Buying my first road bike.

Anonymous

I have a budget of around £1500, but ideally i'd like to make sure I use the money to good effect. I'll be riding from Geneva to Nice next year, and i'll also be using the bike for weekend rides with my local cycling club. A friend of mine believes that I need an all singing carbon frame. I don't really know where to start, can you help?

diamonddog

Look at Planet X RT58 etc, Ribble Sportive and Dolan Bikes offerings. All are good quality bikes with good component options and very good vfm as you don't pay for the 'big name'.

sloppyschleckonds

Buy summat cheap now if you intend riding over the next 4-5 months.
With mudguards.

napoleond

Something like a Dolan Dual? Nice carbon fibre frame with mudguard mounts.

craker

I'd go to your bike shop and sit on a few if I were you. A carbon bike that doesn't fit is a waste of your cash.

Anonymous

Thank you to everyone who's replied to my question. I'm going to take on board your suggestions and advice. I'll let you know how it goes.

Anonymous

As far as I can see carbon is just a different frame material to aluminium. Its main differences are A/ Its better and B/ it costs more.
If someone buying a first bike has a budget of £1500 that seems to me to fit with a carbon bike.
All this up talk and down talk of carbon is a load of tosh. £1500+ = carbon. You then just pick a decent carbon framed bike instead of a cr*p one. There is absolutely no need to talk about aluminium at that price point really.

mfin

I've ridden carbon bikes that are dull as dishwater compared to some aluminium bikes. Just because it's carbon doesn't necessarily mean it rides better, no way. But, the fact remains at £1500 there are some half decent carbon bikes out there for sure, and some great aluminium ones.

Anonymous

Er........ So just buy a decent carbon one then lol

Upping the buget would be far better than getting aluminium.

mfin

I agree, buy a decent one. But do this by riding them and finding out, not trusting reviews, and not trusting what owners say at face value, as some bikes which people rate highly and that are reviewed well are actually dull to ride. 99% of people who buy something then come on here to say how good it is it seems, and rarely do you find people picking holes in their bikes, the shiny new affect makes them say glowing things.

Of course it doesn't matter if you have nothing to compare it to in the first place if it's your first road bike. I'd still say there's a lot to be said for a top end aluminium bike, and a lot to be said for buying a first bike which you can happily demote to a winter bike, which in many cases means spending £1000 or less, then finding the right bike for £2000 and upwards later on when you've found out if road biking is really for you or not.

Anonymous

Lol, 100% agree about (most) people only wanting to say that the thing they have just bought is great.

Buying a first bike is a bit of a punt and you will be in a better position to know what you want for the second bike.
That said I see no need to skimp on the first one. Whats wrong with a £1500 winter bike?
The way I see it is if your winter\2nd bike is nice you are going to be happier riding it and less likely to mess up the summer/best bike.
Not too mention all the time you will be riding it before it is demoted to a winter bike!
It seems odd to me to choose/buy a bike based on buying its replacement X months down the line.

OP has the right idea. Spend the £1500 on the best bike he can ;-)

cycleclinic

There also some great steel ones. My next bike will be a steel frame with a disc brake mounts build as a race bike. The problem I am finding is most carbon frames (and modern frames in general have short effective toptubes. So a 56cm compact has a 55- 56cm top tube. I would need to put a 130/140mm stem on that!. Definatley try a few out also have an idea of what frame domensions you need it helps comparing frames.

That why I am riding 80's and 90's frame they are a better fit for me. Also too many people think a winter bike is a fenderless bike as the ammerican would call it thats gets demoted to wet duites because of a newer purchase. To me a winter bike is a good bike that has mounts for full lengths mudguards and clearance for 25mm tyres or more. I do not want to ride something second rate just becuase it is winter. Then there are the selection of dry weather bikes depending on what mood I am in for those sunny days.

Get the best bike you can but if you are having two consider a proper wet bike maybe a tifsoi CK2 or Genesis eqilibrium disc to name but two.

kajjal

mfin wrote:

I agree, buy a decent one. But do this by riding them and finding out, not trusting reviews, and not trusting what owners say at face value, as some bikes which people rate highly and that are reviewed well are actually dull to ride. 99% of people who buy something then come on here to say how good it is it seems, and rarely do you find people picking holes in their bikes, the shiny new affect makes them say glowing things.

Of course it doesn't matter if you have nothing to compare it to in the first place if it's your first road bike. I'd still say there's a lot to be said for a top end aluminium bike, and a lot to be said for buying a first bike which you can happily demote to a winter bike, which in many cases means spending £1000 or less, then finding the right bike for £2000 and upwards later on when you've found out if road biking is really for you or not.

This is the approach I would take. Buy a cheaper bike to get used to road biking and then when it comes to it you will know what you want from a more expensive bike. There are good bikes in the 2013 sales at reduced prices either way.

Anonymous

Get something like this http://www.evanscycles.com/products/edd ... e-ec043540

Or at least test ride one and see what you think

mercia_man

To ride from Geneva to Nice you will no doubt be doing the classic route crossing the Alps, taking in some of the highest road climbs in Europe. A fantastic ride.

For that you will need low gears. That means a 50/34 compact with at least a 28 big sprocket, or even bigger, or else a triple chainset. If you don't have a backup vehicle, you will be carrying your own luggage. That is tricky with a typical carbon road bike with no rack attachment points. It can be done if you are travelling light with a Carradice saddlebag. But if you are carrying more stuff, you would be better off with a rack and panniers. And that would mean getting something like a Tifosi or Kinesis aluminium winter training/light touring bike which would be in your budget and would also be lively enough for club rides.