Starter Road bike

[J5MBF]

All,

Just started getting into cycling but only on a borrowed mountain bike. Went out last night to stretch my legs and did a 13 mile trip. As you will probably appreciate, it can be hard at times on a mountain bike so looking to get a 'starter' road bike. Are the cheap bikes really bad? A couple of people have mentioned carrera's or vikings as an intro bike. Not looking to do TDF style outings, more so 30/40 mile rides twice a weekish when times is available. Any pointers on a decent starter bike?

[Joey Ramone]

At the £5-700 price point they are all much of a muchness. Tbe most important thing is to get one that fits properly. And I mean properly. That, above pretty much anything else. You can change tyres and wheels, but a new frame is a bit more of an issue

[MiseryStreak]

Well I was going to post something sensible but Joey's done that. So buy this:
https://www.canyon.com/_en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=3...

You know it makes sense.

[Barchettaman]

Joey Ramone said:

You can change tyres and wheels,

and saddles

[Fugazi]

The Triban 500 has just gone on sale in Decathlon for just under £400 and it's getting some great reviews. I bought one a couple of weeks ago and it's brilliant, okay it's not a £1000+ carbon job, but for a first bike to dip your toe into the water it's well worth it. I think you'd struggle to buy something as well spec'd for that price. Plus the first 1000 bikes have the Shimano Sora groupset but after that they will be supplied with the Claris groupset.

Good review of it here http://road.cc/content/news/113951-just-btwin-trib...

[Gruffy]

I picked up a Triban 3 from Decathlon at the start of May as a toe-dipping exercise (which has worked out well). I'm starting to put some bigger miles in now and feel like I could do with something a bit more comfortable for 3+ hours in the saddle on crappy UK roads. I'll be keeping the Triban for winter riding though.

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-3-road-bike-whit...

[Gruffy]

If you think you may be putting in longer rides then I would definitely go for the 500 Fugazi mentioned over the Triban 3 I linked to. The carbon fork would make a big difference to comfort and is well worth the extra cost.

[Fugazi]

If you only need a small frame then the old red Triban 3 is on offer for a ridiculously low price of £249, and that has the carbon fork. When I went to Decathlon a couple of weeks ago they had 7 or 8 of them but only in the smaller range of frame sizes.

[Black can man]

I have recently bought the Boardman carbon £999.99 jobie .

It really is a lovely bike ,If you can stretch to this you will not regret it .

If you join British cycling you also get £100.00 off , I'm not sure if Halfords are still doing the £60.00 discount save on line thing .

I paid £839.99 for a wonderful bike & it's certainly rekindled my appetite for cycling again.

[Gruffy]

Fugazi said:

If you only need a small frame then the old red Triban 3 is on offer for a ridiculously low price of £249, and that has the carbon fork. When I went to Decathlon a couple of weeks ago they had 7 or 8 of them but only in the smaller range of frame sizes.

Mrs Gruffy bought one of these and it's amazing for £249. I wish I hadn't bought the 'prettier white one' as the carbon fork would have been a bonus.

[TwistingMyMelon]

I'm still using a bike I got for S/h £400 to win or get close to Strava segments and do 200 mile rides, there are some great bargains out there. I've bought others since, but non that are as good all rounders

I'd be vary of Vikings, they look good to the untrained eyes, but they tend to be all mouth and no knickers