New To Road Biking

BridlingtonBiker
BridlingtonBiker Posts: 152
edited October 2010 in Road beginners
Hi all I've had a cheap mountain bike for about 6 years or so and this year I've been doing more riding than ever before. It dawned on me in summer I do practically all my riding on the road and what little off road riding I do could be done on my mountain bike. I've therefore been looking at getting a road bike for the past couple of months.

I must admit after reading a few magazines and the internet the Boardman range get high praise (aside from their distributer). The questions are would this be a good starting point? Which model should I go for? How much should I spend? I'm not usually the type to impulse buy hence why I've been researching for a couple of months, so I would imagine I'd not want a £500 bike when a £800 bike could last me so much more use.

I've been into a few bike shops and I don't like the Sora shifting system. I'd therefore prefer something with Tiagra or 105 groupset. Should I consider other makes of groupset?

Cheers in advance
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Comments

  • father_jack
    father_jack Posts: 3,509
    I'd say £600-£800 bracket is a good first quality road bike area. Checkout Campagnolo and Sram groupsets too.

    Or you could look into cyclocross, that way you have a roadie/off roader, not just a roadie. But since you have a mtb probably best to get a full roadie.

    Boardmans have SRAM not Shmano.
    Say... That's a nice bike..
    Trax T700 with Lew Racing Pro VT-1 ;-)
  • dmch2
    dmch2 Posts: 731
    I like my tiagra trek 1.5 which i got as I didn't like sora either.

    800 will be tight for a 2011 tiagra bike without getting a discount. I think the price for mine is almost 900 now so i was happy to get a discounted 2010 for 720.

    Remember you'll need to buy at least some of the following too:
    Bottle cages, padded shorts, pump for presta valves, computer, tyres (std ones are rubbish), brake pads (ditto), pedals. Assuming you've got lights, bottles, helmet, SPD shoes etc.
    2010 Trek 1.5 Road - swissstop green, conti GP4000S
    2004 Marin Muirwoods Hybrid
  • Mettan
    Mettan Posts: 2,103
    The questions are would this be a good starting point? Which model should I go for?
    Cheers in advance

    Whatever you go for, consider getting a bike with a Compact chainset - often, new riders buy bikes with Double chainsets and then find them excessively hard work going up hill (with miles in the legs). Particularly pertinent if you're thinking of doing some Sportives next year.
  • dmch2
    dmch2 Posts: 731
    Or just get a triple and don't worry about it. Once you get to the stage of not needing the granny ring it's going to do any harm.

    Also some compact users complain the shift between them isn't very good as the gap is too big.
    2010 Trek 1.5 Road - swissstop green, conti GP4000S
    2004 Marin Muirwoods Hybrid
  • 800 will get you a very good 2010 bike.

    two that ive looked at
    http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+Shop ... LT-F75.htm

    http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Cannondale-CAAD ... _28975.htm

    both have compact chainsets.
    the Cannondale gets rave reviews here, seen as one of the best aluminium frames available.
    the Felt has an upgraded groupset (105), and carbon seatstays.
    Go for the break
    Create a chaingang
    Make sure you don't break your chain
  • OK chaps this is the bike I'm looking at. One of the base range boardman bikes.

    http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... 65710#dtab

    Seems to come with a mix of tiagra/105 groupset. Suppose I could upgrade the tiagra parts to 105 parts in the future. Best thing is 10% of till Monday making this £630. I'm not sure I'll beat this much by waiting tilll the 2011 boardmans come out. The weight of the bike at under 9kg seems really good for the money. I'm not too worried about it not having the triple. Think I can just grin and bear the extra effort required until my strength improves. What does everyone think?

    I bought some 105 SPD-SLs and some DHB shoes earlier in the year so I've been practicing clipping in and out on my mountain bike. I've had one or two close calls lol. The right shoe is giving me some pain on the outer edge of my foot though after a relatively short rides (sub 10 miles)

    I have other things such as lights helmet and I use my iphone as a bike computer.
  • skyd0g
    skyd0g Posts: 2,540
    I have the Boardman Comp you're looking at. I can't praise it enough (for the money).
    ...even better with the 10% off offer. Go buy it! 8)
    Cycling weakly
  • unixnerd
    unixnerd Posts: 2,864
    Or just get a triple and don't worry about it. Once you get to the stage of not needing the granny ring it's going to do any harm.

    +1

    Also, look at used bikes. Many are almost unused.
    http://www.strathspey.co.uk - Quality Binoculars at a Sensible Price.
    Specialized Roubaix SL3 Expert 2012, Cannondale CAAD5,
    Marin Mount Vision (1997), Edinburgh Country tourer, 3 cats!
  • Have a look at the Giant Defy 2.

