Road bike buying advice for newbie
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So taking all 1k bikes to be the same or similar, what are the one two elements that would differentiate in this price range?
As has been mentioned, the rim v disc brake is probably the main consideration. I would agree with DeVlaeminck, go for a rim brake as your first bike.
The only other real choice is groupset mix. I see the Triban comes with Shimano 105 which is good for the price. Most of the other options appear to be Sora or Claris. To be fair that will still work as well it is just a bit heavier and not quite as slick.
I have found one of the best upgrades on budget bikes is to stick some decent tires on them. A lot of them come shod with some rubbish, stiff and heavy rubber. A good quality set of tires will roll better and you will notice the feel of them on the road.1 -
This is good advice.MidlandsGrimpeur2 said:
I have found one of the best upgrades on budget bikes is to stick some decent tires on them. A lot of them come shod with some rubbish, stiff and heavy rubber. A good quality set of tires will roll better and you will notice the feel of them on the road.
Budget for buying new tyres, or get the shop to swap if possible.The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
Agree about it being a first bike not going mad on brakes etc. but now I’m wondering whether it is worth spending a bit more for longevity, ie. I’d rather spend £1,300 for 5+ years and be a little up-specced to start than go lower (say £700) then change it after 2-3 years and then fork out £1,500 plus.MidlandsGrimpeur2 said:So taking all 1k bikes to be the same or similar, what are the one two elements that would differentiate in this price range?
As has been mentioned, the rim v disc brake is probably the main consideration. I would agree with DeVlaeminck, go for a rim brake as your first bike.
The only other real choice is groupset mix. I see the Triban comes with Shimano 105 which is good for the price. Most of the other options appear to be Sora or Claris. To be fair that will still work as well it is just a bit heavier and not quite as slick.
I have found one of the best upgrades on budget bikes is to stick some decent tires on them. A lot of them come shod with some rubbish, stiff and heavy rubber. A good quality set of tires will roll better and you will notice the feel of them on the road.
The most I can get on the cycle scheme is £1k (so £750 payable) so perhaps my actual budgeted outlay should be £1k (so £1,250 with the voucher plus £250 cash) to open up more options.
I don’t understand anything about group set - can you explain in laymen’s terms?0 -
Agree about it being a first bike not going mad on brakes etc. but now I’m wondering whether it is worth spending a bit more for longevity, ie. I’d rather spend £1,300 for 5+ years and be a little up-specced to start than go lower (say £700) then change it after 2-3 years and then fork out £1,500 plus
FWIW, I would personally spend a bit more if you can and get a bike that will last longer, as you suggest. There is always the risk that you don't take to road cycling and have made the bigger initial outlay, but knowing a fair few cyclists, the majority stick with it and end up buying a new bike within a couple of years. I think there is a good probability it will save you a bit of money in the long run.
I can see oxoman has already provided a good link to groupsets. The major difference across the different price points is generally that the more you spend, the lighter the components are, as materials will be carbon and titanium as opposed to alu or steel. In terms of the quality of gear shifting and the durability of things like chains and cassettes, there is not a huge difference these days. Shimano 105 works just as well as Shimano Dura Ace in terms of changing gears, which is a groupsets basic function.
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Yet another thing to consider. If it boils down to a toss up then get the one with the best frame. It is easier to upgrade components later than a frame.The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
OP - if you can find one available, I would give something like this serious consideration. Shimano 105 and retails for £1200 I believe, although there are cheaper options with Sora and Tiagra groupsets.
https://cannondale.com/en-eu/bikes/road/race/caad-optimo1 -
I've had this exact Ribble R872 model since June 2021, I go out with mates on dream machines and it makes no difference whatsoever, very good bike and great value. Carbon frame, mavic wheels. Mine's a black frame and looks fantastic!! Highly recommend.DeVlaeminck said:I'd like Shimano 105 but I've got a bike with 10spd Tiagra and it's been great - shifting isn't that slick but it's very quiet (more so than Ultegra on my race bike) and does the job. So for 1k I'd go for something like a Cannondale CAAD Optima 2 or this Ribble https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-r872/
A basic rim braked road bike that is going to feel lively and if you were to go out with a group wouldn't put you at much of a disadvantage against lads on their 6k dream machines.It's never too late to become what you might have been...........1 -
It looks like you are in Bournemouth?
If its your first road bike it is really easy to buy the wrong size, so go to a bike shop that knows what they are doing. Primera are pretty good and and they ride themselves, they will make sure the bike fits. The bike shop in ferndown was pretty good last time i went in, and the one between boscombe and iford roundabout.
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Ribble are good value but the brand name is very off putting. I can't help imagining a D in front of it.0
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Re the cycle scheme, the max I can get via my employer is £1k. Can I use this and add to it in or can the purchase only be up to the value of the cycle scheme voucher?0
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Another potential to the mix - canondale synapse tiagra. Any thoughts on this one?0
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My brother got a rim brake version on C2W and it is nice bike for the price (the frame is quite light for Alu). I don't think they do that rim brake version anymore, but another advantage of disc brakes is you can use larger tyres (rim brake bikes generally max out at 28mm tyres).dawesie01 said:Another potential to the mix - canondale synapse tiagra. Any thoughts on this one?
