Want to get into cycling.

[metbandit1]

Cycled as a kid (obviously) but have decided that this year I will take up road cycling to get fitter and generally just keep me busy.
I have a budget of around £300 for a bike (could possibly stretch to £350) and £50 budget for kit to start off with.

Stats are:

6ft
10 3/4st
32" inside leg.

What size bike etc will I need?


Thanks in advance for replies!

[anonymous-user]

metbandit1 said:

Cycled as a kid (obviously) but have decided that this year I will take up road cycling to get fitter and generally just keep me busy.
I have a budget of around £300 for a bike (could possibly stretch to £350) and £50 budget for kit to start off with.

Stats are:

6ft
10 3/4st
32" inside leg.

What size bike etc will I need?


Thanks in advance for replies!

you should be able to get comfy on a 55 or a 56cm frame with minor adjustments to saddle and stem height after you have ridden a few miles and found a position you are happy with. no doubt people will now say get fitted at a shop etc but its really not necessary and its not rocket science, a lot of bike fitting stuff is on the web and at that price range, many bikes share near as identical geometry.

as for recommendations for a bike, you really need to be looking at the second hand market or be taking a punt on some of the lesser known internet brands to get good value for money. secondhand will get you a good bike, hunt for a giant defy, a specialised allez, boardman comp or trek 1.2

you can try the shop sales and hunt for one of the above which might be in budget but i would be very cautious. not only will bargains be snapped up quickly but you can get sucked in to buying something thats not right just becuase its on offer.

if you really plan on doing some miles, a pair of bib shorts and some chamois cream (to keep the pad supple) are essential. dhb from www.wiggle.co.uk are worth a look for quality clothing that doesnt cost the earth.

Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 3rd January 08:47

Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 3rd January 08:49

[snowdude2910]

^^^^ This prety much.
-I wouldn't bother buying new if you buy a cheap internet brand and don't get on with it they're worth very little second hand where as a £300 allez or suchlike is still worth the same (possibly slightly more in a few months time when the sun comes out) should you find that you don't get on with the bike.
-Kit wise check out sports direct online padded trousers are a must (I wore padded shorts underneath them at first too but I'm a bit of a softie) and in this weather a good baselayer.
-As for bike bits most of them are good to go prety much straight out of the box but gatorskin tyres are well worth the investment at about £40

[JPJ]

Hello.

Like many people on here, coming back to cycling seems to be a normal step and most people find it gets quite addictive.

Up front I'll be blunt and say that your budget will be quite tight for getting something that will last in the long term and be worth upgrading over time, but that shouldn't stop you making the first steps. You might be able to find something in Decathlon, or possibly in the Halfords sales, but avoid anything in their Apollo range. If you can get a Boardman that would be a good starting point.

Another option might be to go down the second hand bike route and end up with something that will be much more enjoyable and last longer. BikeRadar has a good selection of classifieds, and there are also some here on Pistonheads.

In the short term, a helmet should be your first 'accessory' but then you will also need to get one or two spare tubes, tyre levers, a pump, water bottle etc which your local bike shop (LBS) should be able to help with. Over time padded cycling shorts, gloves, waterproofs etc should be looked into, but they're not essential for a little while.

Online, Wiggle is worth checking out, particularly some of their sale items or their own DHB range which is very good value for money.

Hope that helps as a starter, and I'm sure others will be along shortly to add their assistance.

[anonymous-user]

JPJ said:

In the short term, a helmet should be your first 'accessory' but then you will also need to get one or two spare tubes, tyre levers, a pump, water bottle etc which your local bike shop (LBS) should be able to help with. Over time padded cycling shorts, gloves, waterproofs etc should be looked into, but they're not essential for a little while.

persoanlly i would make the judgement call that a quality pair of shorts should be top of the list ahead of a helmet, you will get serious aches and pains using regular shorts for anything more than 10 miles or so on an unfamiliar saddle and its likely to put someone off cycling for life, especially on a road bike where the saddle is longer than a mtb and a lot of pressure is placed on the nether regions.

i know a pair of shorts wont save you from serious injury in a crash like a helmet could but you will at least need the shorts every time you ride, as i said its a judgement call, i dont like advocating cycling without a helmet but sore nuts are not comfortable

the big Tesco Home stores have a good range of the usual basic cycling accessories at non-LBS prices, well worth a look. if you buy a second hand bike, the owner may already have this kinfd of stuff they can throw in for free/modest extra? you will be lucky to get any extras on a new bike at this price.

[metbandit1]

Thanks for all your advice! Looking through ebay and theres only a couple of bikes on there that are the right size/right distance away to justify buying them.

I know everyone says avoid online brands but can they really be that bad for a first bike? Bearing in mind im 19 (almost 20) now and last time I had a bike was 2000.
So surely anything will be amazing in comparison to what I have ridden?

Might head down to the LBS for a chat.

[anonymous-user]

metbandit1 said:

Thanks for all your advice! Looking through ebay and theres only a couple of bikes on there that are the right size/right distance away to justify buying them.

