First Rd bike for mamil - advice please

andy---doe

Hi
I enjoy mountain bike a couple of times a week and am about to dip my toe into road biking as an additional sport/form of exercise.
I am a fit competitive ‘mamil’ and anticipate riding hard once or twice a week for between two and three hours.
I know nothing about road biking or bikes, or if I will take to it. I am happy to spend up to £2000 (possibly a bit more) on a bike but really have no idea where to start. There doesn’t seem to be a ‘What Road Bike’ magazine?

In past experience with Mountain biking, have found it near impossible to get test rides on the bikes I have been interested in. I know the lbs will set a rd bike up on a rolling road - but its not quite the same, surely?

This website gives The Giant Defy Advanced 2 their bike of the year 2013. Would this be a good ‘easy’ first buy or can you offer any other bikes I should be looking at?

Any advice or recommendations would be appreciated.
Thanks
Andy

mattyarse

Hi Andy - this may well be a good place to start: viewtopic.php?f=40042&t=12577960

Lots of helpful advice to get you started, and then hone and refine any further questions from there I would suggest.

Cheers

Matt

Anonymous

Giant (as you have mentioned), Specialized or Trek would seem suitable as you have put yourself in that category.

andy---doe

Mattyarse - thank you. I did read that prior to my post.
Carbonator - not sure what you mean by putting myself in that category! I am more than happy to be pointed in another direction!
I guess my main category is getting the best bike within my price brand. I have no pre-set ideas and no brand loyalty to Giant.

sloppyschleckonds

T R E K

Anonymous

Sorry Andy, just that your thread title and suggested bike kind of seems that you are going down a narrow path.

Everyone will have different recommendations. A lot will be the usual suspects (Giant/Specialized/Treks) and a lot will say get an online bike like a Ribble/Planet X.
Tribans probably not so much at your budget, although some are going to tell you to spend less too.

I would say have a good look around and see what brands you like the look of.

I like Focus, Cube, Cannondale, Bianchi, BMC, Willier to name a few.
There are loads of nice bikes though so try not to be a sheep ;-)

Evans Cycles are great for test rides, so see if there is one near you.

Moonbiker

Just browsing wiggle for that price range & there are alot of bad (imo) specced bikes around, especially from the more prestige brands

Some not full 105 & have mix & match groupsets, others with cheap R500 wheelset & 4 quid Vittoria Zaffiro beaded tyres.

So what i would look for is:

Full Ultegra or the SRAM/Campag eqivalent
Decent Wheelset say Fulcrum 5 lvl or better.
Nice tyres a bonus

This will narrow down your choice abit

E.g something specced as good as this:

http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/k1848/ ... n-7-0.html

kajjal

I think you need to decide the type of road riding you will be doing and the riding position you are after. After 20 years of mountain biking I got a road bike and found I preferred a relatively more upright rather than head down riding position. Also I prefer comfort as I do rides from 30 to 50 miles which means for me a rigid head down racing bike is not what I need.

I would try test riding something like a Roubaix and Tarmac from Specialized or similar to see the difference. Evans have a good test ride policy as do most good shops. You may even want to buy a cheaper bike around £500 to get used to road riding. Then you can upgrade to a better bike once you know what you are looking for.

prb007

Wiggle do a 30 day test ride - try a Felt or a Charge for around a grand - no need to spend 2k on a first road bike.
Also Planet X do a good range at/around a grand.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/felt-f5-105-2013/
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/charge-plug-4-2014/
http://www.planetx.co.uk/

Anonymous

Don't get hung up on 'comfort' bikes. Especially if you are only going to ride 30-50 miles.

t4tomo

Don't get hung up on advice from carbonator, it seems a little inconsistent if I am being kind

Given you are middle aged - like me- and come from mountain biking, then something with a not too aggressive geometry should be what you are aiming at. Most brands do a "sportive" or " relaxed geometry" bike as opposed to an out and out race geometry. Yes it's not a big difference but it will make so you aren't quite so arse up head down.

You have a decent budget and most bikes at that price are going to be decent. And if you are spending that much then you want it to make you feel good, so shop with your heart as well as your head.

andy---doe

Thanks for all the discussion and recommends.

One of the reasons I posted is because I know so little and although I may end up being a ‘sheep’ I am more than happy to consider all options.

