Fair weather trail rider looking for his first roadie...

Verta

Hi All,

I'm a self-confessed fair weather trail rider, and I have no shame in admitting it. I wuss out at the sight of rain and hate the thought of having to go back home and clean the mud from my bike - I ride trails for fun, and they become much less fun when it's poor weather.

Anyway, that's not why I'm here.

I've recently ran the GNR and I'd like to keep my fitness levels up, however running is boring for me and I'd prefer to cycle over the autumn, winter and spring - ready for the nice and dry trails. So, I'm looking for a road bike - I'm limited to £999 through the cycle to work scheme but I'd prefer to spend less if possible, do you guys have any suggestions as to what bike might suit my budget and needs (maybe a hybrid?)? Also, any links to helpful guides for MTB-to-Roadie converts would be most appreciated - I think I need all the help I can get as I know nothing about road bikes.

Thank you in advance

Verta.

simonhead

With that budget you can get a carrera tdf from halfords on c2w, will take a little getting used to the bars but worth it in the long run.

andrewjoseph

Verta, you are aware it's the start of winter and you're going to get rained on quite a lot. Riding a road bike in the rain is less fun than riding an mtb in the rain, and there's not going to be many dry days now.;-)

The Real Radioactiveman

You mtb and dont like the thought of it getting dirty......

dont waste your money on a road bike,buy some knitting needles instead or maybe the box set of "queer as folk"

Bikes are made to be ridden,get dirty,parts worn out and snapped off.

PS winter is cold,wet and windy and the roads in winter are covered in filth and salt that makes a nice corrosive grinding paste. Oh the horror

Initialised

Sounds like you should take up Cyclocross racing through the winter and get used to mud.

kajjal

A few years ago I just bought a cheaper ( not cheap) mountain bike to use over winter on the roads to save my main mountain bike from wear from salt, grit, water, mud, crash damage etc. That way I had a comfortable bike with loads of grip I didn't mind riding in any kind of weather. Come the drier weather it was retired back to the garage.

This year I have bought a road bike which will be used all year round especially when the clay soil trails round by us become almost unrideable off road. It cost me £700 for a compact ten speed in the 2013 sales. Have a look at the sales now as a discount & zero interest credit could be a better deal.

Verta

Haha, I knew the "man up" posts would come. If I don't enjoy riding the trails in the deep mud then so what? I ride for enjoyment and if it's not enjoyable then why do it!

simonhead: Thanks for the suggestion. The missus has had two Carrera's and the build quality has been shocking so I'm a little put off by the brand name but I'm at Halfords this weekend looking at a Boardman so I'll check out the TDF whilst I'm there - I may be pleasantly surprised!

andrewjoseph: it's not specifically the rain which bothers me (I should have been more specific in my OP) It's the resulting mud and coal deposits of my local trails that I don't like. I have ridden my Enduro on the road last winter and it's fine, just not best suited to that task

The Real Radioactiveman: OK?

Initialised: Cyclocross is certainly not my idea of fun, respect to those who do it though - it looks tough.

Kajjal: Thanks for your advice, that's another reason why I'm not keen on riding my Enduro through the winter. I'll take a look at the 0% finance deals to see if it works out any better in the long run.

Keep the suggestions coming guys, thank you for all of the input so far - even the flaming

Verta.

chrisaonabike

Verta wrote:

Keep the suggestions coming guys, thank you for all of the input so far - even the flaming

No flaming from me - I started riding last October, and I rode all through the winter, and I didn't get wet once. Well, not properly soaking wet (I did get caught in a few showers). I fitted mudguards which keep the worst of the wet road crap off the bike.

If rain is forecast, I don't go out - I'm a bit of a fair weather wuss like you, but I still got about 900 miles in before the end of last year, and another 2900 so far this year.

