Road bikes - where do I even start?!

[FreeLitres]

Can anyone point me in the right direction here?

I have been running a couple of times a week over the last year to get a bit fitter and to lose some weight. I've been plagued with knee injuries and the like, so many of my friends have suggested I look into other fitness activities such as cycling.

Great - I'll just search for "Gents road bike" in eBay and buy one.

I soon realised this is more complicated than I was expecting! Riding style, size, reach, carbon forks etc, etc.

In essence, is there such a thing as a go-to suggestion for which road bike a novice should go for? Is there a decent simplified guide anywhere? Is there a road bike equivalent of the MX-5?

[castex]

MX5 would be Boardman from Halfords at whatever price band you fancy.

[Trabi601]

castex said:

MX5 would be Boardman from Halfords at whatever price band you fancy.

Agree. I was putting in some miles on a GT mountain bike - but grabbed a Boardman Hybrid on Cycle2Work - fantastic bike, very light, much 'faster' than the GT (even though the GT is on semi-slicks). Ideal for a casual rider.

[mikees]

Watch eBay and get one of these.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Planet-X-Pro-Carbon-SRAM...

Easily my favourite bike which I take out over much higher priced ones I have. Plus cheaper than a new boardman

[555 Paul]

Get yourself a full carbon road bike with slick tyres, it makes downhill sections on a wet road rather exhilerating to put it mildly.

Let's start with how tall you are to try and spec you a frame size.

[FreeLitres]

5'11" and 81kg

What size frame should I be looking for?

[Amateurish]

As a novice I would good for a cheaper bike to start with. Save the cash for the inevitable N+1 "upgrade" when you are hooked and start coveting the expensive stuff. Check the entry level Decathlon bikes.

[loudlashadjuster]

Amateurish said:

As a novice I would good for a cheaper bike to start with. Save the cash for the inevitable N+1 "upgrade" when you are hooked and start coveting the expensive stuff. Check the entry level Decathlon bikes.

I'd go along with this. You don't need to spend a huge amount to get a decent bike that'll do the job. If and when you realise you want more/another bike you'll have a much better idea what it is you're after.

At that time it might be a case of swapping components, or you can start again but with knowledge of the market and, more importantly, your own personal preferences.

What's your budget?

[louiebaby]

One of the first places to start, if you've never even sat on one, is a good local bike shop that offers a fitting service. If you have a good one, and go at a time that is relatively quiet, you should be able to have a proper chat with someone.

Be honest, along the lines of:

"I want to try it, but don't want to spend too much. I'm not buying today, I'm buying second hand, but need to get an idea of what size and style I want. I will come back for a bike fit once I have have bought it."

A decent bike shop which isn't too busy at that time should help you out, explaining the various different types, and so on. Their reward is the bike fit, and a customer who will come back for bike servicing and eventually something shiny and expensive in a couple of years.

[sjg]

castex said:

MX5 would be Boardman from Halfords at whatever price band you fancy.

I usually point people at the Giant Defy. Works well for most people that aren't super-flexible racers, and you can spend from £500 to £5000 on one.

[Marcellus]

don't forget that whatever you spend on the Bike you need to budget to spend almost the same on Lycra!!

[Some Gump]

MX5 = Triban 3.

Best bet - ebay one of those or a specialized Allez. Buy better next year if the bug hits.


Most important - get strava.

[idiotgap]

FreeLitres said:

5'11" and 81kg

What size frame should I be looking for?

If I'm looking on ebay, gumtree, bike-radar, cyclechat or pinkbikes (can't think of any more outlets right now) for a bike and I see one I like the look of I try and work out what size it is, sometimes you have to ask the vendor.

Once you know that, often there's a size guide available online, at least for the big brands, Evans are quite good for this. Here's an example for a 2014 Specialized Allez (or in fact any specialized), which could come in handy if you go the allez route. http://www.specializedconceptstore.co.uk/_common/u...

Try to read some reviews of the bike to see what people think of it, if they mention the geometry of the bike, they normally say it's one of two things:-
1). Racy, low, stretched-out, very pro, slammed
2). Endurance, sportive, comfy all day, long head tube, relaxed

Probably safest bet is to go for something in the 2). category just to try it out unless you are very flexible.

I love shopping for bikes, used in particular.

[covmutley]

I was going to say specialised Allez. Never ridden one but a good bike and not expensive, plenty around second hand.

[Deerfoot]

covmutley said:

I was going to say specialised Allez. Never ridden one but a good bike and not expensive, plenty around second hand.

I've just picked up a barely used 2013 Allez for £200, it's great.

The Specialized Secteur is worth a look too, it's got a slightly more relaxed geometry.

[mikees]

mikees said:

Watch eBay and get one of these.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Planet-X-Pro-Carbon-SRAM...

Easily my favourite bike which I take out over much higher priced ones I have. Plus cheaper than a new boardman

I'm still gonna go with a Planet X. The allez command top money and if you buy right the PX will have a group set worth more than the price. Where are you op? Anywhere near bucks and you can try mine out.

[Daveyraveygravey]

Deerfoot said:

I've just picked up a barely used 2013 Allez for £200, it's great.

The Specialized Secteur is worth a look too, it's got a slightly more relaxed geometry.

I bought my son an Allez for about £200, and if I am totally honest it isn't an eighth of the ability of my £1600 best bike. They command top money as someone has said because they are easy to sell on; once out of the shop and secondhand they hold their value well because people know what they are getting. You could buy one run it for a year and then flog it for almost what you pay for it; if you get the bug bad you will want to upgrade (you might have 3 or 4 different bikes in a couple of years, especially if you also try mountain biking!) and if you don't like it, you can sell it easily.

A Giant Defy or a Trek or a Boardman would all have similar properties as an Allez though.

Giving someone a size based on their height is tricky, it is as much to do with your leg length/back length/arm length, and one manufacturers 54" is similar to another's 56". I'd guess a 54 might be right you for though. I don't buy into this different geometry too much, I think it is a bit of marketing bs to coax money out of people. The Zertz inserts (the kinks in the stays) on the Secteur might be very effective at smoothing out the bumps, but they look like they could break to me!

[Deerfoot]

Daveyraveygravey said:

I bought my son an Allez for about £200, and if I am totally honest it isn't an eighth of the ability of my £1600 best bike.

To be fair though they`re a great bike for the money. Of course they`ll be lacking against a £1600 bike but would you compare a Golf GTI with a Porsche costing eight times as much? (it`s a poor comparison I know but you get the picture...).

For the majority of people an Allez, Defy or Boardman (at that price point) will be a decent bike.

[Black can man]

The team carbon Boardmam is a great bike for the money.


Sign up with british cycling & automatically get 10% off ( everything in Halfords ) & wait for a flash sale that they often have & you could well save yourself around £200,00


Bit of a catch 22 here if you buy dear & don't like it you have done your conkers or buy cheap , love it & wish you had got a better bike.


Tough decisions dude.

[Chirpsean]

sjg said:

I usually point people at the Giant Defy. Works well for most people that aren't super-flexible racers, and you can spend from £500 to £5000 on one.

Another vote here for the Defy, I bought a second hand Defy Advanced from a mate and even with my advancing years, overweight and inflexibility its a great bike to ride.