New road bike for a beginner £5 - 600 - any reccommendation

Thebigbee

Hi,

I started a thread on road buying advice here http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12770395

was just wondering if I would get any more help and advice on here?

All the history and details are on there but long and short I have been offered £470 from my insurance company to spend at Wheelies Direct.

I would be willing to go up to £600.

I have contacted the insurance company to see if they would send me a cheque because I could get a lot more bang for my buck second hand like this - http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/speci ... e/77570596

And am awaiting a response from them. I don't want to push my luck and if they say I have to get a new bike from Wheelies I have seen this http://www.wheelies.co.uk/p37625/Specia ... -2011.aspx and someone else posted this http://www.wheelies.co.uk/p42713/Claud- ... -2011.aspx.

The problem with the CB is that it can be got a lot cheaper - in my size from other sites.

I also thought that by getting a Spesh it would hold it's value more for if and when I want to upgrade or sell.

FYI - I am currently riding a Large 2010 Scott Sub30 hybrid. Am 6'1 - 15 stone - 32/ 33 inseam. Bike fits me perfectly.

Any advice or help greatly appreciated - it is such a huge subject for a newbie to get into.

Thanks

TyeBag

my first road bike is a 2010 allez sport triple that i picked up off ebay for 650 with some tasty upgrades and i love it,very fast bike,very responsive

a friend of mine has a 2011 allez,the same as your looking at but is a double

if im honest i dont like it,could do with a smaller crank but thats me you might find it fine to ride it just hard work for me and i cant get along with the sora shifters

if you can get a cheque then ebay is your best bet i feel,you could get a better spec 2010 bike but your right they seem to hold their value well

Thebigbee

Hi Tye,

Thanks for the response. Yes I think that a cheque would be better for me and picking up a used bike- like the 2008 Spesh Elite from my local gumtree link that should fit me perfectly and is, allegedly a better spec than the newer models.

Anyhow I doubt that will be around until I get a response and cleared cheque.

If it HAS to be a replacement from Wheelies then i guess I am leaning more towards the Allez triple. I think I would miss having the option of the small ring now TBH and don't think I am fit enough to use a double.

Hark at me - am talking like I know what I am on about when I haven't a clue!

Cheers

TyeBag

just had a look at the gumtree link and looks like a quality bike

the allez has been voted best starter bike so keep on looking something will come up

ive not been riding long and my friends allez is too hard for me to ride

Dmak

Check Ribble bikes. They seem like really good value for money. They do a bike for under 600 notes.

I love my spesh go but if I'd have known about Ribble, I'd probably own a different bike.

Thebigbee

Thanks for the heads up Dmak. Definitely worth considering if I do get a cheque.

MoultonMayhem

+1 for spesh allez - awesome bike

scoob49

Please don't make the same mistake as I did! I purchased the Claud Butler Criterium 2010 Model and yeah it is reasonable machine and I have not done big distances (only up to 15-20 miles) but should have held out a little longer. Still a reasonable beginners bike but missing some key attributes.
Inexperience and excitement of getting a road bike clouded what I shoud have got. Don't rush in and really study what you want.
I am now looking to get a lot more miles underneath me and save up the pennies for when I am more accomplished. Take your time and make the right choice!!

Thebigbee

Thanks for the replies.

Yes scoob - I know what you mean. Up until this year I just had mountain bikes and went no where near a mountain so put road tyres on them but still knew I was missing a lot in terms of speed and enjoyment.

So when my old Trek 600 with upgraded parts and had just been serviced that was nicked along with an eighties Raleigh road bike that I had only got days before I looked out for a hybid.

Picked up a Scott Sportster P6 2010 hybrid for a bargain price and was like new.

But even riding that I realised what I had been missing in a bike. Then that got nicked!! I was pretty pissed off seeing that I had upgraded that too.

Needed another bike for commuting - and I abhor walking - it's just so boring and slow!

Was looking out for another Scott because I knew that the frame would suit me perfectly.

Kept scouring gumtree and Ebay and spotted a Scott Sub 30 2010 that was described as like new and it was pretty near to me. The guy had started the bidding at £250. I couldn't really afford it but really needed a bike. Asked the guy some questions and asked what he wanted for a BIN. He said £300. I said OK as long as it was how he described it.

Went and saw it and again it was basically new - he had had it 2 months and actually preferred his mountain bike. Gave me the owners manual and a reciept.

And getting back to the point you made - it makes such a difference when you actually have a decent bike. So much more enjoyable that you actually want to go out and push yourself. It is like going from frozen mince to steak when you get a decent bike.

I think I am going to go for the Spesh. I have to pay the extra on the payout which is, ironically £470 - what I paid for the first bike.

It costs a lot of money this biking lark! But saying that I am going to have 2 very good bikes for a total of around £600. This doesn't include any of the extras and upgrades I have made or the 1st 2 bikes that were nicked and all the upgrades and stuff I spent on them.

Sorry the post is so long - and probably dull.

Cheers for the help guys.

Thebigbee

Have bitten the bullet and gone for the Spesh Allez 2011 24.

Not sure if I have been massively ripped off or not but had a £100 excess that I had completely forgotten about.

Was offered a cash settlement that, after they got their discount from Wheelies the bike would cost them £358 !!!!!

And I would still have to pay the £100 excess so it went from £470 - to £258 for cash.

That just wasn't worth my time and i would never have bought a road bike. It cost me £190 + £170 for the first bike nicked + £300 for the Scott Sub 30 2010 + all the accessories on both bikes + The 2 bikes that got nicked in the first place and all the upgrades and work.

Jeez - it has all cost me well over a grand I reckon but am looking forward to my new bike....