What to avoid

snaphappyspen

Hi guys

I will be buying my first ever road bike in the coming months having ridden mountain bikes for the last few years.

My question to you is - Is there anything i need to avoid in a bike? I have 1K to spend so keep that in mind, but what would i look for and what would you avoid?

Any help would be great.

nochekmate

What to look for? Try the 'Search' key

What to avoid? The same question being asked soooo many times

Sorry not to be any more help but it's been covered and covered and covered in so many other threads.

arthur_scrimshaw

snaphappyspen wrote:

Hi guys

I will be buying my first ever road bike in the coming months having ridden mountain bikes for the last few years.

My question to you is - Is there anything i need to avoid in a bike? I have 1K to spend so keep that in mind, but what would i look for and what would you avoid?

Any help would be great.

avoid = anything with flat bars.

IIRC the Giant defy1 came tops of a recent £1000 test but I suspect few duffers at that price, buy what takes your fancy. Not always easy to get test rides or make meaningful comparisons though.

arthur_scrimshaw

here you go -

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/arti ... 000-29719/

snaphappyspen

nochekmate wrote:

What to look for? Try the 'Search' key

What to avoid? The same question being asked soooo many times

Sorry not to be any more help but it's been covered and covered and covered in so many other threads.

Really? Rather than post a completely pointless and useless response to my question, why not say, search for that?

I was under the impression that the forum was for advice, where you post a question and hope for an answer that helps. Rather than a response like yours, next time you see a post like mine you find the need to post a similar comment to this on. Dont, instead why not find them the link to another forum post (you seem to think you have a lot of knowledge of this forum so it shouldn't be too taxing for you i'm sure)

Apologies for asking a question that a lot of people ask, if these things wind you up i suggest you step back from the forums as im sure i wont be the last one to post this question.

Cheers!

simona75

Three things I wish I'd done when I first started....

1. Get something with a compact chainset and at least a 12-25 cassette. Nothing more demoralising than not having a low enough gear on hills
2. Find a bike shop that will spend time talking through the options with you (even if you can't get a decent test ride) I would definitely recommend taking a weekday off as the ones I've used have much less time for you on weekends.
3. Keep enough change from your 1k to get some decent bib shorts

Hope that's helpful

team47b

Search first, then come back with specific questions and I'm sure by then someone more to your liking will be along.


and to further aggravate you...

Avoid:

Peds
Parked cars
Sheep
Potholes
Asking about lube/tyres
Going out in your slippers
Forgetting what you


consider what you are going to use it for and avoid being persuaded by big brand names, get a bike that does what you want, write a list and stick to it

nunowoolmez

Tough crowd!

Personally, if it were me spending that much cash all in one go i would want to get it right. I would highly recommend getting a bike fit (ie: not going by what your local Evans or LBS) say, but actually at a reputable bike fitting specialist.You will then know what size bike you need & what size stem, bars, post you need & what measuremnts are specific to you. After this, all you need to worry about is whether you want carbon, alu, steel, or whatever. For a grand you can get a very good alu bike with pretty good spec. Try to avoid crappy wheelsets & more importantly, crappy brakes. On most carbon bikes for agrand, you can get a good frameset, but you may find they will come with lesser quality parts & components. It all rwally depends what you intend to use it for.

But the main thing is getting a proper fit & then choosing a bike you know for sure you will fit & will be able to.ride comfortably without any pain anywhere. This catches SO many peple out. Don't trust your LBS or Evans to this, they will see your 1K & will just want to sell you stuff & will say anything as long as you buy a bike. Evans don't have a clue.

good luck.

kentphil

+1 to getting the right size bike. Don't be tempted to get a bargain bike if it doesn't fit you properly.

ajb72

Things to avoid? This forum most of the time!

Most important thing is to take your time and visit as many bike shops as you can realistically get to. If they are worth their salt they will ask you about your riding objectives first before trying to sell you anything, as this will help determine whether you need a racing or more relaxed geometry bike. As mentioned above, try to get a bike fit thrown in, many LBS will do this for free or discount it if you eventually buy from them.

The advice on a compact and good range of gears is sound, but also ask yourself what kind of riding you will be doing - lots of hilly rides? Get a compact and decent range on the cassette. Live in Norfolk? Not such an issue!

You also need to consider carbon v aluminium for the frameset material. With £1K you could get both, although you will tend to get a better package of groupset and finishing kit if you go alu. Someone mentioned Cannondale Caad 10's with Shimano 105 going for £999 in a post the other day at Westbrooke's - not my thing but they get rave reviews on here. For value for money you can look at the likes of Ribble for their very good carbon bikes, but again you'd be well advised to go and have a test ride first if possible.

Have you considered second hand? If you have a friend who is more clued up on bike to help you, you could get an awful lot more for your money buying second hand. There are a huge amount of folk out there who think they are going to get into the sport and then ride 3 times!! Loads of Specialized / Treks etc on ebay, so worth a look once you gets feel for your needs and sizing etc.

