considering buying my first road bike

adam harris
adam harris Posts: 6
edited January 2010 in Road beginners
Hi , probably been asked a million times but im considering buying my first road bike mainly for fitness , getting into triatholons , and possibly some longer charity events like the london to paris this year . So far everything seems chinese as i dont really understand much about anything hah !! im looking to spend around 5-600 pounds i i dont think i could justify having all the gear and no idea just yet !!

im just wondering what are the main points i want to be looking for ? gears , size of frame , wheels etc ??? i weigh in at about 10 1/2 to 11 stone and am 5ft 7inches tall so is there a certain size id need as if i was ordering of the internet to get a good deal i obviously wouldnt be able to sit on the bike first .

the bikes ive been looking at so far is the trek 1.2 , raleigh u6 2009 or possibly a gt gtr series 4 ....... although im open to any advice or suggestions !!

finally i live in the north west of england (sunny blackpool) so if anyone knows of any good bike shops in the north west that would be great ! (currently considering going to wheelbase in the lake district or formby cycles in liverpool

thanks for any help !!

Comments

  • morrisje
    morrisje Posts: 507
    The best place to start is the Bikes & Gear section of this website. You can select your price range and it will list a whole load of bikes. You will notice that there is a big difference between those less than £500 and above £500. In the world of cycling a decent bike starts at approx £600. Although that's what my latest set of wheels cost!

    You mention triathlons and longer sportives. In theroy you are looking at two different types of machine. The tri bike will be made for flat out speed, big gears as there will be no hills and low front end for a racey position. The sportive is the opposite.

    This looks like a good place to start as the Boardman bikes are getting good reviews at the moment.
    http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_229914
  • adam harris
    adam harris Posts: 6
    cheers for the reply....... i do like the look of the bike !! what kind of size frame would i be looking for ? im 5,7 and would need to order off the internet so not going to be able to sit on one.... would that be a mistake ? cheers once again
  • on the road
    on the road Posts: 5,631
    Ribble Cycles are in Preston, their mail order tends to be a bit hit and miss, but there customer service in the shop is good.

    By the way, Formby Cycles isn't in Liverpool, Formby Cycles is in Formby, hence the name :)
  • morrisje
    morrisje Posts: 507
    At 5' 7'' you would probablly want a 52cm top tube. However it is a bit risky buying your first bike on what would be an educated guess. There are other lengths that are important especially headtube length. That dictates how racy the position will be. Once you have had a bike that fits then it is easy to purchase off the internet because you know what you need. The Boardmans are available at Halfords, there must be one near you. If not find a decent bikeshop who will let you try some bikes or at least sit on them.
  • MICHAELCYCLES
    MICHAELCYCLES Posts: 350
    on the road wrote:
    Ribble Cycles are in Preston

    Just what I was about to say. You'll struggle to get better VFM anywhere else and its just up the road, M6 - Jct 29.
  • gerryburbie
    gerryburbie Posts: 19
    Hi If you are coming into Liverpool go to Quinns on Edge lane, it is about 5 mins straight off the M62, they sell Trek and Specialized and have an excellent fitting service. I haggled a bit and they even threw in a computer free.
    Please help, new to this game but I want to upgrade from a hybrid to a road bike. Can any one recommend a good road bike@£700?
  • sportbilly1976
    sportbilly1976 Posts: 524
    I have been looking for my next C2W voucher use...which will be a Halfords voucher

    I missed out on the limited editions, so had a comparison between the Team carbon and the Team Boardman bikes.

    the spec's are identical with just the following differences: (other than Carbon fibre vs Alu)

    Stem - Ritchey Comp OS 31.8mm on the carbon v Ritchey OS 31.8mm on the Team
    Handlebars - Ritchey Comp OS vs Ritchey OS
    Seatpost - Ritchey Comp 31.6mm (Carbon) vs 27.2mm (Team)
    Chain - Shimano CN-5600 (carbon) vs SRAM PC-1030 (Team)

    The overall weight difference between the two is - 0.5lb.....128 grams, and £200!!!

    Would someone with a better parts knowledge be able to say if they are worth £200, or is it mainly carbon v alu?

    for that weight/price difference though it seems I will be getting the Alu

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