Tips on Buying First Bike

run2bike

Hello,

I have been a competitive runner throughout my life but just recently moved across the country. There are less trails for running where I am now and I have decided that I want to get into cycling. I have no idea what to look for in a first bike however. Ideally I am looking for a road bike that is decent enough that if I decided in the future to do a race it would make it through without problems. Any advice on looking for a bike? Or any advice from any runners turned cyclists out there on getting started?

Thanks!

Andymaxy

I was a runner for 6 years before I picked up cycling. I tell every beginner basically the same thing. A beginner has two choices
1. Go for a very cheap entry level bike for around 600 or less, knowing that you will almost definitely want a better bike down the line. This gives you the chance to make mistakes in terms of sizing and maintenance, as it won't have to serious consequence.

2. Go for a mid/high end bike so you won't think about "needing" a better bike, at least until your bike is too old. If you do this, you absolutely MUST consult a bike fitter. Choosing the wrong size is a serious mistake.

You should think about whether you are using the bike just for general riding, or do you want to race at some point. For just local chill rides, you don't something that puts you in too aggressive geometry. If you want something racy, then you are looking at a bike that's lower in the front so it gives you a nearly flat back. It will probably cause some back pain at first but you get used to it.

Whatever you do, saddle is extremely important, don't save money on your saddle, go to the shop and try as many as possible, then pick your favorite.

If you've never used clipless pedals, that's important too. I suggest switching to clipless three months after just general riding.

yiannism

The most important its the correct size cheap or expensive bike. If you chose the 1st route (cheap bike to learn) dont buy the cheapest you will find, check to have at least tiagra gears. An other factor its the type of the bike, they are 3 major categories on road bikes:

the racing, that are aggressive stiff less forgiving, and usually they only get 25mm tyres.

Endurance, that they have more relaxed position, more forgiving and can get wide tyres usually up to 32mm. Those bikes are ideal for long time on the saddle, but still fast enough, for almost everything.

The gravel/cyclocross, those bikes have relaxed geometry, they get wider tyres than the endurance and you can go some off road with them.

Then its the never ending debate, rim brake vs disc brakes, the later are more expensive, and better at wet, the former lighter, cheaper to maintain.

Now as far as about me i get in to roadbiking with an endurance alu frame carbon fork and 105 groupset. After 15k km on it i rewarded my self with a shiny expensive bianchi, but this time i knew what exactly i wanted, so i have avoided the rookie mistakes. Thats my advice too.

singleton

Size and fit are critical on a road bike - way more than they are on a mountain bike for example.
If you've been a competitive runner, I'd suggest buying something for around £1k if you have the budget - at this price point you can find some great bikes.
If I was spending around that price point - no doubt in my mind at all, I'd get a CAAD12 105 - but I know it fits me.

haydenm

Singleton wrote:

Size and fit are critical on a road bike - way more than they are on a mountain bike for example.
If you've been a competitive runner, I'd suggest buying something for around £1k if you have the budget - at this price point you can find some great bikes.
If I was spending around that price point - no doubt in my mind at all, I'd get a CAAD12 105 - but I know it fits me.

I agree with this, cannondale have some great bikes for the cash. A 105 spec'd Caad, supersix or synapse would do you for basically everything. I would look at a Synapse for all round goodness, if you went with the 105 groupset you probably wouldn't really 'need' a nicer bike in the future, but you might want one depending on budget

supermurph09

1. Decide on a budget. You can get some great bikes for around £1000, I'd probably go for something in the middle in terms of what the bike is designed for. So not too aggressive. I'd be looking for 11 speed shimano as minimum, this will give you longevity. Most people relegate their first bike to a bad weather / winter bike, so maybe consider if it will take mudguards, not vital, but if you are building a checklist certainly worth remembering. If you go up to £1,500 you'll have a bike that in reality will be all you ever need.

2. Budget for accessories. Helmet, glasses, shoes, good bib shorts, jersey, track pump etc. You don't have to spend the earth but good bib shorts are a must. The DHB range from wiggle is your friend here. You can also pick up a cheap garmin (I've just sold an Edge 500 device for £45 on ebay) or you can use your phone. (Look up Strava, you may even have a running watch that's compatible?). A rear light is advisable, you don't have to spend much. £10 maybe.

3. Pedals, do not bother starting on flats. Just go for some LOOK pedals, it honestly isn't hard to get used to. I hadn't ridden a bike for 20 years and the area I am now living in is very hilly and not somewhere I was familiar with. I've had two unclipping incidents in 6 years. Both were in the last 2 years. It honestly isn't a concern.

As has been suggested the size of the bike is key, a good local bike shop (LBS) should put you on something that fits or give you clear instruction of what size you are. Most bike websites have fit applications, assuming you are a standard shape it's unlikely you'll go wrong. Buying from a LBS is a good idea to begin with, it's good to have a relationship to get advice from. Sometimes spending a few ££ more will be rewarded with piece of mind.

Best of all, get the kit, get out there and enjoy it. Joining a club is a great way to do that, most have beginner groups. If you've been running at a decent standard you'll no doubt progress quickly once you learn how to ride.

