begginer looking for a fast cheap road bike

rdjones1990
rdjones1990 Posts: 12
edited August 2011 in Road beginners
Hey

well I've recently got into triathlons, did my first one on my mountainbike with slicks then recenly completed the london triathlon on a rented specialised allez.

was wondering what I could buy for the £500-700 mark and was hoping someone could point me in the right direction.

was going to look for second hand but I dont have enough knowledge on the subject of road bikes.

I want something designed for racing but am not sure I can get one for the price.

at the moment I am looking at

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/felt-f95-2011/

please tell me if you know of anything better

Thanks

R

Comments

  • nochekmate
    nochekmate Posts: 3,460
    Are you looking for a triathlon bike or just a road bike that you can pop some aero bars on for a tri race when required?

    I would advise you to go secondhand as for £700, it may be possible to pick up a good condition £1500 bike. £500 new does not buy you a great deal in terms of frame, components and decent wheelset.

    PM me and I will keep an eye out on something that may be suitable for you.
  • Bozman
    Bozman Posts: 2,518
    25% off the Giant TCR2 at JeJames at the moment, puts it around £750.
  • andyjr
    andyjr Posts: 635
    As above have said, 2nd hand wise you could get a bargin for £700. New wise coming to end of season sales so again might be a bargin to be had there too. Ultimately it comes to down to sizing & fit which is an individual thing as chances are one there will be things which suit you better than others
  • bobones
    bobones Posts: 1,215
    I've just bought a Felt F85 off these guys (my LBS)
    http://www.cyclelane.co.uk/products.php ... 4b0s6p3900

    Lovely bike for the money (shame you've just missed Wiggles 20% discount code). 105 drive train, carbon seat post and fork, and the Felt attention to detail like smooth welds, custom cable ends, chain stay protection, frame cable protectors, and a lovely paint job. The bike is light (sub 9kg) and the ride is very smooth. Microshift shifters work fine and are very comfortable, braking from the hoods is very powerful. Easily weight savings can me made with lighter wheels and tyres.

    Here's a 3D view and full spec
  • rdjones1990
    rdjones1990 Posts: 12
    thank you both for your oppinions and help

    I'm still unsure what to do, I dont really care what the Bike looks like as long as it is in good working order and fast.

    Apparently there is also a lot of variation in the geometry of road bikes in relation to touring/ race designs but I am finding it hard to find out which bikes are designs for which purposes, except those very expensive tt bikes.
  • rdjones1990
    rdjones1990 Posts: 12
    thanks Bobones but I think it is a little out of my price range
  • rdjones1990
    rdjones1990 Posts: 12
    If anyone does see any secondhand bikes they think would suit me I am just under 6 ft and have a 32 inch leg
  • bobones
    bobones Posts: 1,215
    Well, it's mostly down to the engine, but in terms of bike geometry, you have TT or Tri specific bikes with very stiff, aerodynamic frames and aero bars (comfort is somewhat compromised). In standard road bikes, there are some frames wth aerodynamic considerations, e.g. Cervelo and Felt AR series, and more traditional shaped frames. Among the latter, "racier" frames tend to have shorter head tubes so you can get down into a lower aero position, and "sportive" or "comfort" frames have longer head tubes, so that the seat to bar drop is not as dramatic. Compare the shapes of Felt F (racy) and Z (comfort) series frames for an example of this (also Specialized Allez v Secteur or Tarmac v Roubaix).
  • bobones
    bobones Posts: 1,215
    rdjones1990 wrote:
    thanks Bobones but I think it is a little out of my price range
    It's only £719 from the site I gave you. The F95 is a fine bike too though.
  • bobones
    bobones Posts: 1,215
    rdjones1990 wrote:
    If anyone does see any secondhand bikes they think would suit me I am just under 6 ft and have a 32 inch leg
    I'm around the same height with longer legs and I ride a 56 Felt. You'll be between a 56 and 58 in most cases. The smaller frame will give you a bigger saddle to bar drop which may be preferable in terms of aero position.
  • rdjones1990
    rdjones1990 Posts: 12
    ahh sory did'nt see the reduction

    If they are both F series does it mean they have the same frame?
  • bobones
    bobones Posts: 1,215
    rdjones1990 wrote:
    ahh sory did'nt see the reduction

    If they are both F series does it mean they have the same frame?
    No, the F95 is 6061 aluminium and the F85 is 7005. They both have the exact same geometry however. I'm not exactly sure what difference the frame material makes as both frames are quoted at 1400g on the Felt site. The F85 is about 1.3 pound lighter overall and is 10 speed as opposed to 9. To be honest, if you prefer the colours and price of the F95 then go for that one. You won't be disappointed and it's a good enough frame to take some upgrades. You might also find a Cannondale CAAD 8 Tiagra in your price range and this is also a good racing bike to start with. I prefer the look and detailing of the Felts myself.
  • Phill B
    Phill B Posts: 71
    Hi there, just wanted to say that i totaly agree with going secondhand. i had a budget of around £500 and after many weeks of research i was sure i could get more bike for my buck and took the plunge into the secondhand market. i knew very little about road bikes (made the switch from mtb) but i just did some research and spent plenty of time on here to pick up information.

    I ended up picking up a secondhand Trek 1.4 SLR for £450. the model is from 2006/07 but it is as new. it was an ex-demo bike and was immaculate.

    It has full shimano 105 groupset, carbon forks, carbon seatpost and is very light. it is in the 2006 trek TDF colours which i think look great.

    Click on the link in my sig to see it. i am sure there will be guys on here that will tell me i was robbed but i am very happy with it and it rides like a dream.

    If you are willing to put the time in looking around you will get a lot more bike for your money.

    Regards and good luck, Phill B.
    Hills hurt but sofas kill.
  • nochekmate
    nochekmate Posts: 3,460
    In answer to my original question, are you looking for a dedicated Tri bike or a road bike that you can convert on race days (but that won't be as aero as a tri-bike)

    I have sent some details via PM of bikes that I think are quite well priced and are your size (assuming normal proportions for a 6ft rider)

    Worth knowing where you are based too as some sellers on here/eBay offer collection only.

    See Inbox
  • creativerobert
    creativerobert Posts: 1
    I am the new one to the bike riding and I want a new bike with a low price as well as good in road race.
  • nochekmate
    nochekmate Posts: 3,460
    creativerobert wrote:
    I am the new one to the bike riding and I want a new bike with a low price as well as good in road race.

    They are only good in a road race if you have the legs and lungs to power them!
  • rdjones1990
    rdjones1990 Posts: 12
    I think my legs and lungs are ok but there is a lot of room for Improvement I did an extra lap of the london tri but each lap averaged out at 33 mins which I was happy with

    Ill take a look, just found something on gumtree that looks good
  • nochekmate
    nochekmate Posts: 3,460
    Beware gumtree - full of scams, crooks and stolen bikes. Cash on collection only for me on gumtree

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