Bikes, but which ones ?

[Lenny HB]

One word of caution about mountain bikes - the tyres are often not really suitable for normal road riding so ensure you get some with tyres that do both otherwise it will be very hard work (I speak from experience!). Also, as regards suspension, we've had bikes with front and rear but I'd say forget the rear suspension piston type and go for seat-post suspension instead as this still makes it comfortable to ride but you don't get such a 'see-saw' effect as your ride along, this also makes the bikes lighter too. Front suspension is good if you can get it as it does make it more comfortable on your hands/wrists, but if not then a good pair of padded cycling gloves make cushions you instead. Make sure that you can get the handlebar high enough for a comfortable riding position as a lot of bikes only have very small posts which limits this, if you ride constantly with a forward lean it will certainly put strain on your wrists.

Ours are hard tail XC's what most would refer to as mountain bikes, before we did the London to Brighton changed the tyres to road tyres
They were Conti Traveler Contact, a slick centre with a single row of knobles on each side so can be used for light off road use & puncher proof, could ride 2-3mph faster with the same effort and so much easier against a strong wind, never changed them back.
Did look at suspension seat posts as we don't ride them so much now there was only one that fitted our seat tubes £70 each so haven't bothered yet.

 

[GeriatricWanderer]

My recommendations:

Unless you're planning to do a lot of "serious" cycling, which I think you're not, you don't need to spend fortune. A couple of used bikes with perhaps more comfortable saddles, will probably do the trick.
Flashy, new expensive bikes hanging on the rear end of a MH are just asking to be nicked.

Assuming most of your cycling will be on tarmac, if you end up with bike fitted with knobbly tyres, replace them with a smoother treaded tyre - the difference in "rear-end-comfort" will be dramatic as will it's smooth ride.

Stay away from spending lots of dosh for a "Hybrid" label. Nice they may be but that label will probably double the cost.

Anyway, thems my thoughts.

 

[Viennese]

Buy a couple of good lightweight used bikes - ours are both old, and unfashionable (and even a bit rusty!) but in good order and with Reynolds tubing. Less likely to be pinched we think, and lighter to lift onto the cycle rack.

 

[injebreck99]

Well,
Day #1 of the "bike hunting" has come to an end !
Have not bought yet, saw a few different types and sort of settling on mountain bikes from a local cycle shop. Pretty basic really, size of frame is indeed important and I need a 20" frame.
Guy there very knowledgeable and talked me through different things. Surprised that I wanted a carrier/pannier on a mountain bike but no problem fitting them for me.
So, off early next week to look again and settle on the models we want. Budgeting for about £350 for the pair.... They had bikes from £69 to thousands and all in between....... So my next question?
I would like to fit a cycle rack to the MH, but I want to fit the rack to the tow bar only, that is not drilling the rear of the motorhome. Any suggestions on the best type.... or I may fabricate the bracket and add a basic 2 cycle rack to it.
Thanks for all the replies, appreciated.

Jon

If you want a towbar mounted rack, a towball mounted one is the easiest and safest to use, but it depends if you want to use the towball to tow anything as well as having a rack fitted, we have an Altea Strada to carry our 2 electric bikes, fairly heavy and not cheap, but very efficient in use.

 

[Deleted34567]

Well, bikes bought.
Ended up spending near €1000 on the pair but our son and daughter both got them on the "cycle to work scheme" that saved us 51% on the cost of them.
So a pair of bikes with a retail of near 1K cost us shy of €500 and they came from chain reaction cycles as suggested by @PORKSTER
Mine a 20" hybrid and hers a 18.5" hybrid made by cube and vitus.
Would have had a trip on them today but it pissed cats and dogs here all day.
Now, just the matter of a cycle rack and a couple of covers.
Thanks everyone for your help and input, it's appreciated.

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[rosalan]

As we got older and the bike rack got higher, we tried out a couple of Ebikes. There really is no going back. After buying first a couple of AS Bikes and using them for four years we bought another more powerful pair of AS Bikes and they have given us more pleasure than I can easily describe. Last year with a failing hip (now replaced) my wife and I toured all over Spain and France, climbing the steepest hills and viewing effortlessly the otherwise unseen places in silence. No tax, no fuel and insurance included with household goods. Pure joy!