Road bikes - educate me

[2DDav]

Okay so Ii dare say theres no rarity in a 'What bike thread' but..... I;ve been more into mountain bikes etc. howevr Im looking at getting a middle of the way road bike to add to the fleet as the old Whyte 801 Im running on semi-slick tyres is starting to show its age somewhat plus Ive been looking for an excuse.
Ive been looking at some of the entry level Boardman;s like the Sport:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...

and the Team Carbon alos caught my eye (although it is double the original budget):

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...

However I have really no idea on road bikes with regards to spec and gearing etc (will the 16speed on the Sport be enough?).

[General Madness]

If you have one near you then have a look in decathlon. Ive bought 2 of the Triban 3a for myself and GF.

Cracking bit of kit and only £300!

[TheLemming]

Remember with the frequent 10% off weekends and the British cycling 10% discount that's 20% off the boardmans.

I honestly wouldn't go for the sport, the team carbon on the other hand isn't a bad bit of kit at all and is worth the extra. Its a lot lighter, better specced across the board.

The team carbon also has a lot of room for future upgrades....

[Mave]

Regarding the sport, that's a 2012/2013 model. The 16 speed you mention isn't so much of an issue as the fact its got Shimano 2300s; the Shimano range goes 2300 < Sora < Tiagra with 2300 being the bargain basement. If you can get Tiagra or 2013 on Sora, you'll ge much nicer gear change levers rather than thumb shifters.

[Barchettaman]

Nowt wrong with the thumb shifters on older Sora or 2300, I must have done 10,000 km on Sora 8-speed on my commuter and it's still going strong.

The only problem is downshifting from the hooks is very difficult but most riders spend their time on the hoods or tops anyway.

[2DDav]

Cheers for the feedback guys, Boardman Team carbon looks like a strong contender.

[V41LEY]

Similar, to OP looking to buy first road bike and good to hear that Boardman Carbon is rated at that price (less 20% when available). How does it stack up v the Dolan L'Etape Carbon at a similar price ?

[louiebaby]

My best bit of advice is to go to your local road bike orientated, and spend a bit of time chatting to a decent salesperson. Try a few bikes from a few makes, to get one that fits you. You'll get much more out of the bike if you get into the right position. As long as there isn't a queue of people trying to spend £3000, a decent bike shop should spend the time with you to get it right.

Be prepared to get hooked though...

[SuperDude]

I have the Team Carbon, but also the Road Comp.

The TC is an awesome bike for the money. Much better than the RC, which I use for commuting. Hopping on the TC on weekends, even though they look identical, is a joy.

Looks lovely too (when clean)