Help me

Kwif007 · April 2016

Hi guys

Looking to buy my first Road bike and keep going round in circles

My budget is between 500-800

Im 6"4 with an inside leg of just under 34" with a negative arms pan, so would need a frame that fits me

I live in Norwich, so have Evans cycles, pedal rev, cycle Republic as well as wiggle as options.

I have never owned a road bike before, and never spent this budget on any bike so concerned any test ride on a bike will create a 'wow' moment.

What gearing should I look for, sora, Claris, tiara. I am doing research I line and bought a couple of mags, but gonna put my hand up and say I'm confused

Any brands to avoid?

Disk or rim brakes?

If you see anything that might be worth browse and have any advice for me I would really appreciate it.

neeb · April 2016

For that price you might be better off looking at something 2nd hand - you could end up with a much better bike for the money. Something like a little-used Cannondale CAAD10 with a half-decent groupset where the owner has fitted some decent wheels. Try the classifieds and ebay and look for something local so you can go and test ride first.

As far as disk or rim brakes goes, it depends what you want to use the bike for. If it's for commuting and/or riding in all weathers, go for disk brakes. If it's for riding for fitness / enjoyment / training / competition in mostly dry weather you're better sticking with rim brakes in that price bracket. It only makes a real difference in wet weather and/or descending big hills, and it will add quite a lot of weight at that price.

Sizing is always tricky when you are new to road cycling... many of the manufacturers will include recommendations based on height in their on-line geometry tables, which is a good starting point. But unfortunately it's difficult to get it right until you've been riding for some time. If it looks like you are in-between sizes on a particular model it might be worth looking at something else where the height recommendations put you bang in the middle of a particular frame size. It's likely then that you will be able to tweak the setup to fit you as you get a better idea of your ideal fit.

Semantik · April 2016

Not sure I'd go to Evans Cycles and ask for a bike fit. Make sure you know what size you're after before you walk in there.
If their demo bikes are anything to go by they don't have a clue:
https://www.evanscycles.com/cannondale- ... o-EV255011

Unless you have the anatomy of a chimpanzee of course, in which case you'll be fine.

DeVlaeminck · April 2016

At that price point rim brakes every time.

fenix · April 2016

At 6'4" you aren't going to have it easy finding second hand bikes. There's just not many.

Groupset does not really matter. At that kind of budget you won't get a dog.

Check out the boardman range. They get good reviews and there's one at about 700.

lakesluddite · April 2016

If you weren't already aware, Evans have a 'Right Bike' guarantee:

https://www.evanscycles.com/help/right-bike-guarantee

But this only applies once - you can't keep bringing them back and swapping ad infinitum. They will usually get in any bike that they have online for you to try as well. I know they get some stick on these pages, but I think for a newbie they are a good option. They have a huge range as well, which means that unlike some other places, aren't that tied to certain brands.

I realise that chain shops like this can vary - All this is based on my local branch by the way, so if the one in Norwich is crap, don't blame me!

mrb123 · April 2016

Should be plenty of options for you to have a look at in Evans. I'm also 6'4". You don't need a massive bike - something around size 60 should be fine depending on the make.

Cannondale and Trek are a couple of decent brands to start with. 60cm bikes from either of those brands fit me fine at the same height as you. As mentioned above, at your budget you're probably best sticking with rim brakes unless you plan to do a load of winter/bad weather riding.

When you go to the shop, don't be pressed into making a quick purchase. Sit on or ride a few bikes to see what feels comfortable. Don't be scared to walk away and have a look somewhere else before you make your decision.

markhewitt1978 · April 2016

You have to keep in mind that £500-£800 while it's a lot of money, it's still on the budget end for road bikes.

First issue, rim vs disc, for that price, rim brakes, much cheaper and easier to work with.

For the groupset for your budget I would try and get at least Tiagra, but make sure it's the new 4700 Tiagra with under bar routing, much nicer than the old version.

There is the likes of this, 11 speed well inside your budget http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXRT58AL ... -road-bike

diamonddog · April 2016

^^This one

darkhairedlord · April 2016

If its your first road bike make sure it fits, nothing more expensive than a bike you have to sell on after a month because it's too uncomfortable.
To get a first bike that fits, you really do need to go to your LBS. Try a few different shops and don't get pressured into buying. There are plenty of LBS's out there and most will price match but ultimately, get one that fits you.

indyp · April 2016

The Kinesis Racelight T2 is worth a look as it's within your budget. It'll take mudguards so can be used all year round and clearance for 28mm tyres. I love mine and would happily use it as my only bike. I'm 6ft 2 and ride 57cm so geometry of 60cm for your height should be ok. I think 63cm may be too big but worth checking.

https://www.merlincycles.com/kinesis-ra ... Gwodn-QBFQ

Kwif007 · April 2016

Thanks for this guys really helpful, 650 of this is using the cyclescheme voucher which I think limits some of the online retailers I can use.

