| Dear Lazyweb: bike buying advice please | [Dec. 28th, 2008|10:58 am] |
My bike is old (over 10 years), rusty, worn, bent, unreliable, possibly heavier than necessary and generally not fun, so I drive more often than is sensible (especially to work). This Christmas I've received some money towards a new one. I know Cambridge and the web are full of bike shops, but don't know which shops/bikes are any good, which is where I'm hoping you can help me. I have the following requirements:
- Suitable for travel around Cambridge and Milton on roads, cycle paths, perhaps through occasional woodland (I won't be going up any mountains). Road vs.
town & trail , help?
- As non-tiring as possible to ride. I'm guessing a reclining bike isn't economical here, but a good set of gears and lighter frame are?
- Quick and easy to reliably secure in e.g. central Cambridge, which doesn't seem to have enough available D-lockable objects. Are D-locks still significantly more secure than the alternatives? Bonus points for permanently-attached lights, but that can probably be achieved on any bike, can't it?
- Long-lasting. I expect to need a good bike for the foreseeable future. It'll be in a shed at home, and under cover at work, but exposed to the elements in town.
- Value for money (not necessarily cheap). I can spend £600 if it will actually make that much difference to the above. That does include the security considerations though: there's no point buying something that someone will angle-grind the lock off the first time I leave it in a less safe part of Cambridge.
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