I know everyone says avoid online brands but can they really be that bad for a first bike? Bearing in mind im 19 (almost 20) now and last time I had a bike was 2000.
So surely anything will be amazing in comparison to what I have ridden?

Might head down to the LBS for a chat.

dont bother with ebay, look at the classifieds on www.bikeradar.com or www.road.cc if you are looking at secondhand bikes, you want a bike that has been looked after and owned by an enthusiast. it doenst matter if its done 000's of miles if its been well looked after, far better than buying a hateful object thats only been round the block twice even if it is twice as shiny and has a posh sounding name....

cheap bikes have cheap components, bits that are made of metal or other materials on expensive bikes will invariably be made of poor steel or plastic on cheap bikes, thus they are subject to increased failure rates and/or very heavy.

if you are looking at a new bike, dont discount the raleigh airlite is pretty good for a starter bike.

my opinion of most LBS is only slighlty higher than used car salesmen.....

[metbandit1]

Ah I see! Ill keep an eye out.

The Raleigh Airlite 100 is £500 which I guess might be a bit much....either that or I just have to wait a couple of months and stretch my budget.

Edit:

Just found this website that offers finance. So I could put my initial price down of £350 as a deposit, and spend £550 - 600 ish on a bike instead at 0% over 12 months. Means I can afford better for spread out costs.

http://www.formbycycles.co.uk/

Edited by metbandit1 on Tuesday 3rd January 11:23

Edited by metbandit1 on Tuesday 3rd January 11:23

[mchammer89]

Second hand Specialized Langster.

Single-speed so no expensive chainsets/cassettes/derailleurs/shifters to worry about. This also keeps the weight down, my standard 2007 one was a shade over 8kg.

I've had 2 in the past, a 2007 one which I picked up in 2008 for £190 with a pair of mudguards, spares tubes and brake blocks thrown in. Eventually got rid of it because I got myself another bike for commuting.

Decided a few months back that I wanted something faster than my Dutch bike but no fuss and could handle winter weather. Picked up a 2010 one (with cross top levers which are very handy around town) for £220 with a pair of lights thrown in.

Bearing in mind these were both in London where SS/fixed bikes are more in demand and thus the prices are a bit higher.

Also should you wish you could ride fixed on it, which is great for training. Especially when you just start out. I've switched back to SS as it's a bit faster as you don't use as much energy.

With regards to frame size, i'd recommend a 54cm or 56cm, but your best bet is to go have a look at a few different sized bikes and try each on for size. Remember that it's easier to tailor a slightly smaller bike to fit than a slightly larger one.

Edit: Keep to the big brands for now, Raliegh may have produced some decent bikes in the past, but definitely not these days.

[metbandit1]

You know ive never actually thought about fixies! That could be a god shout, however I live in a village surrounded by hills to get in which might be a problem at first, and its quite a hilly area.

[mchammer89]

metbandit1 said:

You know ive never actually thought about fixies! That could be a god shout, however I live in a village surrounded by hills to get in which might be a problem at first, and its quite a hilly area.

I took mine on the Ride To The Horns, Mark Webbers annual sportive around some hills in Aylesbury. Some killer hills and 100 miles later I was utterly wrecked. Though I think doing it in standard cargo shorts was more to blame for that than doing it fixed. If you decide to ride fixed in a hilly area, remember, it's not the climbing hills that's hard, it's the descending.

[metbandit1]

Ah you cant just let it free wheel then?

[mchammer89]

They have what's called a flip-flop hub. On one side there is a freewheel so you can coast as you would on a normal road bike. On the other there is a fixed sprocket so you can't coast. It's pretty handy as you simply take the wheel out, flip it over, and stick it back in and you can go from one to the other. So if you decide to commute riding fixed but want to go out to the countryside for a nice long, hilly ride. 2 minutes and you go from fixed to freewheel.

[XitUp]

If you can stretch your budget by getting something on 0% finance there are loads more options for you.

JPJ said:

In the short term, a helmet should be your first 'accessory'

No.

[metbandit1]

Thats only if I can actually get the finance, only problem is lack of job. (student at uni).

Ill have to see.

[XitUp]

Ah, yeah, if not just blow your student loan.

Don't let people put you off ebay, there are some bargains if you look hard enough.

[metbandit1]

Well as far as my student loans go, I have 86 going out a month for my motorbike, excluding fuel ad insruence etc.

But I can afford to put £30 a week away for the cycle.
With £340 currently saved.
Which means by march I guess I could have £700 saved for one providing I dont get any bills for my motorbike.

[mchammer89]

But a 2nd hand bike in the meantime, ride it for a few months then if you want something a bit more higher end, sell the bike for what you bought it for. Then you have a shiny new bike and have just had a few months of free transport. Win-win.

[metbandit1]

mchammer89 said:

But a 2nd hand bike in the meantime, ride it for a few months then if you want something a bit more higher end, sell the bike for what you bought it for. Then you have a shiny new bike and have just had a few months of free transport. Win-win.

I like the sound of that!

Ill keep my eyes peeled over the next month for suitable bikes.

[metbandit1]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280800344881?ssPageName=...

What do you think of that for a first buy?

If I can get it for £250 that is