Road bike or a mountain bike? So confused...

nooks675

As a teenager I always had a mountain bike, ranging from the Halfords finest pieces of crap to second hand specials from auctions. I'm turning 30 next year and I'm looking to get my first bike since my teenage years, but I'm really struggling to pick between a road bike and a mountain bike. My budget is around £250 pounds and I want to buy brand new.

Primarily I will be cycling on dedicated cycle ways, on-road cycle lanes, parks, gravel tow paths and occasionally on the proper road. I might occasionally cycle on a gravel or slightly muddy path. I will be primarily cycling for fitness reasons with a view to cycle around 10-15 miles per day - not for commuting as I work from home. The city I live in is relatively flat with some short steep hills, but nothing that would kill anybody.

I visited a bike shop a few days ago and the guy there suggested I look at road bikes. So I looked online and found a bike called a Triban 100 from Decathlon which is slap bang in budget - https://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-100- ... 77732.html. I went to see it and overall I really like it - the tyres are nice and chunky, it's very light (compared to the bikes I used to have) but the gear switcher is in the most awkward position and there's only 7 speeds. I found the sitting position a little strange, but I reckon I could get used to it.

Spoke to the guy in Decathlon, explained my conundrum and he recommended that I look at hybrids, but I really didn't like the look of them plus a friend recently bought one and hates it. Then he suggested mountain bikes because they would offer me flexibility and comfort via the seating position and chunkier tyres. I had a quick look, but most of them remind me of the crap I had when I was a teenager.

So confused. I just want to get a bike and start getting fit, but I'm really struggling to make a decision because for me £250 is alot of money. Any recommendations or advice? Thanks

cooldad

I'd consider either a mountain bike or hybrid. For that budget you won't get much, so I'd look second hand anyway.

supermurph09

One comment stuck out "occasionally on the proper road". If your intention is to barely be on the proper road then you don't need a road bike imo. Sounds to me like a cross bike would be ideal for your needs. £250 is a lot of money, sadly it's not a lot of money when it comes to bikes. The 2nd hand route might be the way to go (appreciate you said you wanted new), something like a Cannondale CAADX maybe.

Personally, you might want to bide your time, build your budget up to around £500 as this would give you many more options. Or maybe use that £250 as a deposit on something new and take out some finance. If you added £500 on finance then over 12 months, it'd only be £45 a month, or £1.50 per day. Could you make that saving?

nooks675

Thanks for the replies. The Cannondales are very nice, but very expensive and I don't think I can go anymore than £250, perhaps £300 at a push. As I said I just want to get out and build up some fitness. Perhaps next year I can trade up to something better, but at the moment I just want to get fit and active.

One of the problems going the secondhand route is that I live in Northern Ireland so choice of secondhand bikes is limited compared to the mainland.

slowbike

nooks675 wrote:

I will be primarily cycling for fitness reasons with a view to cycle around 10-15 miles per day - not for commuting as I work from home. The city I live in is relatively flat with some short steep hills, but nothing that would kill anybody.

Unless you're looking to get really off road - which would probably mean driving out of the city with the bike onboard - or riding for a bit to your riding destination then it sounds like you're doing "cross" - and a mountain bike with all the weight, big tyres and suspension isn't what you need.

I agree - you don't need a roadbike - roadbikes with narrow 23/25mm tyres are for tarmac - whilst you can ride these offroad (and I have) they're not so good when the going gets soft & wet - sounds like you need a bike that can take wider tyres - maybe with a few knobbly bits for when the going gets rough.

The Triban looks ok - and for £250 it's a great starter bike with the 32mm semi-cross tyres -it won't be the best - but then it's not going to be for £250. S/H would be ideal - if you can get hold of something sensible - which is always a gamble.
I think you're going to find it hard to beat the value on that Triban...

mrb123

The Triban is a suitable bike for your needs and is probably the best you'll get for your budget if it has to be a brand new bike.

nooks675

Thanks. For me the concern is how will 32mm tyres on the Triban cope in the wet or in gravel terrain- for example on a wet tow path? Ive never cycled a road bike before so I have no idea how the tyres feel. I'd hate to buy something that felt on edge all the time, or dangerous.

Also 7 gears, is that enough for the sort of cycling I'm wanting to do?

