Struggled with commuting, got a new bike. Night and day

Hey all!

I've been on and off bike commuting for a year and I've struggled.

I was riding a hand me down that was previously….a hand me down.

It was an old carrera from Halfords. It was a big heavy rugged thing that was designed for off road (I think, had wide tyres and lots of gears). It was falling apart a bit, gears not working as they should, hairline crack on the frame etc.

I took the plunge and purchased the above bike, a decathlon riverside 700.

It's night and day. It is so much quicker and easier to get around on. I love commuting again.

Moral of the story: Sometimes, even as a beginner you are not the limiting factor.