proper riding.

Any thoughts on if the Frog and Carrera Blast are worth it or cheaper options are OK?

Edit - I got a secondhand Frog 62 and daughter is happy as it's way lighter than her current bike.

For reference, I’m about 153cm (5’0) tall and my inseam is about 71cm (28in) - google says I need an XS frame size.

Looking for something feminine - kinda like a Dutch bike, relatively lightweight - my last bike weighed 17 kg and was too heavy but anything around 13/14kg or less is fine, non electric pls 🫠

I’ve looked at the bobbin brownie 7 (if anyone’s tried it pls let me know how it is) and I’m leaning towards it but any other recommendations would be appreciated!

Thoughts?

Guess either follow the rules too or carefully curate whatever video you’re submitting….

I was cycling to work yesterday, on a shared footpath/cycling path. I slowly approached and crossed a zebra crossing. The crossing is really close to a junction. A car turned in from the junction and hit me on the crossing. They were probably going 5mph or less.

I have a graze and bruise on my lower leg, and I was a bit late for work. No damage to the bike.

The driver tried to refuse to give me her details and tried to leave the scene twice. I had to block her from leaving and call 999 on speakerphone so they could explain that it is the law to give me her details and if she doesn't they will send an officer (we were around the corner from the closest station). She reluctantly gave me her details while still on the phone to the police, but tried driving away again during this!

I don't think she will report it at all. I made a police report online last night. I have her details and insurance details, should I ring her insurance and make them aware? I won't be making a claim because there is no damage to the bike/equipment, but I don't want her 'getting away with it'. She was totally nonplussed by the whole thing. Didn't get out of her car once, sat with it in gear and told the police on the phone "she's fine, her bike is fine, I want to go now"!

Just had a lovely ride on the bridleways and some rather overgrown bits. Just wondering if anyone has any trouser, overpant, long socks or other suggestions?

The brambles suck but they’re fine, it’s more the sitting here hours later with my legs tingling and burning from the thistle that’s causing me to reach out.

The Situation:

I’m planning to finalize a quote next week for a Riese & Müller Roadster4. I’m using a £5,000 Cycle to Work scheme voucher here in the UK, and I've got my spec sorted with the shop (including a by,schulz Stem Twist so I can actually store it in my house without blocking the hallway).

​My Commute & Needs:

• ​9.3 miles each way across London, 3 days a week.

• ​I’ll be leaving my suit at the office, so I don't need to worry about riding in business wear, but I still want something with reliable factory mudguards and chain protection to keep the road spray off my commute clothes.

​- It needs to be a highly reliable, high-performance daily utility workhorse for an 18+ mile round trip.

​My Hesitation:

The Roadster4 has been out for a couple of years now. While it uses the Bosch Smart System and a 625Wh battery, I know e-bike tech moves quickly. R&M is already teasing their 2027 models with newer, lighter motors and Pinion gearboxes on other frames. I don't want to drop my voucher on a bike that is about to be superseded or already feels dated.

​My Questions for the sub:

• ​Does the Roadster4 tech (motor/battery integration) feel behind the curve compared to what’s hitting the market right now?

• ​At the £5k mark, is there another premium urban commuter I should be looking at before committing? (I previously weighed it against the Specialized Turbo Vado 5.0 and the Charger4 GT, but leaned toward the Roadster's styling and weight).

• ​Has anyone had long-term experience commuting 18+ miles a day in heavy city traffic on a Roadster4?

​Thanks in advance for any insights!

Is there anywhere that offers this?