New bike for ~£500

astirrup

My better half is looking to getting in to cycling and looking for an entry level road bike to give it a go. We both don't know lots about bikes so would prefer to buy brand new to reduce any problems.

She's around 5ft 1 and a 47/48 frame fits her well. What bike is would get her most for her money? Could push the budget to a bit more than £500 if it made a significant difference.

Any advice is very much appreciated.

Alex (& Charl)

Dandelionclock30

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/verenti-technique-claris-2015/ or http://www.wiggle.co.uk/verenti-belief-sr20-tiagra-2015/ or a Specialized [url=Dolcehttp://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/dolce-2015-womens-road-bike-ec070604]Dolcehttp://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/dolce-2015-womens-road-bike-ec070604[/url] , one of the Pinnacles from Evans or a Cannondale [url=Synapsehttp://www.evanscycles.com/products/cannondale/synapse-alloy-claris-womens-2015-road-bike-ec071059]Synapsehttp://www.evanscycles.com/products/cannondale/synapse-alloy-claris-womens-2015-road-bike-ec071059[/url] , Giant Avail/Defy in XS. Any of the above will be o.k for her as a beginner, just make sure its the right size.
Also look at the Decathlon Road bikes as they have good deals on.

pinno

Get all the right information first.

Such as:

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/blog/choosing-correct-size-road-bike-geometry-explained/

...and you can do a DIY bike fit here:

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/Store/catalog/fitCalculatorBike.jsp

Ribble have arguably the best value complete bikes without breaking the bank. <£500 is a tad tricky.
Wiggle do a bike fitting service, [scroll down]:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/sc/wiggle-works

Be sure to buy something that works ergonomically in the first instance and in time, if she gets into it, then upgrades are always possible. From that standpoint, a Ribble carbon fibre frame will do anyone proud and upgrades are worth it, whereas a basic Aluminium frame which will be pretty stiff especially given her height, will have limitations. Thought of buying 2nd hand on ebay? You can get a lot of bike for less than £500.

ashtonbrady45

[quote=" or a Specialized Dolce , one of the Pinnacles from Evans or a Cannondale Synapse, Giant Avail/Defy in XS. Any of the above will be o.k for her as a beginner, just make sure its the right size.
Also look at the Decathlon Road bikes as they have good deals on.[/quote]
I just following this thread and also want to buy a cycle but your website link is not working at my leptop. Is there any other source to buy ?

schlepcycling

A friend has just bought one of these http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pinnacle/dolomite-one-2015-womens-road-bike-ec071302 for his wife and she's very pleased with it.

xyz233

Thanks for your helping.

mcstumpy

If it can size small enough then I would recommend Decathlons Triban 520. I have the 540 flat bar and very happy with it. 520 is same frame, has carbon forks, and shimano sora.

My brother bought a bike off Ribble recently. Bike is good but he had issues, Ribble customer service seems very slow, and it highlighted the logistical difficulties of online bike ordering when returns or repairs required.

mcstumpy

http://road.cc/content/review/156193-btwin-triban-520