How long does it take to learn a Bicycle & What should I go for?

Question

I'm soon going to learn how to ride a bicycle, beforehand I need to pick one, When I did learn I would be travelling 5-10-miles a day on normal roads, nothing too steep, I have a budget of £200, though looking for more £150 as Id need to buy accessories with a frame size of 18" -19"

1) What would be best a Mountain or Hybrid

2) How long does it take to learn

3) Is 10 miles a day ok, too much, too little? (I have no knowledge)

Answer 1

.,it's too far for you to take a ride with just a bike..

.,it will just make you tired..

Answer 2

This answer is a bit longer than I intended but I hope you don't mind.

A hybrid would be a good choice but also think about touring or trekking bikes.  They are lighter, more comfortable and the gearing is designed for faster road cycling.  Sorry to say but £150 will not get you a new bike that will handle a regular 10 miles a day.  Gears will be pressed steel and will be worn away in 3 months.  The paint will be wafer thin and will chip off leaving the steel frame underneath the rust.  Your best bet is to buy second hand.  Fortunately there are people who buy more expensive bikes with good intentions but never use them.  After a few years in the garage they end up on eBay or in the local classifieds.  Look at these websites and get an idea of bikes in the £300-400 range and then look for something similar

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/c/Cycle/7/Hybrid...

http://www.evanscycles.com/categories/co...

An easy way to judge quality is by the gears.  Look at the front and rear derailleurs and check out were they lie in the Shimano range.

http://cycle.shimano-eu.com/catalog/cycl...

If you are cycling to work or school every day (can't tell the age of your avatar!) you will need a cycle rack and mudgaurds either already fitted or with fittings on the frame.  Another advantage of buying second hand is you can often get lights, etc. thrown in.

I doubt most people in this forum can even remember learning to cycle, I can't, so this advice is from teaching my son.  Find an empty car park on a Sunday morning, somewhere with plenty of space and nothing to bump into.  Lower the saddle down so you can sit on it with both feet on the floor.  Put one foot on a pedal and push yourself along with the other like a scooter.  Practice starting and stopping like that for a while.  When you're happy doing that then you can sart putting the second foot onto the pedal and free wheeling and eventually you can move on to pedalling the bike.  Remember to keep your hands on the brake levers while practicing so you can stop quickly if you need to.  You may need a couple of sessions of this before you are completely happy.  Once you're confident don't forget to raise the saddle back up to normal height.

One thing I can absolutely guarentee is that you will get a sore backside and stiff legs, don't be put off, it doesn't last forever!.  The best thing to do is to try and minimise this by starting of with a few short rides and building up slowly to your final distance.  10 miles a day is a fairly comfortable distance, you shouldn't find it a problem and once you've built up the cycling muscles you will probably find you want to do more.

Cycling on roads can be a bit daunting for a beginner, the best bet is to find a route that uses off road cycle routes or back streets where the traffic is lighter.  Details of cycle routes can normally be found on local authority websites.  Try practising your route ahead of time, again a Sunday morning is best as there is less traffic.

Good luck and enjoy your cycling.

Answer 3

1) I would definitely go for a hybrid.  Especially if you are mainly riding on roads.  A hybrid will be faster, more practical and easier to ride.

2) I reckon you could learn in less than a few weeks if you put your mind to it.  You should ask an experienced cyclist to teach you about riding on the city roads.

3) 10 miles a day is a good round trip.  You might find it hard at first but you'll soon get used to it and you'll be flying along!

Cycling is really good fun, it keeps you fit and it's free!  Make sure you get a good helmet and A GOOD, HIGH VISIBILITY REFLECTIVE JACKET. VERY IMPORTANT!

Good Luck!

PS- You should spend as much as you can afford on a bike.  A good bike will repay you many times over and will not need to be serviced as much as a cheap one.  I would spend AT LEAST £150 on a new bike.  Its well worth it.

Answer 4

If you're only going on roads then a hybrid will be much better than a mountain bike (which funnily enough are for mountains)

How long does it take to learn ???? depends how well you can balance, but not long. As long as your confident on it you'll be fine.

10 miles is not that bad, about 30mins depending on traffic etc. You might ache a bit the first few days but it will improve.

But I wouldn't  spend anyway near £150 on a bike (but thats just me).