Cycle Scheme

[Cav]

I'm looking at either a 2nd hand bike or using the cycle to work scheme.

Have any of you purchased a bike through cycle to work? If so, do you mind telling me about your experience with it?

I'm looking at about £1000 total (including helmet, clothing, backpack and everything I need to get commuting). I think this works out at around £20/month.

TIA

[C00kiemonster]

£1000 to cycle to work? I'd get a cheap new bike from Halfords and throw it away after a few years tbh. You never know when you'll need the money imo. Plus if it gets nicked it doesnt matter...

[duke63]

Theer are loads of barely used s/h bikes on ebay and gumtree. people buy them and never use them.

[D41]

Buy a Specialized...usually the best value re: what you get compared to similarly priced bikes. Or Trek, maybe.
And buy new...used bicycles aren't typically well taken care of, and you'll get something that fits you correctly. Proper bike fitment is something that really gets overlooked & makes all the difference in the world.

[Perkles]

buy a Colnago

[D41]

And start calling all the bits on the bike a "gruppo".

Then shave your legs.

[Cav]

buy a Colnago

No.

I'm not loaded! haha

[Cav]

I've been looking at CUBE, VITUS and Specialised. These 3 are pretty good value for money.

I have also looked at Halfords and CB bikes but they are similar cost to Specialised but I've been told the Specialised frames are higher end.

eBay is drawing blanks too, no bargains to be had on there.

[Cav]

"if you are commuting on the road you want a proper road bike"

Perkles, this is what I was looking at initially but I've been advised by a couple of peeps (1 racer, one enthusiast) that a gravel bike is 90% of the bike but much more comfortable for our local roads. The racer hates road biking now and uses his hardtail with hybrid tyres for road riding these days.

I've narrowed it down to these:
Vitus Substance V-2
Vitus Substance VR-2

I've also looked at Trek (I forgot to mention earlier)

[Cav]

£1000 to cycle to work? I'd get a cheap new bike from Halfords and throw it away after a few years tbh. You never know when you'll need the money imo. Plus if it gets nicked it doesnt matter...

I've taken a look but they're a bit expensive. I've also looked at second hand stuff but again, demand is high and so are prices.

[D41]

I've just been looking at some lass who rode her bicycle at 185mph.....get her bike!!

[C00kiemonster]

£1000 to cycle to work? I'd get a cheap new bike from Halfords and throw it away after a few years tbh. You never know when you'll need the money imo. Plus if it gets nicked it doesnt matter...

I've taken a look but they're a bit expensive. I've also looked at second hand stuff but again, demand is high and so are prices.

Expensive? £100 for a hybrid? Cant go wrong with that to and from work.

https://www.halfords.com/bikes/hybrid-b ... 88332.html

[D6Nutz]

Personally, from a commuting perspective, I wouldn't want anything with dropped bars. If you need to carry a backpack I can't imagine it being comfortable, on top of that you really compromise your first vision.

Cost wise, if your considering commuting ask year round, just think what the salt and other crap does to your motorbike as it will do the same to a push bike.

Lastly, security. The more you pay, the more someone is going to want to nick it.

My commuter for London is a folding electric bike, and it's the best thing ever. 6 gears means I get fit when I want to, and the upright riding position means I can see the twats trying to kill me before they get close enough.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

[Kwacky]

For any form of 2 wheel commuting you need to be upright.

The Vitus look nice but for me it's massive overkill for your needs.

[Cav]

I forgot to mention but this will also become my form of training and also physio for my knee. I plan to be out for an hour or 2 at a time and hopefully covering some solid distance.

Also my commute is down a nearly straight 50mph A-road so speed is possibly more important (reducing the closing speed).

I do appreciate all of your inputs though and I'm not disregarding anything you all say (except for Perkles wanting me to spend £2500+)

[C00kiemonster]

Its your money so we can only advise and like most advice it can be taken or ignored.

Given the economic shock, interest rates and job losses on the horizon, i'd be holding on to as much cash as possible at the moment, thats all.

[D41]

How many miles away is work?

[Cav]

6 miles to work but I'll be doing 20-50 mile rides for fitness purposes. It's why a town bike wouldn't be suitable. A hybrid is a maybe, a road bike is a maybe and so is the gravel bike.

[D6Nutz]

6 miles to work but I'll be doing 20-50 mile rides for fitness purposes. It's why a town bike wouldn't be suitable. A hybrid is a maybe, a road bike is a maybe and so is the gravel bike.

You've got space so why not get a crappy second hand hybrid to start with and commuting. Then do research on road bikes for when you want to do the longer runs?

The worse the bike, the better your fitness will get on the commuting runs.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

[Perkles]

"if you are commuting on the road you want a proper road bike"

Perkles, this is what I was looking at initially but I've been advised by a couple of peeps (1 racer, one enthusiast) that a gravel bike is 90% of the bike but much more comfortable for our local roads. The racer hates road biking now and uses his hardtail with hybrid tyres for road riding these days.

I've narrowed it down to these:
Vitus Substance V-2
Vitus Substance VR-2

I've also looked at Trek (I forgot to mention earlier)

hes talking shite