I have just looked on Planet x website and there seem to be some interesting bikes – but there is my dilemma. For example, I have never even heard of guerciotti bikes so have no idea if this is a good buy:http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/FBGUCAR/guerciotti-cartesio-bike
I am only 20 mins drive from their store so will pop down later and have a look.

I have a Evans nearby, but wasn’t too impressed when I went in last year regarding a mountain bike purchase – may go in there again.

I understand that as a first bike I could purchase an entry level bike for under £1000, but I have ample funds to purchase a bike at my stated price level and am happy to do so. It is more of a worry that I will later regret not spending more than my limit and wanting to upgrade!

Any more input greatly appreciated.
Thx
Andy

anonmouse

Kajjal wrote:

I think you need to decide the type of road riding you will be doing and the riding position you are after. After 20 years of mountain biking I got a road bike and found I preferred a relatively more upright rather than head down riding position. Also I prefer comfort as I do rides from 30 to 50 miles which means for me a rigid head down racing bike is not what I need.

I would try test riding something like a Roubaix and Tarmac from Specialized or similar to see the difference. Evans have a good test ride policy as do most good shops. You may even want to buy a cheaper bike around £500 to get used to road riding. Then you can upgrade to a better bike once you know what you are looking for.

Specialized are a tad over priced this year. Also the Tarmac has a small headtube and a longer toptube so not really a comfort bike.

Giant Defy Advanced with 105 is pretty nice or the lower grade Defy with full Ultegra at £1600 is super comfy and easy to set up in a relaxed way. The Cervelo R3 at £2000 has terrible wheels but you could upgrade in the future and have a great bike.

The Focus comfort bikes also have a fairly small headtube which would mean sizing up to avoid being in a slightly more racey position. Wilier creep up a lot and they hhave the same small headtube idea.

With £2000 why not find somewhere with a Retul and get them to size you first and they can point you in the right direction and what frames would fit and which frames would not. Its hard to get a bad bike at £2000, its a lot easier to get one which doesn't suit you, which quite often doesn't show up on a test ride.

andy---doe

anonmouse - Thanks for the suggestion (once again never heard of Cervelo!) it looks a nice bike and having just looked on their website there is a stockist in a lbs less than a mile away, so I will take a look.

I will def use your advice about the Retul.

Anonymous

aaaagggghhhhh, why all this talk of 'comfort' bikes?
The OP has not said he is an OAP, has any physical ailments or that he wants to ride 200 miles!

He does not sound as though he needs an overly relaxed frame. As long as he does not get an overly aggressive frame he will be fine.

I would give Evans another shot. Even if your branch/staff are not the best then just use them to test ride and get a better idea of what bikes ride like.
If you speak to a helpful roadie you may have a different experience.

This would be a great buy if you are short'ish . I am 6'1 and would buy a 48cm. If you are 5'6-5'8 ish the 45 should fit (Eddy Merckx sizes are different to most brands).
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/edd ... e-ec043540

You could order it to your store and take a look or see if anyone else has one.
Its a bargain and needs to be seen in the flesh.
Type of thing you should be going for IMO. All the kit is very good, even the wheels (although with the cash you have a second set would be perfect ;-) )

I would say you should spend all of your budget and make the effort to get a good bike now.

andy---doe

Carbonator - Thanks - I will try Evans again and take a look at the bike you mention – it certainly has a nice discount!
Incidently. I am bang on 6ft and a very active 53 year old!

do228

You said that you are not to far from Planet x which means you are also close to JE James. They have a bigish show room at Chesterfield, can not remember if they also have as much stock on show at the Sheffield branch. It might be worth a trip out to browse as they stock all the popular brands and it will give you a good idea of what is available. Do not know if they can give you any good advice or not as I have not been in for a long time as I no longer work near them

Try before you buy. A road bike is not as easy to adjust to your personal fit as a mountain bike.

Wish I had 2k to spend.

Anonymous

andy---doe wrote:

Carbonator - Thanks - I will try Evans again and take a look at the bike you mention – it certainly has a nice discount!
Incidently. I am bang on 6ft and a very active 53 year old!

Do not bother with the 45cm one then. 48cm would be spot on I reckon.
Evans have got them back in stock before so keep an eye out.
You will have to beat me to it though because I am tempted too!

