£500 road bike - any recommendations?

[MJC]

I'm looking to get a new road bike and I'll have a budget of around £500 (although I could go a little higher for the right bike).

Does anyone have any recommendations of what to get / what to avoid?

Many thanks.

 

[Spally]

there are so many variations to the answers here, it is nigh on impossible to recommend a bike that would suit you. Get yourself down to your local bike shop, or as i did, visit a few. Let them see you in person, explain your use, general toruing, sportives, racing etc and they will then be in a better position to recommend a bike to suit you.

One thing i would say you may need to stretch your budget to £600 for a decent bike, at least that is what i was told by variuos LBS's when i first started looking.

cheers

 

[slowmotion]

I don't have any personal experience of either, but these two bikes from Decathlon get rave reviews....

Red Triban 3 ...about £300
Black Triban 5...about £430

Search on those two names and you will get a lot of opinions.

Good luck

 

[Sillysimon10]

Try out what feels best...The most essential thing when getting a new bike, is that it fits you correctly and you're going to be comfortable!! The bike is only as good as the rider!!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I don't have any personal experience of either, but these two bikes from Decathlon get rave reviews....

Red Triban 3 ...about £300
Black Triban 5...about £430

Search on those two names and you will get a lot of opinions.

Good luck

and some decent wheels. Triban 5A £420 I think and some shimano R500/RS10's both sets can be had for under a hundred .

 

[vickster]

Or the white Triban with carbon fork and Sora gearing

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-5-road-bike-white-id_8167039.html

There aren't many roadbikes under £500. You could get a 2012 Defy 4 http://www.ashcycles.com/site/bikes/road/giant/defy-range-2012 which should be a good bike for the money, although it does have 2300 gearing with the thumb button that people either like or loath

£600 brings 2013 models from the main brands into play

OR £500 should get you a good barely used second hand roadbike

I would avoid Vikings and anything from Muddyfox

 

[sidevalve]

'pends how good you are at spotting a good bike. Lots and lots of super bikes around barely used [as said above] in the £800 - £1000 range [if you look carefully] now on sale by bored owners for the amount you want to spend. The wise words on trying a good few out is also true, get down to every bike shop in town [including Halfords] and try LOTS of bikes, then decide what you are after. I love my old Dawes with it's Brooks saddle but it probably wouldn't suit you even if it fitted, my pal rides a Bianchi but even though it's the right size for me I just can't get on with the thing, bootifull though it is. If the one you decide on happens to cost too much just find a good used one, you may be glad you did.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Or the white Triban with carbon fork and Sora gearing

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-5-road-bike-white-id_8167039.html

There aren't many roadbikes under £500. You could get a 2012 Defy 4 http://www.ashcycles.com/site/bikes/road/giant/defy-range-2012 which should be a good bike for the money, although it does have 2300 gearing with the thumb button that people either like or loath

£600 brings 2013 models from the main brands into play

OR £500 should get you a good barely used second hand roadbike

I would avoid Vikings and anything from Muddyfox

Nowt wrong with mine. Just needed some decent wheels.
Mind it has gone through some modifications since I re started in June, I got the bike in 2008, a Triple Torino with a 7sp Sora (thumb shifter).
I went to London on it in 2008, with a rack a panniers.
Can you please tell why you would avoid them.

 

[vickster]

Aren't they rather heavy at the buget end...with older or no name components and limited lbs support. I don't know of anywhere round here that sells them. Do they come with a proper frame warranty?

And I'm a bit of a brand snob I'd rather pay more for a well known company and with a £500 budget that is possible. To be fair I wouldn't buy a decathlon bike either but my budget for new has always been more

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Aren't they rather heavy at the buget end...with older or no name components and limited lbs support. I don't know of anywhere round here that sells them. Do they come with a proper frame warranty?

And I'm a bit of a brand snob I'd rather pay more for a well known company and with a £500 budget that is possible. To be fair I wouldn't buy a decathlon bike either but my budget for new has always been more

Yea it's little heavy, not weighed it since the new wheels but about 12Kg. (steel forks, I think, certain not carbon.)
I still manage to do a short sprint up a slight incline off a roundabout 0.1 miles in 8's according to strava, and I am 49 and been cycling (this time) since the end of June and have just covered 5,000 miles in that time. I am not particularly fast but my avg is creeping toward 15mph.
For reference I bought mine from Bill Hargreaves in Dewsbury.
We all don't have large budgets, and certainly not if the person doesn't continue, but it could be argued buy the wrong bike and they might not, also a branded name will sell better 2nd hand.

 

[camtheman]

I wouldn't discount looking at a Merida. My mate has a Ride Lite 88 and really likes it - and he does ride it hard several times a week so would find out if it had any weaknesses.

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Merida-Ride-Lite-88-2013-Road-Bike_61442.htm

The unusual thing about Ride Lite 88's is that they use SunRace shifters instead of Shimano 2300 at this price point. They are rebranded Microshift and I can tell you from personal experince that they work miles better than 2300s. They don't use the thumb buttons (use two paddles not unlike Di2!) and, very importantly, do not mis-shift. If you press the button and it clicks, it shifts. Every time. I put them on my winter hack to replace some Sora and they've had two winters of abuse with no malfunctions. You wouldn't be saying that about Shimano 2300 I promise you.

Also, you'll find the Ride Lites have a taller head tube than most which helps with the old back and neck if you're new to road bike geometry.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Specialized Trek GIANT and others have bikes in that range.

Anything equipped with Sora shifters, 2300STI is inferior but common at the price range.

 

[Sittingduck]

Triban 3 and a wheel upgrade

 

[Kies]

Triban 3 and a wheel upgrade

Just what i did with a pair of Shimano RS10's

 

[Cyclist33]

Triban 3 and a wheel upgrade

yeah theres a lot to be said for better wheels!