Buying a road bike

snake007uk

Hi,

I am looking to purchase a bike, I used to bike alot when I was younger (around 10/13 years ago), and I did pick it up again a few years ago again, on my mountin bike. Although cycling on the road with a dual suspension bike in no fun, I make the suspension stiffer, and purchased slim road tyre's which did help. However now I think its time for a real road bike.

I went down to cycle surgery, and was looking at the Marin highway one, however then I saw the wilier veloce 2010.

I was also looking at the planet-X bikes however i would like to try out the bike before spending such a big sum.

I was wondering since there is difference between chains, cassettes, etc... (also compact chain), can someone break down some good pointers to look out for? what is difference between compact chain, what do all the numbers mean etc..

I know the veloce is expensive for a first bike, but I wanted a carbon bike with decent kit, and was recommended this.

any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Kash

softlad

not sure where you get the 'compact chain' thing from - unless you mean 'compact chainset'...?

Anyway, take a look at this thread here - it should give you enough info for starters...

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12577960

snake007uk

I had a quick read, however, for £1800 what do you guys recommend? should I stick with the wilier?

hopper1

snake007uk wrote:

I had a quick read, however, for £1800 what do you guys recommend? should I stick with the wilier?

What Willier?

There was no reference to Willier, that I could see!

daveydave43

See if you can get a test ride on some of the bikes yuo've been looking at. It's difficult to recommend a bike; some people prefer comfort over speed, some look for lightweight or stiffer frames .etc
The most important thing is that you can ride in comfort on the bike - perhaps going for a bike fit. Specialized do them, i remember. You might want to look at their Tarmac range.
But for over a grand and a half, i wouldn't be parting money without at least riding it.
Sorry if this opens a ca of worms for you....

snake007uk

sorry should have mentioned the Wilier.... this is the one i am looking at getting:

http://www.cyclesurgery.com/1029529/Wil ... eloce.html


I will definitely be asking for test ride before purchasing

Any other tip's what can you haggle on etc...

Slow Downcp

£1,800 for Veloce sounds expensive to me. Carbon Veloce bikes can be had cheaper:

http://www.epic-cycles.co.uk/Bianchi_Cento_Strada.html

For £1,800 you should be able to spec a bike up with Centaur at least

snake007uk

Thats what I was thinking, the next one up starts hitting 2k, so I thought I might as well get a custom bike like planet-X however this would mean no test ride

Monkeypump

If you're closer to Croydon than Doncaster, Geoffrey Butler Cycles normally has Planet X bikes in stock.

Give 'em a call - they're very helpful.

snake007uk

Brilliant, Im in East London, but its worth popping down


Thanks

kingrollo

That wilier is way over priced - you could get the Izoard \Centaur for not much more last year - can't you search for 2009 models ?

I wanted the Wilier Izoard - but found the Kuota Kharma was comparable came in so much cheaper - you might want to check out Kuota bikes - though I had difficulty getting a test ride.

Planet X always great value for money though.

snake007uk

I went down to evans, they had a BMC full carbon with full ultegra kit for £1600, £200 cheaper than the wilier but the guy at the shop was saying his is opinion the veloce are very good, and that they would probably last longer then the shimano's.

Regardless, I understand that I can probably get the a decent bike, just now stuck on brands and I dont have any loyalty.

Whats the main difference? warranty etc...

Evil Laugh

If I had your money to spend now I'd be keen to try this one..(the wheels seem very decent which is a rarity at the pricepoint and it's a beautiful bike)

http://www.epic-cycles.co.uk/Bianchi_Infinito.html

But general advice would be to try a lot of bikes in a rough price range you're looking at spending, paying as little attention as you can to brand image/sales pitch.

I ended up getting a different bike to the one I had my heart set on before and during testing as it just felt so right. I'd have never thought of getting it while window shopping.

I got this one..

http://www.westbrookcycles.co.uk/bikes- ... gn=froogle

Not the most exotic, but a lovely ride. Well worth a test run.

I actually found Evans in Waterloo pretty good in terms of service, they had a lot of different makes of bikes to try and got me a few in I wanted a go on, swapped stems etc. They let me have multiple back to back 10 min test rides to find the right one too. Wasn't so sure about their opinions/knowledge of the bikes so I just made my own mind up based on the feel of it.



Personally, and others will probably disagree, I'd be more concerned with how the bike feels, the frame, the geometry, fit etc than the level of groupset on it. I can't give info on Campag but as long as it has 10 speed Shimano (105 and up) the bits are easily upgradeable. I think Sram is all upgradable within the 3 groupsets too. Frame, fit and wheels is where you'll feel the difference in performance and you'll likely get bottom end wheels on any bike unless you spec it up so I'd concentrate on a nice feeling, well fitting frame.

snake007uk

Just been wondering around the forums, and I am reading a lot about Carbon frames, that you can break/damage them easily, higher maintenance etc..

is this true? I thought carbon was as strong as but lighter then aluminum? I wouldn't have thought it would need any more maintenance then a normal frame>?

STEFANOS4784

Mate i would highly recommend not reading everything on the 'net, otherwise you will never make a decision. You will always find someone who knew someone who heard that carbon melts in the rain or that Shimano doesn't work or that a certain wheelset tends to fail catastophicaly.

In reality there aren't many dud bikes out there especialy for your kind of budget.

You probably need to re-think. If i was in your shoes i would start off by buying something relatively cheaply second hand like a Specialized Allez etc. Then if you decide you want a nicer you'll have a better idea of what to look for next time

kingrollo

People were saying that about Alu 10 years ago.
Any bike , any material , someone , somewhere will have an issue. Perhaps you need a cheaper bike to tide you over - then one day you will see 'the bike' you simply must own -and then the only issue is how to pay for it !!!!!