Sorry for the dumb questions, just seeking some reassurance. Spent the last 2 months trying to decide on a bike.

slowbike

they won't be the best tyres - but they will do ... gripping on a wet towpath depends on the makeup of the towpath - if it's smooth tarmac then slick tyres would be best - if it's mud/grass then full knobblies would be best (?I think) - and within those choices there's different brands/compounds that are good for different surfaces within the general banding.
Don't expect them to corner on rails - especially at this time of year - but you should be good to ride. FWIW I rode my stock Specialized "Cross" tyres in snow & ice - nowhere near as good as my studded tyres - but I didn't come off .. I wouldn't race them either, but that's because they'd be crap at putting down the power in the slippery stuff - doesn't mean they won't work.

7 gears enough? Yes - actually, you've got 14 - two on the front x 7 on the back... it's not the number - it's the spread. My winter/wet road bike came with 2 x 8 speed - which was fine - but after I'd got another roadbike and wanted to maintain swapability between bikes - I decided to "upgrade" it to 2x10 speed - it's pretty much the same bike - just with a slightly different selection of gears. Arguably I can find a gear better suited to my cadence preferences for a given situation - but it's no great issue.

Think of the Triban as a first "try it" bike - £250 is nothing in terms of bikes - it's pretty much throwaway money - but it's a good start to see if you actually like riding on something reasonable without dropping a few grand on kit. If you like riding you'll probably soon be looking for your next bike - the Triban would then make a good winter or turbo bike - and you could also use it to try your hand at maintenance (replacing cables/kit etc) as "it doesn't matter" - of course, it does matter - just not as much as if it was a really expensive bike.

Oh - fwiw - just before you think "bike snob" - only 1 of my bikes cost more than £1k when purchased - and I doubt I'd see any more than £250 for any of them right now - it's not the ££ that matters to me - it's what it means I can do with them.

cld531c

Not that it makes much difference but the Triban 100 does only have 7 gears (single chainring).

slowbike

cld531c wrote:

Not that it makes much difference but the Triban 100 does only have 7 gears (single chainring).

Ah - ok - didn't look too hard ...

Looks like that could be the first "upgrade" in a years or so time then - unless it becomes a turbo bike - then it doesn't matter at all

w00dster

I certainly wouldn't worry about 32mm tyres in the wet, you may have to swap for good tyres but cycle cross tyres are relatively cheap, but it would be worth giving those tyres a go first. I use 33mm Cross Tyres for gravel rides, genuine gravel rides on some nasty rough stuff in most weather conditions. Whilst 32 (or 33mm) tyres can have decent levels of grip, the only downside is the lack of "suspension" as there is a compromise with fairly narrow tyres - not enough air to provide much respite from the bumps. For what you describe though that shouldn't an issue.
Personally though, knowing how we all start on gentle off-road and then we tend to gravitate towards more technical stuff, I think you should be looking at the 2nd hand hardtail market, especially as you don't think much of the ride will be on road. Maybe a Boardman, Voodoo or Calibre offering. I know the below are over budget but these could be the type of thing to look at and maybe put in a cheeky offering:-

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Voodoo-Bizan ... 2847995f89
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Voodoo-Bizan ... 1ed563f030
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UPGRADED-Tre ... SwWLBaJuo9
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Trek-Marlin- ... SwZB9aEtLh

mrfpb

Gearing is a funny thing. More gears doen't mean a wider range. It's possible to have a 7 gear cassette with a 12-34 range and an 11 gear cassette with a 12 - 25 range. serious roadies like big cassettes with a small range. The Triban 100 has 48 teeth at the front and 14-34 at the back The lowest gear is 48/34, which should be enough for flattish city riding. you might choose to find a lower front gear (40 teeth or less if you wanted to do proper hill riding.

Jayme

If you can stretch your budget to £300, a Carrera Virtuoso from halfords is a better bet.
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/r ... 4cm-frames

navrig2

Jayme wrote:

If you can stretch your budget to £300, a Carrera Virtuoso from halfords is a better bet.
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/r ... 4cm-frames

Not necessarily if most of the OP's riding is going to be on trails of varying roughness. 25mm tyres may be too narrow, not offer enough grip and be prone to more punctures.

pblakeney

Quite simply. 100% on road - road bike. Off road going up and down hills - mountain bike.
Mostly flat off road with a variation of surfaces - CX bike. Simple. Never, ever a hybrid.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Voodoo Marasa could fit the bill.

daniel_b

MrB123 wrote:

The Triban is a suitable bike for your needs and is probably the best you'll get for your budget if it has to be a brand new bike.

I agree, with MrB.

