Where to look for a cheep road bike

Banxi

Hi im new to road biking im a mtb rider so im after spending no more than 300 quid on a bike. Any help as to what to look for and where to look would be good. Im 5'10 - 5'11 so what size bike would i need thanks

smidsy

Size wise depends on a wide variety of factors including inside leg measurement, bike geometry, how the manufacturer measures etc..

For your height you could be anywhere from 54cm to 58cm depending on the above plus other factors.

Best thing is to go and sit on a few and get someone to look at your position etc...

Rod11

If I was you I'd try and get something second hand. I recently sold my old Giant which I'd upgraded to ultegra drivetrain for just over £300. Have a look on gumtree and on the classifieds here, can be amazing the bargains you can get on second hand bikes!

As for size then I'd agree with smidsy, best thing would be to go to your lbs and try a few different brands and sizes and get a feel of what's comfortable.

fast as fupp

try your local aviary- there should be plenty going 'cheep' there.

Monty Dog

^ beat me to it! Otherwise Twitter?

p9uma

Or Canary Wharfe has an Evans I think.

ALaPlage

Best bang for buck is second hand. Your £300 budget should get you something from the £500 to sub £1000 when new section. Lots of good condition and hardly used cycles available amongst the dogs. Lots of folks took advantage of cycle to work schemes and bought a decent road bike only to find that cycling wasn't for them. Subsequently the bikes appear on EBay, Gumtree and other classifieds.

chadders81

I echo what's said above re eBay but make sure you budget a few quid for a quick service.

If you want the peace of mind of a new bike and customer service, a guy at work just got one of these http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-3-id_8167038.html

Apart the heavy wheels I can't fault it for the money. Wheels are something you can upgrade in a few months anyway.

Gizmodo

I also agree with the others, 2nd hand is the only way to get a decent road bike for your budget. You'll be amazed by how many people buy a nice new bike because they're doing a charity run or something and then sell it after just 1 ride. Go to eBay and watch a few, just be careful about the seller, you don't want to buy a stolen bike! Ask them questions that only the owner would know, when did you buy it, where from, have they got the receipt, how many miles has it done etc, and just use your common sense.

As for size, try before you buy is critical. It is not a case of 1 size fits all, the frame geometry is completely different between manufacturers. My brother recently bought a new bike, after trying a few it was between a 56cm Trek and a 53cm Pinerello, so completely different sizes between different frames!

Search YouTube for "Bike Fit" so you know what to look for. Then go and sit on any bike before you buy it. Preferably take it for a test ride (not so easy if you are buying from eBay).