First Road Bike

Nick_105

Hi I am looking for my first road bike and have a budget of £600, any ideas? The bike would mainly be used for training and I would be looking to join a local club and take part in club rides etc in the future.

Thanks

Nick

unixnerd

Have a look in a few local bike shops and see what they have. You'll be looking at a Shimano Sora or maybe the better Tiagra groupset at that money. I'd say something like a Cannondale CAAD8 or a Specialized Allez / Secteur.

Don't rule out a used bike from ebay or gumtree as you'll get more for your money, just be sure you get someone who knows about bikes to look at it first (post the link here). Lots of folk buy bikes then never use them, good intentions to get fit and all that. There are lots of good bargains out there, but you need to keep your wits about you.

BelgianBeerGeek

Hi Nick
Often overlooked is versatility, and I'm thinking of fittings for racks and guards etc. This way it can be used all year round, for commuting, winter training etc. If you join a club, the other riders will thank you for having guards.
I don't think the Spesh comes with these sorts of fittings, but for your money the Trek 1.2 should, or look at Ribble's website for the winter trainers, which should come in about the right level.
If you don't want the more permanent fittings, there are various "clip-on" guards that you can fit anyway.
I'm just a mudguard fetishist, that's all.

unixnerd

He's totally correct. Mudguards and a pannier rack are great. You and the bike stay a bit cleaner and drier, no need to carry a backpack and get all sweaty. Of course ideally you need two bikes, one like that and something stripped down for the sunny days (all three of them!).

Nick_105

Thanks guys I will post a link if I see a nice used bike, what would I be looking for on a used bike to check it hasn't been crashed or is dodgy? I am fine with looking at the mechanicals of the bike i.e. gears, headset and brakes etc as I do all the maintenance on my bikes myself but wouldn't know what to look for frame and fork wise.

Thanks

Nick

unixnerd

Just have a look for general cracks and chips, especially at the welds and headtube. I think I'd be more worried to ensure it's not stolen. Make sure you get a landline number, go and see it at someone's house not a pub car park, etc.

Nick_105

Ok thanks mate will look out for those things if I go down the second hand route. The local bike shops near me don't really have a large selection of road bikes but i did test ride a giant defy 5 triple 2012 which cost £569. It felt smooth to me but as a novice to road cycling I didn't really know what one bike feels like to the next if you get what I mean.

Nick

unixnerd

You need to try a few. Getting one that fits you properly is vital. The attitude of the bike shop counts for a lot too.

Nick_105

What should I look out for and get a feel for when test riding a bike? I know a good fit is vital but on a test ride they don't change much on the bike apart from the seat height however the sevice from the staff was second to none.

Nick

Nick_105

What should I look out for and get a feel for when test riding a bike? I know a good fit is vital but on a test ride they don't change much on the bike apart from the seat height however the sevice from the staff was second to none.

Nick

Redhog14

Nick_105 wrote:

What should I look out for and get a feel for when test riding a bike? I know a good fit is vital but on a test ride they don't change much on the bike apart from the seat height however the sevice from the staff was second to none.

Nick

FWIW here's my advice: I would imagine most machines at the range your looking in will be quite relaxed, you should feel comfy in all three handlebar positons, not stretched out but not hunched over either. The stem length is important too, if you feel stretched and the handlebar stem is tiny (say 80mm) the bike is probably too big. A good sized head tube will make the bike more upright and comfortable. if it you have the option then try for the best frame you can as you can and will replace parts as time goes on so a good frame with a lower spec groupset can in a year or two be a good frame with an upgraded groupset. I know a few guys with Trek 1.2 and all very happy with them.

Nick_105

I am drawn towards the Trek 1.2 and have heard lots of good reviews about them, which year are we talking about?, would you be able to post a link?

Thanks

Nick

Redhog14

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/cate ... 5-12-46015

worth a read at this ^ the BR Bikes & Gear serach facility is about as good as it gets.

My friends bikes 1.2's are prob 2-3 years old. I would also say my OH bought herself an Orbea Fleche which is now called Aqua off ebay for £300 still got 2 years later and going strong.

Nick_105

Had a read of this before and was looking at this bike on the ribble website, the standard wheels are awful so iv'e been told. What wheels would be durable and tough, not so concerned about weight as I am only a novice and don't need a super lightweight bike yet, just need some strong wheels that will put up with pot holes etc and won't have to be trued constantly, don't want to spend a fortune.

Thanks

Nick

unixnerd

> the standard wheels are awful so iv'e been told

That's often the case, very seldom you get good wheels on a new bike. I just paid 3k for a bike and while the rest is excellent the wheels weighed almost 1900g - they were very well made and durable though. Putting on my lightweight 1500g wheels made a huge difference. Wheel weight is the most important place on the bike as you have to put in rotational inertia to spin them up. Don't expect to buy a bike and get top notch wheels as standard even if you pay a lot.

Nick_105

Someone near me is selling this bike for £240, £110 less than halfords are selling it for currently. I know it is quite heavy at 11.36kg but is a very solid robust bike which would make a great first bike for me as I am not bothered about weight at the moment as I just want a reliable bike to get me into road cycling and I could always upgrade in a year or so and this could become a winter trainer, here's bikeradar's review: http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... e-11-44902

Any thoughts?

Nick

Nick_105

What should I do?

unixnerd

Depends on your finances. If it were me I'd buy the nicest bike I could :-) But the important thing is to get something and start getting some miles in.

Nick_105

Went for the carrera in the end, picked it up yesterday and went on a short ride as soon as I got it. The bike is practically brand new and the tyres are not even worn, the owner said it has been only used once and this must have been just literally up and down the street! The gear cables were just starting to stretch on my short ride which suggests that it has hardly been ridden. Will post a pic up for you guys if you want.

Thanks for all your advice

Nick