Newbie

Dobbo78

Hi guys, I'm training for a Ironman next year and will be needing a road bike to train on asap, I want good bike that will last for a while, but don't want a new one as I don't want to spend more than £200, I don't mind buying a frame a building it from there, I appreciate as much info you guys can throw at me

Regards

Alex

Pseudonym

Did I read that right - you want a good bike, that will last, but you don't want to spend any more than £200..??

desweller

£200 is pushing it even 2nd hand. There aren't many bargains around at that price. It can probably be done, but whether you're going to build it or buy a complete bike be prepared to spend many months perusing the classifieds before you have what you want. As you're going to be covering many thousands of miles in training (if you really are attempting an Ironman) then you'll not want to skimp on spec too much; cheaper parts are just not going to handle the mileage. Don't forget to budget for items like lights, lid and clothing for winter training etc.

sloppyschleckonds

Pseudonym wrote:

Did I read that right - you want a good bike, that will last, but you don't want to spend any more than £200..??

He just wants to look at it, not ride it.

Dobbo78

Thanks Des for the insight, I have been keeping an eye on eBay for the last month, only thing is I'm not sure what a decent second hand bike is.

As for you other two guys, your helpful remarks are duely noted

Pseudonym

Dobbo78 wrote:

As for you other two guys, your helpful remarks are duely noted

As is your spelling, fella. Seriously though, you might want to up your budget a little....

Dobbo78

So sorry that my extra E offends your intelligence

Again, all I'm looking for is some advice on what are decent bikes, up to, say 5/6 years old, what to stay clear of, etc.

On the budget side, what would you say is a reasonable starting price?

Pseudonym

Dobbo78 wrote:

So sorry that my extra E offends your intelligence

Again, all I'm looking for is some advice on what are decent bikes, up to, say 5/6 years old, what to stay clear of, etc.

On the budget side, what would you say is a reasonable starting price?

if you're serious about the ironman - and you intend on pounding the roads over the winter like Desmond says, then personally I'd start at £500 min....

nochekmate

£400 secondhand allows you the opportunity to seek out a good purchase IME

Specialized Allez Elite
Trek 1.5
Giant Defy range
Bianchi Via Nirone

£200 is definitely on the tight side.

Ringo 68

As above, £400 to £500 would get you a pretty good second hand bike IMHO.

puppiesdanglybits

Loads of deals out there at the moment if your prepared to look as 2012 models are just out so 2011 are being cleared, I bought my first road bike for 27 years yesterday, got a really good deal on Giant Defy 4

Look at some of the following sites
Tredz
All Terain
Pauls Cycles

I found a good deal & my local Giant dealer almost matched it so went with hiim & kept the trade with LBS

Bobbinogs

Hello Dobb, here's my 10 bob's worth.

If you read a tri mag (I did whilst in casualty last week) they would have you brlieve that you need some speed machine. This is nonsense, you need a bike to get you through all the training you will need to do from now until your event so look for something that feels comfortable to ride and can take mudguards (you only need 5mm for Cruds), etc. Look for 2nd hand bikes like Spesh Allez or Trek 1.2 but the problem is that everyone else will. Expect to pay £300 for the bottom models, etc., but then you will possibly need new tyres, may be a chain, perhaps brake pads, etc. Given that many others will want bikes like this then you may have to be patient, flexible or up your budget.

As others have said, budget the accessories too: shoes, helmet, basic clothes, bib shorts, lights, it all adds up. Then, get your asre out there and work

After a few months you can look at adding tri bars, etc.

I would forget about a self build as most folks do this when they know what they want or have bags of time to do the research and make the right decisions/learn the fettling skills. I would suggest you just need to get out there (see above).

All the best (oh, lots of training tips in the Training section).

letap73

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Trek-SLR-road ... 1c1fdfcb57

If you get lucky - being ignored at the moment but a great bike nonetheless.

Dobbo78

excellent thanks guys

Pross

I don't think the guys above are intending to cause offence, it's just that if you are looking for a decent bike at <£200 and (most importantly) that will fit you then you are going to have to spend a lot of time looking unless you get really lucky. To put it into context, I have a 20 year old steel framed bike with an assortment of similarly aged components on it and I wouldn't dream of letting it go for less than about £400 simply because I couldn't replace it if I did. I would also say don't buy a bike just because it fits your budget, if you are riding an ironman then you really need to make sure it fits you comfortably.

As for what's good or not, stick with the main makes and you should be fine e.g. Giant, Specialized, Trek, Scott, Raleigh. Once you see something of interest just ask again on here and I'm sure you'll get some good advice. Alternatively, if funds are tight, do you know anyone with a spare bike who will lend you it for a while?

slowlanejane

Dobbo.

For a quick buy that is at the budget end, new so no faff and a decent enough starter bike to get you through a winter training regime and then the race itself, look at Halford's Carrera TDF at about £300. It got best bike on a budget rating plenty of times and you can read up the reviews here in BR. They are not the best, they are not the lightest but they are not half bad either and for the cash they are hard to beat. I bought one for my nephew last summer and its a very able first bike.

As you train for your Ironman you'll know if cycling is a sport you'd llike to invest more time / money in, in which case you can look around for a replacement bike later, and you'll have a better idea then on what you're after.

The TDF, being a recognisable and respected brand, will sell well on ebay later.

Good luck with the Ironman, it's one hell of a target.

cougie

Have you entered the Ironman ? You'll probably find that the entry fee is higher than the cost of the bike.

Dont forget to add in kit - that adds up too.

Even a cheap wetsuit will be £100 and then theres the fees for swimming to include - organised lake sessions or pool entry.

Ironman is great, but its not a cheap sport. You should really plan on staying in the sport and then the expense you lay out in the first year will keep you going for a good few years.

Good luck !