Looking To Start Cycling...
Discussion
Looking for a bit of advice guys. Looking at getting in to cycling for a bit of fun, not going to take it to seriously so don't really have a big budget got about £400 but the cheaper the better.
Have been looking at : www.decathlon.co.uk/btwin-triban-300-road-bike-id_... seems to get really good reviews.
Don't have a clue about cycling but from what I understand a road bike can't really be taken off road, so have started looking in to cyclocross as a sort of 'master of all trades' because I want a bike that will go anywhere (within reason). But there are no bikes even close to my budget. Is it possible to fit bigger/wider wheels on a road bike to make it more versatile?
Sorry if this is a stupid question but have just started looking into getting a bike and not 100% sure what I want
Not bothered about new or second hand, what can i get for my £300-400?
Have been looking at : www.decathlon.co.uk/btwin-triban-300-road-bike-id_... seems to get really good reviews.
Don't have a clue about cycling but from what I understand a road bike can't really be taken off road, so have started looking in to cyclocross as a sort of 'master of all trades' because I want a bike that will go anywhere (within reason). But there are no bikes even close to my budget. Is it possible to fit bigger/wider wheels on a road bike to make it more versatile?
Sorry if this is a stupid question but have just started looking into getting a bike and not 100% sure what I want
Not bothered about new or second hand, what can i get for my £300-400?
The red Triban 3 is widely agreed to be the best road bike for £300.
You're right though - it's not designed for anything other than tarmac use. You may get away with light trail use - I did some canal towpaths on my Cannondale - but you're seriously risking punctures and if you're not careful you might even break the wheel rims (or the frame/fork, but that's far less likely). You may be able to fit wider tyres, maybe up to 700x28 but you'll find tyre clearance will be limited.
CX bikes will go anywhere. But they basically have road gearing, because in a CX race riders will simply get off an run the steepest/slipperiest bits. Cheapest decent one is the Boardman CX Comp - £599 and you can get £20% off that pretty easily.
If you really want to be going 'anywhere' - mud, rocks, steephills off road, dropoffs, etc - you need a mountain bike. Far lower gearing, big tyres.
You're right though - it's not designed for anything other than tarmac use. You may get away with light trail use - I did some canal towpaths on my Cannondale - but you're seriously risking punctures and if you're not careful you might even break the wheel rims (or the frame/fork, but that's far less likely). You may be able to fit wider tyres, maybe up to 700x28 but you'll find tyre clearance will be limited.
CX bikes will go anywhere. But they basically have road gearing, because in a CX race riders will simply get off an run the steepest/slipperiest bits. Cheapest decent one is the Boardman CX Comp - £599 and you can get £20% off that pretty easily.
If you really want to be going 'anywhere' - mud, rocks, steephills off road, dropoffs, etc - you need a mountain bike. Far lower gearing, big tyres.
As above but more bluntly:
Road bike - goes on roads, wont be pretty on tow paths
Mountain bike - goes anywhere, weighs a ton and would be a slug on road
Cyclocross - flawed compromise, slower than a road bike on the road, capable on tow paths or mild off road sections only
I have posh road bike, nice MTB and a crosser too
Strangely my crosser is my favourite bike
There's no need to dive in with all (financial) guns blazing. You should be able to find a decent old hybrid for under £100 or something very nice and not old for under £300. I sold a clean Marin Redwood to a guy in our club for £85 and he's chuffed to bits with it. Hybrids mostly have 700c wheels like road bikes but they'll have wider tyres like CX bikes with a more relaxed upright geometry so you wont be bent over double (sounds like you wont be used to that just yet). When I sold it and bought a full on road bike I certainly wasn't blown away by the increase in speed, or the fact that I had to get the bike fitted to me before I could be comfortable. I was also not impressed by the fact that I've had about 6 roadside punctures in the last year than I've ever had in my life (mostly MTB and a tourer when I was at college). Thats 23mm road tyres though.
Have a google at Marin Muirwoods, Specialized Sirrus, Cannondale Quick, Boardman Hybrid. I imagine most newbies will be able to hop onto those and get moving quite happily and with 30+mm tyres you'll be safe from too many punctures.
If you want to go faster on drop bars then perhaps consider a touring bike. These have nearly as much clearance as hybrids but a more road bike like stance?
CX bikes are certainly worth a look too. I love mine but the mrs (who used to ride the hybrid) now struggles on the CX as its so much more lively. I on the other hand like to race CX so its great!
Have a google at Marin Muirwoods, Specialized Sirrus, Cannondale Quick, Boardman Hybrid. I imagine most newbies will be able to hop onto those and get moving quite happily and with 30+mm tyres you'll be safe from too many punctures.
If you want to go faster on drop bars then perhaps consider a touring bike. These have nearly as much clearance as hybrids but a more road bike like stance?
