Sub £500 Road Bike for a Novice

Seb Spiers
Seb Spiers Posts: 31
edited June 2018 in Road buying advice
I'm looking to buy my first road bike, primarily for use on the weekend/evenings for leisure around local country roads (and pubs). The most I'm ever likely to do is ~50 or so miles in a day.

I don't really want to spend more than £500 and have a done a little research myself already but I'm torn between a couple of bikes which both seem to be quite positively reviewed and recommended at the pricepoint.

I guess my questions to you experienced lot are these:
  • Does it matter whether I have 16 or 24 gears? 16 seems better to me? Simpler?
  • Is there a better option out there other than the B'TWIN and the Boardman listed about? I'd rather spend as little as possible but could stretch to £500 for great value.

BikeRadar seems to rate the B'TWIN 520 but is it worth the extra £150 over the price of the 500?
https://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/cheap-road-bikes-our-pick-of-the-best-35756/

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Seb.

Comments

  • yiannism
    yiannism Posts: 345
    Of course 520 its worth it! Much better and more gears, better brakes, but i dont like the 12-25 rear cassette for a novice rider, still you can replace it with 11-28 for cheap. Boardman has 2x8 gears like Triban 500, but the shifters are shimano and not the shitty microshift, and thats my order, 520 boardman 500
  • photonic69
    photonic69 Posts: 2,445
    Buy 2nd hand?

    I bought my first and as yet only road bike 3 years ago from the classifieds here. It was a Giant Defy 3 for £340. It has Sora groupset. I upgraded the brakes calipers to 105, again from the classifieds here for £25. I put on a 11-32 cassette for about £25. It's a great bike for around £400. I've no reason to change it. I'm out on group rides with our club with guys on £3k+ bikes. I outclimb a lot of them. OK, it would be nice to have a better groupset such as 11 speed 105 as I could have closer ratios but at the end of the day the engine driving it is your body, heart, lungs and legs. It doesnt matter what you ride. Just ride!


    Sometimes. Maybe. Possibly.

  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    Tye giant cadex into eBay and some nice bikes appear. For £300 you can get a really nice bike second hand.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • Seb Spiers
    Seb Spiers Posts: 31
    edited June 2018
    Yeah I don't want to buy 2nd hand, I'm just snobby that way!! :)

    So I've discounted the Triban 500 then, so its either the Boardman at £400 or the Triban 520 at £500. Is it worth the £100 extra? Part of me prefers the thought of only 16 gears... maybe I should go and look at both and just go with how I feel?
  • Andymaxy
    Andymaxy Posts: 197
    No do not go with 500 with Microsoft, just won't work.
  • ayjaycee
    ayjaycee Posts: 1,277
    With that budget, go for used - it’s a no brainier, particularly if you have a friend who knows bikes and can offer constructive comment on any potential candidates. The part of your brain telling you to be snobby about buying used is probably the same part that’s saying fewer gears is better - it’s wrong.
    Cannondale Synapse Carbon Ultegra
    Kinesis Racelight 4S
    Specialized Allez Elite (Frame/Forks for sale)
    Specialized Crosstrail Comp Disk (For sale)
  • garryboy1888
    garryboy1888 Posts: 41
    Certainly a lot of bargains on Gumtree.

    My brother picked up an immaculate giant defy 2 for £230. With full Tiagra groupset. Had been used on a turbo trainer so was in near new condition. The chap flung in shoes. Shimano 105 pedals and a helmet. Also a pair of new 25 mm gaitorskins.
  • 3wheeler
    3wheeler Posts: 110
    Second hand is the road to value for your £500, but you do need to know what you're looking at. Some "excellent condition" bikes you see advertised have clearly had a tough life, and then you need to budget for replacing the bits that need it. Even if that's just a new chain, cassette, gear and brake cables, brake pads it adds up. So if you know someone who knows a things or two about bikes get their advice.
  • Seb Spiers
    Seb Spiers Posts: 31
    So given that I'm a total novice and don't know what I'll be looking at, I don't want to be looking at 2nd hand then! :)
  • garryboy1888
    garryboy1888 Posts: 41
    edited June 2018
    Could also do what I did. Went to my local bike shop who is a trek dealer.
    Told him my budget. He found me an ex display 2016 domane 2.0 frame and built me a complete new bike for £500. Full Tiagra groupset inc brakes.

    hQEJocA.jpg
  • bflk
    bflk Posts: 240
    garryboy1888 wrote:
    Could also do what I did. Went to my local bike shop who is a trek dealer.
    Told him my budget. He found me an ex display 2016 domane 2.0 frame and built me a complete new bike for £500. Full Tiagra groupset inc brakes.

    hQEJocA.jpg

    Well, an almost complete one anway.
  • garryboy1888
    garryboy1888 Posts: 41
    bflk wrote:
    garryboy1888 wrote:
    Could also do what I did. Went to my local bike shop who is a trek dealer.
    Told him my budget. He found me an ex display 2016 domane 2.0 frame and built me a complete new bike for £500. Full Tiagra groupset inc brakes.

    hQEJocA.jpg

    Well, an almost complete one anway.