Its a great bike for the money and about the right level of sportiness I would say.
Worth seeing if anyone else has one even if slightly more expensive.

Starsboy

Andy, I am not a million miles off your age, and started riding last year (focus izalco pro 3) most of the bikes mentioned would be great but none of them will feel too comfy for the first few weeks! If you can, have a look at all the bikes previously mentioned and as long as it is Not a race machine and has a good group set, pick the one that makes You want to ride it.
PS my pick of the bikes mentioned would be the Cervelo (with a bike fit)

Anonymous

There was a really nice discounted Focus mentioned in a similar thread a while back..
People said it was 'racy', but it wasn't.

Probably better to ride a first bike when spending 2k but as long as you get the right size and its not a TT bike and roughly the same as ones you have test riden then I would not rule it out.

The Eddy Merckx and Focus one are such good bikes and so heavily discounted that they would be worth ordering online.
Does a newbie even know what to be looking for in a test ride anyway?

Anonymous

You could order in the 48cm Athena 11 speed EMX-3 to have a look at in Evans if you like the colour.
Campag 11 speed carbon group set should be v nice ;-)
Tempted myself but not sure about a gloss black bike, also mrs would kill me :shock:

I think a big reason those bikes stay around as long as they do is that people do not realise a 48cm is roughly equivalent to a 56cm.

Just order online and click and collect to your nearest store.
Its in the warehouse so its not one thats been sitting in a store. Should be into your store this week I reckon.

The deposit (it should just be £50. If not call the store for them to order) is completely refundable.
What have you got to lose?
You can test ride other bikes while you are there too :-)

poppit

Rented an EMX-1 in Mallorca for a week last year, mainly because I was looking to buy an EMX-3, which I did when I got home. It's a great bike and incredibly stable, http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40044&t=12934016. I think Evans has sold out of the 51cm though.

I'm 6' 2" and got the 51cm frame,

Anonymous

How do you find the size (guess it depends on more than just height though)?
I am 6'1" with 32" inside leg and normal (I think) arms, and I felt the 48 was a good fit. Have never sat on a 51cm.

Looks great in you photos, bet it looks even better in the flesh.
Not as much gloss as I thought. Similar to my Focus in terms of looks and cost which is why I liked the white EMX-1 as a second bike.

The 11 speed carbon group set is tempting though :P

I would change some of the white too. Would put my gloss black with white stripe down the middle Fizik saddle on (cannot sit on two bikes at the same time) and try some darker bar tape.

poppit

Carbonator wrote:

How do you find the size (guess it depends on more than just height though)?
I am 6'1" with 32" inside leg and normal (I think) arms, and I felt the 48 was a good fit. Have never sat on a 51cm.

Looks great in you photos, bet it looks even better in the flesh.
Not as much gloss as I thought. Similar to my Focus in terms of looks and cost which is why I liked the white EMX-1 as a second bike.

The 11 speed carbon group set is tempting though :P

I would change some of the white too. Would put my gloss black with white stripe down the middle Fizik saddle on (cannot sit on two bikes at the same time) and try some darker bar tape.

Fit is always tricky, I'm a 33" inside leg. I had a bike fit on my Cougar, that gave me a good starting point for choosing the right size Merckx which is why I chose to rent a 51cm, the EMX-1 is the same geometry as the 3 and the weeks rental confirmed it was the right size. It's worth bearing in mind that Evans online guide said a 54cm was the right size for my height. Anyway, once I got it I had another bikefit and changed the stem for one that was 10mm longer and upgraded the bars and seatpost for the carbon versions just to get it perfect. When summer comes I've got a new pair of Zondas to put on it replacing the Fulcrum 5s.

poppit

For the OP I'd also consider this though http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cannondale/synapse-carbon-5-105-compact-2014-road-bike-ec056512

Or here with a good value wheel upgrade http://www.epic-cycles.co.uk/Cannondale_Synapse_Carbon.html

Anonymous

The Evans one looks nice (do not think it will have a 53/39 chainset like it says though ;-) ).
Not in stock for months though!

The new Synapse is a nice looking bike IMO. Straight forks and nicely shaped frame.

They seem different spec. The epic one has Tiagra brakes and the pictures are misleading.

