First road bike to get?

Slovak Racer

I will be purchasing my first road bike soon. Have not had one in 15 years. I want something quality for sure. I plan on riding 2 or 3 times a week. Would I be an idiot to spend $2000 on something like a Super Six Apex or a Tarmac C, or should I stay under $1000 since I am a beginner?

Adotparker

Specialised Allez

danlikesbikes

Spend what you feel happy with - my first road bike was well into four figures.

First rule is get on the bike and try it out as whilst on paper one might look like better deal you never know till you have sat on it and tried it.

JonProphet

I was told to spend once. I didn't go all out but I got a bike that I was comfortable on and the wife was comfortable with me spending what I did.

boh67

im a newbie.. i spent £50 on a second hand road bike. Do i love going out on it - yes

am i looking to win races on it - no

imo its what you want out of it - do people on £2000 bikes enjoy their rides any more than me on my £50 bike ?

ShutUpLegs

JonProphet wrote:

I was told to spend once. I didn't go all out but I got a bike that I was comfortable on and the wife was comfortable with me spending what I did.

How sweet

simon_masterson

Basically, you have a few choices. Your circumstances will dictate which of them are available to you!

You could get an entry level bike. You could get a cheaper one that will be perfectly decent, or you could get something more expensive. Unless you barely use it, it probably won't be a long term purchase. Unfortunately alloy may be made into parts that are cheap, stiff and light, but it's prone to fatigue and failure and often considered to have a definite service life; a bit more so than steel, carbon fibre and titanium. Couple that with the fact that carbon fibre is a bit lighter still, if I had the money I'd be more inclined to spend a bit more on something that's worth upgrading. If you can buy the same bike for £1200 or £3000, you're hopefully getting a decent frame, even if the basic spec has heavier wheels and components. A £900 bike on the other hand will give you a lot of bike for a beginner, but you're likely to make a loss if you sell, which will probably get you more than if you try upgrading it.

Therefore, I think you're better to get a cheaper first bike, unless you really have no financial constraints. Most beginners who appear around here underestimate the amount of other kit they will need. It's worth opting for a 10 speed groupset as it offers more scope for upgrade, but a 9 speed will not be inadequate.

But don't worry: the beginner cyclist these days can get a lot for his or her money these days; things that would have been unthinkable even two decades ago. A budget bike of today is likely to be lighter than the Tour de France winning bike of not so long ago, and equipped with features that those cyclists would have killed for. All a beginner needs is a 5 speed old banger in plain gauge steel, so you'll be spoiled whatever you get.