Newbie Question Re Road Bikes

cosmaboy

Hi,

I have read the newbie page 'What Road Bike' by Canterburytailwind and it was extremely helpful, however i am just getting into road biking after completing a few charity bike rides on my MTB and what like to know if anyone could offer a bit more help with regards to bikes that i have seen on the internet.

Now obviously as i am just starting out i don't really want to spend a fortune on a road bike but don't mind spending in the region of 300 - 700 quid on one.

The problem i have is there are 100's of makes and models and unfortunately i do not know enough about biking to know the difference between the models.


has any one heard of the following and know whether they are good makes:

BeOne Briza 1.0 2008
Giant SCR 3 (i know this company make 1000's of bikes but are the cheaper options any good!)
Ridgeback Horizon Road Bike

Or if any one can point me in a direction of decent road bikes i would appreciate it.

Thanks and regards
Mat

fizz

The Giant gets very good reviews and my mate has one thats hes really pleased with, its a good starting point and good value for money to IMHO.

Best thing you can do is get down to your local bike shop and see what they have in stock and what you like the look of and have a chat with the staff in there.

Your budget seems reasonable I dont think you'll have a problem finding something, just remember to factor in shoes and pedals etc if you dont have those already.

cosmaboy

Thanks,

I have spoken to a few shops but sort of get the impression that if i mention a bike that they haven't or can't get in then they immediately get on the defensive, so really looking for general concensus at what bikes to look at...

I don't really want to walk into a shop and get mugged into getting something if there are better bikes out there in my price range.

Does anyone have a opinion on these

Specialized Allex 27 2008 - £549.99 http://www.cyclesuk.com/104-258209

Trek 1.5 d2008 - £600 http://www.cyclesuk.com/104-300074

Claud Butler Milano 2008 - £494.99 http://www.cyclesuk.com/104-300074

Dawes Competition Giro 400 2008 - £449.99 http://www.cyclesuk.com/104-203088

Broadman Road Comp - £600

BeOne Storm 2.0 2008 - £499.99 http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=25458

If anyone can help or has these bikes and can give there opinion i would appreciate it, i'm really looking for ease of use rather than difficultness....

Any help would be appreciated

thanks
mat

George Murdoch

last year I bought a SCR3 as a 'second' bike to use in wet conditions etc., fitted mudguards. This year changed wheels to Askiums. Now I like the SCR3 more than my other bike which cost double. Other bike though has better equipment (mostly Shimano 105). SCR3 has cheaper equipment but this does not let the bike down.

il_principe

Amazed no one has mentioned this so far, but general consensus on here seems to be that for £500 or so the Specialized Allez represents the best bang for your buck. I bought an Allez as my first road bike and loved it, it's now owned by a mate of mine and he loves it as well. An awful lot of shops stock specialized so you should be able to find one easily. I would normally suggest test riding as many bikes as you can but tbh they will all feel very weird to you coming from an MTB background! The key is to buy the bike from the shop that is the most helpful/knowledgeable. The good ones should really take their time measuring you and fitting the bike. Good fit is very important as the wrong size could really spoil things for you. Also remember to put some cash aside for the extras you'll need. I'd suggest getting clipless pedals (and proper shoes) straight away, they might seem a bit daunting but make the world of difference. Also invest in some padded shorts... if you don't like lycra buy some anyway and wear baggy shorts over the top. Don't wear them and you will get a sore a$$!

Also have a look at the Focus range on Wiggle, the Variado is an excellent bike - I use an Expert model as my winter trainer and it is fantastic and much better than the Allez IME.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Focus_Variado_2008/5360032370/
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Focus_Variado_Expert_2008/5360032369/

Finally - Road cycling is ADDICTIVE! Just a little warning, chances are you will fall in love with this sport - so be prepared to end ups spending a lot of time/money on your new hobby, it is a very rewarding pastime.



Enjoy and good luck.

cosmaboy

Hi thanks for your reply,

I will take that all onboard, i have already purchased the padded shorts! i believe there a must!!!

clipless pedals seem daunting...... but shall have a look....

thanks again.

alfablue

Would agree with Jashburnam. I think the Allez has a great reputation, and for me a big difference between that and some of the others cited is that it has Tiagra shifters rather than Sora (Sora are okay but the thumb lever is a bit crude).

The Trek has a very good frame and is good value for money, but the shifters are Sora (which suprises me as the cheaper 1.2 is also Sora).

I have heard the BeOne's come with the brakes set up so that the right lever does the rear and left front (the "European" arrangement). This can be changed fairly easily, but the bike doesn't seem particularly special compared to the others.

The Boardman is probably excellent, and great value for money - the downside is buying from Halfords.

Focus bikes from Wiggle seem to be fantastic for the money.

On balance, I'd go for the Allez or a Focus.

il_principe

Do not buy from Halfords and if you have to, then get another shop to build the bike!

cosmaboy

thanks, seems to be getting some good info from you guys.

i take it the majority of people are anti halfords, any reason why?

obviously i don't really have a clue about gear shifters what's the difference between Tiagra shifters rather than Sora?

alfablue

Tiagra shifters are the next model up from Sora in the Shimano range. They are generally better quality, but the big difference is that the Tiagra uses a small lever behind the brake lever for shifting (in addition to pushing the whole brake lever), similar to all of the other shifters higher up the Shimano range. (note the black thing behind the silver brake lever in the pic).

Sora have instead a small thumb lever, this works okay, but isn't so ergonomic, and can be quite hard to press, see the little lever poking out to the inside of the left hand shifter


Halfords are very variable, some good (some even excellent) some bad, some awful.

They have a reputation for not building up bikes well (or properly), not knowing what they are talking about, and not resolving problems very helpfully - though this is only SOME stores. They also seem to refuse a test ride on the bike outside of the store.

cosmaboy

thanks, i appreicate that, looks like Tiagra is the way to go.

cosmaboy

jashburnham

liking to form of the Focus Variado it has the Tiagra gears but whats with the paint job! just don't like red!!!

am i being a little bit picky!

il_principe

cosmaboy wrote:

jashburnham

liking to form of the Focus Variado it has the Tiagra gears but whats with the paint job! just don't like red!!!

am i being a little bit picky!

It is a nasty scheme I'll give you that, last years was much better and my 06 has a nice black and white job.

idaviesmoore

Don't be daunted by clipless pedals. Take your time with them. Go to carpark or somewhere fairly quiet and keep clipping in and out. Once you get used to them you'll never look back.

Popular brands:

Shimano SPD
Look Delta or Keo
Time
Speedplay

Which one's best??? Couldn't answer as it's a personal choice. I have always used Look (tried shimano and didn't feel as secure).

As I always say...welcome aboard..your money troubles have only just begun

giant_man

cosmaboy wrote:

thanks, seems to be getting some good info from you guys.

i take it the majority of people are anti halfords, any reason why?

obviously i don't really have a clue about gear shifters what's the difference between Tiagra shifters rather than Sora?

Halfrauds is a place where you can buy oil for your car, or get some new air fresheners for your dashboard. Not a place to buy a bike from. They employ monkeys and pay them peanuts. Stay WELL clear and choose a decent LBS in your area who will look after you. Their prices might well be very attractive but this comes at a price believe me, this is advice for any beginner.

Rich Hcp

I was going to get an Allez last year.

I ended up with an Allez Sport, which has Taigra gears, for a good price because the new year bikes were coming out.

Now is the best time to buy, you may get a bargain.

The Allez is a good all rounder, go for it