buying a road bike for Christmas - clueless!

amelie19

Hello everyone! I'm planning to buy my husband a road bike for christmas, i know he'd really love one and is definitely not expecting it so i'm trying to keep it as secret as possible.. which also means i can't get him professionally measured, or he'd start suspecting things..

Now i've got a few issues.. first of all i am absolutely clueless about bikes in general, i've tried to do a lot of research and try to find good prices but i don't know anything about brands or quality.

The second biggest issue is probably the budget, i only work part time and i can't really afford to get him a really nice bike although i'd love to, so i was looking at ebay, and i'd really love to know if anyone knows any good reliable websites that perhaps might have some sales on!

He uses his bike to commute to work every day and he loves riding! he had a second hand road bike a while ago (only paid about £40 for it) but he struggled to ride it as it was way too big for him, he's about 6' and when he went to the local bike shop they said it was meant for someone around 6'5"!

I don't really know what size frame to look at, i know roughly what he likes, i know he wants a road bike with the curved handlebars (i'm sorry about my very basic explanation!)

Thank you everyone in advance for your replies, if you need any more information i'll try my best and explain!

rick_chasey

To save you a lot of time - you'd have to give an absolute max budget!


Entry level road bikes, (in Tour de France style) come in around £450-500 mark.

Anything less than that and you're probably looking at 2nd hands.

robd75

Frame size will be between 56 & 58 cm at that height but without a budget....

amelie19

i will try and see if i can get anyone else in the family to chip in, then i might be able to stretch it to £400-500

thanks


edit:

for example i have found this:

http://www.mailordercycles.co.uk/produc ... 1b0s6p8279

how come it's that price then? bad quality?

Buckled_Rims

amelie19 wrote:

i will try and see if i can get anyone else in the family to chip in, then i might be able to stretch it to £400-500

thanks


edit:

for example i have found this:

http://www.mailordercycles.co.uk/produc ... 1b0s6p8279

how come it's that price then? bad quality?

Yuk! Might be OK for some but it looks rubbish.

try for example:

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Giant-Defy-4-2010-Road-Bike_27728.htm

Use this as a guide to minimum spec bike.

amelie19

it's ugly! haha fair enough, sorry i didn't really think about that, but when i look at the one you posted it does look loads better.

:oops:



what about this one? is it better?

http://www.mailordercycles.co.uk/produc ... 1b0s6p8738

robd75

Looks better but do you want a single speed?

amelie19

i er.. i don't think he wants a single speed no, so i should definitely check that when looking.

thank you for pointing it out to me.

Dirk1978

This time of year a lot of companies are getting rid of their 2010 stock so you my be able to pick up some bargains.

Try: Evans Cycles, Chain Reaction Cycles, Wiggle and Halfords (sorry not sure how to post links to the websites).

Happy hunting.

Dirk1978

Also go into one of your local bike shops and speak to them about what you are after and they will be more than willing to help you out and may even knock an extra few quid off.

amelie19

that's a good idea, i will go into our local bike shop soon and have a chat to them, i'm just a bit puzzled because i have found some cheaper ones

e.g. : http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Raleigh-Pursuit ... _32832.htm

but does that make it bad quality ? because it's so cheap?

ShutUpLegs

Suggest a trip with him to the local bike shop again, suggest he sits on a few and ask them about size/ fit/ gears etc.

Go back a few days later and put deposit on said bike.

Pick up christmas eve.

Avoid ebay or 2nd hand if its a gift, unless someone can check the bike for you

Good luck

amelie19

amelie19 wrote:

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Raleigh-Pursuit ... _32832.htm

i have read a few reviews about this bike and most of them say it's a good start for a road bike, he will probably change it in a couple of years, it would be definitely good for my budget

what do you guys think?

Shutuplegs: i would like to be able to do that but i want to keep it a surprise.

verloren

The Raleigh is cheap because everything it's made out of is cheap, so it's not going to make a good long-term investment.

Some things for you to look for at the price you're thinking of (in my opinion, of course):

It should have 18, 20, 27 or 30 gears. If your husband hasn't done much cycling and isn't too fit then 27 would probably be best.
It should be made of aluminium, with a fork made of aluminium or carbon (carbon being much preferred).

One option is from CRC: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=44408

Another is from Ribble: http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/specialed ... ERC&bike=1 (this is their winter bike, with mudguards - they also do one without)

Dirk1978

If you can stretch your budget to £450 this is a good bike:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165710

Only slight problem is Halfords themselves as they can bit hit and miss with their service depending on what store you visit. But the benefit is there are plenty of stores, hence why the spec of the bike is so good at such a low price as they can buy in bulk.

amelie19

okay okay i think i'm getting a rough idea about brands and quality..

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... 5#features

what about this one?

Dirk, we have a local halfords so i will go there on wednesday and have a chat/look around! thanks!

rick_chasey

amelie19 wrote:

okay okay i think i'm getting a rough idea about brands and quality..

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... 5#features

what about this one?

Dirk, we have a local halfords so i will go there on wednesday and have a chat/look around! thanks!

A good choice.

That range, as far as I am aware anyway, has always been near the top if not at the top in that price-range.

I have the 2005 version and it took me over the Pyrenees with aplomb! A guy on that ride had a newer version and seemed to enjoy himself on it too.

jame58rown

amelie19 wrote:

okay okay i think i'm getting a rough idea about brands and quality..

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... 5#features

what about this one?

Dirk, we have a local halfords so i will go there on wednesday and have a chat/look around! thanks!

