Advice on buying a new road bike
Discussion
Started a fitness drive 6 months ago where I’ve lost a good 3 odd stone and gained allot of fitness (I think). I’ve changed work locations making my commute a very manageable 11 miles each way. I’ve been doing it on my hard tail mountain bike that I’ve fitted some road tyres to but I’m sick of blitz by people on road bikes so I’ve decided if you can’t beat them then join them!
What sort of money do I need to spend to get something decent similary does anyone know of any deals on at the moment? I was thinking in the region of £600-£1000, obviously you can easily spend £1000’s but can’t justify that-yet. I can take a variety of routes depending on how I feel, if I go on the main roads they’re all decent surfaces with a few inclines but nothing major. I can also go down some country lanes and join and leave cycle paths in a few locations which is what I normally like to do after nearly been ran off the road a few times in heavier traffic by some numpties…..
I’m 6’4” so will be looking at a large frame.
What sort of money do I need to spend to get something decent similary does anyone know of any deals on at the moment? I was thinking in the region of £600-£1000, obviously you can easily spend £1000’s but can’t justify that-yet. I can take a variety of routes depending on how I feel, if I go on the main roads they’re all decent surfaces with a few inclines but nothing major. I can also go down some country lanes and join and leave cycle paths in a few locations which is what I normally like to do after nearly been ran off the road a few times in heavier traffic by some numpties…..
I’m 6’4” so will be looking at a large frame.
to be honest, there is quite a difference between £600 and £1000. if £1K is your limit then aim to spend about £800 in the bike and the rest on things to make your ride more enjoyable unless you already have it. Bib shorts, new helmet, a nicer jersey, some gloves, shoes etc. none of it needs to cost a fortune and brands like endura, altura and dhb are really good value for money. Buying qulaity clothing was the best upgrade/s I ever bought regarding cycling. I only say this becuase once you have bought a nice bike, you will want to ride it more, for longer, covering greater distances thus comfort becomes more important.
Getting the right fit is more than just the frame size but also stem length, bar angle and seat position. dont be afraid to ask for these to be changed if the bike doesnt feel right. try moving the seat forwards and backwards to pitch your body at the right angle. you shouldnt feel cramped and you arms should not be locked out, there should be a kin at your elbows. get it 90% right i nthe shop nad fine tune it. dont stress about a test ride either, ask yourself if 5 minutes around a car park is reflective of your intended use?
as for the bike itself, you can basically split them up into frame, forks, wheelset and groupset. dont get hung up on groupsets, they all work well enough, the high end stuff is more precise and lighter but with good maintenance the low end stuff works.
frames at that price will be a good quality 7005 aluminium, forks will be carbon blades and an alu steer tube. this makes things a little comfier as the carbon eliminates some of the road shock.
wheelsets will either be own brand or low end Alex rims on unbranded hubs. in my opinion, wheels are more important than groupset but manufactureres dont seem to think so and know that most people buy a bike bsaed on the groupset, not the wheels. Good wheels transform an average bike, going form anSora to Tiagra groupset does not.
You can not buy a bad bike for £800 from the likes of specialised, trek, cannondale or giant. personally i would look at the Cannondale Caad8 Sora if it was my cash or the Specilaised Allez. There is a reason every man and his dog has one or the other....
That said, Boardman are still hard to beat, just go to the shop to get a fitting, buy it online and build it at home, some branches of halfords can be better than others at after sales etc but i did about 2500 miles on mine and it didnt need a return to the shop. i even declined the 6 week free check on the basis that nothing had failed.
Getting the right fit is more than just the frame size but also stem length, bar angle and seat position. dont be afraid to ask for these to be changed if the bike doesnt feel right. try moving the seat forwards and backwards to pitch your body at the right angle. you shouldnt feel cramped and you arms should not be locked out, there should be a kin at your elbows. get it 90% right i nthe shop nad fine tune it. dont stress about a test ride either, ask yourself if 5 minutes around a car park is reflective of your intended use?
as for the bike itself, you can basically split them up into frame, forks, wheelset and groupset. dont get hung up on groupsets, they all work well enough, the high end stuff is more precise and lighter but with good maintenance the low end stuff works.
frames at that price will be a good quality 7005 aluminium, forks will be carbon blades and an alu steer tube. this makes things a little comfier as the carbon eliminates some of the road shock.
wheelsets will either be own brand or low end Alex rims on unbranded hubs. in my opinion, wheels are more important than groupset but manufactureres dont seem to think so and know that most people buy a bike bsaed on the groupset, not the wheels. Good wheels transform an average bike, going form anSora to Tiagra groupset does not.
You can not buy a bad bike for £800 from the likes of specialised, trek, cannondale or giant. personally i would look at the Cannondale Caad8 Sora if it was my cash or the Specilaised Allez. There is a reason every man and his dog has one or the other....
That said, Boardman are still hard to beat, just go to the shop to get a fitting, buy it online and build it at home, some branches of halfords can be better than others at after sales etc but i did about 2500 miles on mine and it didnt need a return to the shop. i even declined the 6 week free check on the basis that nothing had failed.
Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 17th April 11:33
Itsnotarace can't open your link at work so will ahvea look at this tonight at home.
Some interesting food for thought Pablo. I have everything I need kit wise I think as I've built it up with mountian biking and commuting into work. The Allez does seem to be very well thouhgt of and had seen this one http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/al...
Looking around at deal I was hoping to get a decent deal that would maybe get me something that was a £1200 bike for closer to a thousand and so on. I'd also consider secondhand but eBay seems like a bit of minefield and I'm not near any major cities etc so the chances of one coming up local are pretty remote.
Some interesting food for thought Pablo. I have everything I need kit wise I think as I've built it up with mountian biking and commuting into work. The Allez does seem to be very well thouhgt of and had seen this one http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/al...
Looking around at deal I was hoping to get a decent deal that would maybe get me something that was a £1200 bike for closer to a thousand and so on. I'd also consider secondhand but eBay seems like a bit of minefield and I'm not near any major cities etc so the chances of one coming up local are pretty remote.
Some good deals from Pauls Cycles.
Last years CAAD 10 105 - http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m7b... 58 might be bit small for you though.
Last years CAAD 10 105 - http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m7b... 58 might be bit small for you though.
Herbie said:
Some good deals from Pauls Cycles.
Last years CAAD 10 105 - http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m7b... 58 might be bit small for you though.
Cheers will have a good look at that site. turns out my employer are running a cycle to work scheme up until 21st April. I had one of these a while back does anyone know if they are still worth while doing? I'd heard that HMRC had stuck their noses in and it isn't as attractive as it once was, so will need to do some research into the pros and cons used to be you were getting a goof 40% + discount.Last years CAAD 10 105 - http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m7b... 58 might be bit small for you though.
Agoogy said:
I have a carbon hardtail with road commute tyres on...and a new Alu road bike...
I was and have been only 3-4 minutes quicker on the road bike over 8 miles...
I feel a little short changed..Let us know if you still get over taken...I wan to know if it's just me
Don't feel short changed it is only 8 miles I dropped my time by 8 minutes on the road bike compared to the MTB over a 7 mile route, but in reality I push harder on the road bike than the MTB, so far only 1 person has overtaken me on the road bike and I have a myriad of excuses I was and have been only 3-4 minutes quicker on the road bike over 8 miles...
I feel a little short changed..Let us know if you still get over taken...I wan to know if it's just me
I purchased a Scott S30 in January which I am very happy with for a £1000. At the time the shop had an offer on so got £150 worth of accessories for free which drew me in...
I dont agree with Pablos comment about not worrying about test riding though. We are all different and have our views and opinions. I had 3 bikes I was interested in and 1 of them was the most uncomfortable thing I had ever sat on, the other was comfy but due to lower back issues I found even riding around the carpark and local street I could feel my spine pulling which is why I plumped with the Scott.
As posted above about £800 to £1000 should see you with a very nice machine, good luck in your search
I dont agree with Pablos comment about not worrying about test riding though. We are all different and have our views and opinions. I had 3 bikes I was interested in and 1 of them was the most uncomfortable thing I had ever sat on, the other was comfy but due to lower back issues I found even riding around the carpark and local street I could feel my spine pulling which is why I plumped with the Scott.
As posted above about £800 to £1000 should see you with a very nice machine, good luck in your search
Do some interval training on the hardtail before you make the switch. Your speed and general strength will skyrocket and whilst you are improving you can look at road bikes at your leisure.
If you don't alredy have one get a Heart Rate Monitor (Lidl do one for £15.00) Push hard for a few minutes, let the heart recover then push again and repeat within reason during the commute rather than just grind away.
I have a Rockhopper Pro with continental road tyres and also a Bordman Team Carbon with the std tyres and over a 27 mile course I am only 4 mins slower on the MTB and achieve a higher top speed (go figure). Although that av speed is still low (17mph) as I'm new to cycling and still improving.
When I made the switch I expected the difference to be much greater, it wasn't and still isn't although I have no doubt as my fitness and strength improves that gap will widen.
If you don't alredy have one get a Heart Rate Monitor (Lidl do one for £15.00) Push hard for a few minutes, let the heart recover then push again and repeat within reason during the commute rather than just grind away.
I have a Rockhopper Pro with continental road tyres and also a Bordman Team Carbon with the std tyres and over a 27 mile course I am only 4 mins slower on the MTB and achieve a higher top speed (go figure). Although that av speed is still low (17mph) as I'm new to cycling and still improving.
When I made the switch I expected the difference to be much greater, it wasn't and still isn't although I have no doubt as my fitness and strength improves that gap will widen.
Edited by crisisjez on Tuesday 17th April 23:28
Herbie said:
Some good deals from Pauls Cycles.
Last years CAAD 10 105 - http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m7b... 58 might be bit small for you though.
+2Last years CAAD 10 105 - http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m7b... 58 might be bit small for you though.
Awesome bike (I bought one 2 months ago
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