    Had mine for about three weeks now and I'm really happy with it. I think it lists at around £725.
    2010 Giant Defy 2 running SRAM Force and Shimano RS80/C24s with Continental 4 Seasons
    1999 Carrera Integer MTB
    2014 Planet X SLX
  • Well I've bitten the bullet. Went and picked up the boardman today. Half way through putting it together. Slightly wrong on the website. Shifters are tiagra not 105 Should the wheels aready be trued? Flick the spokes and they sound different. I've pumped the tyres to 100psi. The reflectors on the wheels don't half put them out of balance. Should I remove them? What angle should I put the handlebars at? What angle should I put the seat at?

    Loads of questions thanks in advance
  • father_jack
    father_jack Posts: 3,509
    remove the wheel reflectors :-/
    as for handbars I found metal bit level, with the hoods angled up slightly. You will be able to tell if it's too high as it'll bite into the soft bit betwen thumb and index finger. Saddle should be flat, use a spirit level.
    Say... That's a nice bike..
    Trax T700 with Lew Racing Pro VT-1 ;-)
  • unixnerd
    unixnerd Posts: 2,864
    Shifters are tiagra not 105

    So hopefully you paid a bit less?
    Should the wheels aready be trued? Flick the spokes and they sound different.

    Not good. They should all have equal tension.
    Saddle should be flat,

    Good place to start. But depending on the individual and the saddle type you might want to tip it slightly forwards if you get "numb nuts".
    http://www.strathspey.co.uk - Quality Binoculars at a Sensible Price.
    Specialized Roubaix SL3 Expert 2012, Cannondale CAAD5,
    Marin Mount Vision (1997), Edinburgh Country tourer, 3 cats!
  • BridlingtonBiker
    BridlingtonBiker Posts: 152
    edited October 2010
    So seeing as I've never trued a wheel before where do I start. Just checked my tool kit and I don't have a spoke key. Guessing that's where I should start. Should I just tension the spokes that don't sound as high pitched? Should the tyre be removed first? If so I'm not too happy about that.
  • father_jack
    father_jack Posts: 3,509
    since it's new it should be in ridable condition, take it back to halfords and let them do it.
    Say... That's a nice bike..
    Trax T700 with Lew Racing Pro VT-1 ;-)
  • bilirubin
    bilirubin Posts: 225
    Have a look at the Giant Defy 2.

    Had mine for about three weeks now and I'm really happy with it. I think it lists at around £725.

    +1, had mine for three months and I am loving it.
  • So hopefully you paid a bit less?

    Only found out since I got it out of the box. Speaking of which should I keep the box for any future reason?
  • you'll only need a box if you want to take the bike somewhere - get rid of it, if you do need a box in due course your lbs should have a spare one about somewhere.

    speaking of which, take the untrue wheel to your bike shop; get them to sort it out. they'll have the proper wheel jig and you should be able to trust them much more than halfords. good time to get to know them aswell. a wheel true should cost about £10 -15? see if you can watch them do it.
    the wheel reflectors can be removed with just a large flat bladed screwdriver.

    the boardman you bought is supposed to be tiagra shifter specced - nothing untoward there, perhaps halfords got their information mixed up?
    specs: http://www.boardmanbikes.com/road/road_comp.html
    Go for the break
    Create a chaingang
    Make sure you don't break your chain
  • Going back to the shoe thing. Any ideas why I'm getting pain in the outer edge of my right foot? Also I have literally no proper cycle clothing. What would I need as a minimum to get me through the winter? I'll only be taking the bike out in the dry as I dont want it getting salted up so I don't think I'll need anything waterproof
  • ductions
    ductions Posts: 274
    Going back to the shoe thing. Any ideas why I'm getting pain in the outer edge of my right foot? Also I have literally no proper cycle clothing. What would I need as a minimum to get me through the winter? I'll only be taking the bike out in the dry as I dont want it getting salted up so I don't think I'll need anything waterproof

    I'm in a similar position. I ordered a boardman comp last friday, hopefully it will arrive in the next couple of days. (btw does the bike come built when ordered online?)

    I'm looking to get some cycle clothing to see me through the winter on the cheap (blew most of my student loan on the bike, and need to eat!). I have a pretty cool winter cycle jacket that I got from Aldi for about £15, and some winter gloves I got from wiggle, as well as a helly hansen base layer.

    Could someone recommend some bottoms for autumn/winter, preferably padded? Or even a bib if you think its worth it?
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    Well I've bitten the bullet. Went and picked up the boardman today. Half way through putting it together. Slightly wrong on the website. Shifters are tiagra not 105 Should the wheels aready be trued? Flick the spokes and they sound different. I've pumped the tyres to 100psi. The reflectors on the wheels don't half put them out of balance. Should I remove them? What angle should I put the handlebars at? What angle should I put the seat at?

    Loads of questions thanks in advance
    Just spotted this. Tiagra is the 9 spd, the 105 is 10 spd and higher up the range so unless you're really not bothered I'd be on the phone asking why & what.

    Don't worry about the spokes having a different ring. Unless there's a massooof difference AND the wheel is out of true, it won't matter. Ideally after a f ew weeks riding / a couple of hundred miles it'll be due a quick interim service where things are tightened up and readjusted after the inital beddiing in period, so you can get them checked then when it's worth it. 100 psi is a good pressure.