I see the mention of 11 speed, is there much difference between getting a 10 or 11 speed? Not too sure what the effect would be?

Also the mention of 28 mm tires, is that a standard size or one that you could change to if required (I literally know nothing about Road tyres)

Lorez · April 2016

I'm a tall rider & I find my cannondale synapse very comfortable and a great ride.

neeb · April 2016

Kwif007 wrote:

Thanks for this guys really helpful, 650 of this is using the cyclescheme voucher which I think limits some of the online retailers I can use.

I see the mention of 11 speed, is there much difference between getting a 10 or 11 speed? Not too sure what the effect would be?

Also the mention of 28 mm tires, is that a standard size or one that you could change to if required (I literally know nothing about Road tyres)

Don't worry about 10 or 11 speed, it makes practically no difference. Far more important is choosing the range of gears you want. Bigger range = plenty "granny gears" for the hills as well as big gears for sprinting / pedalling downhill, with a slight trade-off in that the jumps between individual gears are greater. That's the idea of 11 speed, it just very, very slightly improves that trade-off. Don't worry about it.

These days most people would probably say 25mm is standard for road bike tyres, It used to be 23mm but on rough roads like in much of the UK 25mm gives you a bit more flexibility (personally I still run 23mm on wide rims, but that's another story..). 28 mm is on the wider side, heavier and probably a bit less aero. Depends on what your local roads are like. Tyre width is one of those controversial subjects that gets roadies arguing, you'll find there are a few of those..

fenix · April 2016

Apparently 28mm have the least rolling resistance for tyres. I think most of us can ignore the aero effect of them - I mean a 6'4" bloke is going to block a lot of wind anyway.

10/11 speed yeah practically no difference.

Kwif007 · April 2016

Thanks guys, so when you mention the range how would Identify that? And any recommendations?

fenix · April 2016

The range depends on the chainrings up front and the sprockets on the rear.

mrb123 · April 2016

Kwif007 wrote:

Thanks guys, so when you mention the range how would Identify that? And any recommendations?

Just look for a bike with a "compact" chainset. Most of the bikes you see should have one. An 11 to 28 cassette at the back too. Again, that will probably be the most common type you'll find.

Kwif007 · April 2016

Thank you a lot guys like, really helpful comments

ryanshattered · April 2016

This looks a total bargain if you find yourself erring toward discs: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/eastway-balun-c2-tiagra-2016/ full carbon fork and highly rated semi hydraulic disc brakes
It's a cross bike but sticking some road tyres on would have you struggling to tell the difference from a road bike.
It would be much more versatile for different types of riding too.

Kwif007 · April 2016

ryanshattered wrote:

This looks a total bargain if you find yourself erring toward discs: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/eastway-balun-c2-tiagra-2016/ full carbon fork and highly rated semi hydraulic disc brakes
It's a cross bike but sticking some road tyres on would have you struggling to tell the difference from a road bike.
It would be much more versatile for different types of riding too.

Kwif007 · April 2016

http://www.sigmasport.co.uk/item/Focus/ ... -2016/9R24
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/cube ... prod141422
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/avanti-giro-ar-1-2016/
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/felt-f95-2016/
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/eastway-emitter-r4-tiagra-2016/

lakesluddite · April 2016

If it were me I'd be going for the Focus Cayo - 105 groupset at that price is a good deal. I suspect they have skimped a bit on the wheelset to get down to that price, it looks like a generic set rather than a more well known brand (although they may be okay), but changing the wheels later on is better than changing the whole groupset, and a decent set of wheels would make this an excellent choice I think.
There looks to be plenty of choice at your budget, if I were you I'd be looking for at least Tiagra, as you'd get at least a 10 speed cassette (Sora is 9 speed and Claris is 8, so a little more limiting).
The CAAD8 is also a good choice - the CAAD range are very highly thought of, but just beware that the geometry of the CAAD range is slightly more 'racy' or 'aggressive' - ie you'll be less upright on the bike than you would with a more 'relaxed' frame. Good bike though.

jdee84 · April 2016

BTWIN bikes generally get favourable reviews

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/ultra-700-af ... 24331.html

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-540-r ... 31275.html

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