We have an office move in September which means rather than being just a mile and a half away, work will now be 4 miles from my house. I have little inclination to drive to work, as it will mean dealing with rush hour traffic, wear and tear on the car and driving through the town centre. Another option is to walk into town and get a free Shuttle Bus. I HATE the idea of sharing a bus with lots of people I really don't want to talk to. None of this is tempting!
Therefore I thought of option 3, which is a bike. Good for the environment and good for lazy me who doesn't do much exercise at present. However, having had little to do with bikes for the last 20 years, I need to ask some advice. I will not have a great deal to spend (budget is likely to be £200 tops with all the accessories such as helmet, lights, lock etc).
I am loathe to go to a place like Halfords - they seem to be of the "Pile It High, Sell It Cheap" ethos, which makes me thinks a lot of the bikes they dish out are likely to start to fall apart after a few months' hard use. I could be wrong, but...
I am more likely to want to use a local specialist business but should I be looking for a cheaper new bike or a secondhand "name brand" instead? What are your thoughts? I need your help
