Why Cycle? Impartial advice for potential and new cyclists in the UK.
Feedback
Leave FeedbackPosted By Judy
2009-09-11 16:58:46
Very useful site, even for an 'oldie' like me. Just back to cycling aged 52, I have been ill and had forgotten how much I loved my bike. Thanks to all involved. Would like to encourage more overweight, middle aged women like me! We are worth it!
Posted By Darren Selby
2009-09-07 11:30:31
Hello , yes i wasn't clear in my last email . I didn't mean to imply that you stated that aluminium frames only last five years. However it must be stated that the manufacturers only offer this warranty whereas a steel frame is generally guaranteed for life. This must mean something ! On investigation of the subject I have found that Aluminium is indeed more prone to fatigue and it may last longer than five years but will be more likely to crack at some point. It is also harder to get aluminium welded especially on the road. I think basically the message is this if you want a bike for a lifetime or a tourer it would be best to go with steel. Thank you for your informative article.
Why Cycle? comments:
Steel frames are by no means exempt from problems, however most are the result of low grade steels and poor maintenance, whereby the issues are caused by rust. Equally, the number of steel frames whcih carry lifetime warranties is relatively small and even those that do have these length of warranty only warrant that the material itself and the workmanship is free of defect at the point of manufacture. Failures which can be attributed to inappropriate usage or the result of neglect would not be covered anyway. HOWEVER, if you are planning major expeditions then your choice of kit is of great importance. Don't believe for a minute though that all steel frames will be repairable "on the road" since many are specialist steels that require specific methods of working. If you wish to continue the discussion, it would best be done in the Forum where other users have the chance to respond to your questions, not just me!
Steel frames are by no means exempt from problems, however most are the result of low grade steels and poor maintenance, whereby the issues are caused by rust. Equally, the number of steel frames whcih carry lifetime warranties is relatively small and even those that do have these length of warranty only warrant that the material itself and the workmanship is free of defect at the point of manufacture. Failures which can be attributed to inappropriate usage or the result of neglect would not be covered anyway. HOWEVER, if you are planning major expeditions then your choice of kit is of great importance. Don't believe for a minute though that all steel frames will be repairable "on the road" since many are specialist steels that require specific methods of working. If you wish to continue the discussion, it would best be done in the Forum where other users have the chance to respond to your questions, not just me!
Posted By Darren Selby
2009-09-04 12:36:07
Hello,
i'm a little confused (a permanent state) I stumbled across your website and very good it is too for us new to cycling. I was interested in your bike Shaped objects article and links . I may in fact be the proud possessor of such a bike. I originally purchased a Falcon Mountain bike for my daughter which languished in the shed mainly for 4 years. A waste of materials and resources I thought and when i discovered the grand union canal rang near my house I began riding to work on (300 miles so far completed) My point is this the bike is heavy and chunky , has cheapy tires , good brakes , shiman gears and a semi descent crank but has done the job thus far. I assembled this myself though I think it came straight from falcon. My point is this there are many bikes in the £300-500 price range of what are considered good makes but they are aluminiun. In another part of your web site you cite that this develops fatigue and has a 5 year life span. Why would I want to buy a bike costing £500 or more that has a lifespan of 5 years ! hardly enviromentally friendly . There is a market for cheap SAFE bikes and as the link review to the ASDA debacle pointed out people like me who have got the bug will look to purchase a better bike later. Any ideas ? Steel frame , lightish, hybrid £300-500
cheers
i'm a little confused (a permanent state) I stumbled across your website and very good it is too for us new to cycling. I was interested in your bike Shaped objects article and links . I may in fact be the proud possessor of such a bike. I originally purchased a Falcon Mountain bike for my daughter which languished in the shed mainly for 4 years. A waste of materials and resources I thought and when i discovered the grand union canal rang near my house I began riding to work on (300 miles so far completed) My point is this the bike is heavy and chunky , has cheapy tires , good brakes , shiman gears and a semi descent crank but has done the job thus far. I assembled this myself though I think it came straight from falcon. My point is this there are many bikes in the £300-500 price range of what are considered good makes but they are aluminiun. In another part of your web site you cite that this develops fatigue and has a 5 year life span. Why would I want to buy a bike costing £500 or more that has a lifespan of 5 years ! hardly enviromentally friendly . There is a market for cheap SAFE bikes and as the link review to the ASDA debacle pointed out people like me who have got the bug will look to purchase a better bike later. Any ideas ? Steel frame , lightish, hybrid £300-500
cheers
Why Cycle? comments:
Hi Darren, There are many grades of aluminium alloy available which are used for bicycle manufacture. Cheaper bikes tend to use cheaper allows which are potentially more prone to fatigue, but fatigue, even though a possibility is not something which is ultra common. The commentary in the jargon buster section of the site doesn't say that the frame has a lifespan of 5 years. It does however state that many alumium frames typically only carry a manufacturers material warranty of 5 years. Refer to the warranty of the bike you are interested in... some may offer a longer warranty.
Hi Darren, There are many grades of aluminium alloy available which are used for bicycle manufacture. Cheaper bikes tend to use cheaper allows which are potentially more prone to fatigue, but fatigue, even though a possibility is not something which is ultra common. The commentary in the jargon buster section of the site doesn't say that the frame has a lifespan of 5 years. It does however state that many alumium frames typically only carry a manufacturers material warranty of 5 years. Refer to the warranty of the bike you are interested in... some may offer a longer warranty.
Posted By mariano
2009-07-16 21:32:35
On the "safety and security: cycle helmets" page, the link "An extremely interesting argument and tons of supporting facts and figures can be found here." is broken.
What is the extremely interesting argument?
What is the extremely interesting argument?
Why Cycle? comments:
An apology... The nature of the net makes it a very changeable area and sadly, keeping up to date with the changing sites etc of third party saites I link to is pretty difficult... until someone tries the link and tells you it is dead! The revised URL: http://camdencyclists.org.uk/info/tforum/mayer0601
An apology... The nature of the net makes it a very changeable area and sadly, keeping up to date with the changing sites etc of third party saites I link to is pretty difficult... until someone tries the link and tells you it is dead! The revised URL: http://camdencyclists.org.uk/info/tforum/mayer0601
Posted By craig Salisbury
2009-06-30 19:09:03
oooh scratch that last comment :) it appears the forum doesnt like hotmail accounts. I switched to my Gmail and got the email. woo hoooo!
On a better note, the site has great info for n00bz and a friendly bunch on the forums
On a better note, the site has great info for n00bz and a friendly bunch on the forums
Posted By craig Salisbury
2009-06-30 19:04:52
Meh I tried to register for the forum several times and didnt even get an email......
Posted By John the roadie.
2009-06-26 15:52:04
Great site for all for info, i enjoy my cycleing have done for years, i ride to and from work and do longer rides on my days off, cycleing is the BIZ.
Posted By Noel Denney
2009-06-20 15:11:03
Really informative. A must for any newbie.
Posted By luke
2009-06-16 16:30:09
good site lots of info for a new buyer to think about
Posted By xox
2009-05-23 00:12:05
really nice site..
& not only for the new cyclists in the UK. :)
& not only for the new cyclists in the UK. :)
^^GO TO TOP^^
WhyCycle and all content is ©Copyright SiWIS 2001-2010 except where stated.
facebook
myspace
google bookmarks
mixx
digg
stumbleupon
del.icio.us
technorati
reddit
linkedin
yahoo myweb
yahoo buzz
yahoo bookmarks
windows live
newsvine
furl
Other sharing sites (show all)