ALaPlage

Between some of the sarcasm and unhelpful comments (or am I misreading others humour) there are some useful things to consider

Bike fit and feel is probably the most important thing and it's definetly worth trying a few bikes out for size to determine what feels comfortable and right. One response has slated Evans but what they will do for you is happily allow a decent test ride on any bike and if the one you like in your size isn't in stock in store but in stock in another branch they will get hold of it for you. So IMO Evans is a good place to get an idea of what you like and what fits.

A proper bike fit is a worthwhile exercise but not always necessary and will take a chunk of your budget as they typically cost £100+. If you have any back, neck or knee problems then absolutely I would recommend.

Lots of good bikes and kit out there for your budget. As already mentioned many off the shelf bikes cut down on the component quality to keep prices competitive and a good frame with a decent groupset such as Shimano 105 in your £1k budget will likely have cheaper, heavier wheels and low budget tyres. That's not a problem however so don't let it put you off as you can upgrade later once you have got into road cycling and want to invest more of your hard earned into it.

So rather than what to avoid I would recommend

Trying as many different bikes as you can to find the right sizing and the bike that meets your cycling needs
At £1k you could stretch into a carbon frame in some makes but likely at the expense of wheelset and groupset not being as high spec.
Once you know what you like and the sizing you could consider second hand as there are a lot of hardly used good bikes out there and your £1k will get you a lot more for your money.

Enjoy your cycling

TheEnglishman

Yea guys - if you can't say something nice don't say anything!

Anyway - back to the OP. get a bike fit. I went to a Specialized store for a BG fit. Well worth every penny. Make the bike fit you and not the other way around

keef66

I spent just over a grand on my first proper road bike. Did a lot of reading in magazines and on websites / forums. Drew up a list of what I thought I needed / wanted from the bike, then a shortlist of bikes I thought would meet my criteria.

Maybe easier for me cos I wanted an all year round bike that would take full guards, comfy for day long rides, but still be light and lively, which reduced the field a lot.

Then I went to Epic Cycles where I was properly fitted and had some decent test rides. Decided on a Racelight Tk with 105 kit and RS10 wheels / Conti 4 Seasons tyres. They had to order in a smaller frame for me but it was built up and ready in 2 weeks. Nearly 5 years on and all I've replaced is the saddle, 3 chains and a gear cable, so I think I chose wisely.

So in summary, decide what you want / need, fix the budget and stick to it, draw up a shortlist, get some test rides, and get a proper bike fit on the one you finally decide on.

For a first bike I can't recommend the Epic experience highly enough.

jordan_217

Go to a reputable LBS and try as many bikes as you can. It shouldn't be one way traffic between you and the shop though, they should also be asking you questions to ensure you get the most suitable bike.

Where are you based? Are you willing to travel a bit? Perhaps if you let us know someone will be able to recommend a good, helpful LBS. I would certainly stay clear of online bargains, you will *probably* pay a premium for buying from a shop but that will be backed up by (hopefully) good pre and post sales service = piece of mind for you.

As already posted, I'd prioritise size/fit over everything else. You should also make an appointment to go back to the shop and ride the bikes on your shortlist, taking your shoes, shorts, helmet, etc with you. Any decent shop will be more than happy to let you have a test ride, most will probably have a set route for this.

northpole

Key to me is the groupset - set a minimum target of Shimano 105 or Campagnolo Veloce - that should be a starting point. Without it, don't bother.
Bike fit is important but I would (perhaps foolishly) be prepared to take a bit of a gamble on this - assuming that you know what frame size you need.
Personally, I would not buy new - you need to decide if this is a key requirement or not. As others have said you can get alot more for your money second hand than new - bikes are pretty appalling at retaining value - you lose alot less £££ when someone else has taken the first (major) depreciation hit. There are many bikes for sale by owners who bought new with great intentions, but whose plans have long since changed!
If you want to buy new, I'd definitely scrutinise what Ribble, Planet X and Canyon are offering - you can get fantastic deals from these firms who do not carry the massive overheads of the big companies.
Don't forget to budget for pedals, shoes, bib shorts, if you don't have them already.
Peter

gaddster

snaphappyspen wrote:

nochekmate wrote:

I was under the impression that the forum was for advice, where you post a question and hope for an answer that helps.
Cheers!

How about helping yourself? The information is there if you can be bothered to look for it and it's much more satisfying than having it spoon fed, isn't it?

cheers

hodge68

:evil: Talk about trying to put someone off joining the road bike community. Was it something he said. So questions get repeated, dont open the thread if it look familiar.....................hark at me,wet behind the ears and gobbing off. I have had a drink you know :twisted: .

banditvic

Buy a cannondale caad 8 from pauls cycles £499 take the shifters and cassette off sell them on ebay, purchase some 105 10 speed shifters and 10 speed cassette, enjoy. Total cost about £600. Ride for a year then decide what you wan't. Then keep Cannondale for winter bike it has mudgaurd fixings.