There arent any bad bikes at about £1k or more - and at the end of the day you are pedalling thing, your fitness will have more of an impact on speed , than if the bike is Alu\Carbon\steel etc.

carl_p

STEFANOS4784 wrote:

You probably need to re-think. If i was in your shoes i would start off by buying something relatively cheaply second hand like a Specialized Allez etc. Then if you decide you want a nicer you'll have a better idea of what to look for next time

I agree with that comment to a point, but speaking from personal experience I wish I'd pushed the boat out a bit more when I bought my first road bike. I got a Giant SCR2 - a fine bike for the entry level price point of around £500. Of course now I want something a bit better and guess what prices have increased, but specifications in some cases are lower than they were about 18 months ago.

If you really think you are going to like road cycling then I'd go for what you fancy.

STEFANOS4784

But would you have felt that way should you have ended up with a road bike, thinking it was similar to a mountain bike - but quicker, and then ended up with back ache etc, hating it and taking a thudding wollop on the money you lost selling second hand on a bike at this point. Don't get me wrong i love a good pre-owned bargain

carl_p

STEFANOS4784 wrote:

But would you have felt that way should you have ended up with a road bike, thinking it was similar to a mountain bike - but quicker, and then ended up with back ache etc, hating it and taking a thudding wollop on the money you lost selling second hand on a bike at this point. Don't get me wrong i love a good pre-owned bargain

Fair point, hindsight is a wonderful thing.

STEFANOS4784

Carl_P wrote:

Fair point, hindsight is a wonderful thing.

It's the downfall of us all

snake007uk

ok im set, im gona get the wilier but a 2009 model

http://www.cyclesurgery.com/1027749/Wil ... ntaur.html

im a m or L 53.5/54cm so ill try both and just try a couple of different brands before buying

Thanks for the info guys

snake007uk

I went down to cycle surgery in Romford, and grabbed the last wilier izoard 2009 woooohoo just got to wait till thursday to get it?

Just got a couple of new questions, Im thinking of getting the cateye v3 computer, helmet and a jacket all from CS, or would I get better deals online?

Also I will need pedals, however I dont want clip pedals just yet, I just want simple flats (any recommendations?

Anything else I should ask for and do before taking bike out of the shop?

Thanks

kingrollo

snake007uk wrote:

I went down to cycle surgery in Romford, and grabbed the last wilier izoard 2009 woooohoo just got to wait till thursday to get it?

Just got a couple of new questions, Im thinking of getting the cateye v3 computer, helmet and a jacket all from CS, or would I get better deals online?

Also I will need pedals, however I dont want clip pedals just yet, I just want simple flats (any recommendations?

Anything else I should ask for and do before taking bike out of the shop?

Thanks

You can't have flat pedals on a wilier Izoard !


try these best of both worlds


http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Wellg ... 360006644/

snake007uk

its just to start off with get into the bike etc.. never used clips so... Idont want just go get some straight away.

kingrollo

snake007uk wrote:

its just to start off with get into the bike etc.. never used clips so... Idont want just go get some straight away.

yes but the izoard is one of the most stylish bikes there is.....

flat pedals and trainers just scream newbie, you might as well fit a kick stand, handlebar tassles, shopping basket and a horn.

snake007uk

LOL, well you could always see it the other way a noobie with class

seriously though, I like the pedals you shown, will see what cycle surgery show me, will upgrade once I settle into routine.

Other tips to make sure before leaving the shop? do you reckon I can get any freebies out of them?

kingrollo

snake007uk wrote:

LOL, well you could always see it the other way a noobie with class

seriously though, I like the pedals you shown, will see what cycle surgery show me, will upgrade once I settle into routine.

Other tips to make sure before leaving the shop? do you reckon I can get any freebies out of them?

A chain store , with a discounted bike, and youve played your hand by agreeing to buy. you can always for stuff.....a bottle cage ?

Something I alwayd do with a new bike,is to start with the saddle a little low, gives you a feeling of control - until you get the feel of it.

Also, get some high spec tyres, I like pro race 3's - these will really make a difference.

Most importantly though, a few photos here before you ride it

snake007uk

Bike comes with a bottle cage, upgrading tyes and stuff ill do once I am used to the bike, I am now contemplating getting proper cycling shoes any hints for a noobie

Jimbo.

You've got (well, not "got" like you have "got" to breathe, but, you know...) to go clipless at some point when you've a steed such as yours, so you may as well do it now before you become too "comfortable" with flats.
It's really not as bad as you'd think.

snake007uk

Ok, I will ask for recommendations from the LBS, just wanted some opinions for types etc...

snake007uk

ok guys,

I am just making a list of stuff I think I would need... (I have listed items under heading where I have made a choice on an item). What I would like is some feedback, and or recommendations on what I have chosen, maybe give alternatives?

Helmet
Giro Ionis


Jacket (Must be Wind and Waterproof)
Gore Cosmo GoreTex Jacket
Also considering:
Night Vision Altura Night Vision
Endura Stealth

Top
Nike Pro Therma Max Men's Shirt

Gloves
Endura Stealth
Any Other recommendations?

Bottoms
Nike Pro Therma Max Cold Weather Men's Tights
Endura Singletrack Pants 2009

Pedals
NO IDEA

Shoes
http://www.cyclesurgery.com/1027455/Sid ... tor-5.html (Chosen at random) I dont need anything special (I just picked these as high end for myself)

Computer
Cateye V3

Storage
Seat Bag (any type will do)
Neil Pryde Bike Bag

Lock
No Idea

Pump
No Idea

Tools
No idea

I would really appreciate the help on this one, as I will search online for prices and start ordering stuff, ready for this weekend.

Thanks