Hope that helps.

montygraphics

If you wanted to try a decent road bike at minimal cost then I can recommend the B'Twin range. I bought a 500 SE on offer for £269 at the time and it really is an incredible bike for the money. Not good enough for racing admittedly but ideal for everything else. And when you decide to treat yourself to a better one it can take mudguards and become a bad weather/winter bike. An ideal intro for less than a decent Garmin !!

keef66

For a first bike go to a proper bike shop. Discuss your budget, what kind of riding you want to do etc and see what kinds of bike they suggest. They should ideally sit you on a couple of bikes on a turbo trainer to find the correct size, and if necessary swap out components to get a good fit for you. If on the other hand they appear to be trying to sell you a specific bike they happen to have in stock, maybe walk away.

Don't get hung up on needing a carbon bike; a quality alu frame can be better than a cheap carbon one. And in terms of groupset, 11 speed 105 is probably the sweet spot in the Shimano hierarchy. Bear in mind though that the current 5800 is about to be replaced by the new R7000; some would be looking for discounts on the former, others prefer to wait for the latter to have the latest incarnation.

Expect / plan to eventually spend nearly as much on kit as on the bike. I'm not joking.

Go for clip-in pedals from the outset (confusingly called clipless) I use Shimano, both the road SPD-SL 3 bolt plastic cleats, and MTB SPD 2 bolt metal ones with corresponding pedals. The latter are far easier to walk in, especially if you choose cycling shoes with the cleats recessed into the soles.

The basics:

Decent bibshorts
Baselayer(s)
Long sleeved / short sleeved tops
Helmet
Glasses
Stiff soled cycling shoes + clipless pedals
Mitts / gloves
Puncture kit /tyre boot / spare tubes
Mini pump
Mini tool
Bottle cages + bottles
Chain lube

Nice to have:

Bibtights
Arm warmers
Leg warmers
Gilet
Softshell jacket
Waterproof jacket
Winter gloves
Overshoes
Buffs
Winter cap
Seatpack / saddlebag
Lights front and rear, preferably 2 at the back
Garmin or similar, HRM
Track pump for home use
Any number of tools
Bike workshop stand
Power meter
Turbo trainer

And regardless of how good a runner you are, don't expect that fitness to translate directly into being similarly quick on a bike. You will find it hard work at first, but stick with it!

Andymaxy

Fitness almost directly translate in my experience. You come into the sport with really good aerobic capacity. That only thing different is that cycling use different muscle, and that takes a bit time to get used to. A trainer is almost necessary in my opinion, doesn't have to be an expensive one.

run2bike

Thanks everyone, this was really helpful!

sisleybarnes1

run2bike wrote:

Hello,

I have been a competitive runner throughout my life but just recently moved across the country. There are less trails for running where I am now and I have decided that I want to get into cycling. I have no idea what to look for in a first bike however. Ideally I am looking for a road bike that is decent enough that if I decided in the future to do a race it would make it through without problems. Any advice on looking for a bike? Or any advice from any runners turned cyclists out there on getting started?

Thanks!

Don't buy a cheap one. Your bike is your soul, you should feel it and trust it. If you find the one which you think is good quality but you are not sure about buying it, don't do, spend more time on this choice.

Andymaxy

sisleybarnes1 wrote:

run2bike wrote:

Hello,

I have been a competitive runner throughout my life but just recently moved across the country. There are less trails for running where I am now and I have decided that I want to get into cycling. I have no idea what to look for in a first bike however. Ideally I am looking for a road bike that is decent enough that if I decided in the future to do a race it would make it through without problems. Any advice on looking for a bike? Or any advice from any runners turned cyclists out there on getting started?

Thanks!

Don't buy a cheap one. Your bike is your soul, you should feel it and trust it. If you find the one which you think is good quality but you are not sure about buying it, don't do, spend more time on this choice.

The worst crap I've heard. First of all, let me just say this. As the owner of a $600 Claris bike, and a $6000 canyon aeroad complete with full dura ace, really deep wheels from mavic I can tell you that the difference between them isn't all that great, certainly not $5400 worth. In fact, I think my heavier Claris bike rolls better than the aeroad, and also corners a lot better. I think the 8 speed cassette on Claris is a big downside, there's too much jump between teeth, so it's nice to have 10/11 speed bike. Do I think buying a canyon aeroad is a great idea? No. The geometry would probably kill a beginners back. I said there are two route a beginner can go down. But going down the second route no doubt is more risky. You don't tell a beginner your bike is your soul, that's just bs. What if a beginner buys a $10000 and gets the size wrong? Would you be responsible?

larkim

You've got to start with budget. That dictates everything else. You can get a good enough entry level road bike from Decathlon for less than £300. If you're fit enough and get one the right size for you then you can race on that if you want - chances are you'll be racing people a lot less fit than you on £3000+ bikes, and you'll beat them because you're fitter. And you'd still beat them if you were on a £3000+ bike.

Camcycle1974

This. It's really not about the bike but the person riding it. Having said that, having a machine you actually want to ride and like the look of certainly helps. It's a trade off but you can find bikes that are fun to ride and don't break the bank either. Caad 12, Spec Allez, Giant TCR alloy being 3 for about 1k. If you wait for the sale you can get great bargains. There was a carbon TCR with full Ultegra in my LBS recently for £1200! I didn't buy it though as I know that TCR geometry does not work for me. This is the real key. Its only a good buy if it fits you. DO NOT BUY OFF THE PEG, unless you know all your dimensions first and have been fitted. A lot of bike fitters now offer a service where they can recommend what bike to buy based on your physiology.