Looking to get into cycling

cvarley

A friend and I, both 18 and completely inexperienced, are looking into starting cycling as means of fitness/exercise. We intend to stick predominantly to roads and are wondering what kind of bike we should be getting. We want to spend around £500 if possible.

What kind of bike would you advise and why?
Do you have any other tips regarding this kind of activity?

Cheers

rick_chasey

Hell yes.

Road bikes are good for the road.

They're even good for gravel and the odd cobbled road too, since, well, they're roads too right? They're easily the fastest, and that's what it's about right? Going to places far far away at a reasonable pace under your own steam.

You can get good 2nd hand bikes off ebay or here for £500. I'd suggest that would get you a marginally better bike than an entry level road bike (which AFAIK costs around the £500 mark).

MichaelW

Most road "race" bikes are good for sport but less suitable for everyday riding.
All-year, everyday, useful do-it-all bikes usually have sufficient tyre clearance, room for mudguard, threaded eyelets on the frame for rear luggage rack and mudguards, gearing low enough for hills. You can get these in road style but also cyclo-cross, flat-bar roadbike and general purpose "hybrid" style.
This kind of bike can easily be adapted for commuting, shopping, touring or stripped down for riding races and events.

thortweezul

Sounds like a road bike would be ideal for what you want to do, and £500 will be enough to get you started. I'd certainly advise against a mountain bike unless you're planning on doing serious off-road (i.e more than just towpaths etc.). If its for fitness/exercise i'd advise against a hybrid too, I simply don't see the advantage of what is essentially a road bike with less comfortable handlebars, if you're 18 you probably don't need super low gearing and most entry level road bikes can take mudguards of some kind if you feel you need them. plus road bikes are infinitely cooler 8)

Bear in mind though that the bike is only a part of your "start-up costs" for road cycling, you'll probably want cycling specific shoes/cleats, padded shorts (trust me), a helmet, cycling jerseys (very useful), gloves, pump, lock etc. You might not need all of those things straight away but if you take up road cycling with any kind of regularity you'll be wanting them pretty soon. These things will impact the quality of your cycling experience just as much, if not more than the choice of bike. I found out the hard way.

I went second hand and got a great bike for £450 (alu/carbon hybrid frame, Shimano 105 gruppo) that will probably be all i'll ever need as a cyclist. It is however, a risk that you might not want to take, you need to know what style of bike you want, what size it should be, what components you want etc. So, either learn quickly or go new.
If you want advice on specific models/manufacturer the best thing to do IMO is to go to your Local Bike Shoptm and try some out to see what suits you.

rpd_steve

Agree with all the above! A road bike is basicly what it sounds like you want. The 3 options are basicly road, MTB or hybrid. Road bikes are the lightest, made from aluminium/carbon fiber. They normally have skinny 23mm tyres which make them fast and easy to hold high speeds on. They are the best choice for road riding, long distances and high speed. Its not uncommon for an average ride to be between 50 and 75 miles once your into it by 6 months or so.

A MTB it what it has ont he tin... Suspention, big tyres to deal with mud etc... They are much heavier to deal with the extra loads they see, and made road riding tough as you waste a lot of effort on the tyre drag, bouncing on the shocks, hauling the weight up hills etc.

A hybrid is just what it says - a hybrid of the 2 above, but more whay you would call your 'normal town bike'. They are road bike type frames with strait handlebars, luggage racks, smaller gears, bigger more comfy gears and heaver built.

Assuming you want a road bike theres a few things to look out for: Frame - you want a good frame at the heart of your bike. You will upgrade other things as you progress but if you get a good frame it will look after you for a long time. Carbon forks are great to have. CF is very good at damping high frequency vibrations so a carbon fork takes the 'buzz' out of the front a lot, likewise for seat post (but much less so). Then there is the groupset, this is the collective names for the gear shifters/brake leavers, front/rear derailers, rear cassett (gears), crankset (front gears etc) chain and brakes. As you go up the group sets they get lighter and will change gear slightly smoother under load. The Shimarno range (most common) goes as follows: 2300, Sora, Tiagra, 105, Ultegra, Dura-ace. They all basicly do the same thing. 2300 and sora are 8 speed on the back and tiagra upwards is 10 speed. Sora and 2300 also have slightly different way to change up gears to the rest - a bit tougher to do from the drops.

