Abi gets a new bike - part 2

Abigail Smith is just one of hundreds of people getting back in the saddle in Bristol every week. Abi recently took the plunge and bought a new bike. She talks us through the steps she went through…

[Click here for part 1]

"Thank goodness for attentive colleagues! By mid-July my colleagues realised I was serious about this and one brought in a brochure for Marin bikes. Nice bikes, I thought, but they seemed out of my budget. Did I really need to spend that much on a bike - a basic bike would do, surely?

"My colleagues promptly set me straight. You get what you pay for, they said. Second-hand is fine, especially if you know your bikes and you can trust the seller. But I wanted to buy with confidence and I wanted my bike’s components to last a long time. So I swallowed hard, kissed my holiday fund goodbye, and doubled my budget.

"I also decided the style I wanted. A Hybrid bike was the way for me to go. I liked the shape of these bikes. 

"Back in 1991 I ended up buying a boy’s mountain bike because the girl’s bikes all had a drop-down, step-through crossbar, which I’m not keen on.

"Talking to colleagues and friends reaffirmed my decision. Mountain bikes, I’m advised, are mainly good for off-road journeys and are a bit heavy and bulky for everyday commuting use. Hybrids are generally lighter as most don’t have suspension forks, and they generally have ‘slick’ tyres – another new-term to me, which basically means the tyres are thinner and faster (unlike the nobbly tyres pictured right.).

"Trying to decide what to buy was daunting on my own. If you're not sure what's best I'd highly recommend getting an independent friend or colleague to give you some advice."

Part 3 follows on Monday.

If you're looking for a new bike and are not sure what's best for you check out the pages under Get Cycling.