My problem over the winter wasn't the wet, it was the cold. Feet and hands mostly, sometimes I got home in agony. I'm going to get some winter boots and some extreme cold neoprene overshoes this year, and maybe some of those chemical type warmer things.

simonhead

To the OP Sorry misread your budget, you can get a decent bike for the money you are talking. That said dont discount something at the budget end, no point in spending a load of cash on a bike that is mostly for winter use. Also look at some of the CX stuff, guess being an MTBer you are used to disc brakes and if you do a bit of hunting you will find a good deal. Check out Planet X.

g00se

As a first time roadie, get the bike from a shop, not online - the geometries are all different and on a road bike, the smallest change in positions makes a much bigger difference than on an MTB. So use the advise from a decent bike shop.

As you're training through the winter - go for a 'winter trainer'. This has a more robust design, clearances for mudguards (dryer feet and backside) etc. Cycle to work discounts can include clothing - so get some cheap overshoes and decent wet-weather gear if you haven't got similar stuff from the MTB.

w00dster

Hey Verta,
As a long time MTB rider who this year also crossed over to being a roadie I can offer some assistance that may help your decision.
I'm in total agreement with G00se, you definitely need to go and look at the bikes. The geometries of road bikes are different, it took my a good few weeks to settle on the bike that I found most suited what I wanted.

I had a similar budget to you and wanted a comfortable bike for commuting (20 miles round trip) plus weekend rides. Nothing competitive, just to enjoy the outdoors and help get fit. I opted for the Trek Domane 2.0. I would say for a road bike it is relatively comfortable, well suited for a beginner, but also not too basic a bike to be left behind when out in a group (yeah I know its about the engine, but the bike helps a tad). (My MTB is a Trek so I could be accused of buying into the brand?!)

The Specialized Allez Elite is also within your price range. This was one of the other bikes that I was deciding over.

Ultimately, go to your LBS and try and take them for a test ride. You might get a better price from the internet, but getting a bike you have tested and have had properly fitted will be money well spent - who knows, you might enjoy it enough to go out in the Autumn weather

Let us know what you plum for.

w00dster

Just had a very quick look on the sales at a well known bike retailer, I would definately be giving these guys a call and trying to arrange a test ride of the BMC Streetracer SR01 105 Triple 2012. Very reasonably priced in their sale.
(Not sure if I can say the name / price, but I'm sure Google will help)

Verta

I just thought I'd update you all on what I went for...

I plumped for the full £1k on the cycle to work scheme, but only spent £760 on the bike - I got a new helmet, some clipless pedals (eek!), road shoes, and winter gear too.

Anyway, I ended up getting a 2013 Trek 1.5 in the sales - I got a 58cm, technically I *should* be a 60cm (I'm 6ft1) but it just didn't feel right at all. I've been out for the first time on it today and it was great. I stuck with the stock pedals first to get used to the bike, then I'll move on to clipless after a few more rides.

Thanks for all of your suggestions chaps :-)

kajjal

Verta wrote:

I just thought I'd update you all on what I went for...

I plumped for the full £1k on the cycle to work scheme, but only spent £760 on the bike - I got a new helmet, some clipless pedals (eek!), road shoes, and winter gear too.

Anyway, I ended up getting a 2013 Trek 1.5 in the sales - I got a 58cm, technically I *should* be a 60cm (I'm 6ft1) but it just didn't feel right at all. I've been out for the first time on it today and it was great. I stuck with the stock pedals first to get used to the bike, then I'll move on to clipless after a few more rides.

Thanks for all of your suggestions chaps :-)

That's exactly the bike I bought. Great starter bike and the only issue I found coming from mountain biking disc brakes was the brakes are not so good. I swapped mine out for some Shimano 105's for £50 and now have really sharp , modulated brakes I can trust. I ended up with a 62cm frame at just over 6ft6 as the bike felt right and I ride it with less than an inch of saddle to bar drop once the stem was flipped upright. You may want to get some decent lights as it is getting darker now.

Have fun

rattyc5

I am 6,1 and have 56 cm trek 1.5 as recommeded by lbs