First road bike advice.

cbradley1982
cbradley1982 Posts: 10
edited March 2008 in Road beginners
Hi all. I'm planning to buy my first road bike. I've got around 350-400. I plan to cycle to work everyday and if i get on well use it mor often.

I am very keen on the BeOne - Storm 3.0 from chain reaction cycles. Can anyone tell me a bit about this bike or recommend alternatives.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=14988

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Cheers, Brad
Orange Five '10

Comments

  • Mettan
    Mettan Posts: 2,103
    Hi Brad - and welcome to the forum.

    It's essentially a budget 8 speed triple - you'll get an Alu frame and carbon forks with a triple crankset that'll give you low enough gearing for any commute - the Giant SCR 3 is an obvious alternative although there are others - stick around and wait for other recommendations.
  • ash68
    ash68 Posts: 320
    yeh, welcome to the forum. As Mettan has said the Scr3 is a great bike for the money. I got one a couple of months ago as I was joining my local club and wanted a lighter winter bike.I've put full mudguards on and find it fairly light and nippy. Handles well and so far after 600 miles no problems.It has the added advantage of fixing points for a rear rack as well . Got mine from the local; bike shop for £400, although it is a 07 model. Seen them on the wiggle site for £380. Might be worth a look.
  • cbradley1982
    cbradley1982 Posts: 10
    Yeh, was going to buy the one on wiggle but they only have it in small. Does carbon forks make a difference to the ride?
    Orange Five '10
  • ash68
    ash68 Posts: 320
    Think carbon forks are supposed to reduce road buzz and vibrations and give a slightly more cushioned ride. Pity wiggle only have the small size left. I'm 5 foot 7 and can get away with a small frame but if you're taller it's not really going to be suitable.Might be worth going to your local bike shop and seeing makes of bike they sell. The BE one storm looks quite a nice bike for the money, but at this sort of price range there is always going to be cheaper parts fitted to cut costs which ever bike you decide on.My scr has cheapish tyres on and there's one or two cuts in the tyres already, but I can always upgrade them. Suppose the advantage of going to your LBS is that you can try the bike for size and have a test ride before you need to hand over any money, also easier to sort any warrenty problems if they should arise.
  • simon_e
    simon_e Posts: 1,707
    I have a Giant SCR 2 (same as the SCR 3 but with 9-speed) and love it, but there are other good makes out there. Specialized Allez and Trek 1000 are considered similar entry-level bikes - that's entry to a good range. If you want to go cheaper Decathlon are apparently quite inexpensive and even <cough> Halfrauds' road bikes aren't terrible value.

    I would always advise someone to shop around before buying, though that's difficult if the bike you like is mail order only. Check the specs and model year on any bikes you like the look of - last year's model (if available) is a bit cheaper.

    Search the forum archives (road category, naturally) for info on individual models for some opinions, though in the end it's your own that counts. When you buy something that you're happy with it's always worth it. :)
    Aspire not to have more, but to be more.
  • andy81
    andy81 Posts: 118
    If you're using it for commuting, it would be worth checking whether your employer offers a cycle to work scheme, as this could save you a large amount of cash (up to around 50% if you pay tax at higher rate).

    The bikes I looked at were pretty much the ones above, as Simon mentions above, Carrera bikes from Halfords aren't bad for the money (though the quality of service and quality of workmanship when putting the bikes together can leave a bit to be desired!)

    I ended up with a Carrera Valour, and have been pretty happy with it compared to my 14 year old Peugeot!

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