I was just going to reccomend that one (The specialized allez)
I haven't used the actual bike, but my bike has very similar components and is very good.

amelie19

that's brilliant, i will try my best and save as much as possible because that allez seems like it's good quality for the price, can't ask for more really. i just hope it's gonna be in stock (and same price) before christmas..


edit: would a 58 or a 56 be better for him?

CiB

<wet sock alert>

Sorry to do this but, hey ho.

A bike is a very personal thing - it's so much better if it's right, it fits properly, and it's one that the owner really wants to ride. What you OP - and perfectly reasonably too in most other present buying scenarios - are after is to take a punt on all that and more for the 5 seconds worth of "there - waddja think????!!!" on the big Christmas Morning unveil. And unless it is the right one for him, he's going have to do the forced smile, the pretence that it really is just what he wanted, and that it really doesn't matter about the minor niggles (wrong colour scheme, wrong g/set, wrong saddle, wrong colour inner tubes, whatever). And then he'll be inwardly slightly miffed that it's not the bike he wanted, and it won't get used at any opportunity, it'll be a garage ornament that comes out again at Easter when the sun shines a bit and you persuade him to come with you on a bike ride.

And - shoot me down if you like - buying a bike (or similar) is a big self-treat, doing the research on what to get, what you fancy, what can the budget stretch to etc, and for someone to come along and do the big "tadddaaaa" bit means that that equally enjoyable part of becoming the owner of a decent bike is also taken away.


I realise I'm an old misery guts for saying it, but it's a big present to buy as a complete surprise. Unless you're pretty confident that you won't get it wrong, I'd buy him some cycling mitts and give him the cash to go out and buy what he wants.

Yes I know. But someone has to say it. Christmas is bad enough as it is, without well-meaning folk messing it up even more. Like my Granny getting a Black Eyed Peas CD off me last year. Where's the gratitude eh?

Monkeypump

Dirk1978 wrote:

If you can stretch your budget to £450 this is a good bike:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165710

Only slight problem is Halfords themselves as they can bit hit and miss with their service depending on what store you visit. But the benefit is there are plenty of stores, hence why the spec of the bike is so good at such a low price as they can buy in bulk.

The bike in this link is a single-speed - as mentioned, not suitable. The Allez linked later is much more suitable...

Also as mentioned above, I'd suggest speaking to your local bike shop. You'll get better prices on line, but the advice you'll get in store might be very useful with your circumstances. It might also make it easier to return or swap it, if you do end up with the wrong size etc.

And ask for a discount - you'll normally get something knocked off (expecially for a 2010 model).

rick_chasey

Ah ignore CiB.
I got my spez allez as a birthday present and I absolutely loved it.

jame58rown

I got my bike as a christmas present and I was over the moon when I saw it there by the tree,

amelie19

i understand what you say perfectly but if i'd give my husband the money to go and buy himself a bike, he'd probably say he couldn't possibly spend that much when he knows 90% of my wages went towards it, he's just like that, he wouldn't do it, that's why i want to get him one.

jame58rown

Ooh, and make sure you put a ribbon around it

amelie19

sorry, i just read the post again, he doesn't really know what he wants because of the same reason, he's never had a good racer bike, he commutes to work every day on his old mountain bike that has been repaired about 50 times, it's one of those things, he wishes he had one but he is 100% sure it's not possible at the moment. he's not a fussy person and he will probably have enough money to buy a really good bike in a year or two, i'm more than happy to do this for him until that happens, even though he wouldn't want me to spend that much.

SDK2007

Specialized Allez - The perfect choice !!

bobones

The really cheap road bikes tend to have 14 gears with stem or downtube shifters rather than STIs (integrated with brake levers). STIs are desirable and the cheapest I believe are Shimano 2200/2300 series. The really cheap bikes will also have cheap components elsewhere (brakes, wheels, hubs etc), and a relatively heavy frame with non-carbon fork.

In the £200-300 bracket I would recommend considering these 2 bikes:
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_787351_langId_-1_categoryId_165710#dtab
and
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/sport-1-54-57-69567468/#

I think both of these are have STI gears and are good for £270. (Halfords has 10% off and a £20 voucher). The Decathlon is a triple chainset and no mudguard clearance, whereas the Halfords one has a compact double chainset with mudguard clearance.

If you could afford to spend more, then you'd be able to consider bikes looking a bikes with carbon forks from the bigger names such as Giant, Trek and Specialized and with better components. Shimano components go up in order from 2300, Sora, Tiagra, 105, Ultegra, Dura Ace. The cheapest bikes will have 2300 or Sora gears which are totally fine.

amelie19

I could also try and suggest a day out tomorrow..maybe include a few clothes shops for me and the bike shop for him, i just don't want him to be suspicious or else i'm gonna have a very hard time..maybe i can tell him i want to get myself a bike soon! he'd probably laugh at me but hey it's worth a shot

JKHinton

I am sorry, but I do not think a Road bike should be a surprise Xmas present, give him something else as his surprise present etc

Picking a road bike is something your husband should do himself give him the money and let him choose the one he likes himself.

He will not tell you if he likes the bike you choose for him or not, if he knows you have spent a lot of money on it. :oops:

nothing worse than getting a gift you do not like

kingrollo

Dou live near a Decathlon store ? - get him one of these for £270 - I have rode one similar to work and back every day for over 3 years now - for the money unbeatable...

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/sport-1-54-57-69567468/

or if you want to spend a little more

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/sport-2-51-63-69567479/

but if money is an issue - I would go for the £270 one - Decathlon is a very good shop - and they have dedicated bike staff, who in general are pretty good.