What Gear for a Newbie??

flying_fish

I currently have a mtb that I have put slick tires on, as I have found myself spending more and more time on the road,so I am going to bite the bullet and get a road bike. The forum has been very useful for research and to narrow down the list. Its really down to Specialized Allez or Trek 1.2 or 1.5 and I am intending to try all before I buy.

There are loads of “what bike for a newbie” posts on here, but I have struggled to find many “what gear” posts so was looking for some advice.

I already have a selection of gear, but most of it was cheap and needs updating anyway (mainly lidl/aldi) and I am looking for advice on what I need / should get for the road. I have got £200-300 to cover full set of gear, and I will be riding all year (have to commute few miles to work every day (either on mtb or new bike), as well as longer runs in evenings/weekends right though the year.

My thoughts so far:

Shoes – want to stick with spds to stay common with other bike, and thinking specialized as they seem to get good reviews on here (current shoes were cheap and are almost dead so need replacing).

Gloves – is there anything specific to look for or are they generally similar (other than fingerless/non-fingerless)?

Cycle computer – was thinking something quite simple with current/ave/max speed, trip distance, total distance and time – is there anything else that is useful? Any recommendations at a sensible price?

Bib shorts – any suggestions on a good, reasonably priced pair? Also for autumn/winter is it a better idea to get legwarmers or a separate set of tights?

Base layer – are they much better than a std t-shirt, which is all I wear at the minute under my tops

Tops – what are the pros and cons of various options? I currently have a aldi jersey, with a aldi softshell jacket over the top when it is cold, am I going to get a big benfit spending more money on better kit? I quite liked the Gore Phantom Jacket as they seem suitable for colder weather, and the arms could be zipped off if it got a bit warmer so more multipurpose than some other options. LBS recommended an Endura Windchill Jacket (possibly as they don’t stock Gore). It doesn’t have removable arms, but as its about £40 cheaper, it could allow me to get a separate, warmer weather top for the same price.

What else have I missed?

When doing some quick calcs on the above list, not sure £300 will cover it! What are the priorites?


Thanks All

sungod

specialised bg expert mtb shoes are very good, and off the bike are safe/easy to walk in, but try before you buy, different makes/models of the same nominal size can have a totally different fit - just make sure they are really really stiff

gloves - fingerless mitts for summer, if you've got warm mtb ones use them for when it's cold

computer - tbh, don't bother for now

bib shorts - get the best to can, the santini ones from predas are ok, haven't tried wiggle's dhb brand but some models get very good reviews, on long and/or hot rides also use chamois cream, for winter tights are better, what you need depends on how low a temperature you are willing to ride in, i'd hold off buying until you need something

base layer - a good base layer transports moisture away from your skin and to he outer layers where it evaporates, a t-shirt gets soggy and stays that way, if it's also cold it'll chill you, proper base layers are *much* better

top - lycra jersy for summer, long sleeve for cooler, jacket for winter - can use base layer with any of these, a lightweight waterproof is good to have, there are many to choose from and on cool days can be worn over the jersey until you warm up - imho detachable sleeves etc. are to be avoided

if you've got ok gloves or mitts, and a top, then priority is...

shoes
bib shorts
lightweight waterproof (castelli squadra is nice)
the other stuff can wait

take some time looking at reviews etc.

use google/whatever to find the bet prices, there can be huge variations, no one shop has all the best prices


btw watch out for sizing, there's little consistency (deoending on make/model my jersey size is small, medium, or large), remember road stuff is generally supposed to be tight, and is often cut so that it is most/only comfy in riding position