Buying first road bike, but not sure where to start.

[ClunckyGears]

Hi all, as the title suggest, I would like a little help on what to buy as a first road bike. A friend and I are going to be participating in the London to Brighton charity bike ride this year and they recommend using a road bike. If all goes well, we are hoping to do Prudential London another time. I have a mountain bike currently. So really, could you recommend a good quality road bike for a beginner? Or point out what to look for when buying a road bike? I am completely clueless I'm afraid!

Thanks!

 

[vickster]

Budget? This will really enable you to start shortlisting
As an example, you'd do worse than start with a Giant Defy (or Contend) / Avail (if you are female), you can often get the previous year's model for a decent discount. This goes for lots of other models too

Whereabouts are you located? As a beginner, in order to get the right size and aftersales support, you'd be best off buying from a local bike shop rather than trying to seek out a 'bargain' online

Used is also an option of course (naturally taking precautions to check it's not stolen)

Are you planning on using the bike again for commuting or in all weathers or even touring, if so one that takes proper mudguards and a pannier rack might be better, even disc brakes, or something more like a gravel/adventure bike rather than a pure skinny tyred road bike

There's nothing to stop you doing L2B on a mountain bike of course (a friend of mine did on a £150 Apollo one from Halfords)

 

[biggs682]

@ClunckyGears welcome to Cycle Chat
If you are local to Northamptonshire feel free to pop in and try a couple of my various retro and more modern road bikes to see if you like riding a road bike before splashing your cash .
What is your budget ?
How tall are you ?
Where are you located ?

 

[Drago]

Just slap road tyres on your MTB. That will do the L2B admirably.

If you definitely must have a road bike, you've 4 broad categories:

Adventure bikes, essentially house trained cyclocross bikes that can handle rough stuff and road. A fair Jack ff all trades.

Touring bike.

Sportive bike - a road bike with slightly greater tyre clearances to allow the fitting of mudguards, bosses for mudguards and the like.

Road bikes.

The above is an over simplification, there being several further sub categories of each, but it should give you an idea where to start steering your thoughts. Obviously your budget is also an important consideration. However, if you're just using it for the odd charity jaunt I'd simply slap road rubber on the MTB (unless it's a long travel full squidger).

 

[Venod]

Its a simple thing but for a first road bike I recommend mudguard clearance and proper mounting points for the guards, it won't make a lot of difference to how the bike rides, but if you want to fit guards it makes life easier, lots of people buy road bikes with little clearance then bodge fitting guards.

I find some of the cycle cross frames with mudguard eyes make good road bikes.

For a more relaxed frame try a so called Adventure style bike.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Just slap road tyres on your MTB. That will do the L2B admirably..

I'd agree but only if it's an old-school 26" MTB with rigid forks. In which case whack on a pair of Schwalbe Marathons and get riding. If it's something with suspension at either end - forget it. Too much extra weight and too much energy loss. There's a very good reason why long-distance bikes don't have any form of suspension beyond the air in the tyres.
I wouldn't attempt to ride to Brighton on a bike without full mudguards either. If it rains, you'll get drenched. You can't just turn round and abandon the ride and go down the pub instead, like you can if out for a weekend jaunt in the vicinity of home and it rains unexpectedly.

 

[vickster]

As said, a friend of mine happily did L2B on an Apollo MTB with suspension. It’s not a racy sportive for most, but for many a bimble charity challenge for people who don’t ride much

 

[Drago]

It is easy. I know a gent that does it annually on an early Nineties Marin Bear Valley and doesn't ride at all the other 364 days of the year. No training or even riding at all.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

a friend of mine happily did L2B on an Apollo MTB with suspension.

Best of British luck to them! I won't even ride a suspension MTB down to the shops. Horrid energy-sapping things. When I find them dumped, all I do is salvage the wheels and any useful mechanicals off them. The frames go straight back whence they came!

 

[vickster]

Best of British luck to them! I won't even ride a suspension MTB down to the shops. Horrid energy-sapping things. When I find them dumped, all I do is salvage the wheels and any useful mechanicals off them. The frames go straight back whence they came!

She did it a fair few years ago...knowing her probably without air in the tyres or oil on the chain She’s got a bit better now she has a roadbike

 

[I like Skol]

A 'roadbike' comes in many shapes and forms, as you will soon learn!

In the most basic categories cycles split into perhaps 4 groups;

1. Drop bar bikes. What we would call a 'racer' in the old days. There are now a myriad of sub-categories, but to the beginner they all look basically the same.
2. Flat bar road bike/rigid hybrid. Similar to a racer, no suspension but with a straight handlebar for a more upright riding position.
3. Hybrid. Mostly now come with flat handlebars and a front suspension fork. Will also usually have MTB type gears so there are lots of easier ratios for getting up the hills. Almost a lightweight version of a mountain bike but hopefully with a lighter frame, wheels and tyres.
4. Mountain bikes.

When the event organiser says a roadbike is most suitable, they are not trying to make everyone ride skinny wheeled drop-bar racing bikes, in fact the event website has a picture on the front page of two very suitable bikes being used.

Drop-bar bikes are not for everyone, it's a bit like marmite, some people love them while others hate them. A flat bar road bike or rigid (no suspension) hybrid can be just as capable, more comfortable, more confidence inspiring and a lot more practical for other trips.

Decathlon stores are not a bad place to start your search, they have some great flat bar road bikes in the range.

www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-520-flat-bar-road-bike-sora-id_8322799.html
www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-rc500-flat-bar-id_8554412.html

 

[stalagmike]

I was in the same position as you a couple of years ago. I had signed up to do a 50 mile charity ride with my brother but only had a 3 speed gentleman's trekking type bike to do it on. I did a few 25 mile training rides on the 3 speed and then bought a second hand, 'proper' but low-end road bike (triban) off eBay for half the price of a new one. It's still my only bike (well, I have one in bits in the garage too) and I've only changed the chain and tyres so far. For your first event I wouldn't buy new but look for a decent low end roady ( with flat or drop bars) and don't spend more than 150 quid. Carrera, B-twin, giant defy. That sort of thing. But people do charity rides on all sorts of bikes including old choppers!

 

[biggs682]

I was in the same position as you a couple of years ago. I had signed up to do a 50 mile charity ride with my brother but only had a 3 speed gentleman's trekking type bike to do it on. I did a few 25 mile training rides on the 3 speed and then bought a second hand, 'proper' but low-end road bike (triban) off eBay for half the price of a new one. It's still my only bike (well, I have one in bits in the garage too) and I've only changed the chain and tyres so far. For your first event I wouldn't buy new but look for a decent low end roady ( with flat or drop bars) and don't spend more than 150 quid. Carrera, B-twin, giant defy. That sort of thing. But people do charity rides on all sorts of bikes including old choppers!

Great sensible advice there , shame more don't follow it

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

. For your first event I wouldn't buy new but look for a decent low end roady ( with flat or drop bars) and don't spend more than 150 quid. Carrera, B-twin, giant defy. That sort of thing. But people do charity rides on all sorts of bikes including old choppers!

Secondhand always makes sense when it comes to vehicles, more bang for your buck.
Ironically, I'd say the comedians who do long charity rides on things like Choppers just for the hell of it, are actually probably fitter than a lot of the riders on lightweight fast stuff. Those sort of bikes, small-wheel Shoppers, and knobbly-tyred MTB's, are a lot harder work than an easy-rolling large wheel bike on road tyres.

 

[DCBassman]

I used a rigid steel MTB shod with Schwalbe City Jets. Certainly, I wasn't quick, but did complete L2B without trouble.