That bike seems to only come with mechanical disc brakes (hydro-mechanical brakes like the SPYRE SLC would of been better), but the frame is good. So you have a good platform to upgrade in the future, should you want to.
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Yeah, no hydro disc brakes but it seems that this is only possible when spending £1,500+ and that’s well out of budget. As a newbie, will I really notice a huge difference? I mean, I won’t as I’ve never had either type so no way to compare.PMark said:
My brother got a rim brake version on C2W and it is nice bike for the price (the frame is quite light for Alu). I don't think they do that rim brake version anymore, but another advantage of disc brakes is you can use larger tyres (rim brake bikes generally max out at 28mm tyres).dawesie01 said:Another potential to the mix - canondale synapse tiagra. Any thoughts on this one?
That bike seems to only come with mechanical disc brakes (hydro-mechanical brakes like the SPYRE SLC would of been better), but the frame is good. So you have a good platform to upgrade in the future, should you want to.0 -
I think that you will manage quite fine with any braking option.
Your biggest problem is going to be finding in stock options.The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.1 -
I think weight of the bike concerns me more than hydro v mech discs, I want it to be as light as possible for the price point. Current MTB is 16.5kg so want as much of a saving on that as possible.0
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What is the weight?dawesie01 said:I think weight of the bike concerns me more than hydro v mech discs, I want it to be as light as possible for the price point. Current MTB is 16.5kg so want as much of a saving on that as possible.
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In the shop the guy said about 9kg but online suggests 10kgelbowloh said:
What is the weight?dawesie01 said:I think weight of the bike concerns me more than hydro v mech discs, I want it to be as light as possible for the price point. Current MTB is 16.5kg so want as much of a saving on that as possible.
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The Canondale Synapse Tiagra? Doubt it would be considered as heavy.
Won't let you down and you can upgrade components later if you desire.The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.1 -
I think weight of the bike concerns me more than hydro v mech discs, I want it to be as light as possible for the price point.
I wouldn't worry too much about a 1kg weight difference, it is highly unlikely you will notice it. If you were talking about a 10kg bike versus a 7kg bike, then yes, that would obviously be noticeable.
I ride a CAAD12 myself and have had other Cannondale bikes. They are nice bikes to ride at all price points, I can't really see you going too wrong with this for a first bike. If you really like it then go ahead with it.1 -
Yes you're looking at the sensible options so there won't be much to go wrong.
I remember getting my first road bike and it felt very weird and very fast. You'll love it.1 -
I wouldn't worry about that weight too much. I imagine the wheels are quite heavy and would be the first thing you'd upgrade (much) later down the line.dawesie01 said:
In the shop the guy said about 9kg but online suggests 10kgelbowloh said:
What is the weight?dawesie01 said:I think weight of the bike concerns me more than hydro v mech discs, I want it to be as light as possible for the price point. Current MTB is 16.5kg so want as much of a saving on that as possible.
Just buy it, ride it, enjoy it.0 -
Good point. I guess when I’ve used it for a while I may then notice the upgrade of wheels, but to start with just get it and ride it!elbowloh said:
I wouldn't worry about that weight too much. I imagine the wheels are quite heavy and would be the first thing you'd upgrade (much) later down the line.dawesie01 said:
In the shop the guy said about 9kg but online suggests 10kgelbowloh said:
What is the weight?dawesie01 said:I think weight of the bike concerns me more than hydro v mech discs, I want it to be as light as possible for the price point. Current MTB is 16.5kg so want as much of a saving on that as possible.
Just buy it, ride it, enjoy it.
Need to stop procrastinating now and decide between the canon dale synapse Tiagra and the Triban 520. £250 difference in price and the latter has part hydro disc brakes. However, it is not in stock in my size whereas the canondale is. Difficultly is knowing how long to wait!0 -
Wait too long and the Cannondale won't be available.
Will make the selection easier though. 😉The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
Buying nothing is a selection, even if not preferred. 😉The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.1 -
Haha. Nooooo! As much as I hate spending money (hence why this purchase is taking a while) I’ve committed 6-8 weeks to thinking about and researching it so I need to make a decision. That said, now that the weather has turned for the worse maybe I should hold off until spring 🤣pblakeney said:Buying nothing is a selection, even if not preferred. 😉
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Just buy the bloody bike!dawesie01 said:
Haha. Nooooo! As much as I hate spending money (hence why this purchase is taking a while) I’ve committed 6-8 weeks to thinking about and researching it so I need to make a decision. That said, now that the weather has turned for the worse maybe I should hold off until spring 🤣pblakeney said:Buying nothing is a selection, even if not preferred. 😉
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🤣🤣elbowloh said:
Just buy the bloody bike!dawesie01 said:
Haha. Nooooo! As much as I hate spending money (hence why this purchase is taking a while) I’ve committed 6-8 weeks to thinking about and researching it so I need to make a decision. That said, now that the weather has turned for the worse maybe I should hold off until spring 🤣pblakeney said:Buying nothing is a selection, even if not preferred. 😉
Pretty much what my wife has said this weekend whenever I’ve tried to talk and the pros and cons.0
