Carbon for first bike ?!

Ted_Leeds
Ted_Leeds Posts: 3
edited July 2013 in Road beginners
Hi guys,

I've been riding MTB for about 5 years now and wanting to get into the road side.
I bought a relatively cheap MTB (£700) and over the years as i've got more competent, upgraded components as and when.
Thing is i've spent a lot of money upgrading stuff and wondered to myself, why didn't i just pay for a decent bike in the first place... now this leads me to the crux of the matter do i get a fairly cheap alloy bike or get the carbon Ribble R872 I've had my eye on for a couple of months ?

Basically - Should I run before I can walk ?

Thanks for your help

Ted

Comments

  • ct8282
    ct8282 Posts: 414
    My first road bike was £2500, full Ultegra. I've always bought the best I can afford in most things I've done. Works for me :D

    I love my bike and spend lots of time maintaining and cleaning it too, not just riding it. I find that when I spend good money I'm more inclined to value things and look after them. Bt that's just me.
  • src1971
    src1971 Posts: 6
    I got my first road bike in April. It was full carbon as I thought if I got the alu equivalent I'd only want to upgrade within a few months anyway.
  • Brommers76
    Brommers76 Posts: 234
    Carbon, titanium, solid gold it matters not. Buy what you want and can afford. If you can afford a £10k bike then spend it. If you can afford £1k then spend it. If you have a few hundred then buy a triban 3 or whatever it is called :)
  • Mikey23
    Mikey23 Posts: 5,306
    It's a matter of personal choice I guess. When I started, I wasn't sure whether this was going to be a nine day wonder or a life changing experience so I opted for an entry level defy 4 which is a cracking bike for the money as it happens. It took a few knocks as I struggled with clipless pedals, basic riding and maintenance errors. I promised myself that as soon as I was confident and competent enough then I would get myself a shiny carbon jobby. Which I did. I still have the defy and use it quite often and as a touring bike so the money wasn't wasted
  • Camcycle1974
    Camcycle1974 Posts: 1,356
    Ted_Leeds wrote:
    Hi guys,

    I've been riding MTB for about 5 years now and wanting to get into the road side.
    I bought a relatively cheap MTB (£700) and over the years as i've got more competent, upgraded components as and when.
    Thing is i've spent a lot of money upgrading stuff and wondered to myself, why didn't i just pay for a decent bike in the first place... now this leads me to the crux of the matter do i get a fairly cheap alloy bike or get the carbon Ribble R872 I've had my eye on for a couple of months ?

    Basically - Should I run before I can walk ?

    Thanks for your help

    Ted

    If your heart is set on the Ribble then get it. Anything else will be a compromise. I bought a sensible bike and will probably end up selling it to buy what I actually want, a Planrt X RT-58.
  • TooOldForThis
    TooOldForThis Posts: 22
    I also came from mountain bikes, didn't know anything about road bikes. When I found I could get a carbon bike on the C2W scheme that was me sold. My Boardman will be 4 years old in October and has been a revelation in terms of the speed and weight of modern road bikes.

    If you fancy trying carbon then give it a go. Mine has survived all year round commuting without any trouble.
  • Frank pole
    Frank pole Posts: 112
    Up to you fella - your the one with the dollar! But as you will see with this forum 1st bikes are not owned for very long so buy the best bike you can afford
  • Schoie81
    Schoie81 Posts: 749
    As others have said, if you can afford it, and spending the money isn't depriving you or your loved ones of something more important, then go for it. I see very little point in avoiding carbon just because its your first bike. My bike cost what could be seen as loose change to that spent on many people's bikes on here, but I bought the best I could comfortably afford (well, actually, after a couple of weeks persuading the missus, a little more than I could afford). That said, don't be thinking you NEED to buy carbon to enjoy cycling. Not an ounce of carbon on my bike and I still love it and can't ride it enough.
    "I look pretty young, but I'm just back-dated"
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    Ted_Leeds wrote:
    Hi guys,

    I've been riding MTB for about 5 years now and wanting to get into the road side.
    I bought a relatively cheap MTB (£700) and over the years as i've got more competent, upgraded components as and when.
    Thing is i've spent a lot of money upgrading stuff and wondered to myself, why didn't i just pay for a decent bike in the first place... now this leads me to the crux of the matter do i get a fairly cheap alloy bike or get the carbon Ribble R872 I've had my eye on for a couple of months ?

