First Road bike under £800

[sammydaviss1]

Hi all,

I'm looking at getting my first road bike.
I have a budget of around £800 but would possibly stretch to £1000 if I had to.
I want to start using it for the commute to work and most weekends for fitness.
The commute to work would mainly be country lanes and is approximately 9 miles each way.
I'm really not too clued up on bikes so any information for me to use in my search would be appreciated.
I've been looking for weeks now but there's just too many to choose from.

Thanks,
Sam

 

[vickster]

Any thoughts on spec? Presumably you want drop handlebars rather than flats?
Disc brakes?
For a commuter, it'll need proper mudguards, maybe a pannier rack if yiu need to carry clothes, laptop etc
Keep some budget aside for accessories, lights, clothing
Which shops can you access for a test ride?
Not that it really matters, but are you Male or female?

 

[sammydaviss1]

Any thoughts on spec? Presumably you want drop handlebars rather than flats?
Disc brakes?
For a commuter, it'll need proper mudguards, maybe a pannier rack if yiu need to carry clothes, laptop etc
Keep some budget aside for accessories, lights, clothing
Which shops can you access for a test ride?
Not that it really matters, but are you Male or female?

No idea on spec really. Just want a smooth comfortable ride. Doesn't need to be the fastest bike out there.
Definitely want drop handlebars yes.
I have some money aside for accessories so that doesn't need to come out of the bike budget.
I can access red kite cycles, Scott's cycles, evans cycles, Ribble, Halfords & cycle republic.
Young(ish) Male.

 

[vickster]

No idea on spec really. Just want a smooth comfortable ride. Doesn't need to be the fastest bike out there.
Definitely want drop handlebars yes.
I have some money aside for accessories so that doesn't need to come out of the bike budget.
I can access red kite cycles, Scott's cycles, evans cycles, Ribble, Halfords & cycle republic.
Young(ish) Male.

Sounds like you have a choice of shops, so why not go and visit, get a shortlist together and then come back. There are dozens of options in your budget. Make sure it takes full mudguards, a 25+ mm tyre, I like a carbon fork myself.
Is the area hilly, do you plan to tackle hilly rides? Looks like you're in Birmingham? So not the hilliest I think?

This from Ribble would fit the bill at £800
https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-endurance-al-shimano-tiagra/
Or a Lovely Genesis with discs from Cycle Republic
https://www.cyclerepublic.com/genesis-equilibrium-disc-10-tiagra-men-s-road-bike-2019.html

How tall are you approx? There are plenty of sale bikes out there but often only in the odd size

 

[tom73]

If you can get to Ribble I found them really helpful when I got my 1st road bike. They also have a sale on at the moment.

 

[sammydaviss1]

Approx 5' 7"..
My route to work would be fairly hilly but nothing major.
Hoping to get round a few shops this weekend.
Cheers for your help.
If you find any others, please do post them.

 

[Pale Rider]

As a commuter and first road bike you probably don't want anything too extreme, by which I mean something with a very head down position.

Look for a bike with a saddle - when set to your height - which is level with or only a little higher than the handlebars.

 

[vickster]

Approx 5' 7"..
My route to work would be fairly hilly but nothing major.
Hoping to get round a few shops this weekend.
Cheers for your help.
If you find any others, please do post them.

Probably be looking at small / 52-54cm frames

 

[Pale Rider]

Sturdy is what's required for a commuter.

I would suggest the Ribble in Vickster's link is a little lacking in the spoke and tyre department.

The Genesis is spot on in that respect.

If Ribble still takes your fancy, one of their gravel bikes might be a better bet.

Plenty of spokes and the Schwalbe G One tyres are just the ticket, shallow tread, a bit of width, and a larger air chamber than out and out road tyres.

https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-cgr-al/

 

[Lee1319]

One thing I would ask is do you already bike much? If not then I would reccoment getting a cheap and cheerful second hand one off facebook marketplace (or even borrow one if you can) and see if its for you. The only reason I say this is I know lots of people who have spent a good amount of money on their bike and now they just sit in the shed gathering dust. If you can get a b-twin triban 3 (usually around the £130 mark second hand) you can't go far wrong they are excellent bikes to start on have a look at the reviews for them

 

[DSK]

I was in Evans over xmas and they has a nice selection well within your budget.

