(sort of) cheap bike for Smart Trainer needed

kinioo
kinioo Posts: 776
edited October 2019 in Road buying advice
Afternoon All,

Finally I am setting up my winter indoor cycling station and am looking for a cheap bike (but not cr*p, as I may use it on road occasionally) which can be paired with a smart trainer.

I am mainly MTB rider and know nothing about road bikes...

My budget for the bike is £150 max (so looking for a second hand).

What should I look for ??

Many thanks,

Chris

Comments

  • homers_double
    homers_double Posts: 8,023
    Get a Specialized Allez off ebay if you can.
    Advocate of disc brakes.
  • bonzo_banana
    bonzo_banana Posts: 256
    Looking on ebay that seems to get some pretty reasonable bikes but you'd always need to be careful about wear and tear of components, no point spending £150 on a bike if you have to spend another £150 replacing parts to make it usable. The ideal bike is a bike someone bought but didn't get into cycling and so was used very lightly instead of someone who basically wore down the parts until it started playing up and preferred to buy a new bike rather than put money into the old bike replacing components.

    Looking at completed auctions at that price point you do see Specialized Allez as well as many other decent bikes like Giant etc. It really depends on what is for sale in your area. I wouldn't get too focused on a specific brand for a s/hand purchase as that may limit your options and a very lightly used bike might be available in a lesser known brand. Also need to be careful you aren't buying a stolen bike.

    My favourite entry level road bike is the Giant Contend.

    https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from ... 5573.m1684
  • dannbodge
    dannbodge Posts: 1,152
    As above.
    Something off ebay/facebook.

    There are tonnes to choose from, an Allez is a very good starter/winter/turbo bike.
  • slowmart
    slowmart Posts: 4,481
    It depends on what your over arching aim is?

    If your main riding is off road I’d aim to get a bike with similar geometry to your mtb and get some cheap wheels with some slicks on

    If your looking to dip into road cycling , like others have said the Allez is perfect and has the same geometry as the Tarmac and is a gnats cock of the venge too.

    Prices always harden for Allez as they are the perfect winter hack/ training bike but for good reason

    Aim for a lightly used and a few years old

    Best wishes for with the winter training
    “Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realize fishing is stupid and boring”

    Desmond Tutu

Categories