First road bike, advice sought

[midlandsgrimpeur]

As others have said, the potential to get a lot more for your money with 2nd hand is great but is also fraught with risk and kind of needs a bit of an expert eye to know what you are looking at.

If you want the reassurance of a warranty and support of a shop then buying new is safer. If you buy new I'd go Cannondale. I have had a CAAD for years, great little frame.

 

[Ali101]

Thanks a lot for all the feedback, it is very useful. I was in another bike shop today and now have other options on the table, but one major point i failed to mention in my opening post is the reason i have decided to give road cycling a go in the first place.

In 2019 i had surgery to remove a herniated disc from my lumbar spine, at L5>S1 level. I have had ongoing problems since. I am slightly overweight, with a bit of a belly. Over the last year or so i have been looking at ways to loose some weight and strenghten my core, without aggrivating my lumbar spine problems. Swimming was going well until i got bursitis in my shoulder which is ongoing for 6 months now. I noticed cyclists all tend to be in great shape, usually they are pretty thin with strong looking cores. I also like the idea of getting outdoors more.

I was talking to a cycling friend the other day. Possibly the aggressive riding position of a road bike could do me more harm than good, so perhaps i need to consider another bike style? I have an MTB for 18 years, but have not ridden on it for around 10 years, its a bit of a slog getting around on it, possibly due to the wide square grilly type of tyres it has, i never really liked riding it much. For me to take to cycling regularly, and go out on long cycles for 1>3 hours, i need a bike that glides comfortably across the road, and i think a road bike seems ideal, other than the aggressive riding position. I'm not familiar with bike styles, road/gravel/endurance etc. Probably it is best for me not to buy a bike just yet and to loan out a bike for a day or two and see how my back takes to it, and to see which style of bike i get on best with. I have heard Decathlon loan out bikes, but i'm not sure which models etc they have on offer for loaning. I'll look i to it, and in the meantime i'll try to hold back on making any impulse buys like on the special deal they gave me for the Cannondale.

 

[Punkawallah]

I was talking to a cycling friend the other day. Possibly the aggressive riding position of a road bike could do me more harm than good, so perhaps i need to consider another bike style? I have an MTB for 18 years, but have not ridden on it for around 10 years, its a bit of a slog getting around on it, possibly due to the wide square grilly type of tyres it has, i never really liked riding it much.

The MTB tyres will make your ride somewhat agricultural on roads. You might want to look at replacing them with a more civilised tread ;-) (link for illustration only)

https://www.tredz.co.uk/urban-mtb-tyres

 

[teeonethousand]

Thanks a lot for all the feedback, it is very useful. I was in another bike shop today and now have other options on the table, but one major point i failed to mention in my opening post is the reason i have decided to give road cycling a go in the first place.

In 2019 i had surgery to remove a herniated disc from my lumbar spine, at L5>S1 level. I have had ongoing problems since. I am slightly overweight, with a bit of a belly. Over the last year or so i have been looking at ways to loose some weight and strenghten my core, without aggrivating my lumbar spine problems. Swimming was going well until i got bursitis in my shoulder which is ongoing for 6 months now. I noticed cyclists all tend to be in great shape, usually they are pretty thin with strong looking cores. I also like the idea of getting outdoors more.

I was talking to a cycling friend the other day. Possibly the aggressive riding position of a road bike could do me more harm than good, so perhaps i need to consider another bike style? I have an MTB for 18 years, but have not ridden on it for around 10 years, its a bit of a slog getting around on it, possibly due to the wide square grilly type of tyres it has, i never really liked riding it much. For me to take to cycling regularly, and go out on long cycles for 1>3 hours, i need a bike that glides comfortably across the road, and i think a road bike seems ideal, other than the aggressive riding position. I'm not familiar with bike styles, road/gravel/endurance etc. Probably it is best for me not to buy a bike just yet and to loan out a bike for a day or two and see how my back takes to it, and to see which style of bike i get on best with. I have heard Decathlon loan out bikes, but i'm not sure which models etc they have on offer for loaning. I'll look i to it, and in the meantime i'll try to hold back on making any impulse buys like on the special deal they gave me for the Cannondale.

I bought second hand for the first 3 times to get both the experience of cycling and the understanding of what I needed. I found I did not know what I needed until I got what I thought I wanted. What I did know is that I only wanted to spend the big(to me) money once.

 

[VinSumRox]

Re sizing - if you are on the cusp of 2 sizes I would always get the smaller size, much more likely to be comfortable than a frame that is too large.

 

[EckyH]

I noticed cyclists all tend to be in great shape, usually they are pretty thin with strong looking cores.

That people usually are fairly careful with their diet and they do workouts to strengthen their core muscles.

With your medical history I think it's a good idea to consult somebody with sports medical knowledge if you haven't already done that.

I have an MTB for 18 years, but have not ridden on it for around 10 years, its a bit of a slog getting around on it, possibly due to the wide square grilly type of tyres it has, i never really liked riding it much.

Could you please explain more specific why you don't like riding your MTB?

