Is this bike any good?

[Nosaj]

If you know what you are looking for I would recommend second hand and look at a carrera tdf or a Specialised Allez or save up and get the Triban 3.

Having said all that I started off on something very similar (a Mercurio I think) from a cycle king. As I had no previous experience whatsoever of "proper bikes", I had no frame of reference and thought that what I had was an OK bike. It was only when I bought a proper road bike that with hindsight realised that I bought a bit of a dog.

The pros were this - it was cheap, it got me into road biking, it lasted about 11 months using it once or twice a week with a longer ride at the weekend it was just as quick as any other bike (at first) and I sold it for £50.

The cons were - In comparison to my current bike it was very uncomfortable, very vibey and buzzy through the hands, downshifters are a pain to use, it lasted 11 months - the componentry wore out very quickly eg I had to very quickly replace the useless cheap Kenda tyres almost straight away and the chainset showed some serious signs of wear and it just felt like it was coming near to the end of its life.

If you want something to use for 3-6 months or so to see if you like road biking and you are able to treat this bike as something disposable at the end of this period, however if you are already convinced that you do like road biking I would hunt for something better second hand

 

[Hacienda71]

Just looking at the links I posted the other day some of those bikes sold well under your budget, leaving some fettling money to.

 

[Powely]

I've bought two recently for a little over your budget, a Carrera Virtuso Ltd new from Halfords for £299 and a Giant Defy 3 off eBay for a friend for £270. The Carrera is pretty good to be fair but I can foresee it getting replaced soon, for a £750-£1000 priced model, as the bug's really kicked in I want something better. Although the Giant is older and cost a little less it does ride soo much smoother than the Carrera, so I'd certainly go the 2nd hand route if your budget is limited to £200. I found eBay to be ok, did have to be selective of course/ask questions and set a max budget. Good luck and please let us all see what you get.

Be prepared to sell your aunty to pay for your next bike once the bugs kicked in though!

 

[Powely]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&hash=item27c8709762&item=170866546530&nma=true&pt=UK_Bikes_GL&rt=nc&si=oNBD3lPml1ylsxqPTzV94%2Fw%2FDnA%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc#ht_500wt_1156

Just me or was that a bargain? Carbon forks/Tiagra components for a little over £200? I'd look for more Vanquish models on eBay if I was you. I think you'd pay around £750+ for a new bike with a carbon fork with Tiagra set up...in my naive opinion.

Edit: Thinking about it...the Vanquish isn't likely to compare to a £750+ bike as it's not going to have the same overall specifications/geometry as a better branded bike but still worth looking at as a £200 2nd hand option IMO.

 

[the snail]

The Vanquish was very good value new, with a better spec then the more expensive Allez etc, so if you can pick one up for £200 it would be a good buy if you're not a brand snob - the lower spec allez seem to go for about £275. If you want an all-weather ride it will take mudguards too. Unfortunately the spec on the Vanquish has been down-graded on the current model.