CX bikes are certainly worth a look too. I love mine but the mrs (who used to ride the hybrid) now struggles on the CX as its so much more lively. I on the other hand like to race CX so its great!
Edited by Bobley on Sunday 16th February 23:10
I've taken my road bikes over all sorts of terrain that would make some people wince. They are fairly tough things. You need to be sensible and unweight the wheels if you see an obstacle but on the whole, they are more than capable of surviving tow paths and unsealed surfaces like cycle paths/old railway lines.
The cheaper road bikes with more spokes in the wheels are even better. I've ridden the smoother parts of the Ridgeway in Wiltshire on my Boardman roadie and it was great fun. Just ride at a sensible pace, keep an eye out for obstacles and a entry level road bike will do a lot of what a similar priced cyclocross bike is intended for, especially if the roadie is fitted with 25mm tyres.
The cheaper road bikes with more spokes in the wheels are even better. I've ridden the smoother parts of the Ridgeway in Wiltshire on my Boardman roadie and it was great fun. Just ride at a sensible pace, keep an eye out for obstacles and a entry level road bike will do a lot of what a similar priced cyclocross bike is intended for, especially if the roadie is fitted with 25mm tyres.
Cheers for all of the advice guys will look into all the bikes suggested!
Am not looking at breaking any speed records etc, just wanting to get into it to get a bit more health etc. My problem was that I don't want and all out road bike, because if road riding is all I could do then I know I would get bored to fast of it
So think that a CX or hybrid bike is that way to go for me just now anyway.
Anyone got any good sites for second hand bikes apart from eBay and gumtree?
will look into all the bikes suggested!Am not looking at breaking any speed records etc, just wanting to get into it to get a bit more health etc. My problem was that I don't want and all out road bike, because if road riding is all I could do then I know I would get bored to fast of it
So think that a CX or hybrid bike is that way to go for me just now anyway.
Anyone got any good sites for second hand bikes apart from eBay and gumtree?
I bought a Carrera Subway Hybrid as an intro into the cycling world, its my daily commuter and its spot on on the road or tracks,towpaths etc
I've since bought an out and out roadbike too but as Im not used to the roady yet and the Subways on more road orientated tyres (Schwalbe citijets,highly recommended) theres not much difference in the speed at all.
Subways are easily under your budget as theyre always reduced at Halfords
I've since bought an out and out roadbike too but as Im not used to the roady yet and the Subways on more road orientated tyres (Schwalbe citijets,highly recommended) theres not much difference in the speed at all.
Subways are easily under your budget as theyre always reduced at Halfords
numtumfutunch said:
Strangely my crosser is my favourite bike
Ditto here :-) I dug my pro-carbon out for an event on sunday and was strangely disappointed in it after all winter on my cx.
Everything that's been said so far is spot on.... Regardless of which way you go please take the advice on board!
I'd say "get a cx bike" but they are likely to be a little out of budget for something worth having.
pablo said:
I've taken my road bikes over all sorts of terrain that would make some people wince. They are fairly tough things. You need to be sensible and unweight the wheels if you see an obstacle but on the whole, they are more than capable of surviving tow paths and unsealed surfaces like cycle paths/old railway lines.
The cheaper road bikes with more spokes in the wheels are even better. I've ridden the smoother parts of the Ridgeway in Wiltshire on my Boardman roadie and it was great fun. Just ride at a sensible pace, keep an eye out for obstacles and a entry level road bike will do a lot of what a similar priced cyclocross bike is intended for, especially if the roadie is fitted with 25mm tyres.
Playing the "left-right game" led me up this By-way on my road bike. It rode OK for the first half, but turned swiftly into a mire toward the end. But it was too late to turn back as I could see the exit onto tarmac again, so I rode on regardless. It wasn't pleasant, and I was grateful for some deep puddles on the road after it, in which to wash the mud off my wheels, but the bike was sound through all of it. As pablo says - They're tougher than some folk give them credit for...The cheaper road bikes with more spokes in the wheels are even better. I've ridden the smoother parts of the Ridgeway in Wiltshire on my Boardman roadie and it was great fun. Just ride at a sensible pace, keep an eye out for obstacles and a entry level road bike will do a lot of what a similar priced cyclocross bike is intended for, especially if the roadie is fitted with 25mm tyres.
Cheers for the advice again guys
Have been looking into second hand bikes this evening, and came across a GT GTR Series 3 2010 for £150 which is quite tempting! Only thing that's stopping me is that it has 25mm wheels/tyres. But at £150 even if I dont get along with it I must be able to break even or lose very little!
Have been looking into second hand bikes this evening, and came across a GT GTR Series 3 2010 for £150 which is quite tempting! Only thing that's stopping me is that it has 25mm wheels/tyres. But at £150 even if I dont get along with it I must be able to break even or lose very little!
Whatever you buy now, you'll want to upgrade once you get the bug. And you WILL get the bug, I promise. So pick something, get it bought, and get out there... then come back in a few months with a "What Bike for £1000?" thread when you've man-maths'd yourself into believing that you need to upgrade!