The MTB tyres will make your ride somewhat agricultural on roads. You might want to look at replacing them with a more civilised tread ;-)

What he wrote.
In my experience the Continental Urban Contact is a very good tyre for roads. My Brompton is equipped with them. Did some longer road rides on that bike (longest was 76km) and the tyres were good enough, even on some "light gravel" roads.
They aren't that much and if the perceived sluggishness of your MTB is the main reason that you don't like riding it, they are worth a try.

I'll look i to it, and in the meantime i'll try to hold back on making any impulse buys like on the special deal they gave me for the Cannondale.

That's a good resolution.
Please keep in mind that the road bikes with rim brakes usually don't have tyre clearance for wider tyres than 28-30mm. Especially for heavier riders these narrow tyres require higher pressures to minimise the risk of pinch flats. Higher tyre pressure means less comfort and less grip.

E.

 

[DCLane]

In 2019 i had surgery to remove a herniated disc from my lumbar spine, at L5>S1 level. I have had ongoing problems since. I am slightly overweight, with a bit of a belly. Over the last year or so i have been looking at ways to loose some weight and strenghten my core, without aggrivating my lumbar spine problems. Swimming was going well until i got bursitis in my shoulder which is ongoing for 6 months now. I noticed cyclists all tend to be in great shape, usually they are pretty thin with strong looking cores. I also like the idea of getting outdoors more.

I'd echo @EckyH 's suggestion of speaking with a sports specialist / your medical team.

If you can't bend too far an alternative, which wouldn't be as heavy or slow as an MTB, is a flat bar road bike. They're the hybrid version of a road bike, with the narrower tyres, etc., but a more upright riding position. They're a bit slower, but not much, and since having picked one up last year I use it quite a bit.

The downside is there are less of them, as it's not a common choice, but worth a look. This sort of thing - https://www.cyclesolutions.co.uk/bi...eeder-200-flat-bar-road-bike--redblack__88133 or https://www.balfesbikes.co.uk/bikes...road-1-hybrid-bike-2025-in-sea-sparkle__56413 - of which retailers do stock but not as many. Mine's below, which is a used-once 2008 model by Giant that cost me £20 earlier this year as they tend to be bought and rarely used:

 

[Illaveago]

This has been an interesting read.
A second hand bike would seem to be the cheaper option although you might need a more experienced person to help you find the right bike. I tend to be a bit of an impulse buyer and buy something which I see which looks cheap and can do up. It might not be the most economical way as I end up buying replacement parts. I save money if I can swap wheels between bikes.
Having bought and tried a few bikes recently I have had a chance to experience how different bikes felt. I would say that I felt that my Cannondale Synapse, aluminium framed bike feels really comfortable. I was also surprised by how a Raleigh Spirit felt, it was a type of mountain bike with straight bars. It had really low gears so I could climb steep hills on it. I'm not a fan of wide knobbly tires but on some rides I was having fun riding it like a trials bike, standing up and weaving around. It was heavy though! Having to carry it up over a footbridge was exhausting!
You could try fitting narrower smooth type tyres to your existing bike to see how that feels. I did it years ago and found it improved the rolling resistance and cut my cycling time to work.
You can get different stems to adjust your riding position, angled to raise your head and neck. Drop bars offer you more riding positions, hoods , drops, bars.
Good luck and I hope you find something which suits you.

 

[MichaelW2]

A practical road bike for an older, less fit guy with back issues:
Get the fit right. You should know your preferred riding position. You can achieve most positions ( ie the position of your 3 points of contact) on drop bars and flat bars, the bar shape doesnt affect the position.
Drop bars offer more alt positions but the default cruising position is on the hoods.
You need enough tyre clearance gor your roughest roads. I would always get rack and fender threaded eyelets. Disk brakes are good but make sure they play nice with racks ( ie mounted on the chainstay).
You dont need clipless pedals but may need other accessories. You can use these as negotiating points, dont ask for cash off, go for extras on.

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

Thanks a lot for all the feedback, it is very useful. I was in another bike shop today and now have other options on the table, but one major point i failed to mention in my opening post is the reason i have decided to give road cycling a go in the first place.

In 2019 i had surgery to remove a herniated disc from my lumbar spine, at L5>S1 level. I have had ongoing problems since. I am slightly overweight, with a bit of a belly. Over the last year or so i have been looking at ways to loose some weight and strenghten my core, without aggrivating my lumbar spine problems. Swimming was going well until i got bursitis in my shoulder which is ongoing for 6 months now. I noticed cyclists all tend to be in great shape, usually they are pretty thin with strong looking cores. I also like the idea of getting outdoors more.

