Beginner after some advice

[scubarnsta]

Hi,
I am a keen mtb rider, but i would like to get myself a road bike that i could could do some long distance rides ie 100miles/day. I have been looking at ebay and in the classifieds section here, but the choice seems to be so varied.
I have been looking for triples rather than doubles as i live in a hilly area and want this first bike to be relatively easy.
I have about 300 to spend, which i know limits things, but if anyone could help with advice on which bike might suit me and if anyone has one they are selling i'd be grateful.
Im 5'11 32" inside leg.

Thanks for any help

 

[Moodyman]

Scuba - I presume you've done some road miles on your MTB.

Best thing to do is to list all the good things about your MTB and all the things you'd like to change.

Once you have a list of things that you'd like, then go find a selection of bikes and test ride them for feel & fitting.

It's okay for people to recommend this bike or that brand, but what works for them may not work for you.

I went through this filtering process for about 4 months and have no reservations about my new commuting bike (Charger Mixer).

There are too many variables to list, but here's a few things to consider - frame material, wheel size, gear range, brake types, saddle, rack/mudguard compatability.

Also ask yourself what type of riding you will do - commuting / leisure / touring / short distance/ long distance / all weather / fair weather/ what is your local terrain like/what is your terrain where you want to ride?

Once you can answer these you will have a clearer idea of what to look for. Otherwise bikes are mind-boggling.

 

[Crankarm]

Can't disagree with Moodyman's post.

100 mile rides ................... how much MTBing do you do? Do you race for a team? I ask as expecting to buy a road bike and then do 100 mile rides straight off if you have little cycling experience is a bit pie in sky.

I would do as MM suggests then find a decent LBS, find out the ideal bike size and riding position for you then road test some bikes. Buying blind on Ebay is a bad move especially if you have NO IDEA what you are buying or whether a bicycle will indeed fit . Most bikes sold on Ebay are stolen anyway. If you know exactly what you are doing fine otherwise it is a sure way to waste or lose £300. Caveat Emptor - Buyer Beware.

I'm just trying to point you in the right direction so that you buy a bike that is right for you, fits and is nice to ride. This way you are unlikely to end up disappointed.

Have you thought of fitting slick tyres to your current MTB and upgrading components on this which can be a cheap way to get a taste of road riding?

 

[on the road]

Hi,
I am a keen mtb rider, but i would like to get myself a road bike that i could could do some long distance rides ie 100miles/day. I have been looking at ebay and in the classifieds section here, but the choice seems to be so varied.
I have been looking for triples rather than doubles as i live in a hilly area and want this first bike to be relatively easy.
I have about 300 to spend, which i know limits things, but if anyone could help with advice on which bike might suit me and if anyone has one they are selling i'd be grateful.
Im 5'11 32" inside leg.

Thanks for any help

When you say doing rides of 100miles/day, do you mean doing 100 miles just in one day or doing 100 miles per day? Because doing 100 miles in one day is no mean feat, but doing 100 miles per day would be next to impossible, especially for someone who's not used to road bikes.

 

[scubarnsta]

Thanks for the advice. I currently do alot of road riding on my MTb. I don't plan to do 100 miles per day as in a tour. But I'd like to do 100 miles in a day. I have done 70/60 mile rides on by mtb but it is slow and heavy, which is my understanding of why I should buy a road bike.
I would also hope that a road bike being that bit faster should give me more scope in range during a reasonable days ride.
I don't want to sound nieve about this, so if I have road end of the stick let me know.
Ta

 

[Norm]

I reckon that doing 70 miles on an MTB will set you up well for 100 on a road bike.

 

[ASC1951]

With a budget of £300 you are really best with secondhand, otherwise you are likely to end up with something not much more suitable than your existing MTB with slicks. That's not a bad thing TBH, since you don't want to be throwing a huge amount of cash at road riding before you know whether you like it. The Classifieds on here will probably turn up something if you give it a few weeks.

Even if you get new, but particularly if you go S/H, you need to know what fits you and suits you. That's the difficult bit, so look at a few sizing websites and try as many bikes as you can.

 

[scubarnsta]

From looking at eBay and the different sizes it would seem that I suit a 58cm frame tho maybe getting away with a 56cm. I will try some bikes out as you say and see what I like. From reviews I've read the giant scr3 seems like it might suit me and they seem to e in my price range. Something i domt understand is the vintage bikes that are around. They seem to go for £200 despite being 25 years old. Are they better than current bikes. I thought that modern materials and equipment would make these bikes outdated? Sorry if I offend vintage riders.

