Re: buying a bike: Shifters

Mellifera397

Hi Guys,

I'm new to the forum and I'm looking for advice on buying a bike for £200 or less as I need something to get me round town, I'm 16 so i cant drive and I need to get fit. I have seen a bike in a secondhand bike shop nearby, its a ribble bike from the '80s apparently. Now this bike has gear shifters just behind the brakes but all the other bikes i've seen have them on top of the handlebars in the centre, whats the difference??

Any advice on buying road bikes would be greatly appreciated.

M

unixnerd

I'd be tempted to join your local cycle club and get some advice from them. Second hand is the right way to go, but anything over roughly ten years old won't have modern STI brake levers with integrated gear shifters and your really want those. It's possible to do that, I bought an old Trek for sixty quid with Shimano RSX for a friend.

Go into a bike shop and see what they've got as new bikes, it'll give you an idea what's on offer when you look at old ones. But if you can take a cyclist friend along to inspect anything you're wanting to buy.

Mellifera397

Whats the difference between the shifters being just behind the brakes and them being integrated into the brakes??

Is it just preference?

M

unixnerd

Not sure I know what you mean. You get two main types in modern ones. One has a brake lever with a paddle (most Shimano / SRAM sets) behind it and the other has a brake lever lever on it's own but with a thumb activated lever on the side (Shimano Sora or Campagnolo). Does what your looking at match either of those?

Mellifera397

Yeah. The brake lever with a paddle behind is on the bike at this shop.

But if I buy a discounted new bike like one of viking bikes then they are the thumb shifters.

I want to know what the general thoughts are on which is best.

Thanks

M

Mellifera397

It looked quite an old bike but it had campagnolo paddles just behind the brake levers

nochekmate

Well the integrated shifters (with the brake levers a la Shimano/Sram or Campagnolo) are the modern version for the downtube shifters. Whilst there's nothing wrong with downtube shifters most people would see the the modern brake/gear shifter as a significant improvement.

Steer clear of Viking bikes - pile of shite!

Mellifera397

I think everyone who knows what they're talking about agrees that a second hand bike is best.

Is Ribble a good brand??

Thanks

M

nochekmate

Ribble are decent for secondhand but in my experience not too many of them around in your budget as they tend to be of the older type of bike or their newer carbon models (Gran Fondo or Sportive) and this puts them out of budget.

I would recommend a Specialized Allez, Giant SCR, or Trek 1.2 which you may come across occasionally at £200. As ever know what you are looking for.

Happy to offer some free advice - email me from my link (not sure you'll be able to PM) and I'll forward some possible links to suitable bikes. Got three lads of my own (2 of whom have become keen cyclists/triathletes), so always keen to see youngsters taking up the sport.

Mellifera397

I might be able to get an old ribble bike for £175/£200 from this secondhand shop but I saw someone having a look at it on saturday afternoon so I'm not sure if its gone, I'm gonna ring on monday morning and see.

M

desweller

Sounds like the bike at your secondhand shop has integrated shifters! So it's probably not from the '80s.

I know it's unlikely, but do you think the shop will have done any basic servicing on it?

Mellifera397

The guy said that he hadn't done anything to it after he got it so no. But he said that he would change the tyres and the brake cables before i bought it. But I'm not sure if he still has it.

M

Pross

Defintely go for the Ribble over the Viking assuming it fits you properly. The thumb lever on the Viking is what is used on the bottom of the range Shimano gears (Campag use a similar looking system but appearance is the only similarity and the Viking is highly unlikely to have Campag gears). I still have an old steel Ribble bike from 1992, the bike you are looking at is likely to be newer than that or someone upgraded the gears as integrated gears only started becoming popular in the mid 90s. Ribble generally brought in frames from another manufacturer and just built them up and put their stickers on them but mine has done me well for over 20 years now.

Mellifera397

the ribble has been sold to someone else

I'm still looking around on ebay and 'nochekmate' is kindly advising me on which bikes are a safe bet.

Thanks for all the help guys

M

secretsam

I'm about to sell a really good Cannondale CAAD8 (54cm) if you're interested

unixnerd

CAAD8 is a great bike.

nochekmate

But to the OP... I would be surprised if the CAAD8 was going to come in budget at £200. If it does then well worth some interest but chances are that the asking price will be beyond your price point.

secretsam

nochekmate wrote:

But to the OP... I would be surprised if the CAAD8 was going to come in budget at £200. If it does then well worth some interest but chances are that the asking price will be beyond your price point.

True, I'm after more than £200 for it...

I also have a ratty old Sirrus that I use as a hack/station/turbo bike, £100 ONO