    Lol my wife was quick to point out the same. I was putting my own SPD pedals on anyway.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Given that you want the reassurance of buying new, you'll be fine with the Boardman. Just make sure you get the right size.

    Put the money you've saved towards some decent bibshorts, and all the other stuff you'll invariably need.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    The triple chainset on the Tribans may appear to give you more gears, but a lot of them are duplicated. The lowest gear on the Triban 500 is about the same as that on the Boardman.
  • kimchiwitrice
    kimchiwitrice Posts: 32
    While this has been mentioned already, a used bike would be a good bet, you may end up finding bikes that are in more or less mint condition with half the price tag.

    Check Giant bikes too if you haven't already?
  • mfin
    mfin Posts: 6,729
    Seb Spiers wrote:
    So given that I'm a total novice and don't know what I'll be looking at, I don't want to be looking at 2nd hand then! :)

    You don't personally know anybody else that could help you? Plus asking on this forum?

    A £500 new bike will be crap and heavy compared to one that was more like £1200 that you could pick up barely used, there are so many around. Check FB marketplace locally and gumtree (ebay can inflate prices, but can be worth looking).

    Whereabouts are you and how tall are you, some people on here might find you some contenders.
  • surfercyclist
    surfercyclist Posts: 894
    I bought a Cannondale Caad 8 as my first road bike from Ebay, was like new and a total bargain at the time at £400. Compact gearing 50/34, 11/28 sorted. Way more bang for buck if you go 2nd hand.
  • Seb Spiers
    Seb Spiers Posts: 31
    Hi All,

    Thank you for your advice.

    So I went to buy the £400 boardman and found it to be no longer available, so I just ordered the new 8.6 SLR Alloy https://www.boardmanbikes.com/gb_en/products/2130-slr-8.6-alloy.html for £550.

    Slightly over budget but I had a sit on one in the shop and it seemed to have a few nice upgrades from the previous years model such as the carbon forks.

    I'm hoping I'll be happy with it! :roll:
  • Seb Spiers
    Seb Spiers Posts: 31
    So I just spotted the Specialized Allez E5 on Evans Cycles for similar money, is that a better option than the Boardman being a more tested and higher status brand?
    https://www.evanscycles.com/specialized-allez-e5-2018-road-bike-EV306365
    :shock: :shock: :shock:
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,623
    Seb Spiers wrote:
    So I just spotted the Specialized Allez E5 on Evans Cycles for similar money, is that a better option than the Boardman being a more tested and higher status brand?
    https://www.evanscycles.com/specialized-allez-e5-2018-road-bike-EV306365
    :shock: :shock: :shock:


    Probably not much in it. Get the one you like the look of more or seems to fit you the best.
  • Seb Spiers
    Seb Spiers Posts: 31
    Yeah the specs look very similar. The problem I have is that because I'm quite tall (6'3") the bike shops never have the XL bikes in stock for me to try.

    I tried the L Boardman and so ordered the XL. I called round Evans Cycles and none of them near me had the XL/XXL of the Specialized in stock, so I'd have to order one in, then try it once build. Seem to be a lot of messing around for the shops even before I've made a decision.

    I guess I'll stick with the Boardman.
  • milemuncher1
    milemuncher1 Posts: 1,472
    Seb Spiers wrote:
    So I just spotted the Specialized Allez E5 on Evans Cycles for similar money, is that a better option than the Boardman being a more tested and higher status brand?
    https://www.evanscycles.com/specialized-allez-e5-2018-road-bike-EV306365
    :shock: :shock: :shock:

    The Allez has an inferior group set to the Boardman. That’s more important than a set of stickers on the frame.
  • Seb Spiers
    Seb Spiers Posts: 31
    Milemuncher1 wrote:
    Seb Spiers wrote:
    So I just spotted the Specialized Allez E5 on Evans Cycles for similar money, is that a better option than the Boardman being a more tested and higher status brand?
    https://www.evanscycles.com/specialized-allez-e5-2018-road-bike-EV306365
    :shock: :shock: :shock:

    The Allez has an inferior group set to the Boardman. That’s more important than a set of stickers on the frame.
    winner, thanks! :mrgreen:

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