Also budget £50-70 for a good road helmet at and £20 for a basic track pump at least to start. Dont buy a cheapie from halfords as a few weeks in you will regret it! Find a good bike shop and try several on. As you progress you WILL want some licra, clip in pedals (clipless) and assosiated shoes and other bike tartyness.

Where abouts are you based? There are clubs all about who will help you if you take the plunge!

CiB

MichaelW wrote:

Most road "race" bikes are good for sport but less suitable for everyday riding.
All-year, everyday, useful do-it-all bikes usually have sufficient tyre clearance, room for mudguard, threaded eyelets on the frame for rear luggage rack and mudguards, gearing low enough for hills. You can get these in road style but also cyclo-cross, flat-bar roadbike and general purpose "hybrid" style.
This kind of bike can easily be adapted for commuting, shopping, touring or stripped down for riding races and events.

What's that word? Oh yes. Pfffffffffffffftttt.

Road bikes have the advantage of being very comfortable and quite quick, which is what I want my commute to be hence I do it on a carbon road rocket. I ride it whenever I can because it's nice to ride, and gets me to where I need to be in comfort and at a decent pace. I've had two punctures on it since last summer, one due to the bin-men leaving glass on my drive, and no major hassle with it. A bit of maintenance and looking after it helps, but it's hardly a big job keeping moving parts lubed and the whole thing clean.

If you want to get into cycling, your best bet is to either buy second-hand & get more bike for your cash, or trawl around your local bike shops and buy whatever makes you grin when you look at it. Once you've owned it for a year or so you'll know what to look for when the inevitable upgrade looms.

essjaydee

If your both spending around £500 each, then look at doing a deal with a local LBS

You will get some kit thrown in or money off to buy kit, and a good shop will look after you, so visit a few if you can

Road bike all the way......you'll love it

andrewjoseph

I love my road/touring bike, but mountain biking is better for fitness in my opinion. you can get a better all over workout on a short mtb ride than spending hours on a road bike. Plus it helps improve handling skills that will transfer over to any type of riding.

MTB'ing is dirtier, sometimes needs more driving to get to decent areas to ride, is mostly off road and so much much less traffic. it does include interaction with dogs, horses, sheep and cows, sometimes deer, badgers and suicidal squirrels. You see wildlife and get clean fresh air.

Road riding can be done from the house, is usually cleaner but involves a lot of interaction with stupid drivers, crazy whitevanmen, and dozing lorry drivers. You can get to some fantastic places but will involve a lot of traffic fumes.

if I had one bike, it would be an mtb. But don't ask me to give up my road bike.

cvarley

Really appreciate the replies so far. I've had a look for a while online, read up on various things. Still not entirely sure what to go with.

I went to a bike shop nearby called 700. They recommended the Giant Defy 4 which was £599. As we'd be buying two bikes, as well as clothing, tools etc, the guy in the shop said he'd give us a reasonable discount on it all. We'd get it all properly fitted so I guess that's a benefit over buying it online. He also said that we shouldn't bother with clip ins etc initially and just go with normal pedals and then see what we decide later on.

Would you say this sounds reasonable or would we be getting dicked on in terms of pricing?

rick_chasey

cvarley wrote:

Really appreciate the replies so far. I've had a look for a while online, read up on various things. Still not entirely sure what to go with.