    Basically - Should I run before I can walk ?

    Thanks for your help

    Ted

    If you can afford the Ribble, then buy it. You shouldn't get a proper pro level style bike for your first road bike, but other than that, go for it!
  • drlodge
    drlodge Posts: 4,826
    Ted_Leeds wrote:
    Hi guys,

    I've been riding MTB for about 5 years now and wanting to get into the road side.
    I bought a relatively cheap MTB (£700) and over the years as i've got more competent, upgraded components as and when.
    Thing is i've spent a lot of money upgrading stuff and wondered to myself, why didn't i just pay for a decent bike in the first place... now this leads me to the crux of the matter do i get a fairly cheap alloy bike or get the carbon Ribble R872 I've had my eye on for a couple of months ?

    Basically - Should I run before I can walk ?

    Thanks for your help

    Ted

    Nothing wrong with getting the R872 is a first proper bike, I would just add these words of caution:
    - Make damn sure its the right size. That means riding some other road bikes first to understand your riding position and what the best frame size will be. You can change everything after purchase (at some cost) except the frame really.
    - Make sure its the right "bike" for your needs. If you want a bike for long rides rather than shorter faster rides, you may want a different (mkore relaxed geometry).
    WyndyMilla Massive Attack | Rourke 953 | Condor Italia 531 Pro | Boardman CX Pro | DT Swiss RR440 Tubeless Wheels
    Find me on Strava
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    Ted_Leeds wrote:

    Basically - Should I run before I can walk ?


    Hi Ted

    Why would buying a carbon frame be running before you can walk?

    If you took up running would you buy a £10 pair of trainers to start off?

    It's purely a cost thing, not experience. Just buy what you can afford.
    Boardman team carbon or similar would be my choice of a first road bike.

    In a few years time aluminium might not even be an option so what will all the newbies do then if you think carbon is only for the accomplished?

    My wife has just got an ali frame first road bike and my new cross bike will likely be ali too, so I am not as obsessed with carbon as those comments or my username might imply :wink:
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    You should buy the best bike you can afford at that moment. If that's carbon or not isn't as important.
  • Ted_Leeds
    Ted_Leeds Posts: 3
    Carbonator wrote:
    Ted_Leeds wrote:

    Basically - Should I run before I can walk ?


    Hi Ted

    Why would buying a carbon frame be running before you can walk?

    If you took up running would you buy a £10 pair of trainers to start off?

    It's purely a cost thing, not experience. Just buy what you can afford.
    Boardman team carbon or similar would be my choice of a first road bike.

    In a few years time aluminium might not even be an option so what will all the newbies do then if you think carbon is only for the accomplished?

    My wife has just got an ali frame first road bike and my new cross bike will likely be ali too, so I am not as obsessed with carbon as those comments or my username might imply :wink:

    Thanks for the reply's of reassurance !! I know Road biking is a different ball game so was probably reluctant to go straight out and buy a carbon bike, I know I'd have been terrified to get a carbon MTB for my first bike !!!

    After riding many a trail, I've now found myself wanting to do more miles, quicker and I have been a fan of road cycling in general for many years. Now the adrenaline of throwing myself round muddy trails is wearing off (although still exciting) I live in a city and I have to travel a fair bit to ride trails, whereas here there is an abundance of roads round here.

    Cheers

    Ted
  • diamonddog
    diamonddog Posts: 3,426
    Get the one you like best no need to justify it, you only have one life so go for it.
  • lotus49
    lotus49 Posts: 763
    While I broadly agree with the comments above, I would add one proviso.

    If you aren't a roadie your understanding of what sort of a bike will suit you is likely to evolve. If you spend a lot of money that you can only just afford now on buying a bike that may not be the bike you would choose in a year's time, you won't easily be able to buy another.

    One other factor to consider is the pleasure of anticipation. If you were to buy say, a Triban 3 now. That wouldn't put a big dent in your pocket and in a year, you will probably have a much clearer idea of the sort of bike that suits your needs and you will have the intervening year to spend poring over bike porn and then you can upgrade and sell your Triban 3 or keep it as a trainer.

    [Edit]
    Shortly after I posted the above response, I read this viewtopic.php?f=40020&t=12933143, which is a perfect example of what I was talking about.

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