Help please - What not to get?

[tjw_78]

After not owning a bike since I was a kid, I got asked to do some adventure racing a few months ago, and needed to get a mountain bike. I went out and spent some hard earned cash on a Specialized Rockhopper SL (2010 model in the Jan sales) and have loved every minute of it (and am getting on well in the races!)

I am fairly sure I would get a lot of use out of a road bike too, and have been looking longingly at various machines as they wizz by me on the road parts of my current training route.

I would like to get a road bike to do some training on, maybe join a club, maybe even do some sportive or triathlons (just for fun – I’m in my early-ish 30s). Probably looking to spend something in the £300 - £800 range (depending on what is left in the kitty after I’ve completed on buying a house). We’re looking new at the top, and second hand at the bottom of that range.

There seems plenty of advice around about what to get, much of which I suspect is ultimately quite subjective. I also suspect that if you spend £700 on a bike it will be pretty handy for a novice like me regardless of what it is.

However, is there anything I should particularly avoid e.g. brand –x is terrible value, or brand-y is really unreliable, or whatever I do don’t get a bike with component-z?

 

[Kestevan]

If you're buying new and stick to the main manufacturers most if not all of the kit will be OK. The main Shimano groupsets at that price will be either Sora or Tiagra, but you might get lucky and find a 105 equipped bike. All are perfectly OK. Same with the Campag kit at this level too, but you may have less choice.

Frames will be Alloy, and the poorest component on any of the bikes is likely to be the wheels.

Second hand, there's more likely to be a bargain, but you have little/no comeback if things go wrong. Again from most manufactureres theres no 'bad' kit out there, I'd steer clear of anything with the lowest road groupsets (2200 8 speed etc) as this is pretty much obsolete, but other than that, condition is everything.

Main thing is making sure the selected steed fits you and is comfortable. Sit on as many bikes in the price range as you can, and ride as many as possible, even if its just a quick lap of the carpark, theres no better way of knowing if the bikeis for you.

A quick look at Evans/All terrainCycles etc website should give you some idea of the price ranges for new kit. You could also consider mail order only like ribble/wiggle/planetX but you realy need to know what you want in this case.

 

[tjw_78]

Thanks for the thoughts. I'm guessing the wheels would be easier to replace than groupset if/when I reach a level where my kit is holding me back.

 

[Glover Fan]

With £800, if you can wait til the end of the season it might buy you a carbon fibre frame!

 

[tjw_78]

With £800, if you can wait til the end of the season it might buy you a carbon fibre frame!

I can wait. Actually I'm torn between waiting (and hence having a bigger budget), and getting on with it.

Is it worth going for carbon fibre in next years january sales?

 

[tjw_78]

[QUOTE 1423254"]
The Carrera bikes are ok if you can get them when Halfords are discounting.

Otherwise, the Decathlon road bikes aren't to be sniffed at. Sub-£500 for an alu/carbon mix is amazing value. The Ribble bikes are worth looking at.

Those are my small-brand bargains, of which I'd choose Decathlon. If you're not convinced, you'll not go wrong with any of the big names.
[/quote]


I'm getting the 'any top name is pretty good' message, which is reassuring that my local bike shop won't sell me a load of old rubbish, which will get people saying ' why on earth did you get that'.

I read somewhere that Focus have some amazing sub £1000 bikes. Anyone esle concer with that?

 

[Glover Fan]

Yep me, which is why I suggested it, got my focus cayo in late 2009 on wiggle for £874 full carbon fibre and shimano 105 groupset.

 

[tjw_78]

Yep me, which is why I suggested it, got my focus cayo in late 2009 on wiggle for £874 full carbon fibre and shimano 105 groupset.

Sorry, missed that. Sounds pretty good

 

[Spy]

Sorry, missed that. Sounds pretty good

Still not a bad price at £999 Focus Cayo 105 Carbon

 

[smokeysmoo]

However, is there anything I should particularly avoid

Carbon

 

[tjw_78]

Carbon

Why?

 

[smokeysmoo]

Why?

I don't want your thread to turn into a pro/anti carbon debate. I just don't see the point in carbon myself, especially at the lower end of the price spectrum, but that's just my opinion, and is based on 3 years carbon ownership, and compared with many years of aluminium and steel ownership, and my relatively new ownership of a Cannodale CAAD10, so I've got a few comparisons to judge carbon against.

I'd rather have the top end aluminium frame of my CAAD10 than any carbon frame, and the CAAD is actually lighter as well, and weight is the primary reason people believe they must have carbon, whereas I think the truth is it's simply a fashion thing and a case of keeping up with the Jones's.

But like I said, I don't want your thread to run into a carbon is best, oh no it isn't debate. So if you want carbon, and you find a decent carbon frame, (I'd personally never buy a second hand carbon frame as you simply cannot guarentee it's integrity), then fill your boots. Carbon does have it's place, but for me that's in the pro ranks where cost is not an issue, and frames are probably replaced more regularly than I oil the chain on my fixed gear.

 

[madguern]

I started with an Allez on the basis that if I don't like the bike I haven't wasted any money, then over the past 18 months I have upgraded pretty much most of it and regularly beat riders on top of the range carbon bikes. I would say that the best upgrade is wheels and tyres to any bike and get the best frame for you money. You can get plenty of bargains for group sets when you feel you need them.

The best upgrade however is riding and getting yourself fit, losing a stone also helped me more than any fancy carbon frame.

 

[Oldlegs]

If you want to wait bike sales start generally in September (when the new year models appear) not much left by Jan.

 

[vickster]

If you want to wait bike sales start generally in September (when the new year models appear) not much left by Jan.

That's really interesting to know, thanks I was going to wait until the new year!