Bicycles - I quite like them

[Oldie]

My favourite pastime is definitely touring Europe on motorcycles and, of course, I see plenty of people cycling alongside the roads in their dedicated lanes.

Until recently I thought that this was a complete waste of time, that was until I went out and bought a pushbike. Quite good fun actually However, it's a Chinese thing and the fastenings need tightening every 14 seconds or so :S

So, having established that it only costs about a tenner for the bike on DFDS I'm planning a little tour of Holland and wondered if I have to splash out £1000+ on a dedicated touring bike or if I just spend £250 in somewhere like Decathlon for a basic tourer, albeit European built. Anyone on here with a bit of experience in this area?

[AndyB]

Buy from a decent shop where they'll make sure the bike fits you and spend as much as you can afford or you'll regret it later.

The buying from somewhere decent is important because unless you know how you should 'fit' the bike you'll end up working harder than you need to and you'll suffer muscle injuries if you're riding it for a few consecutive days. I used to put a lot of miles on a pushbike and it's great fun but if you do a tour on a cheaper bike then one on a decent bike you'll soon see the difference.

[Zookman]

I've recently got back into cycling after many years of not riding a push bike... and I also have been enjoying it immensely, especially with the great weather we had a while back.
Thinking I would only use the bike rarely I bought a cheap hybrid from Tesco online and while it was quite light with an aluminium frame, the componants were shyte and I've returned it for a refund.
I'm now searching for something better.
I've been doing a fair bit of research on cycling forums, and Decathlon bikes are highly rated on all of them. They seem to be a lot of bang for the buck, even The Gadget Show rated them against far pricier bikes. Sadly their shops are over a hundred miles from me and they don't do mail order. But if you have a Decathlon near you they are definitely worth a visit according to their reputation.

[HorseyBiker]

Having commuted daily by push bike from the age of 6 (on the back of Dad's tandem) to 19 when I got my first motorbike. I can say quite definitively, spend the dosh on a decent bike! I commuted on my Dad's made to measure Roberts racing bike from 16, I would tour on it without the racing slicks on it currently. Its a hoot to ride and terrifying to drift round corners, but I can pick it up with two fingers and the rack on the back will take 15kg comfortably without upsetting the balance of the bike. It was made for him in the eighties so I imagine the technology will have moved on from then!

If you plan on using fork panniers make sure your forks are strong enough in the first place, you may have to get lugs brazed on to accept the frames. Avoid anything steel or carbon fibre; the former as its weighs a ton and the later as it will shatter if it takes too much vibration or impacts from pot holes and what not.

I'm sure you know all of that already, but if I can be of further help- ask away

HB

[MikeC]

Some poor bugger ar5ed about for years developing a petrol engine to fit into a bicycle frame...don`t disappoint them now!

:laugh:

[Zookman]

Although Halfords seem to be universally slagged off for inept staff, their Boardman bikes are supposed to be top stuff and well priced for the spec you get. I've been in and had a look at them and they look real quality and are very light. Range from 450 quid up to around a grand.

[Oldie]

OK, thanks folks. Regarding the "fit"..surely the guy in the bike shop is just going to say "suits you sir" I kinda presumed that if the saddle and bars are adjustable I would be able to fit any bike, assuming that the frame size is right?

RE quality, I accept that you get what you pay for, but I presumed that £250 takes you out of the "complete crap" territory. I know that £2,000 gets you a good bike, but I'm from Paisley :laugh:

Decathlon - yes, they seem to be well thought of, but very few reviews online. Even then, I can't tell the difference between their £250 bike and one that costs £600, apart from better brakes or whatever. I don't think that I'm at the stage where I want to pay for superior fitments, so long as the basic bike works reasonably well.

As for the guy that spent 5 years working on the engine, I wish that he had spent a bit more time on my 1100 GS, would have saved me some pain :laugh:

[Nigel]

Got myself an Orange (make not colour!)mtb years ago put road tyres and pannier racks on it and still going strong 27,000 miles later, Oh and it`s a steel frame and they don`t weigh a ton if they are a quality frame

[david]

I did London to Paris on a £10 bike off ebay. Gel seat a must :whistle:

I also luv my Motorbike, but enjoy my Custom Tri bike, did you know you could carry a bike on a bike :dry:

[JimboF650]

Have a look a cyclocross bikes. Good choice considering the state of most roads, stronger wheels etc and faster than a mountain bike.