From the outside, cycling can seem a pricey game. Look around at all those shiny bikes and you could be forgiven for thinking you need to spend a small fortune to join in the fun. But fear not, because just as there are bikes that can set you back the price of a family car, there are just as many quality machines priced at a more accessible level.
Lower cost doesn’t necessarily mean lower quality though. Bikes up to the £1000 mark benefit from what we like to call the ‘trickle-down effect’. No, it’s not an unpleasant damp feeling in your socks, it’s the way that technology on higher-priced machines eventually finds its way down the food chain to lower-priced bikes. This means that gears, brakes and frame technology that four or five years ago would have been found on bikes costing a few grand are now available on those costing a lot less.
The road is calling
We’re finally (hopefully, fingers crossed…) about to be treated to a nationwide spell of warm, dry weather. A good summer ride out on the local lanes is good for the soul, and there’s no better way to do it than aboard a super-duper new road bike. Big name brands like Specialized, Giant/Liv and Trek really know how to build a great ride, and they put years of experience and know-how into every one. Specialized first built the Allez way back in the 1980s and they’ve been refining the design ever since. Thirty-plus years of tech, a lightweight frame, and quality gears and brakes – you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck here.
These bikes are just as adept on the commute or a quick nip to the shops as they are on the Sunday café ride. In fact, the Allez and the Trek Domane come with mounts for mudguards and racks, offering you a dry, comfy ride all year round.
Some people prefer a bike with flat bars, offering a heads-up riding position better suited to the urban jungle. Again, the big brands offer plenty of choices here, with the Specialized Sirrus being one of the most popular commuter bikes on the roads today. And for good reason – comfort, style, practicality and a stupendously low price tag all combine to deliver a seriously capable bike that will get you to the office on time and with a grin on your face to boot. Sounds better than standing squished on a delayed train, doesn’t it?
Hit the trails
Summer is also a great time for a bit of mountain biking. Dry and dusty trails, cheeky pub stops and blasts through the woods make for brilliant days out, whether on your own, with the family or a bunch of mates. The Trek Marlin 5 is a true trail-tuned legend, belying its price tag with front suspension and amazing components wrapped around an aluminium frame just crying out to be ridden.
Being ‘hardtails’, which means they have front suspension only rather than being bouncy at both ends, these are great starter bikes for folk just dipping their toes into the fun-filled world of mountain biking. A hardtail teaches you bike handling skills, such as how to shift your body weight in technical sections, rather than just allowing you to ‘point it and go’ as you can on a full susser. Trust us, these are talents you’ll be glad you have in your locker as you move through your biking life.
Come down and see us and we’ll show you just how good these bikes are. Sure, you can spend a few grand if you want, but if you don’t, we’re confident you’ll roll out with a bike that is capable, reliable and, most importantly, damn fun to ride.
