Buying my first road bike

Problym

Hi,

I'm new to road bikes in general and was looking to buy a bike in the £300-£500 range. I'm not interested in anything too high-spec, just something reasonably good and reliable. Had a look round some shops in town today asking for second hand road bikes, and one guy has a new "Bronx Monza" with slight damage to the paintwork which he's selling at half price for £325. It's a 60cm frame, which I gather is right for me at 6'4".

Now I've done a bit of Googling on the bike, but there seems to be very little information/reviews out there other than the stuff I've posted below. What do you guys think of it as an entry level road bike? I had a ride on it and I loved it, but then again the only thing I have to compare it to is my 8 year old city bike!

Any advice/comments would be appreciated

FRAME : 7005 Aluminium
FORK : EVO Alloy Racing
HEADSET : NO.11G+TH-875-1 Ahead integrated
SHIFTERS : Shimano 2300
REAR DERAILLEUR : Shimano 2303
FRONT DERAILLEUR : Shimano Sora 3340
CHAINSET : Suntour, 30/42/52,
BOTTOM BRACKET : VP-BC73, Cartridge
CHAIN : KMC-HG53
FREEWHEEL : Shimano CS-HG50-8 12-25 Cassette
HUBS : Shimano Alloy with QR
RIMS : Shimano Alloy double wall with CNC wall
TYRES : Kenda 700 – 26c
BRAKES : Tektro Alloy side pull
BRAKE LEVERS : Shimano ST-2300
HANDLEBAR : Alloy Racing
STEM : Alloy Ahead
GRIPS : Velo tape with plug
SADDLE : Velo Racing
SEATPOST : Alloy Micro adjust
PEDALS : VP-383, Nylon / Alloy
SIZE : 52 / 56 / 60 cm
Weight: 10kg

bregante

Hi,

I'm fairly new to road riding myself but have been riding cx and mtb now for quite a few years so I do know a little about bikes. I've never heard of the Bronx Monza prior to your post but just googled it and I personally would go with something Iike the B'Twin Triban 3 from Decathlon over and above that. Decathlon have a great reputation for producing good value for money "proper" bikes and the Triban 3 has had some fantastic reviews

http://www.btwincycle.com/EN/triban-3-170478497/

If that doesn't grab you, given your £500 budget limit you could get something from a more recognised brand such as Specialized. Their Allez 16 model is currently £489, however you are likely to get a deal if you shop around/wait a few weeks as the big companies release their 2013 models and reduce this years stock to make way.

hTh

lc1981

I would be wary of an unknown brand when you can get the Triban 3 for a similar price (in fact it's cheaper), knowing that it's tried and tested. You can read the Cycling Active review (part of a group test) via the links here.

hipshot

Bregante wrote:

however you are likely to get a deal if you shop around/wait a few weeks as the big companies release their 2013 models and reduce this years stock to make way. hTh

Good advice wait a few weeks and do some research/shop around. Well known models like the Allez hold their value better too if you ever want to sell. Another £100 or so may get you a bike with carbon forks which you may find more comfortable.

You can ask on this thread too:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40042&t=12778421

nochekmate

That bike was surely never worth £650 new and not worth 325 secondhand.

Do yourself a favour and look out for something like Spesh Allez instead

unixnerd

This is 580 but it's a decent bike with a frame that's worth upgrading over time:
http://www.justforbikes.co.uk/Cannondal ... SALE_i5845

Or look for a used bike from a well known brand. It's worth spending a few 100 extra at this price level as you get a much nicer bike for the money.

simon_masterson

It's not bad. It would certainly 'work'. Entry-level bikes (new ones) more often have mediocre wheels and the like which fail prematurely than are actually 'inadequate', because if the bike fits it's good enough for a beginner.

But I'd be inclined to agree with the others above: you could do better. You really have to try before you buy, though.

Problym

Thanks a lot guys, this has been incredibly helpful. The test ride got me all excited about buying a road bike, and I think I would have gone for that one had I not posted here.