If you must buy new, and don't want a hybrid - this seems to be it - I'm surprised this even exists to be honest, it's a recent addition to their range I think, and looks good vfm.
BTwin bikes are very well regarded, not just for the money, but in their own right.

Stock tyres are likely to not be that hardy though, speaking as someone whose friend has recently bought a Triban 500SE, so I would be inclined to buy the bike, and then budget another £50 for some Durano Plus tyres (Or similar) - not sure how wide they go though.
Going to take a wild guess, that as a returning rider, visits from the fairy may well put you off riding?

MiddleRinger

MrB123 wrote:

The Triban is a suitable bike for your needs and is probably the best you'll get for your budget if it has to be a brand new bike.

I'd have to agree. Buying NEW for that budget, the Triban is hard to beat. It's got wider tyres for the towpath and gravel stuff and will do well enough on the road. Seven gears may be a little limiting, for your riding it'll be fine.

Try second hand, but unless you know what you're looking for it's a toughie.

cld531c

Not sure what size you need or where you are but this looks worth a punt..
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Triban-100-B ... SwbtNaIUDV

nooks675

Thanks for all the excellent replies. Much appreciated.

So it boils down to 2 bikes, The Triban 100 - https://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-100- ... 77732.html or the Rockrider 520 - https://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-5 ... 51007.html (Sorry both from Decathlon)

Still concerned about the grip issues on the Triban. The MTB tyres will handle most things but it will be very heavy and it looks like something a teenager would buy, thus more chance of getting nicked when I cycle to the shops or the pub.

Decisions, decisions.

mrfpb

You only need knobblytyres for really rough terrain with roots etc. I get by with 25mm road tyres in summer, 28mm in winter for road, canal path and forest paths. The Triban is the one to go for. Buy some skinner tyres when you can afford them and you will notice an increase in speed.

haydenm

Whether a road bike is what you want or not, I wouldn't buy that mountain bike. You are more often than not better off with rigid forks than cheap suspension.

I quite like the look of that triban for the cash

pblakeney

1. The Triban.
2. The Triban.

alan_sherman

Do you get on with the lower bars of a 'road' or drop bar bike? Lots of bike snobs on here hate hybrids, but for your riding a hybrid with 32mm or wider tyres and no front suspension sounds perfect. I use one quite a lot in addition to my road, TT and Mountain bikes.

Have a test ride on a drop bar bike and see it you get on with it, then test a carrera subway or giant escape or similar.

See this:
http://www.bikeradar.com/commuting/gear ... iew-51424/

Or the subway 1. Halfords will have a sale every few months so should be able to get one even cheaper (probably in January now).
I have a Giant Escape and they are available for your budget online. Lots second hand too if you want to try without too much financial outlay.

slowbike

TBH - I don't like the groupset on the Triban - the t'other one has Sram24 (so 3x8) and disc brakes - but it's on a mountain bike - so it's going to be brick heavy ...
can you not go slightly more on the https://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-500- ... 06187.html ?? - it's £269 atm - only £20 more than the 100 ...

pblakeney

alan sherman wrote:

Do you get on with the lower bars of a 'road' or drop bar bike?

Headwinds?

daniel_b

Slowbike wrote:

TBH - I don't like the groupset on the Triban - the t'other one has Sram24 (so 3x8) and disc brakes - but it's on a mountain bike - so it's going to be brick heavy ...
can you not go slightly more on the https://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-500- ... 06187.html ?? - it's £269 atm - only £20 more than the 100 ...

That's a heck of a deal, and has carbon forks!

Limiting factor is that allegedly it can only take up to 25mm tyres, while it sounded like the OP was after something a bit wider, which I think (Without checking) the 100 provided?

http://community.decathlon.co.uk/t5/Getting-Started/Can-the-Triban-500SE-take-larger-tyres/td-p/927

Personally, I would stick some 25mm Durano pluses on the 500SE and be done with it.

slowbike

Oh yer - sorry - at work and haven't got time to look closely ...
Mind u - 25's are plenty big enough for all but the slipperiest conditions - it really depends where the OP is going to be riding.

nooks675

Bought the Triban 100. Had it out for 10 minutes today on the road and it's nice. Takes a while getting used to the drop bars and the gear shifter is awkward to use. It's going to take a while to become confident with the tyres, especially in wet conditions. I'm convinced the tyres are going to loose grip when cornering in the wet. Also could do with a few more gears - or maybe I'm just very unfit. Overall I like it though.
Thanks for all the responses, much appreciated.