I was talking to a cycling friend the other day. Possibly the aggressive riding position of a road bike could do me more harm than good, so perhaps i need to consider another bike style? I have an MTB for 18 years, but have not ridden on it for around 10 years, its a bit of a slog getting around on it, possibly due to the wide square grilly type of tyres it has, i never really liked riding it much. For me to take to cycling regularly, and go out on long cycles for 1>3 hours, i need a bike that glides comfortably across the road, and i think a road bike seems ideal, other than the aggressive riding position. I'm not familiar with bike styles, road/gravel/endurance etc. Probably it is best for me not to buy a bike just yet and to loan out a bike for a day or two and see how my back takes to it, and to see which style of bike i get on best with. I have heard Decathlon loan out bikes, but i'm not sure which models etc they have on offer for loaning. I'll look i to it, and in the meantime i'll try to hold back on making any impulse buys like on the special deal they gave me for the Cannondale.

Given your medical history, I would definitely take some more considered advice on cycling. Did you still have contact details f9r

I'd echo @EckyH 's suggestion of speaking with a sports specialist / your medical team.

If you can't bend too far an alternative, which wouldn't be as heavy or slow as an MTB, is a flat bar road bike. They're the hybrid version of a road bike, with the narrower tyres, etc., but a more upright riding position. They're a bit slower, but not much, and since having picked one up last year I use it quite a bit.

The downside is there are less of them, as it's not a common choice, but worth a look. This sort of thing - https://www.cyclesolutions.co.uk/bi...eeder-200-flat-bar-road-bike--redblack__88133 or https://www.balfesbikes.co.uk/bikes...road-1-hybrid-bike-2025-in-sea-sparkle__56413 - of which retailers do stock but not as many. Mine's below, which is a used-once 2008 model by Giant that cost me £20 earlier this year as they tend to be bought and rarely used:

View attachment 796979

Based on what the OP has said, I would say this is a good suggestion. It is obviously specific to the individual, but any road bike with an ongoing back issue is also going to pose a risk long term in regards to comfort and potential further back issues.

 

[Jameshow]

Thanks a lot for all the feedback, it is very useful. I was in another bike shop today and now have other options on the table, but one major point i failed to mention in my opening post is the reason i have decided to give road cycling a go in the first place.

In 2019 i had surgery to remove a herniated disc from my lumbar spine, at L5>S1 level. I have had ongoing problems since. I am slightly overweight, with a bit of a belly. Over the last year or so i have been looking at ways to loose some weight and strenghten my core, without aggrivating my lumbar spine problems. Swimming was going well until i got bursitis in my shoulder which is ongoing for 6 months now. I noticed cyclists all tend to be in great shape, usually they are pretty thin with strong looking cores. I also like the idea of getting outdoors more.

I was talking to a cycling friend the other day. Possibly the aggressive riding position of a road bike could do me more harm than good, so perhaps i need to consider another bike style? I have an MTB for 18 years, but have not ridden on it for around 10 years, its a bit of a slog getting around on it, possibly due to the wide square grilly type of tyres it has, i never really liked riding it much. For me to take to cycling regularly, and go out on long cycles for 1>3 hours, i need a bike that glides comfortably across the road, and i think a road bike seems ideal, other than the aggressive riding position. I'm not familiar with bike styles, road/gravel/endurance etc. Probably it is best for me not to buy a bike just yet and to loan out a bike for a day or two and see how my back takes to it, and to see which style of bike i get on best with. I have heard Decathlon loan out bikes, but i'm not sure which models etc they have on offer for loaning. I'll look i to it, and in the meantime i'll try to hold back on making any impulse buys like on the special deal they gave me for the Cannondale.

Not all road bikes are the same look at a specialized Roubaix or Cannondale synapse to name but two...

A search for endurance road bikes and gravel bikes will bring up bikes with a more upright cycling position.

 

[DRM]

I'd be tempted to go to Decathlon and sit on a few Hybrids, as per the picture on @DCLane post above, that way you can at least get a feel for how your back is when on them, don't forget you can buy shorter/longer stems with different amounts of rise, as well as handle bars of different widths which would fine tune the bike further, at least you will have a better idea of what is suitable for your needs when it's time to buy

 

[Dogtrousers]

Either Cannondale or the Triban will be fine.

The biggest risk is getting a bike that doesn't fit you. Take care to make sure you get the right size. That applies whatever bike you get.

The next biggest risk is getting a bike that's over-geared, making hills a misery. This isn't such an issue as it used to be and both have a 34/32 bottom gear which is fairly standard these days and not too high.

Next on the list is getting a bike that doesn't support something that you later want. Like mudguards.

One thing to check is whether the frames have mounts to enable you to fit mudguards and a rack. You may never want a rack but you WILL want mudguards unless you only intend to ride when it's not raining.

As well as mudguards, fatter tyres might be something that you want later on. The Triban website says it can handle 32mm tyres, which is encouraging. I get mixed results when I try to find out about the Cannondale, but I think it may be 30.

Best of luck and enjoy your new bike.

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

A search for endurance road bikes and gravel bikes will bring up bikes with a more upright cycling position.

Usually but not always. I have a Scott Addict, the endurance version of the RC (race) frame. The geometry is noticeably aggressive, the reach on a x small frame is 385mm which is incredibly long for an endurance frame. Always best to delve into it as some frames are not as 'relaxed' as you might think.