Wise said:
Cheers for the advice again guys
Have been looking into second hand bikes this evening, and came across a GT GTR Series 3 2010 for £150 which is quite tempting! Only thing that's stopping me is that it has 25mm wheels/tyres. But at £150 even if I dont get along with it I must be able to break even or lose very little!
25c tyres on a road bike aren't a bad thing. I prefer them, just as fast as the 23c tyres and more comfy.Have been looking into second hand bikes this evening, and came across a GT GTR Series 3 2010 for £150 which is quite tempting! Only thing that's stopping me is that it has 25mm wheels/tyres. But at £150 even if I dont get along with it I must be able to break even or lose very little!
There's a huge debate on that topic but the 25c posse seems to be growing :-)
Don't let that put you off.
Well to be honest I could afford £1000 bike just don't want to spend that much on one. And find out I can't get into it and loss £££.
The 25c wheels were putting me off as I think they could be a bit skinny for what am looking to do on the bike. But at £150 it's going to be worth a try?
The 25c wheels were putting me off as I think they could be a bit skinny for what am looking to do on the bike. But at £150 it's going to be worth a try?
Something like this seems a sensible buy for your money. Not a road bike, not a hybrid, not a mountain bike. Just something you could ride somewhere and enjoy:
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m9b0s18p5215/CANNONDA...
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m9b0s18p5215/CANNONDA...
Wise said:
Well to be honest I could afford £1000 bike just don't want to spend that much on one. And find out I can't get into it and loss £££.
The 25c wheels were putting me off as I think they could be a bit skinny for what am looking to do on the bike. But at £150 it's going to be worth a try?
At £150 even if you decide you don't get on with it, you aren't going to lose any money on it. Go give it a try The 25c wheels were putting me off as I think they could be a bit skinny for what am looking to do on the bike. But at £150 it's going to be worth a try?
Road bikes are much better "Off Road" than people give them credit for, you dont need a full Suspension MTB for the off Bridal path, tow path or unmade road. Ok, for proper "Off Road" with boulders, rocks, steep descents etc you need an MTB but a Road Bike doesnt fall apart at the first hint of what most people assume is "Off Road", in fact most people go to the park on the Full Bouncer they buy or leave it in the garage when they ride it on road being that it weighs getting on for 40 pounds and saps all you energy trying to compress the rear suspension rather than going forward. You can get "Endurance" Road bikes as well, I am due to collect my Trek Domane 4.0 tomorrow to replace a Specialized Allez Elite, comfier for long rides and gives little away in performance, some road bikes can feel a bit nervous if really racy geometry.
Full suss MTB's are fantasic, some downhill ones are basically a Moto X bike without an engine, they dont make sense anywhere but on a mountain, cheap ones are generally horrific anywhere and you need 2 grand plus to get a good one.
Hardtail MTBs are more use on road, especially with slick tyres but a lot slower and less efficient than a road bike, I am on mine over winter and I am a fair bit slower but it is very comfy and soaks up potholes.
Hybrids can vary from a more MTB style (I have a Cannondale Bad Boy which is) to road bikes with flat bars, I find mine a bit stiff for longer rides and it has 700c skinny wheels so its a bit of a weird thing.
My son has a Carrera Subway 2 which is a Hybrid, its more like an early, rigid MTB in having 26 inch wheels and no suspension, it makes an excellent starter bike, not too expensive, decent quality, comfy and not overly complex or heavy, they seem to sell well secondhand so easy to move on when you decide what to get next.
but make sure you ride anything you are considering and get the right size, try a few, I have just gone from a 58 to a 56 as after 4 years of 58 I realised the 56 was comfier, being six foot bang on I straddle two sizes.
Full suss MTB's are fantasic, some downhill ones are basically a Moto X bike without an engine, they dont make sense anywhere but on a mountain, cheap ones are generally horrific anywhere and you need 2 grand plus to get a good one.
Hardtail MTBs are more use on road, especially with slick tyres but a lot slower and less efficient than a road bike, I am on mine over winter and I am a fair bit slower but it is very comfy and soaks up potholes.
Hybrids can vary from a more MTB style (I have a Cannondale Bad Boy which is) to road bikes with flat bars, I find mine a bit stiff for longer rides and it has 700c skinny wheels so its a bit of a weird thing.
My son has a Carrera Subway 2 which is a Hybrid, its more like an early, rigid MTB in having 26 inch wheels and no suspension, it makes an excellent starter bike, not too expensive, decent quality, comfy and not overly complex or heavy, they seem to sell well secondhand so easy to move on when you decide what to get next.
but make sure you ride anything you are considering and get the right size, try a few, I have just gone from a 58 to a 56 as after 4 years of 58 I realised the 56 was comfier, being six foot bang on I straddle two sizes.
Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff