Just getting started - Bike Advice

AdrianStuart

Hi,

I am just about to begin my road biking career. 1st up, I need a entry level bike. Budget around £750 to include bike, helmet & shoes.

What are your thoughts on this bike
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/jam ... e-ec031777

Or...would I be better off using the build a bike at Ribble?

Thanks for any advice you can provide!

rpd_steve

Your link dosn't work...

but you will need to put aside about £60 for a helmet, £75 for shoes, and you will also need about £35 to set a set of SPD-SL pedals/cleats to go with your new shoes. That will leave you about £580 for a bike.

You have a few options for the bikes in that money, they are all quality machines and none is a standout performer.
-Specalized allez
-Trek 1.1/1.2
-Canondale CAD10

I would avoid the rel cheapies as giving yourself a good platform means you have a bike that is worth fettling with and upgrading as you get into it more. They will also resell quickly.

AdrianStuart

Hi Steve,

Thanks for your reply & advice.

Apologies for the bad link. Please use this one http://www.evanscycles.com/products/jam ... e-ec031777

Jimyg

Do you have a local bike shop? It is always worth seeing what they can do. Mine knocked 25% off clothing etc when i bought my bike. It allowed a bit extra cash towards the bike i wanted! so worth a shot.

However the bike below i know is reasonable, someone in our club rides one and says it is very reliable plus you get £100 worth of kit with it.
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pin ... 7#features

AdrianStuart

Jimyg wrote:

Do you have a local bike shop? It is always worth seeing what they can do. Mine knocked 25% off clothing etc when i bought my bike. It allowed a bit extra cash towards the bike i wanted! so worth a shot.

However the bike below i know is reasonable, someone in our club rides one and says it is very reliable plus you get £100 worth of kit with it.
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pin ... 7#features

Thanks for the reply. I did pop into my local shop, however they had no time for me or anyone. The lads in the shop were more interested in talking to their mates who were hanging around the shop :?

Gizmodo

There is a lot who knock Halfords, but mostly for their customer service and knowledge. But the Boardman bikes they sell generally are very well spec'ed and get good reviews.

The Boardman Road Race one is in your price range and they have a money off accessories offer on right now.

styxd

Go to Halfords, boardman bikes look great.

simon_masterson

You won't need more than around £300 on the bike. Beyond about that you are paying for things you don't need to start off with. No beginner needs anything better than a heavy plain-gauge steel old banger (mechanically sound, maintained and a road bike, of course), so anything you buy will spoil you thoroughly.

But that's OK, because you'll need much, much more than a helmet and shoes. Once you've got jerseys, shorts, tools, pumps (a track pump and one to take out with you), lights, oil and degreaser (and a stiff brush), cages and bottles, and anything else that doesn't immediately spring to mind, you may well have spent your money.

Yours is one of many threads on this topic; read the others as there are some good lists.

stoneb09

Can't recommend Boardman Bikes enough, it just depends on which Halfords store you get as some can be a bit hit and miss.

For my first bike I had a Specialized Allez which was a great bike to start out with, and am now looking to buy the Boardman Team in the next few days.

markp80

+1 for a Boardman, if you can put aside that you have to buy from Halfords (some people have had good experiences so I went open-minded).
I managed to get the Road Comp for £630 and once I'd bought a helmet and a few bits taking it over £700 there was an extra 10% off. Check online, they don't have a lot of these offers in-store.
I'm sure the other bikes mentioned will be great too.
Now I've had mine I'm pleased I didn't get anything lower specced, as I'm sure I'd have been wanting something more expensive already - in fact I'm already wondering just that. That's this forum and fancy magazines for you!
MarkP

simon_masterson

MarkP80 wrote:

Now I've had mine I'm pleased I didn't get anything lower specced, as I'm sure I'd have been wanting something more expensive already - in fact I'm already wondering just that. That's this forum and fancy magazines for you!
MarkP

Why? I daresay the Boardman has a nice ride quality, and the components are decent, but the difference between that and something lesser is going to amount to very little; certainly not quantifiable to the price difference. Slightly better groupset and (possibly) a few grams in weight. Given that both are low-end bikes that aren't going to last, a beginner may as well buy the cheaper bike, buy all of the other gear that they need, and make the upgrade later that they were going to make anyway.

I don't mean to jump down your throat incidentally; there are just a lot of these threads at the moment and I would hate anybody to think that a beginner needs an expensive bike. My favourite is 30 years old and made from plain-gauge steel; equipped with a 5-speed freewheel. I'll race any of you on it.

AdrianStuart

Thanks for the advice so far guys. Appreciate it. Didnt know what I got myself in for haha. So many choices

What is everyone's thoughts on a "build a bike" by Ribble? I might spend more that way but is it worth it?

Gizmo_

AdrianStuart wrote:

Thanks for the advice so far guys. Appreciate it. Didnt know what I got myself in for haha. So many choices

What is everyone's thoughts on a "build a bike" by Ribble? I might spend more that way but is it worth it?

I think it's a great idea if you've been riding for years and you know exactly what you want (f'rinstance, if you genuinely know whether you want an 80mm, 90mm, 100mm stem). But for a first bike, it's overkill.

AdrianStuart

Right. I have gone for a std bike from Evans Cycles.

Can't wait to get started!!