New rider seeking advise

charliec24

Hi Guys,
I used to cycle alot (mountain bike) over my local downs.

I have now moved and keen to get involved with Road Cycling.

I am seeking advice on a few things......

Decent road bikes for beginners (make, where to look, how much to spend etc)
What other equipment/clothing should i use.

Thanks in advance for your help.

deptfordmarmoset

Hi there, Charlie.

It's maybe better to set a budget first and then the rest of the forum will spend it for you. Ok, on second thoughts, subtract 25% off that budget because, as it's not their money, they'll only go overboard.

charliec24

thanks for the response, i was thinking between£400-£500, i have seen some good bikes for this price, is this a good price for beginner? too much too small....?!?!

rickhotrod

If you are going to want mudguards at some point, get a road bike that has eyelets/clearance for full mudguards. The Trek 1.2 has eyelets/clearance as well as some others, but most road bikes don't.

cougie

Lots of decent bikes out there - but check out what your LBS has - theres probably one in there thats fits you. Check the reviews online before you commit.

friso

Hi, i have gone though a simular situation this year

Got back into road riding in March after 20 years off, bought a cheap average used bike off E-Bay for £200, bought some basic clothing for the weather conditions at the time (£100)

I only spent this as i wasnt sure whether i would carry it on or have the time to get out on the bike

Once i was sure that cycling is for me i sold bike on e-bay for small profit and bought a new dearer bike (this has also been upgraded)

So i suppose i would recomend a good used bike first to make sure that road riding is for you before spending to much, you can always get your money back then upgrade it if needed

Try looking at the specialised Allez range, good value for money second hand

Good luck

friso

Hi, i have gone though a simular situation this year

Got back into road riding in March after 20 years off, bought a cheap average used bike off E-Bay for £200, bought some basic clothing for the weather conditions at the time (£100)

I only spent this as i wasnt sure whether i would carry it on or have the time to get out on the bike

Once i was sure that cycling is for me i sold bike on e-bay for small profit and bought a new dearer bike (this has also been upgraded)

So i suppose i would recomend a good used bike first to make sure that road riding is for you before spending to much, you can always get your money back then upgrade it if needed

Try looking at the specialised Allez range, good value for money second hand

Good luck

richara3

If you know what you are doing then go 2nd hand. For the money you are talking you could get what was a grands woth of bike when it was new. One thats got a few cosmetic blemishes may well offer even greater value.
I will get blasted for this but people that are reasonably serious cyclists seem to take better care of their kit so try looking on the forums of a few local bike clubs and I am sure something will turn up.

You can always upgrade the bike later..


http://www.revolutionarybikes.com/roadbikes.htm

This guys got a nearly new Allez its in Scotland though but can vouch for him...not that that means much with this being the internet!!!!!!. He may be able to post it

Andy

bobtbuilder

If you are going to want mudguards at some point, get a road bike that has eyelets/clearance for full mudguards. The Trek 1.2 has eyelets/clearance as well as some others, but most road bikes don't.

As you can buy clip-on mudguards which are just as effective as fixed mudguards, I wouldn't treat this as a priority.

+1 for buying secondhand (as long as you know enough to check the state of the frame, components, etc). £500 doesn't buy you a lot of new bike.

CiB

This is what you want - a good 2nd hand bike. I've PM'd you about it but have since stuck it up in the Classifieds as it needs to go to make space.

zedders

As someone in the same shoes as yourself 2 & half years ago, I would advise the following as someone who has been there and done it:

Don't spend to much on your first bike until you have an idea of what your after? After say 6 to 12 months you'll have a much better idea about all sorts of things! I did. The cost of starting out can rocket if your not careful. Start with an entry level bike (say 5 or 6 hundred max), and save some for the basic equipment. Minimum you'll also need (20 or 30% of your budget?): Helmet, Gloves, Bibs shorts / shorts, Jacket and Glasses. You also need to consider pedal/shoes? 99% of new bikes come without pedals, so theres another £50 min!

Unfortunately there are just to many questions to answer when you starting out! What type frame? Do you want a second hand or new bike? Do you want to try before you buy or are you happy to order over the net? What size frame do you need? Blah Blah Blah. It really goes on and on.

So on that basis you need to go into at least three different LBS to get a feel for things. But beware the standards of LBS vary greatly so don't always believe everying your told and take some of the advice given with a pinch of salt. If you don't like somewhere go somewhere else!

An example of this was they changed the bars over on my first road bike because they said they said they couldn't fit the computer to it! And put standard bar on instead of leaving the winged bars! I then saw the same bars for sale a few weeks later. Cheeky so and so's!

charliec24

Thanks for all the advice about this guys.