 

[swee'pea99]

Speaking as a vintage rider, these old bikes are usually very well made from high quality steel with good components.Given your budget, size and needs, I'd go for one. As a starter, choose a 23" frame and look for 531 Reynolds tubing and you won't go far wrong. Names to look out for include Holdsworth, Claude Butler, Dawes. Peugeot & Raleigh made some good bikes too, but they also made some clunkers, so be a bit more careful. If you get 531 tho' you'll be ok. I wouldn't worry too much about 'trying out lots' - it's not a realistic option, and it's unnecessary. And I certainly wouldn't worry about ebay bikes being stolen - there doubtless are stolen bikes on ebay, but they're a tiny minority, and certainly anything along the lines I've described above is exceedingly unlikely to have been nicked. Good luck!

 

[ColinJ]

From looking at eBay and the different sizes it would seem that I suit a 58cm frame tho maybe getting away with a 56cm. I will try some bikes out as you say and see what I like. From reviews I've read the giant scr3 seems like it might suit me and they seem to e in my price range. Something i domt understand is the vintage bikes that are around. They seem to go for £200 despite being 25 years old. Are they better than current bikes. I thought that modern materials and equipment would make these bikes outdated? Sorry if I offend vintage riders.

I'm 6' 1" and ride a 58 cm bike. I can get away with a 60 cm if I use a short stem. I can also get away with a 56 cm with a long stem but have to have the saddle a bit high relative to the bars. I'd say that you are more likely to fit a 56 cm bike but obviously it depends on your particular leg length, torso length and arm length.

I think vintage bikes going for high prices is about some people liking old things and collecting them. I personally don't see the appeal. I wouldn't swap my Dell laptop for a BBC micro or Sinclair ZX Spectrum and I wouldn't want a 30 year old bike in place of my Cannondale. Each to his or her own I suppose.

If you can do 70 miles on a MTB (presumably with big knobbly tyres?) then 100 miles on a road bike will seem easy. I rode my MTB 16 miles to a bike shop to order my road bike. The 32 mile round trip felt the equivalent of about 75 miles on the road bike when I got it.

As for the new bike - check out what Ashtrayhead is selling in this thread. I reckon the 56 cm Felt bike might be just right for you.

 

[scubarnsta]

I had a look and have pm'd him several times but havnt heard back. I like the look of the felt z80. I'm guessing they have probably gone. I have just found a bianchi bike sold with receipts for 180. It has ultegra gears etc 27 gears. This seems cheap for such an high priced bike. I thought it was stolen at first but he has the receipt. Not sure

 

[ColinJ]

I had a look and have pm'd him several times but havnt heard back. I like the look of the felt z80. I'm guessing they have probably gone. I have just found a bianchi bike sold with receipts for 180. It has ultegra gears etc 27 gears. This seems cheap for such an high priced bike. I thought it was stolen at first but he has the receipt. Not sure

Perhaps he stole the receipt too!

If that's an honest sale and there isn't some hidden problem like a crack in the frame then it sounds like a bargain!

I didn't like Sora much (as per the Giant) when I had it on one of my bikes. Ultegra would be much nicer.

 

[swee'pea99]

I wouldn't swap my Dell laptop for a BBC micro or Sinclair ZX Spectrum and I wouldn't want a 30 year old bike in place of my Cannondale. Each to his or her own I suppose.

Very silly analogy. To suggest there's any comparison between the development of IT and of bikes over the last 20 years is just daft. Obviously IT has got immeasurably better, by every criterion that matters. Not true of bikes by a long chalk. My 20 year old 653 framed fixie chews up modern Cannondales and spits 'em out on a daily basis.

One important point - there is one major difference between modern and 20 year old bikes when it comes to sizing: horizontal top tube v angled. When I suggested 23" for your inside leg, I was specifically referring to the kind of bike I was talking about - a horizontal top tube type. For modern slopey-tubed bikes, the sizing is entirely different.

 

[scubarnsta]

Sorry for repeating myself.
I guess that the modern materials such as carbon forks and lighter alloys make the main difference. Does the make and model of gearing have so much effect on them. Surely they are all designed for the same function. Is it a durability issue?
As for the bianchi I found it is a medium at 54cm and this I think would be too small. Shame tho.

 

[scubarnsta]

How would I check for a crack in the frame?