I recall seeing a lovely TREK DOMANE, Shimano 105 if I recall correctly for about £800. The Trek Domane is supposed to be a sublime comfy racer. You can choose between disc/rim but if its a commuter that will be used in wet weather, then disc brake option would be a better option in the long run.

Whilst I agree with getting a cheapo used bike and you can get some absolute gems for £300-800 used. However, you need to be able to check them over and see what life they have had and if any components may need seeing to in the near future. I'd say if there is something new, at a great price, you may as well get new with a warranty and they may even throw in your first service for free etc.

Also, consider changing the tyres to something more puncture resistant from the outset, there are options like tubeless or reinforced tubed tyres. Somewhere like Evans will happily show you the differences and allow you to choose what best suits.

 

[BrumJim]

Good question. Problem is that there are a lot of answers out there, and it is up to you to pick one.

I was in a similar position 10+ years ago, but with a budget of £500. I didn't really know what I was letting myself in for, and if I had known, I might have made a different choice. But you can't look into the future, and I am happy with the decision that I made.

Firstly, my journey:
I bought a Specialized Allez with 2300 gears, probably equivalent to Claris of the current range. I wanted a bike for high speed commuting, i.e. to beat the time it would take me by car. Distance was 6 miles across the city.

10 years later the bike has taken me through the worst of the winters, and on several 100+ mile sportives over some of the toughest climbs in England. I have changed the wheels a couple of times, cassettes and chains even more, and the whole groupset (upgraded to 105) a couple of years ago. This shows the value of buying a good frame if you aren't the sort of person that needs a new bike every year or two. It has been supplemented with a more robust winter commuter (hub gears, disc brakes) for a good few years now, but is still, by far, my preferred steed.

My recommendations:
Disc brakes, definately, if this is your commuting vehicle. The security of stopping quickly regardless of the weather is invaluable. A road bike with dropped handelbars and road tyres is essential if you are doing 9 miles each way. Anything heavy or suspended will be a drag after the first 5 miles, and will cause you to curse your decision and hate the bike.
Good value bikes inlcude the Boardman range from Halfords, Pinnacle bikes from Evans, Planet X, Ribble. Don't ignore Giant or Specialized either. No one ever got laughed at for buying one of those. Declatholon do some superb bikes for the price too. The Triban fits your requirements perfectly.
In terms of bike types, Cyclocross bikes and Gravel bikes have clearances for wider tyres, but that is only necessary for rutted paths or across grass. On roads, a standard frame should be fine.

Have a look, have a dream, and if necessary, come back here for advice.

 

[Kernow_T]

Obviously it's your money your choice but please don't spend 800 on a new/first bike. Buy a nice condition Specialized Allez (for about £200-250), maybe a Boardman sport, Felt F85 (£150-200). A Ridley Icarus or Orion with Tiagra 10sp will probably set you back only £200 or so and will be perfect. If you want disc - venture towards £350 perhaps. If you're commuting a couple hundred quid will be much better spent on some decent weatherproof gear as this will please you much more than a £1000 bike if you're cold and wet. Good luck whatever you choose and, at 5'7 consider a 50 (esp if Ridley) or a 52 frame size also

 

[figbat]

Do you have access to a cycle-to-work scheme? It may offer you some financial options that are useful but may also limit where you can purchase from.

I don't really 'commute' on a bike but I do sometimes ride one to and/or from work. I just grab whatever I'm in the mood for, so a hardtail MTB or gravel bike to take the shortest route (which is mostly offroad) or a road bike for a longer road route.

If I had to choose only one I'd pick the gravel bike. Big tyres = comfort and resilience to poor surfaces, plus opens up offroad options. Disk brakes, drop bars, comfortable fit... I'd add some 'guards for regular commuting and that would do it for me. How about a Triban RC 520 from Decathlon?

 

[sammydaviss1]

I went to Evans cycles yesterday and liked the look of these bikes. Is there any reason why I shouldn't go for one of these??
Is one of them superior to the others in terms of spec??

The chap said there's no reason why one of these wouldn't fit what I'm looking for.

https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-arkose-r1-2019-road-bike-EV339950

https://www.evanscycles.com/trek-domane-al-4-2019-road-bike-EV340571

https://www.evanscycles.com/cannondale-caad-optimo-tiagra-2020-road-bike-EV360806

I will be getting whatever bike I choose through the cycle to work scheme definitely so second hand isn't really what I'm after.

Cheers all.