    Take off reflectors, the bell etc - it's stuff that legally has to be on when a bike is sold but is completely irrelevant on a road bike. Throw them in the nearest bin.

    Bars - rotate them so that the top of the hood where your hands naturally fall is parallel to the floor, and ideally start with the seat parallel too. Put a book or a bit of wood bigger than the saddle on the saddle and then put a spirit level on that to get it level.

    Rule of thumb for height is that your legs should be almost straight with the heel on the pedal at it's lowest point. That's a good start point, you can make minor adjustments once you get used to it and you've adapted to the new bike shape. Consider a proper bike fit if you always feel that it's just not quite there; it's the best £50 you can spend on a bike, and you only have to do it once as you know what to look for in future.
  • ductions wrote:
    [quote="BridlingtonBiker"blew most of my student loan on the bike, and need to eat!

    ahh, same :D
    Go for the break
    Create a chaingang
    Make sure you don't break your chain
  • I'm confused now. It's an 18 speed and the shifters are definately tiagra but both derailleurs have 105 stickers on them. Seems like a strange combination but the shifting is sooo smooth. Very impressed. Brakes not so. It would seem after a little reading this can be cured with some koolstop or swissstop pads. Would these pads fit in the standard holders?

    Overall I'm really happy with the bike. My usual 17 mile mountain bike ride takes 1 hour 20. First time on the boardman took 1 hour 6 mins most of it into a strong headwind. I think on a still day I could easily have this under the 1 hour mark
  • letap73
    letap73 Posts: 1,608
    Have the same Tektro brakes and I have just replaced the front pads; it has made a difference for the better. I put on the Koolstop Shimano compatible salman/black combo pads they cost £8.00. They are easy to put in.
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    Shimano pads are perfectly fine - I've had them on a 105 g/set on Shimano's own rims, and on my current Fulcrums, and they stop superbly.

    Keep the rims & pads clean - a good wash with warm soapy water is enough. Never have any bother stopping it in normal conditions, not so good in the wet but that's not an issue usually.
  • letap73 wrote:
    Have the same Tektro brakes and I have just replaced the front pads; it has made a difference for the better. I put on the Koolstop Shimano compatible salman/black combo pads they cost £8.00. They are easy to put in.

    Have you got a link to the ones you bought
  • letap73
    letap73 Posts: 1,608
    Sadly I have no link for them - they were stocked in my LBS.

    An alternative which should be definately better than the Tektro pads is:

    http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Shima ... 360016353/
  • ductions wrote:
    I'm looking to get some cycle clothing to see me through the winter on the cheap (blew most of my student loan on the bike, and need to eat!). I have a pretty cool winter cycle jacket that I got from Aldi for about £15, and some winter gloves I got from wiggle, as well as a helly hansen base layer.

    Have a look at the Altura Night Vision jacket? Think its about £70. Couple of good pockets and waterproof...so far.

    If you are after cheap clothes, have a look at the karrimore stuff from sports direct. The padded tights are alright. Dont thin much of the tops.

    I'm also found thermal underware quite useful today!!
    2010 Giant Defy 2 running SRAM Force and Shimano RS80/C24s with Continental 4 Seasons
    1999 Carrera Integer MTB
    2014 Planet X SLX
  • gtitim
    gtitim Posts: 225
    ductions wrote:
    I'm looking to get some cycle clothing to see me through the winter on the cheap (blew most of my student loan on the bike, and need to eat!). I have a pretty cool winter cycle jacket that I got from Aldi for about £15, and some winter gloves I got from wiggle, as well as a helly hansen base layer.

    Have a look at the Altura Night Vision jacket? Think its about £70. Couple of good pockets and waterproof...so far.

    If you are after cheap clothes, have a look at the karrimore stuff from sports direct. The padded tights are alright. Dont thin much of the tops.

    I'm also found thermal underware quite useful today!!

    +1 for the Altura night vision jacket.
  • ductions
    ductions Posts: 274
    ductions wrote:
    I'm looking to get some cycle clothing to see me through the winter on the cheap (blew most of my student loan on the bike, and need to eat!). I have a pretty cool winter cycle jacket that I got from Aldi for about £15, and some winter gloves I got from wiggle, as well as a helly hansen base layer.

    Have a look at the Altura Night Vision jacket? Think its about £70. Couple of good pockets and waterproof...so far.

    If you are after cheap clothes, have a look at the karrimore stuff from sports direct. The padded tights are alright. Dont thin much of the tops.

    I'm also found thermal underware quite useful today!!

    Thanks! I think my girlfriend is getting me a hi vis jacket for xmas. Until then I've got high vis arm bands strapped to me.

    That stuff at sports direct is dirt cheap. I may buy a pair of tights and shorts.
  • Just been given some bike clothing including a high vis top. Only been worn once so in the washer and it'll do me for a while