Good bike for a beginer?

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Jake501

New Member
Hello there! So i have recently been riding a daily route through the lanes (I live in the countryside) and have been really enjoying it. I'm currently using a old hybrid bike. I've decided that this is something i do quite enjoy so have been looking into getting a better bike for longer trips but i'm so confused with all the different options! There are so many kinds of bikes and i find it hard to find solid information that i can relate to. So i would like to ask you fine people for advice.

For a idea of what i'm trying to find, I have a fairly low budget of no more than £500. I mainly want to use my bike for longer distance trips around the lanes or along quiet roads, i don't live near any cities so chances of me city riding are low. I don't plan on going off road but some of the lanes are covered in gravel and rocks, i'm not sure how road bikes handle that.
I currently ride about a 6 mile route a day to start with, mostly uphill, but would like to start going further and further as i get more confident.
Thanks in advance!
 

vickster

Legendary Member
Any road bike can do longer rides if it’s comfortable for you. Look for something that will take 25mm or 28mm tyres
a Giant Contend would be a good place to start for example, red or black
https://www.paulscycles.co.uk/3631/products/giant-contend-2-road-bike-2019-pure-red.aspx#infospec


how tall are you? Your best bet is a reduced 2019 model but not all sizes may be available

Similar question here with a list of sub £600 options in the opening post
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/sub-£600-road-bike-triban-pinnacle-merlin-etc.259306/
 
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Bonefish Blues

Banging donk
Location
52 Festive Road
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CanucksTraveller

Macho Business Donkey Wrestler
Location
Hertfordshire
The type of riding you're doing is ideal hybrid territory, they're comfortable to ride a long way and they'll go along gravel / dirt tracks fine as well as being good on road. They'll come already equipped with tyres that will do both. I'd probably avoid any that have suspension, it's not needed for your riding, and it's a a waste of some of your budget. Consider the following to get some ideas:
Cannondale Quick series
Giant Escape series
Trek FX series

There are many others but that gives you a good starting point. There's no really terrible bikes at that budget.
 
Location
España
Can I ask why you need a better bike for longer trips?
Can you tell us what you want to change about your existing bike and require in a new one?

New isn't necessarily better, especially in the price range you mention.

I'd be a big advocate for people starting off to stick with what they have and learn as much as they can about what they enjoy before investing in a new bike.

With an older bike it's easier to get into basic maintenance because it's not shiny & new and just cost £££s.

Sorry to be so boring ^_^
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
Hello Jake and welcome to the forum.
There is a bewildering choice of bikes at that price point so I’ll just make some general points. Plenty of gears would be useful if you’re tackling hills so you might want a triple chainring up front, although a compact double should cover most eventualities . If you want to use gravel paths wider tyres might be more comfortable so 32c plus width tyres could be useful, just remember the wider you go the slower they’ll feel on tarmac.
Try to get to dealer and try a few, it’s the only way to decide. Don’t forget Decathlon who have some excellent vfm bikes, they give a one year warranty on components and a lifetime warranty on the frame which many others don’t. Here’s one you might consider:
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/rc500-flat-bar-disc-road-bike-sora-id_8554412.html
Good luck.
 
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OP
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Jake501

New Member
Thanks for the quick replies! To answer the questions here.
@vickster I'm juuust under 6ft tall (But if anyone asks im 6 foot)
I do like the look and versatility of drop bars though i have never used them before.
@HobbesOnTour My current bike is a old hybrid, I'm not sure of the make or model. it's old and neglected so the gears slip every now and then which is quite frustrating.

I've been looking towards adventure bikes, but this being my first proper bike i'm not really sure if the adventure bike is worth it. I live in rural wales, so there are a lot of rough roads and plenty of steep hills. I'm also a passionate hiker and backpacker so I've heard a lot about touring bikes. My main concern is making a good investment for the future, a bike that i can dabble in multiple aspects with.
I would go into a shop but with the current situation that's not really doable, plus the only shop i know of near me is halfords.
I'm not sure if this gives you guys a better idea of what i'm trying to find but mostly i'm just looking to make the first leap into proper cycling that i can build from.
Thanks
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
From the above it seems like a gravel/adventure bike might suit you. You can take it off road and with a change of tyres and addition of racks it will morph into a tourer, even without a tyre change it's still usable as such. Drop bars will give you a variety of hand positions even if you don't use the drops, that's why tourers favour them.
You'll need something like a large size or 58cm frame.
I believe Halfords is staying open during the crisis.
 
Location
España
Hi @Jake501 , I wonder what advice you'd give me if I came to you with some old gear and said I wanted to get into hiking & backpacking?
Would you tell me to get out there with what I have and figure out what I needed, or would you send me off to Decathlon to get new gear?


An old, no-name hybrid bike that brought me from NL to Spain and back amongst other places.
513513


A 20+ year old MTB put together with all that I'd learned from the first bike
513514

This one has gone a bit further....including Wales^_^

It's a go anywhere, do anything bike put together for less than a standard touring or expedition bike. It also served as my daily commuter.
 
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