New Road bike for under £350 for a noob, advice please :)

chaza01

Hi
I am looking to buy my first road bike. I am looking for something in the sub £350-400 range - though I accept that will leave me with fewer choices, I cannot financially justify anything higher, especially as I am just starting off.
I would really appreciate any sort of reply to the following questions:
(i) Is there a particular new bike from the price range outlined above you would recommend?
(ii) Are there any particularly good brands you recommend, or any you would avoid like the plague?
(iii)The nearest bike shop to me is Evans, is this a good company to buy from?
(iv) What makes a good road bike? What differs lower end gear systems from higher ones (same for brakes)?
(v) Is it worth buying an older model of the same bike, e.g 2010 version, if it is cheaper, and how much changes in a bike model, usually, from one year to the next.
And finally,
(vi) After procuring a bike, would there be any immediate modifications you'd recommend?
P.S. someone I know got a specialized (the brand) bike reduced to £350 from around £600, do you know of any such drastic discounts (and if so, a link would be appreciated!)?

Regards

g00se

chaza01 wrote:

Hi
I am looking to buy my first road bike. I am looking for something in the sub £350-400 range - though I accept that will leave me with fewer choices, I cannot financially justify anything higher, especially as I am just starting off.
I would really appreciate any sort of reply to the following questions:
(i) Is there a particular new bike from the price range outlined above you would recommend?

The Decathlon B'twin Triban 3 has a very good reputation in that price range. it usualy comes top in the new budget bike reviews.

(ii) Are there any particularly good brands you recommend, or any you would avoid like the plague?

Most of the name brands would be good. Avoid Argos and Tesco cheapies. And avoid non-bike brand names put on bikes (eg. Reebok, landrover etc).

(iii)The nearest bike shop to me is Evans, is this a good company to buy from?

OK for a large chain - some stories of bad customer service but I've never had a problem

(iv) What makes a good road bike? What differs lower end gear systems from higher ones (same for brakes)?

the lighter and 'stiffer' the better. The cheaper ones tend to be more heavy. Lower end kit tend to be less precise feeling but if you buy a reputable name, most of the kit will be usable.

(v) Is it worth buying an older model of the same bike, e.g 2010 version, if it is cheaper, and how much changes in a bike model, usually, from one year to the next.

VERY YES! Often, the more recent versions of the same bike are lower speced to keep the price down (cheaper brakes etc). Not much changes most years other than the paint job.

And finally,
(vi) After procuring a bike, would there be any immediate modifications you'd recommend?

not immediately - otherwise it would have been cheaper to buy a bike like that in the first place. You could think of improved wheels after the winter though - if you like the bike. Bang-for-buck, wheels are one of the most effective upgrades.

P.S. someone I know got a specialized (the brand) bike reduced to £350 from around £600, do you know of any such drastic discounts (and if so, a link would be appreciated!)?

The 2013 stock is coming into shops now so now is the best time of year for heavy discounts on 2012 stock. If it's a first bike, I would recommend trying it out rather than buying online. Evans will have sales and should price match. Other websites are wiggle, chainreactioncycles, probikekit, tredz etc.

Regards

chaza01

Thank you very much indeed!

The Little Onion

Best still, look at the classified on this site