Buying a Road bike.......Where to start (cycle to work scheme)

[Alie-Barnes]

Hi.
I'm looking to get a road bike from the cycle to work scheme through my employer, they offer a number of different bikes and i would appreciate advice on different options.

The idea is to commute to work and also go out cycling at the weekend, the preference being riding at weekend so would be aiming for that use specifically.

These are the brands that are on offer (attached) i have no experience with road bikes so any input into which brands to look at please and which to avoid and also any specific bikes under that brand as well, budget is max £1200

Thanks for your help.

 

[vickster]

Can you get to a few shops to sit on some and see what fits and floats your boat?
Those are all decent brands, some won't be in budget, Liv are female specific (from Giant) so may or may not be suitable.
At this time of year, you might find some deals and thus a better spec for your budget (assuming your C2W supplier / retailers accept the vouchers on reduced stock)

 

[Dadam]

I'm not going to advise on brands but I'd say make sure your chosen bike can take proper mudguards if you're commuting year round. In other words has the frame got the attachment points? I bought an e-road bike on the C2W but I made the mistake of not researching fully. I had researched the model I wanted (Orbea Gain) and it had them, but it was based on the outgoing model, and the new model no longer had them. I failed to pick this up and when I came to purchase the bike only the new model bikes were available.

Also consider what you need to carry. If you'll need a rack and panniers or will be using a backpack.

Definitely try to sit on one, and preferably ride one a bit. Have you ridden drop bars before? I hadn't but at least was able to ride the bike round the shop car park for a few minutes so I knew I was ok with them. If you can find a bricks and mortar shop that will let you do an extended test ride that would be even better.

I've since realised while I do like drop bars for leisure rides, I do slightly prefer flat bars for commuting. This is very much about personal preference though.

 

[PaulSB]

Start with a bike fit, even if it's a very basic one.

 

[All uphill]

I think there are two areas you need to consider:

Will it do what you want and need?
Consider gearing, mudguards, carrying capacity, comfort, security

And

Do you like the way it looks and the way you feel on it?
You'll be much more likely to ride a bike that looks good to you and feels good to ride.

I have a very personal preference for Marin bikes, so one of them would be my choice.

I get a "me too" vibe from Trek and Specialized, so they would be out for me.

It's personal.

 

[Jameshow]

You'll get a better equipped bike from a non brand than from a branded make with a few like Marin in the middle.

Do you want endurance or race geometry? How old and how flexible are you.

Where are you riding?

 

[Mr.B-Campag]

Decathlon make nice bikes and are probably the best value out there imo. Something like this should work nicely:

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/endur...gra-2x10-speed-ncr-af-grey/336600/c76m8668510

 

[MichaelW2]

How tall are you?
How hilly is your ride?
A modern do-it-all road bike should have sufficient tyre clearance for mudguards and your thickest tyres, rack and mudguard standard threaded eyelets, disk brakes, and gears low enough for your use.
Frame brand is not so important, they all use components from the same few companies and most good frames are made in the same handful of big Taiwanese factories. More important is the skill and support offered by your local bike shop

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Before anyone can give proper advise they need more information

such as length of the ride and what the roads are like
riding 5 miles on a lovely flat cycle path is a lot different to riding 20 miles each way on tarmac that the local authority has ignored for years!

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Avoid suspension of any kind, decide if you want drops or flats, don't BS yourself about wanting to go mountain biking with it on weekends because you wont, get something with a 32-ish tyre width, realise that the number of gears are totally irrelevant, consider a belt drive if you can, and then follow above advice re size, mudguards etc.

 

[DCLane]

Like others have put - what fits you best should be a preference. Try a few.

What type of riding are you planning? Flat / hilly / road-only / mixed terrain? That should dictate quite a lot in terms of choice.

Re. mudguards - clip-on mudguards are fine if you're mainly looking for non-commuting use. That way you can take them off easily in the summer.

Lots of options there. Specialized / Merida are usually quite similar, Genesis / Whyte are a bit heavier and larger for size specified, Cube / Bergamont may not be available easily in the UK.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Oh - just thought

Make sure you know where you will be leaving it while you are at work
and make sure it is secure
and get a damn good lock as well - Sold Secure Gold or above
and insure it - and check the exact requirement of the insurance for theft claims - they may well specify a specific category of lock so you need to have that - and proof that you have it
and that will not be a cheap one from Tesco!!!

and if you get one with a cable - be aware, the cable will not be the same category as the lock - the bike need to be lock to the secure thing using the actual lock

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

As stated, go and sit on a few bikes and see what feels right. Don't worry too much about a first bike, as long as it is comfortable, gearing is correct and you like the look of it, you will enjoy it.

This rarely gets mentioned when people buy bikes, but it should be fun to ride. If you get the right bike you will want to ride it. Get the wrong bike and it will put you off cycling. How to find the 'right' bike though is usually lots of trial and error.