could you recommend me a reasonable bike for a first timer?

hazzer321

I've been thinking about getting into doing some cycling mainly to increase my fitness. I no nothing about bikes and i don't really want to buy a bag of nails if I am going to be doing some long distance biking. So if you could put me in the right direction of a decent bike for around £300 I understand you can pay a hell of a lot more for a bike but as I will be just getting into it 300 will start me off nicely. would i be better going second hand and getting a better quality bike?

Thanks for your time your help will be appreciated

peterberry

Go take a look at Decathalons triban 3. @ £299 you will struggle to get better for the price

Bullet1

^^^^^^ What he said - nuff said!

hazzer321

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-3-road-bike-white-id_8239800.html

Is this the one your on about?

im 188cm in height so i presume a size 60 will be ok

fatdaz

I thin that's the new version of the Triban 3 with the alloy forks. If your local Decathlon has any of last year's model with the Carbon fork that'd be a better bet - I believe they're £299

pinkteapot

You do need to go to shops and try them out. I ended up with a completely different bike to those I'd initially looked at online because the fit was better - it felt completely natural to be sat on it and riding it. The others just weren't quite as comfortable.

Good to do research before you go so you know a bit about what you're looking at it, but there's no substitute for road testing.

timbo58

Just bought a triban 3 from Southampton last week.

Basically I need to drop a lot of weight and have done so previously by cycling (a lot!) so most important thing for me was to really enjoy it and we all know the only way of doing that is to buy something decent.

My fortius turbo trainer is a lifesaver, now doing 15 miles + every weeknight, however it's a bit noisy!
I have a boardman comp pro hybrid which is ok but was bought for the commute really (14 miles total) (£550) but I don't find it as engaging as road cycling, however I'll hang onto it for now as it's only done about 100 miles from new!

Anyway my 07 Bianchi via nirone was in the TT but I want to use that out on the road so I bought the triban just for the turbo indoors. :oops:

Impressions so far are very favourable, 24 speed, gears work well (shimano) but brakes not very grippy IMHO (I took it out for 12 miles round the new forest on a very cold sunday morning for it's 1st proper ride) stock pedals are rubbish so I changed these to keo easys (same as my bianchi has) for £35.

50/39/30 on the chain ring, I haven't checked yet (Bianchi in for a long overdue service) but I am not sure it is as 'low' a gear in bottom as the Bianchi is?

Seat is padded better than my selle italia on the Bianchi although not as comfy (I guess I've got used to the other one!) :?

Very light (haven't weighed it but certainly not much more, if any, than my £600+ Bianchi!)

Overall a fantastic bike and at under £300 I'd probably say it's not going to be beaten with the sub £500 price range at all and would compete with a lot of bikes I've seen as twice the price+.

Certainly a great starter road bike thats capable of doing much more than just fitness/introduction to road cycling.

fsman

Depends on your budget. Got into cycling last year. Got myself a lovely carbon Ribble Gran Fondo for about £1200.
Then picked up a Triban 3 (red with carbon forks) for £299 as my day-to-day commute bike.

Ribble is amazing, but not for London commute. Trian 3 is great VFM. If you can still get the original Triban 3 (with the Carbon forks) then I highly recommend. If you want to get a better bike later, fine, and you can still have your Triban 3 for your commute or winter bike (add some SKS chromoplastic mubguards).

Note: many people are saying that the new Triban 3a is actually a downgrade on the original T3. So my advice is get one while stocks last.