1st Road bike

mancmann
mancmann Posts: 16
edited January 2010 in Commuting chat
Hello ppl I am just starting out well since i wasin my teens anyway but I am looking at getting a road bike to get me from home to the gym a distance of some 4 miles one way.
Can anyone give me some advice on what make and model would suit me on a budget of up to £500 I am in my fortys 6ft and a little bit over weight. The route to te gym is all on tarmac.
Thanks in advance.
mancmann

Comments

  • laughingboy
    laughingboy Posts: 248
    Firstly, congratulations on joining the cycling world.

    For a four-mile each way trip, pretty much any bike will do. So lots of bases for the decision will be down to practical details:

    If you are going to ride in the wet, it is worth buying something with mudguards (or a road bike with room enough for proper mudguards).
    If you are going to carry anything much, you will have to decide between a backpack or panniers (panniers will demand a rack - so you might want to look out for a bike with the braze-ons/fixings for a rack).
    If the four-mile commute is hilly, you might need gears. If it is flat, then you can save money (but lose flexibility of usage) by buying a single-speed bike.

    Otherwise, most of the advice that I would give is that there are few golden rules in buying a practical bike. From frame material to sizing and handlebars, in the end most of it comes down to personal preference. So try a few bikes (test ride some in local shops, or borrow your mates bikes) and buy whatever gives you the biggest grin.
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    Why would you buy a bike and then still go to the gym? Ride your bike for a bit longer instead.
    I like bikes...

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  • UndercoverElephant
    UndercoverElephant Posts: 5,796
    It's worth pointing out that thanks to the new Crud Road Racers, almost any road bike can take mudguards. As for the bikes, you have a few options. Depending on how many hills you need to tackle, you may fancy a single speed bike - great due to the fact they're so low-maintenance, even in winter.

    I like the Genesis Day One, CX single speed. CX bikes are like slightly ruggedised road bikes, you can even ride them up mountains should you so desire.

    http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/cross/day-one/

    Geared bikes are more expensive for the same sort of level. The shifters and gears cost a lot, so compromises are made elsewhere. I quite like the Merida bikes I've tried, they do a no -nonsense road bike at around your budget.

    http://www2.merida-bikes.com/en_GB/Bikes.Detail.195

    Have fun!
    Sun - Rain - Snow
  • simon_e
    simon_e Posts: 1,707
    There are a plenty of nice bikes around £500. All the big names (Specialized, Giant, Trek, Scott and any number of others) will have roughly similar specs at a price point. There are no turkeys, they are all excellent bikes.

    First may need to narrow it down a bit - drops or flats, head-down racey or upright and leisurely, fat tyres or skinnies....

    Do some online research and visit a few real-world shops. There's no substitute for seeing and sitting on the real thing to help you decide. And if you still can't decide don't be afraid of choosing the best colour. We all do it, just some people own up to it while other's won't :wink:

    Also, look for similar threads on the Road Buying Advice forum:
    http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=40042
    and Road Beginners:
    http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=40020

    And there's always the Search facility:
    http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/search.php
    Aspire not to have more, but to be more.
  • colintrav
    colintrav Posts: 1,074
    mancmann wrote:
    Hello ppl I am just starting out well since i wasin my teens anyway but I am looking at getting a road bike to get me from home to the gym a distance of some 4 miles one way.
    Can anyone give me some advice on what make and model would suit me on a budget of up to £500 I am in my fortys 6ft and a little bit over weight. The route to te gym is all on tarmac.
    Thanks in advance.
    mancmann


    Is it a racer or a MTB you want ...


    Plus what kind of area do you reside ,do you have easy acess to countryside ,back roads .. ??
    If you do I would prefer a MTB but that's just my personal preference plus it gives you the added advantage of being able to go off road , If your boy also has a bike .. you can both go anywhere , plus there is more to cycliing than stickin to roads

    I got myself a Carrera Fury for 466 just before Xmas Which gives me plenty of options of where I can go instead of being stuck to Road riding only

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