Is it worth buying a bike?

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Replies

  • EvilDave14
    EvilDave14 Posts: 111 Member
    I've been cycling to work since early February on a cheap bike I've had for years.

    Got knocked off by a car on Thursday & not looking forward to cycling on the roads again but I don't have much choice.
  • Josie_lifting_cats
    Josie_lifting_cats Posts: 949 Member
    I bike, and I love it. I typically do approximately a 20 mile ride once a week and try to cram in about an hour twice a week. I definitely think it helps with weight loss, especially when I partnered it with things like 30 Day Shred for some strength, too!
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    I was considering purchasing a bike myself but my city is not very bike friendly. It's full of bridges and tunnels that bicycles are not allowed to go through/over. I would pretty much be confined to the neighborhood I live in. Our bicyclists usually take their bicycles to parks on a bus or car and ride there and that's too much hassle for me.
  • cydonian
    cydonian Posts: 361 Member
    I would never give up my mountain bike. It was a lot of money for me at the time and I never thought I'd get as much use out of it as I do. It's great exercise - smooth but steady cardio. I'm doing 25-30 minutes 4 or 5 times per week as I'm starting out again, but I got up to an hour or more way back when. I will warn you that you'll want to start out slow for the first few times and build up because er... the seat can cause some discomfort. Until your butt muscles tense up and get used to it, it'll be rough!
  • amnsetie
    amnsetie Posts: 666 Member
    They did not read your 2nd post about getting a speedometer.
    Yes you can get a speedo with tripmeter.
    It attaches to the wheel support and there is a magnet on the spoke. The readout is on the handlebars.
    You program it for the circumference of the wheel.
    Tells you how fast and how far you have been.
    Ask at your bike shop.
    As for test driving and advice see your nearest bike shop, or you may have some environment/recycle shop where you can have a look at resurrected bikes.
    I am getting my bike parts moved to a girly frame cos I can no longer lift my leg over the cross bar :/ due to knee injury. Looking forward to being on the road again. I have a speedo and I must confess a lambswool seat cover lols.
  • cyclingben
    cyclingben Posts: 346 Member
    There is a really cool app for the Iphone called Strava. It does GPS of your routes, keeps up with your fastest times, gives you your average speed, top speed, distance and also elevation climb. When my computer stopped working, this was a quick fix now i use it on every ride. Plus its Free.
  • gel91
    gel91 Posts: 309
    Thanks again for all the replies!

    I've not rode in years since I was like 12, so I'm guessing it'll be painful at first!

    How much are these speedometers roughly? Do you know?

    And I've got the iphone I'll look for this app, do I need something to attach it to me/bike or does it just work in my pocket?

    Brilliant, will be browsing bikes on my pay day :) Or it's my 21st next week so might treat myself!
  • michelechavez
    michelechavez Posts: 56
    Yes, yes, 1000x yes! Go for it! You won't regret it. You might also want to check out Selene Yeager's book, "Ride Your Way Lean," which is very encouraging on riding a bike to lose weight and get fit. I'm reading it right now.

    You can ride to work or to school and help not just yourself but the environment. You can ride your bike to do errands you would usually do by car. (See Clif Bar's 2-mile challenge online.) Or you can ride during your lunch hour or before or after school or work. It's a lot of fun to join a riding group and ride with friends on the weekends.

    I burned 1330 calories yesterday just biking.
  • michelechavez
    michelechavez Posts: 56
    Regarding apps for biking, there are a couple I like. I use Bike Brain to share my rides for the Clif Bar 2-mile challenge and MapMyFitness for my training rides.

    I also have a somewhat expensive bike computer for my road bike, a Garmin Edge 800, but there are much cheaper models that don't have as many bells and whistles and there are cheaper brand bike computers that will probably give you everything you might need.

    I'm bike crazy and have 4 bikes. I've had to promise my husband I'll stop buying them for awhile. I have a road bike, a high-end British folding bike that folds down to next to nothing, an older folding bike, and a new Dutch-style grocery-getting bike.
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,467 Member
    Have you heard of Cyclescheme (a scheme to allow you to buy bikes tax-free through your employer)? It might be worth looking into as you're in the UK. Have fun!
  • chuckyp
    chuckyp Posts: 693 Member
    Biking is great. Get the best one you can afford and make sure it fits or you won't enjoy it as much. Try a bike shop over a department store. You'll be getting helped by people who are actually bicyclists, and often time even experienced triathletes and such.

    You said the walking doesn't even register now. Have you thought about running?
  • amnsetie
    amnsetie Posts: 666 Member
    here are two places in the UK which sell the speedos

    http://www.cyclexpress.co.uk/cycle-computer/

    http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/rangeViewer.asp?categoryID=99

    13 to 54 pounds depending what you want
  • gel91
    gel91 Posts: 309
    I've thought about running yeah..alot. But i'm just not there and ready yet for it, confidence and such. I shouldn't care I know, but I do hope to start running one day!
  • gel91
    gel91 Posts: 309
    here are two places in the UK which sell the speedos

    http://www.cyclexpress.co.uk/cycle-computer/

    http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/rangeViewer.asp?categoryID=99

    13 to 54 pounds depending what you want

    thanks!
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member

    And I've got the iphone I'll look for this app, do I need something to attach it to me/bike or does it just work in my pocket?
    The Runkeeper App is free and uses the phone GPS to track your speed and distance, and has different settings to calculate calories for biking, running, walking and a bunch of other things. Does not need to be mounted to the bike, mine works from my armband.

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