Like you said, so many questions!! I went into a bike store today which was really helpful.

I know the frame size I need so its now just a case of finding the right bike ( i hope!)
I'm def going to go down the 2nd hand route (£300) plus all the extras on top should take it to a nice cool £400!

In terms of the difference betwenn MBK and Road, is it going ot be difficult to get used to?
The guy in the shop said when out riding avoid man hole covers like the plague and don't cycle in the wet-leaning into corners in near impossible.....is this true or will it come with expreience?!

Chris, thanks for the priv message, the bike looks great and had it been a month down thee line i'd be biting your arm off for it, but at the mo i need to keep the missus sweet-xmas is coming!! also won't see her much when i do get the bike !!

MikeWW

Its not difficult making the transition from mbk to road-a few rides and you will be fine from a bike handling stand point. Trickiest bit is having the confidence to corner reasonably quickly in the wet(but be careful)
Probably the most noticeable thing is the extra quad power that you need on a road bike and
the more constant nature of the effort. Good fun though especially if you find a few people to go riding with

bobtbuilder

In terms of the difference betwenn MBK and Road, is it going ot be difficult to get used to?

The biggest difference is that road biking is a much more constant effort, rather than the explosive burst nature of MBK'ing. You will get used to this pretty quickly though.

You can definitely still ride in the wet, but just be sensible. Avoid manholes (as suggested) and painted white lines. Corner less aggressively than you would in the dry.

sicknote

If you have a Lidl's near you, you might still be able to get some tops to get you started and some base layers, which I think are good for £12.99 and I had some from the last time they had them for £10

Also soft shell jackets for £12.99 ( I think ) plus tops for £6 which will get you by for now.

This year they have also made more in lighter colours e.g.red/white and yellow with black.

I have to say that the Alidi's jacket are better as I have one but you cant go wrong for the money.

plumpy

There is a big jump in quality in the Shimano range of groupsets - the Sora shifters are widely acknowledged to be a bit rubbish (they have a thumb lever which the human thumb cannot actually reach). The next one up is Tiagra which doesn't have this problem.

I mention it because a lot of entry level road bikes have Sora - if your budget stretches to Tiagra, the difference is not just cosmetic/slight weight advantage/slightly smoother operation, but actually a really substantial benefit.

Apart from that, do what everyone else on here did and get the one which you think looks the most flash for the cash. (kidding)

rake

i like the thumb shifters on the hoods. i can reach them on the dropped part but it is a stretch.they have served me well.

merlie

I'm in the same dilema ... I've seen a few bikes dotted around aimed at the newbie rider ... still at a loss as to what levels of drive are required for a 1st ride.

gregster10217

Just be careful with the frame sizes as what will fit you from one make, won't necessarily fit you from a different make (ie Specialized will be different from Trek etc)
Try to at least sit on the bike before you buy it, and if possible take it for a ride. Make sure that you feel comfortable reaching forward as the position on a road bike is a lot different from a MTB and you definitely won't enjoy riding a bike that makes you sore.
If you're buying from a LBS they should let you ride it, either out on the road or on a trainer in the shop. If you're buying unseen, try to find the same/similar bike in a shop and again sit on it or ride it to make sure you're happy with the fit.
The last thin you want to do is buy the wrong size and end up not liking road cycling.

charliec24

loads of great advice. cheers guys.

Its just a case of finding the right bike now, i have my eye on a few second hand ones but not going to rush into untill i've sat on a fair few to get a feel for the right size etc.

Also, Lidl, i'll take a look. As long as it does the job for now i'll be happy!

Plumpy, i think i will do what everyone else has done and get one that looks the most flash for the cash!!!

is there any good websites to look for second hand bikes?? apart from ebay and gumtree etc (which arent the best!) any websites that specialise in 2nd hand bikes?

Cheers

keef66

You could do worse than look at the classified section on here.

Rich Hcp

bobtbuilder wrote:

In terms of the difference betwenn MBK and Road, is it going ot be difficult to get used to?

The biggest difference is that road biking is a much more constant effort, rather than the explosive burst nature of MBK'ing. You will get used to this pretty quickly though.

You can definitely still ride in the wet, but just be sensible. Avoid manholes (as suggested) and painted white lines. Corner less aggressively than you would in the dry.

I'd second that, it seems easier on a roadie, but you cover much more mileage

The problem for me is that when I ride my MTB again it feels heavy, with no acceleration.

So I try do do one in every three rides off road on my MTB

Its a different disapline, but its nice to mix things up