Budget (First) Road Bike

[wheres_my_beard]

Is this any good? >> http://www.halfords....10#BVRRWidgetID

Or is there anything of a similar price that is better value?

It will be primarily for long country rides at a gentle pace.

I do know I'm not going to get a fantastic cycle for this money, but then I'm not a fantastic cyclist.

 

[vickster]

The Decathlon bikes are well regarded for offering value for money http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-3-id_8167038.html... this one is cheaper and has a carbon fork. Decathlon are also better at setting up bikes...I guess Lakeside is the nearest store to you

 

[okeydokey79]

I brought the tdf about 4weeks ago and can not fault it, my 1st road bike so didnt want spend 2much incase i didnt like the change from mtb to road,got mine 4 £270 wen there was an extra 20% off use it mainly 4 commuting bout 16 miles round trip 3 times a week, but have also done a 30 and 40 mile ride on it, i dont ride up a lot big hills, but if u do it is hard work because of the gearing 52-39 ,imho i love it and cant wait 2get on it again, but havnt got much experience to compare with anything else roady .

 

[wheres_my_beard]

@Vickster. Thanks for the link, the B'twin looks great, and comes in at over a kilo lighter than the TDF, which is nice.

I've been fixed or singlespeed for 18 months now, so I'm not sure what I'll do with 24 gears! Saying that, a 3 speed would probably take some adjusting to as well (for me at least).

I'm probably going down to the big smoke in a few weeks so may stop by at the Surrey Keys shop as we are going to be visiting Bobbins Cycles which isn't too far away.

@okeydokey79. I'm going to take a look at the Halfords offerings at see what they are like in real life. Unless it is obviously a nasty BSO, I find it hard to tell the quality difference between regular bikes (unless that are loaded up with fancy pants/ unusual components). But with most things, the devil is in the detail I suppose.

I've had a Carerra (Subway 2) before and found the build quality to be great, and the general standard of the components was more than adequate for my riding at that time. It's been converted to a singlespeed now but remains pretty much IED proof.

 

[Herzog]

If you've got the time and patience, you could probably pick up something better second hand. Perhaps after christmas when people are selling unwanted presents...

 

[Alembicbassman]

Had bikes from Halfords and Decathlon. No contest Decathlon wins hands down

I ended up paying to fix the Halfords bike myself as the store staff were useless, claimed my costs back through their head office.

Decathlon bike was set-up correctly and they offered a discount on accessories. They have a loyalty card to where you can get money off vouchers.

 

[PoweredByVeg]

Saw this and thought of you, HERE , If you're not too averse to s/hand it's the sort of thing that's out there.

Of course, the usual caveats apply with anything second hand

 

[cyberknight]

Had a tdf , pound for pound go for the decathlon...........

 

[col]

That tdf has very similar looks to the virtuoso, which Iv had a couple of years now and very happy with it. Its a shame some halfords stores have staff who are not up to the job, as I think carrera is actually not a bad option really.

 

[woollywheelie]

Hi beard, in the past I have picked up some fantastic bargains off ebay, below are three well known brand bikes for around the price of the Halfords bike and it took less than five minutes to find them. To put it perspective I picked up a handbuilt steel Dave Yates all dura ace and ultegra for under £500. All the components were older but becasue they were 'top of the range' in their day are still going strong and smooth. So, my point is, you can get a whole lot more for your money if you do a little research and shop around a little and go second hand. I also found a 2000(ish) steel Geoffrey Butler for my girlfriend, semi compact decked out with campag veloce...for the same money as the halfords bike. Perfect for longer rides at a steady clip but still able to put out the pace. Also think about details like braze ons for mudguards and panniers, if an alu frame then carbon forks and seatpost is a bonus to take out the road buzz. Get a good frame the components can always be upgraded over time.

Giant Defy

GT

Trek