Best value bike for under £330

[Andrew Kozis]

Hey, my names Andrew, i'm new to this forum but have been looking to get into cycling for a while now and looking to do a London to Paris and back cycle next summer. I'm 5"8, 20 years old, and quite fit (if I say so myself! :P).

Anyway, the reason i'm posting is I need help with buying my first road bike (which will also be the bike I use for the Paris ride). I am a student so have little money to spend! Ideally under £300. So whats the best value road bike I can buy for this money? I have found a few good looking ones such as
1)http://www.amazon.co.uk/Viking-Tre-Valle-Gents-Road-Speed/dp/B007OTE8SA/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
2)http://www.rutlandcycling.com/42827/Coyote-Ronin-Gent-s-Road-Racing-Bike.html
3)http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...uctId_888023_langId_-1_categoryId_165710#tab2
4)http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-3-id_8167038.html#anchor_ComponentProductTechnicalInformation

But my knowledge on bikes is very limited so need some advice from people who know what they're talking about (other than those unhelpful people at Halfords!) Any suggestions would be welcomed.

Thank you !!

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

The Coyote looks surprisingly reasonable for the money but if it was my purchase I would be going for the Triban 3 which has to be the most raved about bike of the year.

Quite a few people have them on here and apart from some disliking the saddle, I have yet to read of any problems with them.

 

[cyberknight]

triban 3
All the other come with a cro-moly fork whereas the triban has a carbon fork mking it lighter and taking the sting out of road buzz

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Quite a few people have them on here and apart from some disliking the saddle, I have yet to read of any problems with them.

saddles are a bit of a personal choice, it took me ages to find one that suits my behind which ironically is not the one that most people go for so i would never assume the saddle on any bike is the one untill you have ridden it in .

 

[Andrew Kozis]

The Coyote looks surprisingly reasonable for the money but if it was my purchase I would be going for the Triban 3 which has to be the most raved about bike of the year.

Quite a few people have them on here and apart from some disliking the saddle, I have yet to read of any problems with them.

Thanks for the feedback! May I ask why?

 

[Cycleops]

I can't really comment on the Triban 3 but I know it has had a lot of good reviews here and elsewhere. Another avenue you could try would be secondhand, although if you dont know anything about bikes it may be a bit fraught. Bikes purchases are sometimes made on impulse and you can find almost unused examples, maybe a few years old but in good condition on places like ebay and preloved or even your local paper. You need to get the right size for you which in your case would be about 21 to 22 inch frame. Maybe use your local Halfords to check that out to see what you feel comfortable on. Don't be put off by age, bikes last well if stored properly. I have a very nice 20 year old bike, hardly used which runs perfectly. Good luck and don't forget to budget for a helmet.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Thanks for the feedback! May I ask why?

As Cyberknight says, the Triban 3 has a carbon fork, which makes it substantially lighter than the other ones (over 2kg lighter than the Viking) and the groupset appears to be a slightly better one than the others.

Add to that the recent excellent reviews it's been getting in the cycling press and it looks like you're onto a winner.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

triban 3
All the other come with a cro-moly fork

The descriptions show alloy or high-tensile steel. Not as good as cro-moly.

saddles are a bit of a personal choice, it took me ages to find one that suits my behind which ironically is not the one that most people go for so i would never assume the saddle on any bike is the one untill you have ridden it in .

Very much agree with this. I've gone for a Charge Spoon based on how many people love them & I don't like.

 

[HovR]

The Coyote looks surprisingly reasonable for the money but if it was my purchase I would be going for the Triban 3 which has to be the most raved about bike of the year.

I know someone who bought a "Coyote Route 66", which I would far from recommend. Things just keep on going wrong on that bike.

Another vote for the Triban, and a word of caution against the Coyote!

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I know someone who bought a "Coyote Route 66", which I would far from recommend. Things just keep on going wrong on that bike.

I suspected there might be a catch with that one.

 

[Robwiz]

+1 for Triban 3. It's a bargain for the money. I know several people who have bought them and love them. Decathlon also have a good customer satisfaction policy and appear to stand behind their warranty.

Do a forum search for posts on your topic. Lots of advice about fit, pro's and con's of buying second hand, etc. It's all been said before. Here's a recent example

 

[defy-one]

Buy the T3 a couple of months before your paris trip. Gives you and the bike some time to get acquainted. Cables can stretch,brakes can bed in. Then get the bike serviced by Decathlon or local lbs.
Ask them to take the wheel hubs out and grease properly as some owners have reported issues, i havn't had any issues with mine.
Put some decent tyres on as the stock B'twin rubber is okay but nothing special....... and your good for Paris

 

[cyberknight]

The descriptions show alloy or high-tensile steel. Not as good as cro-moly.
Very much agree with this. I've gone for a Charge Spoon based on how many people love them & I don't like.

Re the fork , even better and will teach me to skim read product info
I am the same with the spoon and i really get on with the fizik clones that boardman bikes use.

 

[Robeh]

i have a Viking fixie and it,s a reasonable bike,however i would say the Triban is the best value for money...

 

[Andrew Kozis]

I guess the answer to my question is undoubtedly the Triban 3! Although probably less aesthetically pleasing, it's clear that its miles ahead of the rest when it comes to quality and value. Thanks for all your feedback! I'll probably be putting in an order soon