I went to a bike shop nearby called 700. They recommended the Giant Defy 4 which was £599. As we'd be buying two bikes, as well as clothing, tools etc, the guy in the shop said he'd give us a reasonable discount on it all. We'd get it all properly fitted so I guess that's a benefit over buying it online. He also said that we shouldn't bother with clip ins etc initially and just go with normal pedals and then see what we decide later on.

Would you say this sounds reasonable or would we be getting dicked on in terms of pricing?

Sounds pretty fine for a bike shop.

They're not always the cheapest, but they compete on the services described above

Take a look on the internet and see whether the saving is worth it.

andrewjoseph

cvarley wrote:

... He also said that we shouldn't bother with clip ins etc initially and just go with normal pedals and then see what we decide later on.

...

That's reasonable to an extent. the problem may be that you will be used to flat pedals and so the change may be harder to make.

If you are new to all this then clipless may be the best option, you won't have to 'unlearn' then 'relearn' anything. Start with clipless and this is then what you do, it is the 'norm'.

You can get mtb pedals that are clipless one side and platform the other, so you can decide when and where you clip in. You will need mtb shoes to use these as clipless, unless there are road systems that do the same.

I use my mtb pedals and shoes for the road as well, the shoes are easier for walking on and, depending on what shoes you get, can be as efficient as good road shoes, but maybe a bit heavier.

cougie

Normal pedals are fine to begin with.
Get the hang of road riding before swapping to clipless pedals.

essjaydee

Advice from 700 sounds reasonable 8)

Giant defy range get very good reviews, so you can't go wrong with that and offer of bike fit and discounts sound good too.

garethjohn

i'd certainly get yourself a road specific bike. got a hybrid flatbar as a starter then caad9 a couple of years later. the hybrid was a good commuter but will never keep up with a half decent road bike. the caad9 flies in comparison, so completely different. a good entry level like a used allez tiagra would be a good start. a work mate has commuted on his everyday since 09 and it's still going strong.

ironiv

Hello All

Admittedly, I am not the most experienced cyclist in the world. In fact, I am looking on buying my first mountain bike in 15 years.
There are fantastic bikes to buy nowadays, made from super aluminium allows and fancy ultra light components. It is difficult for beginner like me to make a choice between them.
I have been looking for the best bike under £500 for weeks, my research so far narrowed down to six mountain bikes, all complete with Hydraulic Disc brakes and front adjustable suspension.
On paper, there all look good to my amateur eye.

Which of those six is the Best Buy and why?
Material Fork (mm) Brakes (Front/Rear)
1 Land Rover Experience Hydro 2011 £349.99 Al 7005 100 Hydraulic Disc (160/160)
2 Claud Butler Shamen 2012 £359.99 Al 6061 ? Hydraulic Disc (160/160)
3 Carrera Vulcan 2011/2012 £379.99 Al 7005 120 Hydraulic Disc (???/???)
4 GT Avalanche 2.0 Hydro £409.49 Al 6061 100 Hydraulic Disc (180/160)
5 Carrera Kraken 2011/2012 £449.99 Al 7005 120 Hydraulic Disc (???/???)
6 DECATHON 8.1 2011 £499.99 Al 6061 100 Hydraulic Disc (160/160)
You could find them all at (16/03/2012):
1 http://www.damianharriscycles.co.uk/pro ... ntain-Bike
2 http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Claud-Butler-Sh ... _52057.htm
3 http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165499
4 http://www.wiggle.co.uk/gt-avalanche-20-hydro-2011/
5 http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... 65499#tab2
6 http://www.decathlon.co.uk/81-2011-id_8168695.html


Thank you very much,
ironIV

thortweezul

you'd probably be better off asking in the mountain bike section of the forum, I can talk all day about road bikes but know next nothing about mountain bikes - but my gut instinct is that any company that has it main business as a car manufacturer might not make the best bikes.

joshr96

Cycling is a great way to get fit. It's better than being stuck in a gym too. Try having a look on eBay for some nice ones. Evans Cycles sell a lot of good bikes too.