Newbie London Commuter - 22mile RT. Advice pls :)
TL;CBA to read: 33 short-arse female wanting to cycle around London, advice on first cheap bike purchase 200quid-ish. Second-hand brand recommendations appreciated otherwise will just go ... halfords BOOOO. Mostly roads, some trail. What seat position (uh, this is geometry?) for a 22mile daily round trip 5x a week. Anything else to consider?
I'm super excited and nervous to make my first post. I have decided that I have had ENOUGH of London public transport, the 5 hours daily commute of switching buses and trains to work and then to see my horse after! I'M DONE! ARGH! I haven't cycled in a decade and while I'm a person that workouts everyday it's a little daunting looking at that mileage in addition to the rest of it. I walk my dogs 2x a day, my work is very active 9-5 (what's a chair?) and I have to exercise my horse and some extras in the evenings sometimes. This isn't pleasure horse-riding, this is EXERCISE for both rider and horse. Well... google maps tell me if life is perfect I can cut my daily commute in half just by getting buff and dodging lunatics on the road. I'm gonna try it because if I have to listen to one more idiotic teenager on the bus I'm gonna lose my mind.
Being a newbie with bike brands I don't even know where to begin. I have a decent budget and I get a discount through work however I refused to spend big on my first bike. I understand I will be sacrificing certain comforts but I have to be practical about this. My first bike I will probably only use for a few months, so am only looking for things in the range of 200 quid. I'll probably scrap it and invest properly second time around and probably try get my mother into it. So any recommendations with all the above?
- mostly london roads, some trail tracks (nothing major)
- 22 miles 5x a week - will build up to this ofc, will drive to yard initially so I don't kill myself. Note: have car but refuse to drive into central london coz parking fees + traffic
- will probably shower at work daily
- road bike/mountain bike/hybrid bike? (no folding bikes pls. I never want to be on a bus again).
- suspension or no suspension?
- insurance? (for me)
I have a go-pro, hrm and tracker for when I ride in the countryside so look forward to tracking progress. Thank you so much in advance for reading and offering any advice!