25 mile round trip commute advice please?

[davegpwheeler]

hi all,

I have a roughly 25 mile round trip commute along flat smooth-ish canal towpath and have been looking into a hybrid as I don't feel I NEED a mountainbike.

Halfords have a few for my budget, and there are numerous others but nothing really stands out.

I can charge at work but IF I am unable to for whatever reason I would like to be able to manage the whole trip. ideally!

Ancheer, Basic Becon (?!) and Halfords have all piqued my interest.

anyone have any strong opinions?

budget is 'around' £1000

Thanks in advance all,

Dave

 

[soundwave]

thus it is not a mtb and only in style

 

[RobF]

Adjustable stems are not recommended for full on mountain biking.

Not that I take issue with woosh on this.

Their Rio bike inhabits that world of mountain bikes which won't be used as such.

You can see that by the number of inquiries about putting a rack and mudguards on the bike.

'Off road' in this context is fine with an adjustable stem because the rider will inevitably mean cycle tracks and towpaths.

 

[D C]

I think most folk on this forum think of off road as being a stony track or canal path and the like, which almost any bike will cope with. Anyone wishing to do the hard core stuff are in a different league altogether and would need to select a bike which is also in a different league, cost being several thousands.
There are hundreds of bikes referred to as MTB's on sale, it's just a name, what else would you call them?
It seems like Dave wants a bike mainly for commuting with a bit of fun on the side, I would think the Woosh Rio would suit his needs perfectly.
Dave.

 

[Woosh]

thus it is not a mtb and only in style

I can agree with that.

That's why adjustable stem is a benefit for those who prefer a more upright riding position. It gives up to 1.5" extra height to the bars. If they need more than that, I'll fit a stem extender to give them extra 4".
We do have fixed MTB stems in stock and can fit them instead if you don't need a more upright riding position. It takes the same time to assemble your bike, no difference to us.

 

[davegpwheeler]

well that was very exciting!

I will discuss this when I call on Monday. I tried to call now but realise Whoosh are closed on Saturdays. no problem.

like the man says though, I am not looking at launching myself off the side of a mountain at 40mph. if I were I would be looking at alternative forms of transport. Thanks all the same.

 

[LeighPing]

well that was very exciting!

Good choice.

 

[soundwave]

well that was very exciting!

I will discuss this when I call on Monday. I tried to call now but realise Whoosh are closed on Saturdays. no problem.

like the man says though, I am not looking at launching myself off the side of a mountain at 40mph. if I were I would be looking at alternative forms of transport. Thanks all the same.

you can pay all the money and still die tho you cant buy skill

 

[Woosh]

you can pay all the money and still die tho you cant buy skill

much easier to go down that route on a pair of skis or a snowboard.

 

[soundwave]

much easier to go down that route on a pair of skis or a snowboard.

yeah right pmsl you need skill and balls

 

[LeighPing]

yeah right pmsl you need skill and balls

And a loose screw or two.

With all that gravity and inertial mass you could do that run in a shopping trolley. Or, indeed, any type of wheeled mount. Even a skateboard. A heavy ebike is obviously going to fly down there.

This is not mountain biking as most people know it. Nor e-mountainbiking as I know it. Which is just a bike that has the ability for a bit off off road rough stuff. Without too much effort.

 

[Danidl]

yeah right pmsl you need skill and balls

Soundwave. .. you are hijacking what was a very reasonable question thread where a new member was looking for sound advice. There are probably thousands of people with a similar query.
Although there are people who commute up to 30 miles each way by bike it is unusual and a 25 mile round trip is on the outside bounds of what is realistic on a daily basis. ..and still do a days work.
The use of these videos has as much relevance as "extreme ironing" has to domestic housework. Why not create a new thread, for these exiting videos?.

 

[soundwave]

adjustable stems are for cruising and comfort bikes they are not designed for mtb use or any of road use at all esp cheap ones you are just asking for it.

 

[davegpwheeler]

Soundwave, you sound like a bloke trying to convince a group of rugby fans that the Chiefs will beat the 49'ers in the superbowl.

no one cares mate! turn it in

 

[soundwave]

well thats your choice i did ask my m8 today that has worked in top brand bike shops for 26 years as a bike tech and he said he would not recommend adjustable stems on any bike esp a 20kg plus ebike sold as a mtb.

and if you want a proper ass kicking go big them up on this forum and watch what happens

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[Andy McNish]

"Although there are people who commute up to 30 miles each way by bike it is unusual and a 25 mile round trip is on the outside bounds of what is realistic on a daily basis. ..and still do a days work. "

Is it? I have a 25 mile round-trip to Manchester City Centre each dry day and it's just 40 minutes each way. It's more restful and qucker than squashing onto a train and walking down from Piccaddilly to be honest.

Mine is a flattish commute too and the only issue I have is that I could do it more quickly and probably without raising the heart rate much more on a much lighter £600 gravel/cross bike - like this one from Planet X, for example. My Cube Touring is rock solid but weighs a ton and it's not really worth the effort of getting it up over 16mph.

If you must have an ebike for some reason, on a £1000 budget I would look at the Woosh bikes or a Woosh conversion kit.
And then fit Marathon Pluses. You could get some decent weekend away days on that.

Once you get to £1400+ you can start thinking about Bosch ALP mid drive bikes (they'd need to be on sale at that price point but there are a few around) but that is likely overkill for a simple commuter.