Its not a cheap bike for 105 but it is nice and OP will have all frame sizes available.
I would probably not be tempted by wheel upgrade (especially if it was not as nice looking (green/personal pref.) and affected full groupset.

The 501's are a nice looking wheel and I would keep them as winter wheels and get another set even better than the ones in the Epic cycles upgrade.

Evans would do interest free on that or maybe just a discount.
54 might be the best size on a cannondale. I am 6'1" and find a 56 a little big.

kajjal

anonmouse wrote:

Kajjal wrote:

I think you need to decide the type of road riding you will be doing and the riding position you are after. After 20 years of mountain biking I got a road bike and found I preferred a relatively more upright rather than head down riding position. Also I prefer comfort as I do rides from 30 to 50 miles which means for me a rigid head down racing bike is not what I need.

I would try test riding something like a Roubaix and Tarmac from Specialized or similar to see the difference. Evans have a good test ride policy as do most good shops. You may even want to buy a cheaper bike around £500 to get used to road riding. Then you can upgrade to a better bike once you know what you are looking for.

Specialized are a tad over priced this year. Also the Tarmac has a small headtube and a longer toptube so not really a comfort bike.

Giant Defy Advanced with 105 is pretty nice or the lower grade Defy with full Ultegra at £1600 is super comfy and easy to set up in a relaxed way. The Cervelo R3 at £2000 has terrible wheels but you could upgrade in the future and have a great bike.

The Focus comfort bikes also have a fairly small headtube which would mean sizing up to avoid being in a slightly more racey position. Wilier creep up a lot and they hhave the same small headtube idea.

With £2000 why not find somewhere with a Retul and get them to size you first and they can point you in the right direction and what frames would fit and which frames would not. Its hard to get a bad bike at £2000, its a lot easier to get one which doesn't suit you, which quite often doesn't show up on a test ride.

I was just highlighting two different styles of road bike to test ride, Roubaix for more comfort and the Tarmac for a racier position. You are right about the pricing.

kajjal

t4tomo wrote:

Don't get hung up on advice from carbonator, it seems a little inconsistent if I am being kind

Given you are middle aged - like me- and come from mountain biking, then something with a not too aggressive geometry should be what you are aiming at. Most brands do a "sportive" or " relaxed geometry" bike as opposed to an out and out race geometry. Yes it's not a big difference but it will make so you aren't quite so ars* up head down.

You have a decent budget and most bikes at that price are going to be decent. And if you are spending that much then you want it to make you feel good, so shop with your heart as well as your head.

Exactly my point, not all riders want or can have racier positioned bikes.

Anonymous

t4tomo wrote:

Don't get hung up on advice from carbonator, it seems a little inconsistent if I am being kind

Given you are middle aged - like me- and come from mountain biking, then something with a not too aggressive geometry should be what you are aiming at. Most brands do a "sportive" or " relaxed geometry" bike as opposed to an out and out race geometry. Yes it's not a big difference but it will make so you aren't quite so ars* up head down.

You have a decent budget and most bikes at that price are going to be decent. And if you are spending that much then you want it to make you feel good, so shop with your heart as well as your head.

Do not see what is inconsistent and I am not recommending out and race bikes at all.

Just discouraging the OP from feeling he has to buy a front and rear Zerted, massive head tubed, massively curved/rearward sloping top tubed, triple chain ringed Specialized really.

What did people ride before these bikes appeared? :roll:

Sportive bikes are great but for me some 'comfy' bikes just go too far and seem a marketing ploy.

Load of tosh talked about comfort bikes, but hey, its all advice for the OP to consider.

boydster76

Am I along in hating the MAMIL acronym?

Father Faff

Yes, make sure you get the right size frame - not too big and not to small. You are likely something like a 56cm for a Scott and all brands are different in their sizing. Scott Addict is a fun ride and I suspect close to £2000 with 105. Or there is the Scott CR1 or Solace. I've tried a Giant Defy and immediately found it a good easy ride. If you do find the riding position a bit too aggressive you can always flip the stem to raise the bars. I am 54 and came from mountain biking and I prefer a somewhat more upright position. If you do get a bike to test ride make sure you do a long ride so you can get a decent feel - but as someone else said if you are not used to a road bike it might feel pretty uncomfortable to start with until both your neck, back and a*se are used to it! A dealer with a proper bike fitting service might save you wasting your cash.